In The News: Make 5 Appointments That Matter
Introduction:
Why “In The News"?
News coverage of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) continues to grow, and we want to help our readers examine scientific claims and determine whether they are genuinely beneficial.
It is our goal to share with you our approaches to analyzing scientific information. Our readers will learn whether the physicians and scientists at the USC Epstein Family Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute recommend lifestyle approaches and therapies suggested by these articles.
Our USC faculty are always exploring new potential therapies for care and cure. We conduct rigorous double blind, placebo-controlled trials of medications only after extensive preliminary research shows there is sufficient safety and efficacy data. These clinical trials are necessary to ascertain whether new treatments could be of genuine benefit to people with AD.
Today's in the news 2/10/26
Brain Health Challenge: Doctor Appointments for Your Mind and Body - The New York Times
"The 5-Day BrainHealth Challenge
Day 5: Make 5 Appointments That Matter
By Dana G. Smith"
This was a nice review by the author Dana Smith. She sought advice from qualified neurologists at excellent clinical facilities. Let's examine each of the article's suggestions individually. Below are the recommendations outlined in the article. Our doctors' medical opinions are provided under "comments"
1. "Get a blood pressure reading (any age). You can make an appointment with your primary care doctor, get a reading at a local pharmacy (some major chains offer the service) or use a home blood pressure cuff."
Comment from USC Epstein Family ATRI physicians: We agree completely that this is a very important factor to monitor and treat. Beware of exclusively trusting a home blood pressure cuff reading, until you are certain that you or your family member is doing it accurately and getting results that are similar to those done by a medical technician, nurse or doctor. As stated in this article, elevated blood pressure is a major risk not only for heart disease, kidney disease, andstroke, it increases the risk of vascular dementia (which can be thought of as an accumulation of many micro strokes leading to brain changes causing cognitive impairment). Also, a healthy brain is more resilient and can better cope with the neurodegenerative diseases our Institute studies (AD). Resilience in this context means that as neurons are exposed to the toxicities of amyloid and tau, functionality may be preserved for a longer time, enabling treatment to be most effective. Recommendation: Monitor and treat hypertension to avoid vascular disease in the brain.
2. Schedule an eye exam (any age). Head to an optometrist regardless of how old you are or whether you wear glasses or contacts."
Comment: We agree that this is beneficial, although this too has little direct impact on risk of Alzheimer's Disease, indirectly you may learn about factors which may negatively impact brain health. Retinal examinations help alert you to underlying conditions which can impact vascular health: namely diabetes and elevated blood pressure.Retinal arteries and veins show the changes that occur throughout the body.Also, as the article states, sensory deprivation (visual or auditory) can lead to isolation, accidents, and depression: all of which make symptoms of dementia worse. Recommendation: Good idea for general health
3. "Schedule a dental cleaning (any age)."
Comment: The above comments correlating good general health and hygiene with greater resilience are probably also true for oral health. As for the risk of Alzheimer's and related dementias, the jury is still out. The reasons that dental hygiene has been studied include an interest in examining the role of inflammation in (AD). Inflammation and disorders of brain immune functions are seen in AD, and these mechanisms continue to beg further investigation for understanding the disease and developing treatments. Dental disease is associated with infection and inflammation of the gums. Epidemiological studies have shown an association between poor oral hygiene, particularly with tooth loss, and dementia. Conclusion: Good idea for general health. More study may be indicated.
4. "Get shingles vaccine (if you are 50 or older)"
Comment: There is epidemiological data supporting a relationship between the H. Zoster vaccine and decreased risk for AD, but more research is needed to determine whether this intervention can be recommended as a preventive measure for AD or dementia. Epidemiological studies raise interesting hypotheses but answering a question about whether a specific treatment impacts disease requires clinical trials. Conclusion: Good idea for general health. More study is indicated to explore a relationship with AD.
5. "Get a hearing test (if you are 65 or older). You can do this with an audiologist. There are also free apps and online tools, like Hearing Number, that experts say do a sufficient job.
Comment: (See #2 above) Sensory deprivation is not good for the brain overall, and it certainly can affect mood and impair effective social interaction. Conclusion: Good idea for general health.
