“In all likelihood, you have mild cognitive impairment that will eventually lead to younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease, especially with your family’s history.” With that brief pronouncement, my world, my husband’s world and our children’s world changed forever. My husband Jim was 48 when we heard those words. I was 40. Our daughter was 9 and our son was 6. I wasn’t exactly sure what it all meant. The more reading and research I did, the more depressed I became. [...]
During February, Black History Month, the Alzheimer’s Association sat down for a one-on-one talk with Dr. Goldie Byrd, an African-American scientist who has spent more than a decade researching the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease. Early in her career, Dr. Byrd recognized the impact of studying the nature of Alzheimer’s disease on a genomic level. Here are some of her thoughts on her observations and her motivations for continuing her research. “I decided to focus my [...]
To support causes near to her heart, jewelry designer Holly Freeman started a line of limited edition pieces with friend and actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler. In honor of World Alzheimer’s Month, the two philanthropists designed a purple bracelet. Proceeds go to the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s has touched so many. I know firsthand. My grandfather was an incredibly talented artist. His works spanned from beautiful flowers and landscapes, to drawings of my favorite cartoon characters he made [...]
I was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2009 at the age of 56. Prior to my diagnosis, I was the senior vice president of operations for M&T Bank, overseeing hundreds of employees across the Maryland and Delaware regions. I still run into those people — former employees or co-workers — at the grocery store or out at restaurants. I remember faces, but not always their names. Often, I notice that people make eye contact [...]
Berries, they’re not just for breakfast anymore. In a study published last month in the Annals of Neurology, researchers reported that consumption of berries and flavonoids showed a slower rate of cognitive decline in women aged 70 and older.* Using data from the long-running Nurses’ Health Study of 122,000 registered nurses, the researchers conducted assessments on 16,010 women. The Nurses Health Study began in 1976. Every four years they were questioned on their eating habits. [...]
But she does a pretty good job of making me feel like she does. I believe she knows there is a connection. She keeps it very simple when she talks to me. Partly I think because she knows that she can’t quite remember but is still witty enough to know that she doesn’t want to make it any more confusing than it already is for her. I think she is past the most scary part— [...]
This post originally appeared on the ChicagoNow blog, “Ask Dr. Chill: Practical Answers to the Toughest Caregiving Questions.” It is being reposted here with the author’s permission. Almost eight years at the Alzheimer’s Association — five at the Utah Chapter and close to three at the National Office right here in Chicago — left equally enduring imprints on my mind and heart. The mental imprint is analytical, bridging science and people in the shape of a fervent belief [...]
Dear Readers, In a recent post this month, I focused on a study from Korea that examined whether the cardiovascular risk factors had similar effects on dementia risk in the Korean population as compared to Western populations. In this blog post, I discuss the latest data from Korea that examines the association of APOE e4 and depression to incident (development of ) dementia in elderly Koreans. This study used data from the 10/66 International Dementia [...]
I recently attended an event hosted by the American Heart Association and Go Red Chicago, where a panel of physicians and healthcare providers discussed the effect of diet, hormones and cardiovascular risk factors on the heart and brain. The physicians also touched on emerging data that suggest there may be racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence and effects of cardiovascular risk factors to the development of heart disease and brain functioning in these diverse populations. Thus, [...]
Dear Readers, As I discussed in an earlier blog post this month, the association between behavior and/or personality traits to developing dementia is a growing topic of interest that I am asked to discuss frequently. Depression, in particular, arouses a lot of interest, as many studies have shown an association between depression and poor physical, social and cognitive functioning. The latest study from the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) examined whether depressive symptoms in post [...]
