Category Archives: Awareness & Activism

May 30, 2026 · 5:36 pm

New study suggests sleep helps clear brain waste, may reduce dementia risk

Older woman sleeping in bed.

One aspect of my health that I’m immensely grateful for is that I’m able to fall asleep easily and consistently get a good night’s sleep. I’ve watched other people, including my mother, struggle with insomnia and how much of an impact it can have on overall well-being. If you or someone you’ve lived with has insomnia, you understand about the nightly anxiety, the restless tossing and turning, the exhaustion that comes with sleep deprivation, and the side effects of sleep medication.

It turns out that sleep quality may play a role in dementia risk. I’ve written about past studies that explored sleep and cognitive health, so this isn’t a new concept. A new study published in Science goes a step further to explore the activities that take place in the brain during sleep and the impact those activities may have on dementia risk.

In essence, during deep sleep, the brain performs housekeeping tasks that helps clear the brain of waste products. Disrupted sleep leads to less clearance of these neurotoxins such as amyloid-beta and tau, which in turn can increase inflammation and degeneration. These proteins are thought to have a connection to Alzheimer’s disease risk, though no definitive link has been established. (Some people with normal cognitive functioning have been identified as having high levels of amyloid-beta and tau in the brain.)

The study’s author also found that “heart-rate variability may be a biomarker of sleep-related brain health.” If further research supports this theory, it would be a simple tool to help identify those with poor sleep quality who may be a greater risk of dementia. If you wear a health tracker, your HRV data may already be collected. My Oura ring captures that information nightly.

They say as you get older you need less sleep; so far I still need about 7 hours to function normally. I used to sleep longer on the weekends but now I don’t, maybe 30 minutes longer if the pets will allow. Working remotely full-time definitely helps, as I’m able to awake naturally without an alarm clock.

According to the study’s author, “Regular sleep schedules, sufficient sleep duration, physical activity, minimizing stress, and avoiding stimulants or bright light exposure late in the evening” is recommended to support healthy sleep.

Illustration AI-generated by WordPress.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , , , ,

May 17, 2026 · 9:00 am

Alzheimer’s Association offers new brain health challenge

Those of us concerned about Alzheimer’s risk know there are many steps we can take to support our cognitive health, but sometimes the advice can feel overwhelming. Where to begin? What’s more important, exercise or diet? The Alzheimer’s Association is trying to help address this issue by launching a focused 6-step challenge, called “(re)think your brain.”

The challenge will focus on areas such as eating right, getting exercise, and challenging your mind.

Sometimes, a little accountability is all we need to establish a healthy routine. The free program uses an interactive tool to help gauge what you are already doing well to support your brain, and the areas where you could use a little motivation and guidance.

Each participant that completes the initial onboarding process will receive a customized Action Plan. Users can expect to receive via their preferred method of email or text:

  • Practical tips to get started
  • Tools to help build habits that stick
  • Clear guidance from the leaders in brain health

Life gets busy and family caregivers tend to put off self-care. As we head into summer, consider taking the brain challenge.

Illustration generated by Google Gemini.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , ,

May 3, 2026 · 9:00 am

Study finds most people support an Alzheimer’s blood test

A new study found that while many people are not aware of the scientific advances made in blood-based biomarker tests for Alzheimer’s, most support their availability and would be willing to take the test upon their doctor’s recommendation.

I recently wrote about how dried blood samples captured on a card could allow people to do an at-home test for Alzheimer’s biomarkers. But I knew I had written about such blood tests before then, so I dug into The Memories Project archives and sure enough, I found a post from 2014. I didn’t realize it had been 12 years since I had written about the potential for a blood test to diagnose Alzheimer’s. It’s a stark reminder of how long scientific progress can take to reach the general public. As the HealthDay article points out, only a couple of blood tests that check for levels of amyloid and tau proteins in a person’s bloodstream have been approved by the FDA and are not yet ready for widespread use.

The latest study captured the opinions of nearly 600 people, average age 62, from the Chicago area. Over half had a close relative who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. While 84 percent of those surveyed were unaware of blood biomarker tests, 94 percent said it was important to offer such tests to those with suspected memory or cognitive issues. And on another promising note, 85 percent of those surveyed would be willing to take such a test if it was recommended by their doctor.

Getting that public approval is key to maximize the value of screening tests. The study also found that 60% of those surveyed felt it was important to offer blood-based biomarker tests for Alzheimer’s to those age 65 and older on an annual basis.

