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Researchers have found that use of anticholinergics was linked with between a 6% and 49% increased risk of dementia, depending on the dose and duration of use. With this type of study, it is always difficult to prove direct cause and effect. Nevertheless, this is an important finding that needs looking into further. But it’s important that people do not stop taking any prescribed medicine without speaking to their doctor. The risk from stopping the medicine may be far higher than any dementia risk.

In 2 linked studies, researchers found that people who said they did puzzles regularly did better on tests of cognitive ability. However, the research does not definitely show that doing puzzles made brains “sharper”. Or that doing puzzles staves off dementia in later life. It could be that people who have better cognitive abilities are more likely to do number or word puzzles in the first place.

In this blog for Dementia Action Week, Professor Martin Rossor reflects on how far dementia research has come, and looks ahead to how healthcare professionals, researchers and the public can take the next step together.

This Dementia Action Week we’re asking healthcare professionals to talk to their patients about research opportunities.

Researchers have identified a new form of dementia. Known as LATE, it shares many similarities with Alzheimer’s disease, but tends to lead to a more gradual decline in memory. LATE (limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy) appears to be linked to the accumulation of a protein called TDP-43 in the brain, whereas Alzheimer’s is linked to the […]

Join Dementia Research has helped more than 40,000 people connect with research studies over the past four years. As a result, researchers and their studies have massively benefitted, with more than 11,000 study enrollments in this time. However, if we are going to turn the corner and find ways to better prevent, diagnose, treat, care […]

We’re delighted that over 40,000 people have now registered as volunteers with Join Dementia Research. This is wonderful news – thank you so much to everyone who has signed up and helped us reach this milestone. It’s people like you who are making a difference. By registering your interest in research, you’re helping us bring more […]

This article has been reproduced from the NHS website. “Alzheimer’s disease can be spotted through simple eye test,” reports the Daily Telegraph. A new study has found that people with Alzheimer’s had fewer blood vessels and less blood flow in the retina (back of their eye). The Alzheimer-linked eye changes were detected by an eye test that uses […]

This article has been reproduced from the NHS website. “Millions of women who take HRT pills may face a greater risk of Alzheimer’s,” warns the Mail Online. A study identified all postmenopausal women in Finland who’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease over a 14-year period. It compared their use of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) with a group of […]

Not all research takes place in a lab. Many different types of study are vital to understanding dementia, so there are often ways you can help out from the comfort of your own home. Surveys, questionnaires and online activities give scientists the knowledge they need to improve dementia care and treatments. The Bristol study One […]