Breaking News Round-Up

Financial issues could be one of the first red flags that indicate impending Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia, a new Federal Reserve study suggests, and credit problems could manifest five years ahead of a formal diagnosis. 

The research finds that, when compared to their peers, older adults who eventually develop dementia are 21% more likely to neglect credit card payments and 11% more likely to miss mortgage payments two years before the brain changes are pinpointed. 

Undetected dementia-related brain changes could account for about 600,000 late payments over a ten-year period, the researchers claim. 

“Our findings are important because the adverse effects of undiagnosed ADRD on credit scores and payment delinquency increase immediate pecuniary costs such as late fees and interest charges,” the study authors write. “These changes also reduce access to credit and affect credit limits and interest rates on credit cards and personal loans — all at a time when the demand for household financial resources is likely to increase to pay for the substantial caregiving and related costs associated with later stages of memory disorders.” 

The results were derived from a 17-year swath of Equifax and Medicare data, and may indicate potential paths to earlier diagnosis, researchers say. 

“Our findings point to the potential of using information on credit outcomes to develop machine learning algorithms for identifying individuals at risk for ADRD (Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders) who should receive additional clinical evaluation to facilitate earlier diagnosis,” the study authors say, though they admit they aren’t quite there yet. 

The sooner someone can identify what is going on, the more likely they are to avoid these financial pitfalls such as those experienced by former Fayetteville City Manager Jay Reinstein. 

“I went into a showroom and I came home with a BMW,” Reinstein, 63, told The New York Times in an article about the study. 

He learned he had Alzheimer’s after the impulse buy. 

“My wife was not thrilled,” he said.

New research suggests that those with a maternal history of Alzheimer’s symptoms might be at greater risk for developing the disease themselves. 

“Our study found if participants had a family history on their mother’s side, a higher amyloid level was observed,” said Dr. Hyun-Sik Yang, who served as a senior corresponding author on the Mass General Brigham study. 

Amyloid plaques are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s Disease, and they start accumulating long before symptoms become apparent. 

This investigation examined 4,400 older adults who did not present with cognitive impairment. 

Participants also had greater amyloid if both parents experienced Alzheimer’s symptoms, or if their fathers experienced symptoms before turning 65. 

“If your father had early onset symptoms, that is associated with elevated levels in the offspring. However, it doesn’t matter when your mother started developing symptoms— if she did at all, it’s associated with elevated amyloid,” said Mabel Seto, another study author. 

This is significant, the researchers note, because it might support doctors in recognizing which asymptomatic individuals are most likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

Seven grams of olive oil a day could prevent dementia-related death, according to new research out of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 

The study examined the eating habits of 92,383 Americans over nearly three decades, and found that the participants who consumed a little more than one and a half teaspoons of olive oil each day decreased their risk of dementia-related fatality by 28%. 

This benefit was observed regardless of diet as a whole or other genetic factors, the researchers say. 

“Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and contains compounds with antioxidant activity that may play a protective role for the brain,” study author Anne-Julie Tessier told UPI in an article about the study. “People who use olive oil for cooking or as a dressing typically have an overall better quality of their diet, but interestingly, we found the association to be regardless of this factor. This suggests a specific benefit associated with olive oil consumption itself.” 

The study also notes that participants who swapped five grams of margarine and mayonnaise for olive oil decreased their risk of dementia-related death by 8-14%. 

“Cold pressed olives make extra virgin olive oil. That is what you need to look for,” said nutritionist Maya Feller on Good Morning America. “Look for opaque products that are stored away from light or heat in the store, because it helps it not to go rancid. You also want to make sure it is single source.”  

Drugs that are associated with weight loss and diabetes contain an ingredient that might also prevent dementia, new research indicates. 

In a recent trial conducted in the United Kingdom, participants who were given liraglutide, the active component in Saxenda and Victoza, had a 50% reduction in brain atrophy after a single year.

Liraglutide also prevented the buildup of tau, a protein associated with Alzheimer's Disease, NBC News reported. 

The results were presented at a recent conference by Imperial College London’s Dr. Paul Edison. 

“As a class of drugs, this holds great promise,” he said.

A new version of the Shingles vaccine could reduce dementia risk, researchers say. 

“We show that the recombinant vaccine is associated with a significantly lower risk of dementia in the six years post-vaccination,” the study authors write in the Nature Medicine abstract. “Specifically, receiving the recombinant vaccine is associated with a 17% increase in diagnosis-free time, translating into 164 additional days lived without a diagnosis of dementia in those subsequently affected.” 

Spencer Cline has generated $43,630 for frontotemporal dementia research on his 3,700-mile bike ride from Oregon to South Carolina. 

“My father passed away from frontotemporal dementia in 2012 when I was just 13 years old,” Cline wrote on his fundraiser page. “He started showing symptoms in his early 40’s and most of my childhood was watching my father progress with the disease… There is a 50% chance that me and (my) siblings will develop symptoms of one of these diseases. It is my goal to raise as much awareness and funding as I can to help find a cure in my life.” 

A new study suggests that regular red meat consumption could increase the likelihood of developing dementia. Compared to those who eat pork, hamburgers and the like twice a month, people who consume red meat twice a week are 14% more likely to develop dementia, according to research that spanned 40 years and included some 130,000 participants.