Terminalcoffee discussion

This is cool:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nationa...

"Aging is not a mild form of dementia," says cellular neurobiologist John Morrison, who specializes in aging. Until recently, many scientists thought brain cells died as we aged, shrinking our brains and shedding bits of information that were gone forever. Newer findings indicate that cells in disease-free brains stay put; it’s the connections between them that break. With this new perspective has come an explosion of research into how we can keep those connections, and our brain function, intact for longer.

I, of course, don't have to worry about this yet, but it's good to know all of my aging friends still have excellent brains :)

Your time will come, Dutchgirl. Be prepared!

On the Dr Oz show, he stated that research suggests that people with dementia had less insulin than those who didn't have the condition. Its also implied that it may not be genetic. This does make sense because insulin lubricates brain cells, thus preventing them from "overheating" during neural activity. Therefore, If you have more insulin=more healthy brain cells. Less insulin = more damaged brain cells.

I remember looking at this awhile ago.

I love that chart.

Ohhh I just finished reading The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science. It was a facinating journey of the way scientists react to new ideas and how the thinking has changed about what the brain is really capable of. Larry was on the right track learning a new language at his age. An excellent way to keep the brain young.

I have always been perplexed by the percentage of the brain that is actually used. I want to use all of it or at least more of it. Do they talk at all about ways to unlock unused portions of the brain in that book, Gail?

Truly?

I guess there is no hope for me then.

You can excercise your brain by learning new things. That is the best suggestion the book has. Not simply exercising it using knowledge you already have. But really challenge yourself. :)

I have a couple of brain exercise books I get out every once in awhile. I think it is time to get one out, again.
:)

Thanks, Dubs.
I guess I won't be tapping into my secretly stored magic or physic abilities any time soon. ;)

Me, too. I just know I could do some good stuff with it. And maybe not so good.

I can't remember the last time I used the long-term memory portion of my brain.

I have a bunch of ridiculous things stored in that portion of my brain. Why couldn't I have clung to more useful information instead of things like poison works on rats because they lack the ability to vomit? Who needs it?

Susan wrote: "Thanks, Dubs.
I guess I won't be tapping into my secretly stored magic or physic abilities any time soon. "

You still have our TWINNY POWER!

Susan wrote: "I have a bunch of ridiculous things stored in that portion of my brain. Why couldn't I have clung to more useful information instead of things like poison works on rats because they lack the abili..."

I suffer from that too. But don't worry about that, I challenge myself by reading complex novels. Sudoku works too, but I haven't played it in years. Same with chess. And take your omega 3 and 6 supplements or eat salmon.

I have salmon for lunch five days a week. I still can't remember where I put the house keys. I eat the bones and drink the oily sludge at the bottom of the tin,too.

Yuk! Don't tell anyone, you guys. O.K?

evie wrote: "I have salmon for lunch five days a week. I still can't remember where I put the house keys. I eat the bones and drink the oily sludge at the bottom of the tin,too."

I take it your local doctor/ physician told you that omega 3 and 6 is mostly found in the sludge and browny bits of salmon? You don't have to eat the fish like that. Eat it regularly with supplements. Yuk bones and oil :-S.

Plus it takes a while for memory to improve with the right diet etc. Evie how long are you eating salmon?

Phil wrote: "Susan wrote: "Thanks, Dubs.
I guess I won't be tapping into my secretly stored magic or physic abilities any time soon. "

You still have our TWINNY POWER!"

GO TWINNY POWER!

It IS pretty cool.

Pfizer had clues its blockbuster drug could prevent Alzheimer’s. Why didn’t it tell the world?

Researchers say Pfizer should have published its analysis on the blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis therapy Enbrel. Pfizer says its decision was based on science.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...

"As the population ages, the number of older Americans who die following a fall is rising. A study published Tuesday in the medical journal JAMA found that for people over 75, the rate of mortality from falls more than doubled from 2000 to 2016."

"“The most likely reason is that people are living longer with conditions that in the past they might have died from,” she said. In addition, she continued, older adults are on medications that increase their risk of falling. Women are slightly more likely to fall than men, but men are slightly more likely to die as a result of a fall."

