One in four people aged 65 to 74—and half of those 75 and older—have some degree of hearing loss. Yet less than one in five adults who need hearing aids actually wear them. That may soon change. On October 17, it became legal to sell hearing aids without a prescription. Here’s what to know about hearing loss, hearing aids, and what may protect your hearing.
The COSMOS-Mind trial was funded by the National Institute on Aging to see if cocoa flavanols or multivitamins could help people stay mentally sharp as they age.
A healthy diet may help your mind stay sharp as you age.
Researchers followed nearly 50,000 women from 1984 to 2014. Cognitive decline was measured by asking participants if they had difficulty remembering recent events, following spoken instructions, remembering things from one second to the next, finding their way around familiar streets, and more.
Could eating healthy protein foods lower your risk of memory loss?
Researchers tracked roughly 77,000 people for 20 years. They measured “subjective cognitive decline” by asking questions like “Do you have more trouble than usual remembering recent events?” and “Do you have trouble finding your way around familiar streets?”
The risk of cognitive decline was 38 percent lower for every 3 servings per week of beans the people ate. It was 14 percent lower for every 3 weekly servings of skinless chicken and 7 percent lower for every 3 weekly servings of fish. In contrast, the risk was 16 percent higher for every 3 weekly servings of hot dogs.
Though the scientists “adjusted” for education, income, exercise, family history of dementia, and more, something else could explain the link between healthy proteins and memory.
Researchers followed 1,903 older people—the average age was 80—for seven years.
Of the 457 who were later diagnosed with dementia, those who initially reported more mental activity—like reading, writing letters, doing puzzles, and playing cards or board games—were diagnosed at an average age of 94, while those who were less mentally active were diagnosed at age 89.
In 2018, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans advised adults to do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise like brisk walking, cycling, or dancing—or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous exercise like running—every week. And they recommended strength exercises at least twice a week.
Newsflash: Most of us aren’t hitting those targets. We’ll find a routine post-pandemic, after the holidays, when work calms down, when the weather is warmer (or cooler). But our bodies aren’t frozen in time while we’re not exercising. We’re paying a price.
Here are eight reasons to get moving today.
Are thinner people at greater risk for dementia, as studies have suggested? In a recent study, scientists tracked 1.1 million women for 18 years. Early in the study, those who started out underweight (or close to it) were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those with a healthy weight. But that link nearly disappeared after 18 years, suggesting that thinness was an early sign—not a cause—of memory loss.
“Another reason to keep your blood pressure down: It can lower your risk of dementia,” ran the Los Angeles Times headline in 2018. The big news: In the SPRINT MIND trial, people with high blood pressure who were randomly assigned to reach a systolic blood pressure below 120 had a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment—which can lead to dementia—than people assigned to reach 140 systolic.
