Geriatric Medicine News

Light drinking may be linked to better cognitive function later in life, according to research published in JAMA Network Open.

Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month is commemorated each June to improve knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, the burden of which could increase 178% by 2060 in the United States, according to CDC estimates.

The increased prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in women may be due to hormonal changes that occur during menopause, according to a study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Older adults are among the most vulnerable populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, accounting for eight out of 10 deaths from the virus in the United States, according to the CDC.

Intranasal insulin treatment over a 12-month period failed to provide cognitive or functional benefits to older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in JAMA Neurology.

The combination of several healthy lifestyle behaviors appeared to significantly reduce risk for Alzheimer’s dementia, according to results of two longitudinal studies published in Neurology.

Clinicians should use caution when prescribing antipsychotics and benzodiazepines to treat patients with dementia because of an apparent increased risk for death, according to a study published in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Older men with a disrupted circadian rhythm had an increased risk for incident Parkinson’s disease, researchers wrote in JAMA Neurology.

An academic detailing intervention was not associated with a significant reduction of antipsychotic prescribing in nursing homes, according to results of a cluster randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open.

Volunteering more than 100 hours per year was associated with health benefits — including reduced risk for mortality — in adults aged 50 years and older, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.