Memory may signal stroke risk

Memory problems and other cognitive declines may signal increased stroke risk, a U.S. researcher says. Abraham Letter of the University of Alabama at Birmingham says those who scored in the bottom 20 percent on the memory test were 3.5 times more likely to have a stroke than those scoring in the top 20 percent. Letter and colleagues also found at age 50, those who scored in the bottom 20 percent of the memory test were 9.4 times more likely to later have a stroke than those in the top 20 percent, but the difference was not as large at older ages. "This study shows we might get a better idea of who is at high risk of stroke by including a couple simple tests when we are evaluating people who already have some stroke risk," Letter says in a statement. Letter and colleagues tested people - average age of 67 - who had never had a stroke and then tracked them by phone up to 4.5 years. A total of 17,851 people took a word recall memory test. The findings are scheduled to be presented in Honolulu at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in April

Moderate exercise such as walking 'boosts memory power' (UK)

"Walking for 40 minutes a few times a week is enough to preserve memory and keep ageing brains on top form, research shows. Moderate exercise increased the size of the hippocampus, an area of the brain that makes memories, in 120 volunteers. The year-long trial, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed performance on memory tests also improved. Exercise may buffer against dementia as well as age-related memory loss. The latest work looked at healthy people in their 60s rather than people with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. But the findings have important implications for ageing societies faced with a dementia time bomb. In the UK, 820,000 people have dementia, and this figure is set to double by 2030. Until a cure is discovered, finding cheap and simple ways to reverse this trend is imperative, say experts"

Study links high blood pressure to memory trouble (USA)

"People as young as 45 with high blood pressure are more likely to have memory troubles, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday in a study suggesting aggressive early treatment of the condition may pay huge dividends. They said people with high diastolic blood pressure - high readings on the bottom number of the blood pressure reading - were more likely than those with normal readings to have problems with memory and thinking called cognitive impairment. The study, published in the journal Neurology, is the largest to look at the link between high blood pressure and memory problems. "It's possible that by preventing or treating high blood pressure, we could potentially prevent cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to dementia," Dr. Georgios Tsivgoulis of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who led the study, said in a statement. Researchers studied nearly 20,000 people 45 and older who had never had a stroke or mini-stroke - a common cause of memory problems. More than 7 percent had memory problems, and nearly half were taking medication for high blood pressure. High blood pressure is defined as a reading of 140/90 or above

Is there long-term brain damage after bypass surgery?

"Brain scientists and cardiac surgeons at Johns Hopkins have evidence from 227 heart bypass surgery patients that long-term memory losses and cognitive problems they experience are due to the underlying coronary artery disease itself and not ill after-effects from having used a heart-lung machine. Researchers say their latest findings explain study results presented last year, which showed that the heart-lung machines - used to pump blood and supply the body with oxygen while the heart is stopped during surgery - did not cause postoperative long-term brain deficits" - Science Centric

Statins: "Wonder drug that stole my memory"

Statins have been hailed as a miracle cure for cholesterol but little is known about their side effects. Christopher Hudson, from Kent, UK, describes his loss of memory while taking statins - The Telegraph