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Can Hearing Aids Reduce Your Risk Of Dementia?

Hearing loss affects one-third of people over the age of 65, and two-thirds of those over 70. Many people who deal with hearing loss refuse a hearing aid, even when their insurance helps pay for it.

A road with the words dementia on it, and the wky in puzzle pieces with pieces missing. — *The risk of dementa can be reduced by using a hearing aid.*

Hearing aids do more than just help with hearing loss. Most people are unaware that hearing loss increases the likelihood of dementia, depression, balance issues, and anxiety. Therefore, by using hearing aids, you can improve your quality of life and lower your risk of dementia.

Understanding the Research

A University of Michigan team used data from nearly 115,000 people over age 66 with hearing loss. From 2008 to 2016, Elham Mahmoudi, MBA, Ph.D and her colleagues looked at the data for each person with hearing loss. They gathered this info one year before their diagnosis and then again three years later.

The study shows that men were more likely to get hearing aids than women. It also showed almost 37% of people with hearing loss in the north-central part of the US used hearing aids compared to the people in mountain states.

Those with hearing aids within the three years were 18% less likely to get diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Hearing aid users had an 11% lower risk of being diagnosed with depression, and a 13% lower risk of fall-related injuries.

Because of Dr. Mahmoudi and her colleagues, we see that hearing aids can help in other areas.

Reducing Risk Factors

Hand holding a hearing aid. — *Because they are able to enjoy life more, people with hearing aids are less likely to develop dementia and depression.*

Because they are able to enjoy life more, people with hearing aids are less likely to develop dementia and depression. They are more social, which in turn boosts cognitive health.

“Older people with hearing loss who wear hearing aids may be better educated or may socialize more, factors which are also associated with a reduced risk of dementia,” said Dr. David Loughrey, a research psychologist specializing in hearing and cognition.

Social isolation can result in less brain stimulation, and hearing loss promotes cognitive decline because you don’t have as much auditory input. Over time, the brain’s auditory centers degenerate, which in turn makes the brain struggle to compensate. It has to use more sources to process this information. Studies and scans show that your brain shrinks as you lose hearing.

Payment

When it comes to payment, Medicare Part B will cover a hearing exam if your doctor finds it necessary. Only four states (New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Arkansas) are required to cover hearing aid expenses, which probably contributes to their lack of popularity. Paying for hearing aids out-of-pocket can cost thousands of dollars.

However, there’s good news. The FDA has approved over-the-counter hearing aids for sale in 2020. They hope more people will purchase them with mild or moderate hearing loss.

From what Dr. Mahmoudi found, we can safely say that hearing loss affects your mental state. In order to stay on top of your overall well-being, invest in a hearing aid. You will be doing your mental, physical, and emotional health a favor. Just because hearing loss is an issue, does not mean you can not help promote a better life by getting a hearing aid. Hopefully, they will be available over-the-counter soon, or Medicare will offer more assistance in the future.

Good Friends Offer More Than A Good Time, They Offer Better Brain Health!

If you are a fan of the Golden Girls, then you know that having good friends keeps you going. According to research, this is especially true for “SuperAgers.” SuperAgers are people in their 80s or older who have great cognitive function, similar to that of the average middle-aged individual. Scientists measured that SuperAgers lose brain volume slower than other people their age because of their active lifestyle, and having close friends.

Silhouette of a omwn and woman facing each other with a white circle in their heads and a black heart in the middle of the circle. — *Social relationships mprove brain function, as well as reducing the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s.*

Social relationships are essential, not only for improving brain function, but also reducing the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

The Study Of SuperAgers

Emily Rogalski, an associate professor at the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, is one expert studying SuperAgers. She, among others, examined SuperAgers for nine years in order to understand their superior cognitive health. The group would fill out surveys every couple of years, and get tests and brain scans done.

The brain scans showed that these older individuals had thicker cortexes, a resistance to age-related atrophy, and a larger left anterior cingulate (a part of the brain important to attention and working memory). Also, out of the surveys given, one thing stood out among all participants- reports of satisfying, warm, and trusting relationships.

“It’s not as simple as saying, ‘if you have a strong social network, you’ll never get Alzheimer’s disease,’” says Dr. Rogalski. “But if there is a list of healthy choices one can make, such as eating a certain diet and not smoking, maintaining strong social networks may be an important one on that list.”

Other Habits

Large bowl in the middle filled with lettuce, with little bowls surrounding it filled with fuits and vegetables. — *SuperAgers are more active, and eat healthy diets that improve brain function.*

Through the study, researchers noted that social engagement was not the only factor in improved brain function. SuperAgers were more active than other people their age, not just physically, but mentally as well. The participants engaged in mental activity such as Sudoku and other forms of brain teasers to stimulate and engage their brains on a daily basis. The last thing is to eat a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, which has been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

As people age, keeping up with their social life can be difficult, especially when there are obstacles to go through, such as work, finances, and maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. However, as you get older, it has been proven that your social interactions might just keep your brain young. Take the time to call your good friends, make plans to see each other, and stay as social as you can. Life is busy, but your friends will keep you young, literally.