There are ways you can prevent yourself from falling.

1. Exercise - e.g., Tai chi. "Weight lifting, particularly for strengthening the legs, is a good idea, he said.

Tai chi, the Chinese martial art, appears to be an effective way to improve balance. It involves very slow, purposeful movements in coordination with breathing and muscle activity."

"A study published last year found that among adults over 70 who practiced tai chi twice a week for an hour, the incidence of falls was reduced by 58 percent.

2. "Medications, especially those that help with sleep, can compromise balance. Dr. Eckstrom said benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax are especially bad.

“Metabolism slows in older adults, so toxicity to benzos builds up, which can cause dizziness,” she said.

The same goes for non-benzodiazepines such as Ambien. Sedating antihistamines such as Benadryl and Advil PM are also bad for balance.

“If everybody got off the sleeping pills, it would help a lot,” Dr. Eckstrom said. As an alternative, she recommended melatonin to her patients, which she called a safe and effective sleep aid.

3. Don't wear slippers at home, or heels. Wear sturdy shoes. Don't wear bifocals to walk around, which can impair your depth perception. Don't be embarrassed to use a cane or walker.

4. "Eliminate tripping hazards
The accumulated clutter of a lifetime can be lethal. Get rid of small scatter rugs in your home, and eliminate extension cords that stretch across a floor.

Pets can also be a hazard. “It’s so easy to trip over your pet,” said Dr. Eckstrom."

5. "Early and often to the bathroom
Hydration is a good way to fight dizziness. Drink plenty of water throughout the day"

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/he...

Sounds like good advice, especially the part about Ambien. People I know who take it walk around and have whole conversations without being aware. Talk to them the next day, and they have no memory of their actions. It should be taken off the market.

At the tender age of 61, I've had trouble sleeping for years. After the twins were born, my sleep pattern never went back to "normal" after being up with them every three hours for about the first year.

I was never able to wear down my doctor for an Ambien prescription, but I do take the occasional Kirkland (from Costco) version of Tylenol/Advil PM but haven't noticed any affect on my balance. Grogginess? That's another story.

My mother, aged 88 currently takes Melatonin to help regulate her night day cyles. I can't say how effective it is for her as she is now in an aged care home. For as long as I remember she was always up and about during the night making cups of tea. She attributes her sleep patterns to years of waking up for the alarm when my dad went to work . It rang at 3:30am to get him to work by 6am.

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea last year. Since then, after faithfully using a CPAP machine every night, I find myself sleeping more soundly and feeling much more rested. Blood pressure has also reduced to safer levels.

I do crosswords and puzzles, but I've recently read that they may not do much to stave off the effects of aging on the brain.

Signs of dementia for family members to pay attention to - (there are various types of dementia, Alzheimer's is not the only kind):

"Pay attention when a loved one cannot recall a conversation, misses appointments, doesn’t pay bills, has their phone shut off or their TV doesn’t work.

“People have a remarkable way to mask decline,” Rindner said. “It may take a while before you see red flags.”

Here are some things to look for:

• Notes with reminders about simple tasks.

• When neighbors or friends share concern.

• Bills not paid or overpaid.

• Physical appearance — someone who was always put together suddenly wears wrinkled or dirty clothing.

• Weight changes.

• Driving issues: fender benders, parking in the wrong spot.

• Any behavior that is out of the ordinary.

• Picking up an object and using it inappropriately. [e.g., thinking a TV remote is a phone]

• Saying things that are inappropriate — “no filter.”

• Changes in speech, personality."


Everyone occasionally forgets where they put their keys. But if you forget what the keys are for, there's a big problem.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/health...

When you turn 65, the doc tests for memory loss. Draw a clock; remember three words after conversing. Do that, and you're AOK. Seems like a crock to me.

To make matters worse, medication side effects can mimic dementia.

https://beta.washingtonpost.com/healt...

Yep. I recently read about this elsewhere. I sometimes take a Benedryl at night for allergy symptoms and to help me sleep. I try to take as few drugs as possible, and I guess this is one more to strike off the list. I'll just tolerate allergy symptoms and sleep less.