Alzheimer's disease

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Routine Vaccines May Help Cut Dementia Risk: Studies

Researchers highlight flu, shingles, and RSV for potential brain benefits

(Newser) - A growing body of research suggests that several common vaccines may do more than just prevent infectious diseases—they're also linked to a lower risk of developing dementia. Physicians and researchers point to this as an added incentive for adults, especially older ones, to keep up with routine...

At High Risk for Dementia? This Diet Helps
At High Risk for Dementia?
This Diet Helps
NEW STUDY
Aug 25, 2025 6:53 AM CDT

At High Risk for Dementia? This Diet Helps

Mediterranean diet found to cut risk by at least 35% in those with 2 copies of APOE4 gene

(Newser) - A new study finds that sticking to a Mediterranean diet can slash the risk of dementia—especially in those with the highest genetic risk. Researchers tracked more than 5,700 participants over 34 years and found that those who closely followed the Mediterranean diet lowered their dementia risk, in...

It's a Dangerous Chemical, Yet It Might Treat Alzheimer's
A Dangerous Chemical
Might Treat Alzheimer's
NEW STUDY
Aug 7, 2025 7:56 AM CDT

A Dangerous Chemical Might Treat Alzheimer's

Lithium orotate found to reverse markers of the disease in mice

(Newser) - Long used to stabilize moods in bipolar disorder, lithium may hold a surprising new promise: reversing memory loss and brain changes linked to Alzheimer's disease. In a Wednesday study in Nature , researchers found lithium, which the brain naturally produces, is captured by beta-amyloid plaques—the same plaques associated...

Euthanasia's Tough Question: When Is It '5 to 12?'

Netherlands woman with Alzheimer's illustrates the difficult idea

(Newser) - More countries are allowing patients with a terminal illness to end their lives with the help of a doctor, but only a few allow patients diagnosed with dementia to plan for a similar death, reports the New York Times . The Netherlands is one of them, but the plight of an...

Dementia Cases Set to Double by 2060
Lifetime Risk of Dementia
Much Higher Than Thought
NEW STUDY
Jan 13, 2025 4:00 PM CST

Lifetime Risk of Dementia Much Higher Than Thought

Researchers say new cases in US could double to 1 million a year by 2060

(Newser) - The lifetime risk of developing dementia is higher than earlier thought and with Americans living longer, new cases are set to double to 1 million a year by 2060, researchers say. According to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine , the average person's risk of developing dementia after...

Taxi, Ambulance Drivers Fare Better With Alzheimer's

Study suggests all that real-time navigating keeps their brains sharp

(Newser) - A new study suggests that turning off GPS in the car and instead navigating by your own wits may help stave off Alzheimer's. The study in the British Medical Journal found that taxi drivers and ambulance drivers died of the ailment less than people in other professions, reports HealthDay...

Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson Is 'Struggling': Son

78-year-old patriarch has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, blood disorder, says Jase Robertson

(Newser) - Phil Robertson, head of the clan featured on A&E's reality-TV show Duck Dynasty, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. TMZ reports on the development, revealed on Friday's edition of the Unashamed With the Robertson Family podcast , which Robertson himself didn't appear on. Roberton's son Jase...

Researchers Zero In on First, Subtle Phase of Alzheimer's

Study describes early die-off of certain neurons

(Newser) - Alzheimer's disease appears to damage the brain in two phases, and treatment before the latter stage, when "suddenly things get really bad," is key. That's according to Ed Lein, a senior investigator at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, who worked with nearly 100 colleagues to...

Scientists: Brain Has Built-In Waste Removal System

Cleaning process could get rid of cellular trash that can build up, lead to dementia

(Newser) - A unique peek inside the human brain may help explain how it clears away waste like the kind that can build up and lead to Alzheimer's disease. Brain cells use a lot of nutrients, which means they make a lot of waste. Scientists have long thought the brain has...

'Jeopardy' Singer Greg Kihn Dead of Alzheimer's
'80s Hitmaker Is Dead
of Alzheimer's at 75
OBITUARY
Aug 16, 2024 9:52 AM CDT

'80s Hitmaker Is Dead of Alzheimer's at 75

'Breakup Song' singer Greg Kihn loved Weird Al's cover of 'Jeopardy'

(Newser) - Gen X has lost another of its '80s rockers. The AP reports that Greg Kihn, frontman for the Greg Kihn Band behind "The Breakup Song" and MTV staple "Jeopardy," has died at the age of 75. In a statement, Kihn's management team says he died...