A Coffee A Day Keeps Alzheimer’s at Bay

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world and has been for a while. It gives you a boost when you first wake up, the smell is satisfying, and it tastes delicious. In the past, negative aspects of coffee have circulated. However, recent research shows it can actually improve your brain, and overall health as you age.

Different cups of coffee with cream in it or black. — *Coffe boosts brain health and function. Studies show that it can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia.*

Delay The Onset Of Alzheimer’s

Just by consuming coffee, people with mild dementia and cognitive impairment can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. A study conducted of 124 older adults with mild cognitive impairment ages 65 to 88 revealed that caffeine blocks brain inflammation and fights off the receptors that cause cognitive decline. The participants with early dementia and cognitive impairment were tested once and then again 2-4 years later. These studies revealed that the test subjects with high blood caffeine were less likely to develop full-blown Alzheimer’s.

Neuroscientist Chuanhai Cao, who partook in the study, stated that “These intriguing results suggest that older adults with mild memory impairment who drink moderate levels of coffee, about three cups a day, will not convert to Alzheimer’s disease or at least will experience a substantial delay before converting to Alzheimer’s.”

Live Longer

Coffee can be an answer to living longer. One large-scale study that had over 400,000 mature adult participants gave some surprising results. Men who drank 2 cups of coffee a day lived 10% longer than those who did not. Women who drank the same lived 13% longer than women who did not imbibe caffeine. 10-13% might not seem like a large number, but wouldn’t you like a 10% increase in longevity?

Boosts Brain Function & Memory

A study conducted at the University of California showed that people who consumed 200 mg of caffeine before taking a memory test received greater scores than those who did not. The participants looked at images and then were asked to come back a day later and correctly identify them. The coffee drinkers scored higher, proving that caffeine enhances long term memory. On the other hand, the study proved that people who consumed 300 mg of caffeine (more than 3 cups of coffee at once) did not do much better on the test, and complained of feeling jittery with headaches.

Caffeine will boost your brain function and memory, but it is important to note that only a certain amount will help.

All black picture of a brain with strong arms on both sides of it. — *Drinking 2 cups of coffee will boost your memory and brain function throughout the day.*

More than 200 mg can have negative side effects. So, stick with two cups.

Protective Effects Against Stomach Cancer

About 27,000 cases of stomach cancer will be diagnosed this year, but coffee might help reduce your risk. A 2016 study compared regular coffee drinkers to non-coffee drinkers, and the results were minor but hopeful. Regular coffee drinkers had a 7% reduced risk of stomach cancer, and those who drank more coffee saw higher reductions. People who drank three to four cups per day were 12% less likely to develop stomach cancer.

Prevents Diabetes

Drinking coffee, whether caffeinated or not has benefits towards your glucose levels. Studies have shown you can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes just by drinking decaffeinated coffee. The author of the study stated that “compared with no coffee consumption… six cups a day of coffee was associated with a 33% lower risk of type 2 diabetes.”

This can greatly help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s as well because about 70% of people with type 2 diabetes go on to develop Alzheimer’s.

Drinking at least 2 cups of coffee a day has been found to greatly reduce the risk of most diseases, including cardiovascular disease, and cancer. If you are an avid coffee drinker, then great, keep doing what you’re doing. If you are not, then consider drinking at least a cup a day, or opt for a non-caffeinated coffee. You can increase your overall health by adding something as simple as a cup of joe to your daily routine.

Finally, A Cure For Alzheimer’s? New Drug Testing Gives Hope

Finding a cure for Alzheimer’s has been a battle for scientists and researchers for years. Researchers even created a game that people can play to help detect early stages of Alzheimer’s. There have been many new drugs created to help cure and improve the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, but failed. The latest drug has passed the first phase of human

black outline of a head with puzzle pieces missing — *There have been many new drugs created to help cure and improve the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, but failed. Now there is hope with a new drug.*

testing. The researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, in Germany, developed the drug, named PRI-002. The drug can be distributed in tablet or capsule form, and researchers are very hopeful for phase 2 of human testing.

How It Works

The new drug, PRI-002, eliminates the toxic beta-amyloid oligomers, which is the protein that scientists suspect causes Alzheimer’s. These amyloid proteins clump together long before any symptoms appear. Other drugs in the past would stimulate the immune system to attack the amyloid plaques formed. However, PRI-002 directly breaks down the amyloid oligomers themselves. In early animal studies, the drug not only shows promise of preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s but can reverse cognitive decline as well.

“We were able to show that mice with symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s had an improvement in cognitive performance after treatment with PRI-002,” says Janine Kutzsche, a scientist working on the preclinical studies. “The memory and cognition of the treated mice were significantly improved compared to the placebo group and could no longer be distinguished from the memory performance of healthy mice.”