The study identified potential barriers for blood test adoption, and cost, test reliability, and concerns about the consequences of receiving a positive result were among the top concerns. I would also be concerned about cost and whether the test would be covered by health insurance, as well as reliability. But my opinion about taking such a test hasn’t changed since 2014: I would definitely take such a test. With dementia on both sides of my family tree, I think it’s important to capture any changes in cognitive health as early as possible. The current Alzheimer’s treatments on the market work best for those in the early stages of the disease. Earlier diagnosis gives people the opportunity to make decisions about their future care and to take advantage of quality time with family before significant cognitive decline.

If you have questions or concerns about Alzheimer’s screening options, talk to your doctor.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , , ,

April 25, 2026 · 2:39 pm

Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures 2026

The Alzheimer’s Association recently released their annual “Facts and Figures” report. It’s always a sobering collection of data, but important to document and share to increase Alzheimer’s awareness and to ensure the disease remains a high priority for funding research and care support initiatives.

Here’s a roundup of the top Alzheimer’s insights from the report:

  • More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s.
  • 1 in 3 older adults dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
  • Approximately 1 in 9 people age 65 or older has Alzheimer’s.
  • Women account for 2/3 of Alzheimer’s cases in America.
  • Race plays a role in Alzheimer’s risk, with Black Americans (twice as likely) and Hispanic Americans (1.5 times as likely) to develop the disease vs White Americans.
  • Those with Alzheimer’s or other dementias have twice as many hospital stays and more skilled nursing facility stays and home health care visits per year than other older people.
  • The lifetime cost of care for a person living with dementia is estimated at a whopping $405,262 (in 2024 dollars.) What’s worse is that 70 percent of those costs are borne by family caregivers.

The report also highlights the growing contributions of family caregivers.

  • Nearly 13 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias.
  • About 30% of caregivers are age 65 or older.
  • Most caregivers (66%) live with the person with dementia in the community.
  • Approximately 25% of dementia caregivers are “sandwich generation” caregivers, juggling the care demands of an aging parent and at least one child.
  • Caregivers are stressed out: Nearly 60 percent of dementia caregivers report feeling high to very high emotional stress.
  • Unpaid caregivers provided more than 19 billion hours of care valued at more than $446 billion.
  • Forty-one percent of caregivers have a household income of $50,000 or less.

Below is a video synopsis of the report’s most important findings.

Based on the Alzheimer’s Association report and resources, I used NotebookLM to create an infographic of ways to protect the brain, which appears at the top of this blog post. This year’s report found that Americans have a deep interest in brain health and understand that lifestyle choices can have an impact but are unclear about how to implement them in their own lives. The good news is that supporting brain health isn’t that complex: moderate exercise, decent diet, managing stress, good sleep quality, engaging in brain-friendly hobbies like puzzles, learning new languages, or playing a musical instrument. The tough part is being consistent in implementing these healthy lifestyle choices. Every positive choice helps, so consult with your doctor to see which lifestyle change may be most beneficial for you.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

April 19, 2026 · 12:49 pm

Study: Alzheimer’s disease progression differences in men, women should be considered when screening

There’s new research supporting previous findings that there are sex-based differences in Alzheimer’s disease progression that should be considered when it comes to screening protocols.

Researchers at Georgia State University (which is just down the street from me) analyzed brain scans of 332 people at different Alzheimer’s stages. While males show earlier gray matter volume loss, their rate of loss tends to plateau, which may result in “earlier onset but slower progression of structural decline.” Conversely, females showed delayed brain atrophy when compared to males, but when the decline did begin, it was at a steeper rate.

The study explores 3 theories that may have an impact on why Alzheimer’s disease evolves differently in men and women: hormonal pathways, APOE-e4 mechanisms, and women’s higher cerebrovascular burden. As I’m a APOE-e4 carrier, it’s concerning that the body of research so far suggests that it contributes to “more severe outcomes in women.” Obviously there’s nothing I can do about genetics, but it’s important to be aware of such factors.

Research will continue in this area to determine if sex-specific screening may support “earlier, more precise interventions.” This is critical because current treatments typically work best in the earlier stages of the disease.

Image created by Google Gemini.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , , ,

April 12, 2026 · 12:40 pm

Study: When it come to plant-based diets and dementia risk, quantity and quality matters

A new study finds that a plant-based diet can reduce dementia risk, but not all plant-based foods rank equal when it comes to supporting cognitive health.