Weight Loss Drug Might Also Help Your Brain

Daily liraglutide injections linked to slower cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients

(Newser) - A drug similar to Ozempic, used to treat diabetes and obesity, might also be used to treat and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to a small study. Researchers from Imperial College London observed 204 Alzheimer's patients in the UK over a year. Half were given daily...

'I Think We're Onto Something Important' for Alzheimer's

Scientists believe the protein reelin may help shield brain from aging diseases

(Newser) - "I think we're onto something important for Alzheimer's," MIT neuroscientist Li-Huei Tsai tells NPR , after her team's latest research backs up a pair of previous studies regarding a protein they say may help fend off cognitive decline. That protein, reelin, appears to act as a...

Her Dad Was Losing Memory, So They Took Literal Trip Down Memory Lane

Francesca Mari reflects on how reminiscence therapy factored in during a big trip with her father

(Newser) - When Francesca Mari decided to take a European trip with her aging dad, it wasn't just fun that she was hoping for. Writing for the New York Times , Mari expands on her father's Alzheimer's and how, as dementia started to steal his memories, she hit upon an...

On Alzheimer's, an Advance 'We've All Been Waiting For'

Eli Lilly's donanemab, sold as Kisunla, gets the FDA green light to help slow disease progression

(Newser) - Last summer, the Food and Drug Administration gave the thumbs-up to Leqembi, the first drug shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Now, almost a year to the day after that move, the government agency has greenlit a second drug: Eli Lilly's donanemab, sold under the brand...

Gena Rowlands Has Same Disease as Her Character in The Notebook

Son who directed her in 2004 movie says she is 'in full dementia'

(Newser) - Heartbreaking news from filmmaker Nick Cassavetes: He says his mother, Gena Rowlands, has Alzheimer's disease, like her character Allie did in The Notebook, which he directed. In the 2004 movie, Rowlands, now 94, played the older version of the character played by Rachael McAdams. "I got my mom...

On the Alzheimer's Front, 'New Avenues' Have Opened

Research suggests rare gene mutation helps delay onset of disease's symptoms in some individuals

(Newser) - Researchers have hit upon a genetic quirk that seems to delay onset of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease—sometimes for years, or even decades. "It opens new avenues," says neuropsychologist Yakeel Quiroz of Massachusetts General Hospital, a lead author of the new study published Wednesday in the...

Expert Panel Recommends FDA Approve Alzheimer's Drug

Advisers vote unanimously to back donanemab despite risks

(Newser) - A closely watched Alzheimer's drug from Eli Lilly won the backing of federal health advisers on Monday, setting the stage for the treatment's expected approval for people with mild dementia caused by the brain-robbing disease. Food and Drug Administration advisers voted unanimously that the drug's ability to...

Unusual Alzheimer's Predictor: A Falling Credit Score

Study suggests people start making bad financial decisions long before diagnosis

(Newser) - Warning signs of impending Alzheimer's usually focus on the physical—memory slips and the like. A new study out of Georgetown, however, suggests that a declining credit score might also be a sign of trouble:
  • People were 17% more likely to fall behind on their mortgage payments a year
...

Research May Result in Big Spike of Alzheimer's Diagnoses

Two copies of a certain gene would lead to a diagnosis, not merely a warning of risk

(Newser) - A new study has the potential to lead to a dramatic spike in the number of diagnosed Alzheimer's cases in the US—as in, hundreds of thousands of people who aren't even experiencing symptoms. The research published in Nature Medicine suggests that people who have two copies of...

Jay Leno Is Complimented as He's Made Conservator of Wife

Mavis Leno, 77, who has dementia, sometimes doesn't know husband, per report by attorney

(Newser) - Jay Leno was granted conservatorship of his wife of more than four decades on Tuesday in a court hearing that was filled with praise for the care he has given her. Mavis Leno, 77, is suffering from advanced dementia, and People reports that Mavis' lawyer expressed her "agreement" with...

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