Got Peripheral Artery Disease? Eat Dark Chocolate.

Got Peripheral Artery Disease?    Eat Dark Chocolate.
The Director of the Vascular Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, MA),  Mark Creager, MD, reports findings from a recent study of patients ages 60 to 78 with PAD. When they ate 1.5 ounces of chocolate with at least 85% cocoa they walked 11% farther and 15% longer than they previously were able to walk. The high concentration of polyhenols in dark chocolate are antioxidants that seem to improve blood flow the lower extremities.  It only takes 1.5 ounces.

When visiting a person with any type of memory decline always wear a large print name badge indentifying who you are and their relationship with you.  ie:  LAURA your WIFE.
 Let's make their lives as comfortable and easy as possible by not presuming they will recognize you.

I've received an invitation to present at the World Congress on Geriatrics and Geronotology in Taiyuan, China.  Is anyone else from Iowa planning to attend?

Can the peanut butter test diagnose Alzheimer's Disease ?

The Journal of the Neurological Sciences reports on research completed at the McKnight Brain Institute Center for Smell and Taste at the Un of FL, Gainsville.

Since the part of the brain that controls the sense of smell 
is the first area to be affected by Alzheimer's Disease the researchers used the strong smell of peanut butter for their testing.

Research subjects, already diagnosed with Alzheimer's,
were not able to smell a spoonful of peanut butter when it
was just 2" from their nose.

Subjects not diagnosed  with Alzheimer's, were able to smell the same spoonful of peanut butter when it was placed seven inches from their nose.

Is It Alzheimer's or Normal Aging

                    

                    Let's talk it over.  Please join me at 
         Glen Oaks Memory Care Center in Urbandale, IA
                 Thursday     April 24, 2014       6 PM

                         Questions ? Give me a call 
                                   Jacke' Dollar
                                  515-223-0014

Do High Blood Sugar Levels Hinder Memory?

A preliminary study published in the American Academy of Neurology Journal suggests chronically high blood sugar levels in humans, without Type 2 diabetes, have a negative effect on their ability to remember and repeat a list of words.

The German study of 141 people, average age 63, without signs of memory problems but with elevated glucose levels showed a correlation between long term high blood-sugar levels and the inability to recall

words from a list. Researcher Agnes Floel finds that even in  this small study, people with normal blood sugar ranges could possibly prevent age related memory decline by lowering their blood glucose levels.  

Glucose level is determine by genetics, diet and recent emotional activity. 

Floel suggests the need for large clinical trials to determine if lowering glucose levels will help prevent some dementia's.                                                                                                         USA Today                                                             

Increase the Size of Your Hippocampus to Improve Your Memory

Study by Kirk Erickson Ph.D. published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences:
Seniors were able to improve their memory by increasing the size of their hippocampus, the part of the brain where memory and emotion are stored and controled, by walking 40 minutes-three times a week for a year.  
Participants who walked showed an average 2% increase while those who did stretching exercises showed a
1.4% declinle in their hippocampus volume. Dr. Erickson, the lead author in the study, suspects increase blood flow and growth in the cell connections may be the contributing factors. Lets get out and walk!