The study, which was published in the journal Neurology, captured the diets of over 90,000 individuals with an average age of 59. The study included a mix of ethnicities. In a follow-up a decade later, about half of those individuals provided an update on their current diet. Researchers categorized diets into quality tiers, with diets heavy in animal fats assigned the lowest-quality tier, unhealthy processed plant-based foods like french fries and fruit juice were assigned the mid-quality tier, and whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables were assigned the highest-quality tier. The study was most interested in the two plant-based diet tiers and its impact, if any, on dementia risk.

What the research discovered when isolating by the highest-quality diet tier, those who ate the most healthy plant-based foods had a 7 percent lower risk of dementia than those who ate the lowest amount. So quantity does matter when it comes to a plant-based diet.

But so does quality. When reviewing data for the group that ate the greatest amount of unhealthy plant-based options, their risk of developing dementia increased 6 percent.

I have to be on a gluten-free diet and I’ve found in the last two decades, the amount of gluten-free foods readily available has exploded. But that doesn’t mean those foods are necessarily healthy. I can easily find gluten-free pizza, donuts, cookies, and sugar-laden cereal. But on the flip side, I can make a conscious effort to find healthy gluten-free food, rich in whole grains and fiber. The same thing applies to vegan and plant-based diets. We live in an age of modern convenience which can lead to us consuming overprocessed comfort foods that may technically be plant-based but are anything but healthy.

A similar recommendation applies to animal fats, as there are healthier fats and benefits from eating fish and nuts versus eating a diet heavy in red meat or unhealthy processed foods like fried chicken. I was thinking of my father this past week as April 10 marked his birthday. He battled high cholesterol beginning in middle age, but he always was a fan of fish and my mother attempted to cook comfort foods with less-processed ingredients. One thing my dad was not fond of: raw vegetables. He said crunching into them hurt his teeth. I never saw my dad eat a salad; cole slaw was the closest he ever got. In spite of his aversion to vegetables, my father always stayed trim throughout his life, due to his love of walking.

Another interesting takeaway from the new study was that making dietary changes even at an older age can still benefit cognitive health. “We found that adopting a plant-based diet, even starting at an older age, and refraining from low-quality plant-based diets were associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and other dementias,” said study lead author Song-Yi Park.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

April 12, 2026 · 10:00 am

New study sheds more light on inflammation as potential cause of Alzheimer’s

Does Alzheimer’s actually originate outside of the brain? New research identifies the cells that are potential drivers and which organs are most likely to be involved. The latest genetic data analysis supports a growing body of research suggesting inflammation plays a role in Alzheimer’s development.

I’ve covered the inflammation theory before on this blog. With the success of GLP-1s for weight loss and management, the drugs show promise to treat other chronic inflammatory conditions, such as diabetes. While the early trials for those with early Alzheimer’s failed to slow disease progression, the medications may still hold promise for treating inflammation-related diseases before an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is made. I’ve also written about the connection between heart disease and dementia.

As earth.com explains, the research team at Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research in Denmark wanted to detect “where in the body are the genes associated with Alzheimer’s risk actually active.” The surprising discovery is that Alzheimer’s risk genes showed higher activity in organs outside the brain, such as the “skin, lungs, digestive system, spleen and in immune cells circulating in the blood.” What this could mean is that someone at greater genetic risk for Alzheimer’s could experience an inflammatory condition that create damage that later leads to cognitive decline.

While these preliminary findings are supported by earlier research into the inflammatory link to dementia, more research needs to be done to confirm these findings and understand the underlying mechanism. As the earth.com article notes, we may have focused too much on treatments targeting the brain, which may be why most current treatments only show minimal benefits.

Ages 55–60 were identified by researchers as a “critical window for immune activation tied to Alzheimer’s risk.” It’s important for those in their fifties, like myself, to focus on addressing any inflammatory conditions and consider preventative options as warranted.

While a cure or effective treatment for Alzheimer’s remains elusive, expanding focus beyond the brain is a promising research path.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , ,

March 29, 2026 · 9:00 am

AARP report: Family caregivers’ economic value reaches $1 trillion

Houser, Ari, Selena Caldera, Brendan Flinn, and Rita Choula. Valuing the Invaluable 2026: Family Caregivers’ Contribution Reaches $1 Trillion. Washington, DC: AARP Public Policy Institute, March 26, 2026. https://doi.org/10.26419/ppi.00402.001.