Phase I

Test tubes with one purple liquid and the other yellow liquid. — *A group of healthy volunteers took daily dosages of PRI-002 for 4 weeks. It passed human safety testing because it produced no major effects.*

After the mice were given extensive testing and showed promising results, humans were the next to take a trial of the drug to make sure that consumption is safe. A group of healthy volunteers took daily dosages of PRI-002 for 4 weeks. The results showed that this new Alzheimer’s drug passed human safety testing because it produced no major effects, even at the highest dosage.

“The drug concentrations in the blood reached the values that had previously been therapeutically effective in animal models,” says Dieter Willbold, one of the scientists working on the project. “Now we were also able to demonstrate the safety of the compound after four weeks of daily administration.”

The drug is moving into Phase II human clinical trials. It will take years to complete the trial to make sure it is effective and completely safe for humans with Alzheimer’s. Hopefully, this new drug will be the answer we have all been waiting for.

Loved One With Alzheimer’s: How To Cope

Hearing that someone you love is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s can be devastating. It is not only tough for the person going through it, it is also tough for the entire family. Over 16 million people in the U.S. care for someone that has Alzheimer’s. Watching someone you love slowly forget who you are and the details of their life is challenging and overwhelming. It will bring on feelings of frustration, and depression. Learning about the disease, and strategies to cope with it can make the process a little easier. It can also help you prepare for the future of what is to come before the disease worsens.

Educating yourself about Alzheimer's can help you understand the disease, and prepare you for what's to come. — *Educating yourself about Alzheimer’s can help you understand the disease, and prepare you for what’s to come.*

Educate Yourself About The Disease

Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. with 1 in 3 seniors dying with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Learning as much as you can about the disease and how it progresses can help you understand how to deal with it and cope. Understanding what the disease entails will help you empathize with your loved one and provide you with the knowledge to help slow it down, and treatment options.

Create Realistic Expectations

People with Alzheimer’s do not get better unfortunately, symptoms progress and worsen. Information you provide your loved one with Alzheimer’s will be forgotten, so it is important not to set unrealistic expectations for them. You should learn to expect the unexpected, and take it one day at a time.

Respond Gentler

When a loved one is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, it can be really frustrating to constantly remind them of something. It hurts that they are losing memories and recognition of who you are, but it is important to be more gentle with them. Using validation instead of frustration and anger. It will only frustrate them, which will make it even harder for them to remember anything.

Remind Your Loved One

There will be many times, especially after the disease progresses, that your loved one will forget your name and things. Simply remind them who you are, and show them pictures and videos of family and friends. This can help trigger their memory, and if not, then it will be nice for them to hear the stories of the people who love them.

Develop Routines/Schedule

Create a daily routine and schedule for your loved one do they can have some sort of structure in their life. It is important to have set schedules for them to help get rid of as much confusion and frustration as possible. Allow your loved one to do as many things as possible by themselves if they can. It helps them restore some confidence.

Accept Changes

There is not point in trying to change your loved one to the person they were before the disease. Learn to grieve the loss, and accept who they are now and that the only thing you can change is your attitude towards it. Your relationship with your loved one will constantly change over time.

Good Nutrition Can Help

Research has linked Alzheimer’s to nutrition. Limit refined sugars and increase vegetable intake to help manage the disease. Leafy green vegetables has been linked to improved cognitive performance.

Prepare Wills & Finances

Make sure the loved one’s living will and finances are all prepared and completed. This will help alleviate any stress or issues that may come along as the disease worsens, leading to medical bills such as hospice.

Take Care Of Yourself

Do not burn yourself out, and remember to take care of yourself. Being a caretaker for a loved one with Alzheimer’s gets to be very time consuming. You focus all your time and energy on them and forget to take time for yourself. Take some time for yourself throughout the day. You can join a support group and talk with others who are going through

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's can be a lot to take on. Lean on family for help so you can take a break. — *Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be a lot to take on. Lean on family for help so you can take a break.*

the same feelings as you of loss, sadness, and even resentment.

Involve The Family More

Taking care of your loved one alone is really stressful. You can rely on your family for help when needed, and ask your family for more support. If you feel like you need to take a break, lean on your family members, and ask them to help you when you need it. It is a lot of work emotionally and mentally helping someone that has Alzheimer’s. Create a care plan with your family so they can help pick up the slack in some areas such as cleaning.

Taking care of a loved one with Alzheimer’s or even going through the whole process is draining and releases a flush of emotions. The first and foremost thing is to remember that there is nothing you can do or change, but your attitude towards the situation. Remain as calm as possible around your loved one and remind them of the good times. They may not remember memories over time, but one thing they can still remember is emotions and can sense yours. Be more patient and grieve the loss of who they were, but you can create new memories with them and have fun together. Take advantage of the time you have together, and ask for help and a break when needed.