Dementia News and Research

Latest Dementia News and Research

Copper may protect brain health after stroke

Research shows dietary copper intake boosts cognitive function in older adults, particularly those with a stroke history, highlighting its neuroprotective role.

1 Aug 2025

Flooding linked to increased hospitalizations among older adults

New research examining 17 years of data from Medicare hospitalization claims and major flooding events finds increased rates of skin diseases, nervous system diseases, and injuries or poisonings among adults aged 65 and older following major floods.

31 Jul 2025

Greener cities reduce dementia risks linked to air pollution

Boosting greenery may protect against air pollution's impact on dementia, revealing a potential strategy to reduce Alzheimer's disease burden globally.

29 Jul 2025

Moderate coffee and tea habits linked to sharper thinking in seniors

Moderate coffee intake and both moderate and high tea consumption are associated with a slower decline in fluid intelligence among older adults over nearly a decade. High coffee intake, however, is linked to a faster decline in cognitive function.

28 Jul 2025

Study: Formal education does not slow brain aging or cognitive decline

An international study published in the journal Nature Medicine casts doubt on the widespread belief that higher levels of formal education directly protect against cognitive decline and brain aging.

28 Jul 2025

Study shows the importance of diet in influencing multimorbidity in aging populations

A healthy diet can slow down the accumulation of chronic diseases in older adults, while inflammatory diets accelerate it.

28 Jul 2025

California looked to them to close health disparities, then it backpedaled

Fortina Hernández is called "the one who knows it all." For more than two decades, the community health worker has supported hundreds of families throughout southeast Los Angeles by helping them sign up for food assistance, sharing information about affordable health coverage, and managing medications for their chronic illnesses.

28 Jul 2025

Addressing diagnostic delays in dementia for better patient outcomes

People with dementia are diagnosed an average of 3.5 years after symptoms are first noticed, or even longer (4.1 years) for those with early-onset dementia, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

28 Jul 2025

UCSF discovery points to new strategies for Alzheimer's treatment

UCSF scientists have discovered how microglia engulf and break down amyloid beta, a protein that builds up in Alzheimer's, with devastating consequences for the brain.

28 Jul 2025

Experts say you don’t need 10,000 steps, here’s the new magic number

A major systematic review finds that walking just 7,000 steps per day, rather than the traditional 10,000, can significantly reduce the risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and more. The analysis, published in The Lancet Public Health, provides an evidence-based and achievable target for adult health.

27 Jul 2025

Heavy smoking linked to atrophy in Alzheimer’s brain regions

MRI findings indicate that smoking is linked to reduced brain volume, raising concerns about dementia risk, especially with higher body mass index.

25 Jul 2025

Walking 7,000 steps per day associated with reductions in risk of several serious health problems

A comprehensive new study analyzing data from over 160,000 adults finds that walking approximately 7,000 steps per day is associated with reductions in the risk of several serious health outcomes, including all-cause mortality (47% reduction), cardiovascular disease (25% reduction), cancer (6% reduction), type 2 diabetes (14% reduction), dementia (38% reduction), depression (22% reduction), and falls (28% reduction).

24 Jul 2025

Study reveals pandemic life made brains age faster, even without catching COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated biological brain aging in older adults by an average of 5.5 months over less than three years, regardless of infection status. Social disruption, age, male sex, and socioeconomic disadvantage heightened vulnerability, while only infected individuals showed measurable declines in executive function.

23 Jul 2025

Intranasal insulin safely and effectively reaches key memory regions of the brain

A groundbreaking brain imaging study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine confirms a vital step toward new Alzheimer's disease treatments: Intranasal insulin, delivered via a simple nasal spray, safely and effectively reaches key memory regions of the brain in older adults.

23 Jul 2025

GLP-1 receptor agonists linked to lower dementia risk in type 2 diabetes

GLP-1 receptor agonists, a class of drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, likely trump the widely prescribed metformin for curbing dementia risk in people with the condition, finds the largest study of its kind, published in the open access journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.

22 Jul 2025

Dual cancer drugs restore memory and rewire brain cells in Alzheimer’s mouse models

Researchers identified a combination of two existing cancer drugs, letrozole and irinotecan, that reversed Alzheimer’s disease-related changes in brain cell networks and improved memory in mouse models. The study supports a multi-cell-type, network-correcting strategy as a promising path for future Alzheimer’s treatments.

22 Jul 2025

Mount Sinai researcher uncovers how the brain and body interact in aging and depression

In a comprehensive Genomic Press interview published in Brain Medicine today, Dr. Hamilton Se-Hwee Oh reveals groundbreaking insights into the complex dialogue between our brains and bodies that fundamentally shapes aging, depression, and neurodegenerative disease.

22 Jul 2025

APOE ε4 variant reveals hidden risk factors beyond Alzheimer’s

Researchers discovered that people carrying the APOE ε4 gene variant share a unique immune-related protein signature across their blood, brain, and cerebrospinal fluid—regardless of neurodegenerative disease diagnosis. This signature reveals a fundamental, disease-independent vulnerability linked to APOE ε4, reframing our understanding of genetic risk in conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, ALS, and FTD.

21 Jul 2025

Combination of two cancer drugs could treat the most common form of dementia

A study comparing the gene expression signature of Alzheimer's disease with those elicited by 1,300 approved drugs found a combination of two cancer medications that could treat the most common form of dementia.

21 Jul 2025

Heart-healthy habits can improve overall physical and psychological well-being

A new study from Emory University reveals that maintaining optimal cardiovascular health can significantly improve overall physical and psychological well-being.

18 Jul 2025