May Dementia News Roundup

Dementia News from April 2022

Plight of Ukrainians with Dementia

The New York Times delves into the plight of those in Ukraine with dementia. In early April, @olgarighmic wrote, “My grandmother in Ukraine has dementia. Every morning she wakes up, turns on the TV and finds out war has begun. Mortified, she packs her bag and tries to evacuate the house. She’s been in this never-ending loop for 41 days straight. Grandpa’s keeping the keys in a safe place.” Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/20/world/dementia-grandparent.html

Link Between Lithium and Decreased Risk of Dementia

Researchers conducting a retrospective study found a correlation between the use of lithium and a decreased risk for dementia. This was true even for subjects who had bipolar disorder, which is associated with an increased risk of dementia. Read more: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8929585/

Fact vs. Fiction on “Brain Foods

Amelia Nierenbgerg from the New York Times separates fact from fiction when it comes to so-called “brain foods.” She writes that the Mediterranean diet and the MIND diet offer protection against cognitive decline. Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/well/mind/dementia-prevention-food-diet.html

Hospice Regulations Don’t Serve Those with Dementia

The Washington Post reports that Medicare’s hospice regulations aren’t serving those with dementia thanks to the six-month rule. While 75% of hospice patients in 1992 had cancer, today 50% have dementia. It’s hard to predict when those with dementia have only six months to live. But changing the six-month rule would require Congress to act. Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/03/26/medicare-alzheimers-dementia-hospice/

Those with Dementia Not Adequately Treated for Stroke

An American Heart Association/American Stroke Association statement published in Stroke examines the ways in which people with dementia may not be adequately treated for acute stroke. This ranges from not recognizing stroke symptoms, to not being properly assessed by doctors, to not being included in research studying effective treatments. Read more: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STR.0000000000000406

Incidence of Dementia Varies by Race & Ethnicity

A recent study of veterans found the incidence of dementia varied by race and ethnicity. The rate was 20.7 for Latinx participants, 19.2 for Black participants, 14.2 for Indigenous participants, 12.4 for Asian participants, and 11.5 for White participants. Unfortunately, the researchers didn’t analyze the possible mechanisms driving the differences, such as healthcare bias, chronic health conditions, or social determinants of health. Read more: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2791223

Molecular Study Examines Blood-Brain Barrier

The National Institute on Aging reports on a molecular study finding that blood vessels from brains of those with Huntington’s disease had higher levels of RNA from genes linked to the immune response and lower levels of RNA from genes that protect the blood-brain barrier. This finding informs future research on ways to improve brain blood vessel health to treat or prevent dementia. Read more: https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/two-molecular-maps-blood-vessels-human-brain-reveal-links-dementia

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