Browsed by
Tag: risk factors

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…

Read More Read More

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…

Read More Read More

Meet the researchers: Jordan Ali, University of Victoria

Meet the researchers: Jordan Ali, University of Victoria

Jordan Ali is working diligently to give voice to the experiences of those with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). This PhD student from the University of Victoria aims to develop profiles of individuals with this condition, which may signal early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. This can be helpful to general practitioners and front-line support workers in identifying individuals who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Video Transcript: Hi, my name is Jordan Ali. My work relates to a phenomenon called…

Read More Read More

Life with young onset dementia: What you need to know

Life with young onset dementia: What you need to know

What comes to mind when you think of a person with dementia? If you’re like most people, you picture an elderly person in the later stages of the disease. But here’s the thing: dementia doesn’t just happen to older people. While age is still the biggest risk factor, people in their 50s, 40s and even 30s can also develop dementia. We call this young onset dementia and it accounts for about 2-8% of all dementia cases. Right now, 16,000 Canadians…

Read More Read More

How tackling hearing loss could reduce your risk of dementia

How tackling hearing loss could reduce your risk of dementia

If you’re 65 or older, chances are you may have started noticing changes in your hearing: people mumbling when they talk, or needing to crank up the radio and television. Hearing loss as we age is common. But did you know that it’s also a risk factor for dementia? In a recent Lancet report which summarized nine key risk factors for dementia, hearing loss was ranked second on the list. The study found that addressing mid-life hearing loss alone could…

Read More Read More

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…

Read More Read More

Get to know our new CEO: Pauline Tardif

Get to know our new CEO: Pauline Tardif

Pauline Tardif was appointed the new CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Canada on March 20, 2017. We recently sat down with Pauline to learn more about her background, her goals for the Alzheimer Society, and her life outside of work.

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…

Read More Read More