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Tag: brain health

Brain Awareness Week: How a DIY project helped Paul challenge his brain

Brain Awareness Week: How a DIY project helped Paul challenge his brain

Paul Lea, who lives in Toronto, Ontario, was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2009. But that didn’t stop him from seeking ways to stay mentally and physically active. Lifestyle changes are not only important if you are living with dementia but they also help reduce your risk of developing the disease. By Paul Lea Every morning, I say, “thank you” for being alive. It’s my way of keeping my perspective in check. Since my diagnosis, I’ve had to learn my…

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Can a concussion increase my risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease?

Can a concussion increase my risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease?

Did you know that head injuries, and particularly repeated concussions, may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease? A traumatic brain injury that results in the loss of consciousness has been shown to increase the risk of dementia by as much as four times [i]. According to some research, this is because head injuries may increase the levels of protein in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease, such as amyloid [ii]. Who is most affected by traumatic brain…

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Brain Awareness Week: Mario’s three keys to living well

Brain Awareness Week: Mario’s three keys to living well

Mario Gregorio resides in British Columbia. He lives with dementia. An advocate for dementia awareness, Mario was one of the faces of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month this past January. I’m celebrating my 70th birthday this year. The best decision I’ve ever made in my life was to seek an early diagnosis. I felt that I needed to take control of my medical situation. And I’m glad I did. An early diagnosis allowed me to research more about dementia. I knew that…

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This February, put your brain health first

This February, put your brain health first

February is National Heart Health month, and did you know your heart and brain health are directly related? As part of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA), researcher Dr. Carol Greenwood and her team have been studying how lifestyle can become a risk factor for dementia, and whether changes to lifestyle – even later in life – can lower that risk. “Thankfully, we can say that lifestyle, which includes activity and diet, absolutely impacts both the heart and…

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Boost your brain with Minds in Motion®

Boost your brain with Minds in Motion®

We all know that a healthy lifestyle is important for reducing our risk of dementia and many other chronic diseases. But did you know that it’s equally important for people who already have a diagnosis of dementia? Research shows that lifestyle choices such as healthy eating, staying social, challenging your brain and being physically active can improve quality of life, may help to slow the progression of the disease and can improve your capacity to cope with some of the…

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AAIC 2017 reveals great strides in research

AAIC 2017 reveals great strides in research

By Nalini Sen, Director, Alzheimer Society Research Program I had the opportunity to attend this year’s annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in London, UK. This conference brings together some of the world’s leading researchers and clinicians in dementia treatment, detection and prevention. And with a record number of presentations—3300 in all—I have to admit, I was awestruck. Here are a few takeaways I would like to share with you: Stress can age your brain How we manage stress is even…

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Dementia and air pollution: should we flee to the country?

Dementia and air pollution: should we flee to the country?

Could living in a major city increase your risk of dementia? A new study suggests that may be the case. After studying over two million Ontarians over an 11-year period, researchers found that the closer they lived to a major roadway, the more likely they were to develop dementia. Those who had lived in urban areas for a long time were even more likely to develop the condition than those who had moved more recently. These findings suggest one culprit…

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Reduce your risk by boosting your brain health

Reduce your risk by boosting your brain health

It’s never too soon, or too late to make changes that will maintain or improve your brain health, changes that may also help reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. Train your brain. Keeping your body active makes you strong – same thing goes for your brain. Try new things. Challenge your mind with games, puzzles and crosswords. Visit a museum, take a class, play an instrument. Think, connect and engage. Stay in touch. Social interaction appears…

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Meet Mahwesh Saleem: the next generation of Alzheimer researchers

Meet Mahwesh Saleem: the next generation of Alzheimer researchers

Brain function has always fascinated me because it’s very complicated. It’s not black and white, and so many things contribute to how you think and how you behave. That interconnection means mental health ties into your physical health, and vice versa. Because I’ve always been an analytical person, I like the challenge of figuring out those connections. Especially when the payoff is a better quality of life. As we all know, Alzheimer’s disease can affect quality of life so dramatically….

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