Current thinking on memory loss
This week's issue of the British Medical Journal, one of my regular weekend surf destinations, has an article on What we need to know about age-related memory loss, you might be interested in. I'm waiting for my 20 minutes to pass to see if I flunk the screen for delayed recall: couldn't find relationships to fit all the words to make one pull on another - get the ol' semantic net lighting up). Their recommendations are:

• Stress reduction: chronic stress affects the hippocampus in animals, and cortisol affects memory in humans.
  
• Stay mentally active: a university education and ongoing mental activity is protective (We've got that one sussed).
  
• Maintain a good diet: the argument there seems to be associated with reducing the risk of diabetes and associated arterial disease; antioxidant vitamins (E and C) may be protective (Ummm ... I think chocolate has antioxidants)
  
• Exercise - including getting an aerobic workout (Lynda ... )
  
• Avoid head trauma - there's an association between head injury and dementia
  
• Don't smoke; don't drink to excess (although moderate drinking may on epidemiological grounds be protective)
  
• Stay in contact with people and engage in activities that have personal meaning (See, in 2050 we'll be two frisky old ladies in a nursing home - of course the staff'll think we're quite demented, because we're always gossiping about imaginary people).
  

We must be getting middle aged if we're worrying about HRT and dementia.

Exercise! I'm doomed. :-(

Lynda Williams

posted by Anonymous at 19:53   comment? e-mail lynda@okalrel.org 0 comments