Drugs for heartbeat problem may cut dementia risk (UK)

Treating stroke survivors for a heartbeat problem called atrial fibrillation might prevent many patients from going on to develop dementia, UK experts believe. Research into nearly 50,000 patients' records found that AF after a stroke more than doubles the risk of dementia. Doctors say we should now investigate whether more vigorous treatment with drugs to control AF might delay or even prevent dementia. The work appears in Neurology journal. Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disturbance and affects up to 500,000 people in the UK. Although not usually life-threatening in itself, it does increase the risk of stroke. Blood-thinning drugs and medication to slow the irregular heartbeat are often prescribed to reduce stroke risk

Walking may keep brain from shrinking in old age

"Walking at least six miles (10 km) a week may be one thing people can do to keep their brains from shrinking and fight off dementia, U.S. researchers said. A study of nearly 300 people in Pittsburgh who kept track of how much they walked each week showed that those who walked at least six miles (10 km) had less age-related brain shrinkage than people who walked less. "Brain size shrinks in late adulthood, which can cause memory problems. Our results should encourage well-designed trials of physical exercise in older adults as a promising approach for preventing dementia and Alzheimer's disease," said Kirk Erickson of the University of Pittsburgh, whose study appears in the journal Neurology. Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, slowly kills off brain cells, and activities like walking have been shown to build brain volume. Erickson and colleagues tested to see if people who walk a lot might be better positioned to fight off the disease. They studied 299 volunteers who were free of dementia and who kept track of how much they walked"

Blood pressure drug offers fresh hope for dementia (UK)

"Researchers believe a drug used to lower blood pressure could be even more effective against Alzheimer's disease than they previously thought. People taking angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) were up to 50% less likely to develop dementia than those taking other blood pressure drugs. Combined with another drug, ARBs also protected against further deterioration among those already with the disease. The study of more than 800,000 men appears in the British Medical Journal. The team from the Boston University School of Medicine presented initial results from the study two years ago, but further work suggests that ARBs - normally prescribed only to patients who cannot tolerate the more standard ACE inhibitors - confer greater protection than had been thought" - BBC