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- Giving Up the Guns When a Family Member Has Alzheimer’s
- Care Management Program Is Reducing Need for Anti-anxiety Medication and Visits to the Hospital/Emergency Room
- Talking to a Loved One With Alzheimer’s
- 10 Powerful Ways to Commemorate Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
- Making the Most of Mealtimes for People With Alzheimer’s
- Family Members Provide 100 Hours a Month of Unpaid Care for Alzheimer’s
- Alzheimer’s Caregivers Should Be Screened for Depression
- Alzheimer’s Care Costs Far More Than Heart Disease or Cancer Care
- Obesity at Midlife May Speed Alzheimer’s Onset
- Hello from my mom
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- Lack of Deep Sleep Tied to Alzheimer’s Brain Changes
- Inflammation in Middle Age Tied to Thinking and Memory Problems Later
- Frailty May Increase Susceptibility to Alzheimer’s Disease
- Intensive Blood Pressure Control May Help Keep Memory Sharp
- Inflammation May Spur the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease
- High Blood Pressure of Pregnancy Tied to Late-Life Dementia
- Heart Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Share Genetic Links
- Widely Used Office Dementia Tests Are Often Inaccurate
- Heart Rhythm Disorder, A-Fib, Tied to Dementia Risk
- Daytime Sleepiness Tied to Alzheimer’s Brain Changes
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- Diabetes Treatments May Help Ward Off Alzheimer’s Disease
- Can Mushrooms Help Your Memory?
- Buyer Beware: Dietary Supplement’s Won’t Cure Alzheimer’s Disease
- Experimental Drug, Fails to Benefit Alzheimer’s Patients
- New Drug Shows Promise for Alzheimer’s
- Pain Relievers Present Special Hazards in People With Alzheimer’s Disease
- Care Management Program Is Reducing Need for Anti-anxiety Medication and Visits to the Hospital/Emergency Room
- Music May Ease the Anxiety of Alzheimer’s
- Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug, Intepirdine, Disappoints in Study
- An Eye Scan for Alzheimer’s?
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- Brain Scans Aid in Management of Alzheimer’s Disease
- For Brain Health, Choose Heart-Healthy Foods
- Keeping Physically and Mentally Active at Midlife May Cut Dementia Risk
- How Exercise May Help Fend Off Alzheimer’s Disease
- 6 Months of Moderate Exercise Can Sharpen the Mind
- Foods for Brain Health? Try Leafy Greens, Red and Orange Veggies, Berries and Orange Juice
- To Drive or Not to Drive? Questions to Ask
- Exercise May Prevent Falls in Those with Alzheimer’s Disease
- The Driving and Car Key Dilemma of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Healthier Heart, Healthier Brain
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- Scientists get a ‘total surprise’ and a promising new clue for how to cure Alzheimer’s
- Some 44 Million People Have Alzheimer’s Worldwide
- Nearly 14 Million Americans Will Have Alzheimer’s Disease by 2060
- Alzheimer’s Rates Could Double in Coming Decades
- Combining Care Program With Medication Reduces Alzheimer’s Symptoms By 750%
- Fisher Center Scientists make two new Significant Discoveries in the battle against Alzheimer’s
- Dementia Rates Are Slowing, but Alzheimer’s Cases Continue to Rise
- Fisher Center Scientists Create a Novel Imaging Technology Allowing the 3D Visualization of Brain Defects That Cause Alzheimer’s Disease
- Negative Beliefs About Aging Could Prime the Brain for Alzheimer’s
- Recognizing Faces Is a Challenge for Those With Alzheimer’s
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- The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Earns Coveted 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator for the 8th Consecutive Year
- Fisher Center For Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Wins Fall 2018 Digital Health Awards®
- Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Earns Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar
- The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Earns Coveted 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator for the 7th Consecutive Year
- Hear Kent Karosen, President and CEO of the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, describe his new book and the power of art therapy
- Fisher Center Scientists link a Mutation That Protects Against the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Newly Inducted Into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Shaquille O’Neal, Joins the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation to Raise Funds for Groundbreaking Research in the Quest for a Cure
- Pat Summitt, legendary women’s basketball coach, dies at 64
- Celebrating the life of Nancy Reagan for her Impact on the Fight to end Alzheimer’s
- WRNN Interview
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Exploring the Link Between Body Weight and Alzheimer’s
October 17, 2007
Carrying excess weight has been linked to a variety of chronic ailments, including heart disease, strokes, and diabetes. Being overweight in middle age has also been linked to an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease late in life. But, a new study suggests, overweight seniors do not appear to be at high risk for memory problems. In fact, seniors who were underweight were more likely to be at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, the study found.
The six-year study, reported in the medical journal Neurology, examined 3,885 seniors living in Chicago. Nearly a fourth of the men and women were overweight or obese.
All were given memory tests at the start of the study, with regular follow-ups over the next six years. The researchers, from Rush University Medical Center, found that overweight or obese seniors were not at higher risk for developing memory problems.
“We do not know yet why being overweight or obese does not increase the risk for cognitive decline in old age,” said study author Maureen T. Sturman, MD, MPH. “While past studies have found obesity in middle age increases a person’s risk for dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, our findings show obesity in old age has no effect on a person’s memory.”
Underweight seniors, on the other hand, did show a greater decline in memory and thinking skills over time. “Being underweight may be a correlate of the initial stages of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Sturman. “These findings are consistent with previous studies showing that weight loss or low body mass index in old age may be a precursor of cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s disease.”
One recent study, for example, found that women who have dementia start losing weight at least 10 years before the disease is diagnosed. [See the article, “Weight Loss May Occur Years Before Alzheimer’s Onset in Women.”] One reason may be that loss of initiative, along with a loss of sense of smell, in the very early stages of memory loss would discourage seniors from eating nutritious and regular meals.
Still, nobody is suggesting that seniors pack on pounds to help stave off Alzheimer’s disease. Carrying excess weight during the middle and seniors years is associated with a list of physical ills, like heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes. And while this particular study did not find a direct link between excess weight and memory problems, more research is needed to clarify the association between obesity and Alzheimer’s.
The best bet is likely to try to maintain a normal weight and good nutrition through a heart-healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
For more on the care and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, visit www.ALZinfo.org.
By www.ALZinfo.org, The Alzheimer’s Information Site. Reviewed by William J. Netzer, Ph.D., Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at The Rockefeller University.
Source:
M.T. Sturman, MD, MPH, C.F. Mendes de Leon, PhD, J. Lienias, Scd, et al: “Body Mass Index and Cognitive Decline in a Biracial Community Population.” Neurology, September 19, 2007.
