HealthDay (10/25, Reinberg) reported that two studies published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia suggest that herpes simplex may be associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In one study, which included approximately “3,500 people followed for an average of 11 years,” investigators “found that having certain antibodies to a herpes infection doubled the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.”

In the other study, “blood samples were taken from 360 Alzheimer’s patients an average of 9.6 years before being diagnosed with the disease.” Those samples were compared to samples of individuals without the disease. When all of the samples were compared, the investigators saw no link between the virus and Alzheimer’s risk. But, “when they looked only at people who’d had their blood taken at least 6.6 years prior, there was a significant association between the herpes virus and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.”

Related Links:

— “Studies Link Cold Sore Virus to Alzheimer’s Risk,” Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, October 24, 2014.

Study: Moderate Alcohol Intake Above Age 60 May Be Good For Memory.
ABC World News (10/23, story 11, 0:20, Muir) reported a new study from several universities tonight has found that light to moderate drinking of two drinks a day for men, one for women, after the age of 60 can stimulate cells in the brain leading to better memory.

The Huffington Post (10/23, Emling) reports researchers “found that light to moderate amounts alcohol consumption was associated with better performance on tests of episodic memory among people in this age group.” The study, published in the American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias, looked at data from more than 600 patients who also underwent a battery of cognitive and memory test. The result were findings of a “larger hippocampus, the part of the brain that’s key to episodic memory – or the ability to recall details of specific events.”

Related Links:

— “The Surprising Health Benefit Of Alcohol For Older Adults,” Shelley Emling, Huffington Post, October 23, 2014.

The New York Times (10/24, A16, Carey, Subscription Publication) reports that according to two studies published Oct. 23 in the journal Depression and Anxiety, “new recruits enter the Army with roughly the same rates of mental problems as their civilian peers, but those disorders can persist for longer amid the demands of service than in civilian life.” To reach these conclusions, researchers drew on the results of two anonymous “surveys of more than 38,000 men and women in basic training.” The findings suggest that “the higher rates of mental problems are rooted in the rigors of service, not in the loosening of enlistment standards.”Related Links:

— “Studies Link Mental Issues and the Rigor of the Military,” Benedict Carey, New York Times, October 23, 2014.

The Denver Post (10/22, Draper) reported on the impact Alzheimer’s disease has on families and workplaces nationwide and in Colorado, focusing in particular on the special needs of people with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Patients with the early-onset form of the disease are often younger adults with families and careers, and such a diagnosis can be devastating to finances and careers.

Four years ago, the Social Security Administration made it easier and faster for people with early-onset Alzheimer’s to get disability benefits by adding the disease to its “Compassionate Allowance” list. People with early-onset Alzheimer’s also have some protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act. An estimated 200,000 Americans under the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s.

Related Links:

— “Colorado lives, workplaces increasingly robbed by Alzheimer’s disease,” Electa Draper, The Denver Post, October 22, 2014.

The New York Times (10/22, Span) “Well” blog reports that other medical problems can mimic dementia or Alzheimer’s, but fortunately can be improved or reversed. For example, symptoms of chronic depression and alcoholism in an older person may mimic those of dementia. Vitamin deficiencies, anxiety, thyroid deficiency and certain medications may also cause dementia-like symptoms in patients. In general, “dementia tends to develop slowly; family members often realize, in retrospect, that an older person has shown subtle cognitive decline for years,” whereas “when a person’s mental state changes suddenly over a few days or weeks,” clinicians will seek another cause.

Related Links:

— “Is It Really Dementia?,” Paula Span, New York Times, October 21, 2014.