The latest caregiver report has been released by the AARP Public Policy Institute. Titled “Valuing the Invaluable 2026” the report, researchers found that the economic value of family caregiving in 2024 was worth a whopping $1 trillion.

In comments on the report, AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan said, “When you look at caregiving at this scale, it becomes clear that this is not just a personal responsibility; it is a foundational part of our economy and our care system, and it is time we start recognizing it that way.”

Here are other main takeaways:

  • The $1.01 trillion amount breaks down to 49.5 billion hours devoted to family caregiving, equaling a workforce of 23.8 million full-time workers.
  • An estimated 59 million family caregivers helped an adult family member, neighbor, or friend with daily activities during the year, with 63 percent providing monthly care.
  • The economic value of family caregiving exceeded the total amount of federal, state, and local Medicaid spending in 2024 ($932 billion).
  • The cost and value of family caregiving has grown rapidly since the AARP’s first caregiving report in 2006, where the economic value of caregiving was found to be $350 billion.
  • Family caregivers now average 27 hours of care per week. This is on top of a part- or full-time job, plus for sandwich caregivers, caring for children and elder relatives at the same time.
  • More than half (55 percent) of family caregivers perform tasks typically handled by health care professionals, such as giving injections or managing a catheter. As a caregiver for my mother, I was required to care for her colostomy and after much trial and error, learned to manage her colostomy bag quite well. As I wrote in The Reluctant Caregiver, this task was well outside of my skillset and comfort zone, but as the sole family caregiver, I had no choice but to step up and take charge.

In conclusion, AARP noted: “This unpaid care generates significant public benefit, including savings for taxpayers, yet it often does so at considerable cost to caregivers’ own health, well‑being, and long‑term economic security.”

Access the full report: Valuing the Invaluable 2026: Family Caregivers’ Contribution Reaches $1 Trillion

1 Comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , ,

March 22, 2026 · 9:00 am

How Alzheimer’s may impact your writing ability

How does one’s writing change due to dementia? Interesting research was recently published that analyzed the late author Terry Pratchett’s writing over time to see if it changed due to the rare form of Alzheimer’s that he had.

Pratchett died in 2015. He had been diagnosed with posterior cortical atrophy and went public with his diagnosis, becoming an advocate to raise awareness for the disease and increase research efforts, according to an article published in The Conversation. Researchers in the UK conducted a lexical analysis of Pratchett’s novels and published their findings in the Brain Sciences journal.

The researchers focused on “lexical diversity” which in layman’s terms means diversity in word choice, and specifically examined the usage and variety of adjectives. What they found was a notable decline in adjective diversity in Pratchett’s latest novels. They pinpointed the first significant decline approximately 10 years before Pratchett was diagnosed.

While their findings are intriguing, the researchers were quick to note that linguistic analysis is not a standalone diagnostic tool for dementia, and results would vary depending upon a person’s education and other factors. But for authors, it could potentially be a helpful tool. Pratchett is not the first author whose work received a lexical analysis to detect cognitive changes; Iris Murdoch and Agatha Christie’s works have also been analyzed and a notable decline in vocabulary size and lexical diversity were noted.

Lexical analysis could emerge as a helpful diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s and other dementias because the average person already produces a good deal of content in their daily lives, from texts to emails to social media posts. For us writers, we have a large amount of material that can be analyzed. Most promising is how early such an analysis may be able to detect subtle cognitive changes. Early detection is critical when it comes to Alzheimer’s, as the current treatments on the market work best for those in the early stages of the disease.

Image generated by Google Gemini. Note: I did not prompt it to come up with such depressing book titles.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , , , , ,

March 8, 2026 · 9:00 am

Insightful presentation on anxiety and dementia

Ted Talk: The Connection Between Dementia and Anxiety

I found this Ted Talk from Dr. Elaine Eshbaugh so insightful. She talked about the connection between anxiety and dementia: “When anxiety goes up, cognition goes down.”

She offered examples of how people with dementia may face anxiety in everyday situations that those of us without dementia may overlook. I loved her term “mental energy pennies” to describe how daily cognitive tasks can be more costly to those with dementia.

She also broke down how dementia can cause vision issues, both literally and figuratively. My father experienced vision issues, including depth perception problems that made entering and exiting elevators a challenge. He also had visual hallucinations. In his case, the vision issues elevated his anxiety levels which could cause him to lash out in confusion and frustration.

Being more aware of the connection between anxiety and dementia can help family caregivers better manage their loved one’s environments.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awareness & Activism

Tagged as , ,