Higher Caffeine Intake in Women Associated with Reduced Odds of Developing Dementia
36 Percent Reduction in the Risk of Dementia over 10 years
Higher caffeine intake in women is associated with reduced odds of developing dementia or cognitive impairment, according to the results of a new study .
Among a group of older women, self-reported caffeine consumption of more than 261 mg per day was associated with a 36 percent reduction in the risk of incident dementia over 10 years of follow-up. This level is equivalent to two to three 8-oz cups of coffee per day, five to six 8-oz cups of black tea, or seven to eight 12-ounce cans of cola.
“The mounting evidence of caffeine consumption as a potentially protective factor against cognitive impairment is exciting given that caffeine is also an easily modifiable dietary factor with very few contraindications,” said Ira Driscoll, PhD, the study’s lead author and a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The findings come from participants in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study, which is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Driscoll and her research colleagues used data from 6,467 community-dwelling, postmenopausal women aged 65 and older who reported some level of caffeine consumption. Intake was estimated from questions about coffee, tea, and cola beverage intake, including frequency and serving size.
In 10 years or less of follow-up with annual assessments of cognitive function, 388 of these women received a diagnosis of probable dementia or some form of global cognitive impairment. Those who consumed above the median amount of caffeine for this group (with an average intake of 261 mg per day) were diagnosed at a lower rate than those who fell below the median (with an average intake of 64 mg per day). The researchers adjusted for risk factors such as hormone therapy, age, race, education, body mass index, sleep quality, depression, hypertension, prior cardiovascular disease, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol consumption.
“While we can’t make a direct link between higher caffeine consumption and lower incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia, with further study, we can better quantify its relationship with cognitive health outcomes,” Driscoll said.
Women Able to Hide Dementia/Alzheimer’s Signs Because of Better Verbal Skills
Women’s Better Verbal Memory Skills May Mask Early Signs of Alzheimer’s
Women may have better verbal memory skills than men even when their brains show the same level of problems metabolizing glucose, which occurs in people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to research published in the online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
“Women perform better than men on tests of verbal memory throughout life, which may give them a buffer of protection against losing their verbal memory skills in the precursor stages of Alzheimer’s disease, known as mild cognitive impairment,” said study author Erin E. Sundermann, PhD, of the University of California, San Diego, who conducted the research while at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY. “This is especially important because verbal memory tests are used to diagnose people with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment, so women may not be diagnosed until they are further along in the disease.”
The study included 254 people with Alzheimer’s disease, 672 people with mild cognitive impairment that included memory problems and 390 people with no thinking or memory problems. Participants’ verbal memory skills were tested and PET brain scans measured how well their brains metabolized glucose, which is the primary energy source for the brain. Poor metabolism is a sign of dysfunction in brain cells.
The memory test asked participants to remember a list of 15 words read to them, both right away and 30 minutes later. Women scored better than men on the memory tests when they had no, mild or moderate problems with brain metabolism. Once the participants had more advanced metabolism problems, there was no difference in test scores between women and men.
“These results suggest that women are better able to compensate for underlying changes in the brain with their ‘cognitive reserve’ until the disease reaches a more advanced stage,” Sundermann said.
“If these results are confirmed, adjusting memory tests to account for the differences between men and women may help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease earlier in women,” Sundermann said.
Most People With Dementia Are Not Yet Diagnosed
Only half in high income countries and one in ten or less in low and middle income countries diagnosed
Most people with dementia have yet to receive a diagnosis, let alone treatment and care
- Balancing tasks between primary and specialist care could increase capacity and reduce costs
- Clear, evidence-based dementia care pathways should be established in all health systems, and monitored for progress towards universal coverage
- Lack of research on the effectiveness of key components of dementia healthcare is striking, and should be considered an urgent priority
A new report from Alzheimer’s Disease International, authored by researchers at King’s College London and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), reveals that most people with dementia have yet to receive a diagnosis, let alone comprehensive and continuing healthcare.
The World Alzheimer Report 2016: Improving healthcare for people living with dementia, calls for concerted action to increase the coverage of healthcare for people with dementia worldwide.
Dementia affects 47 million people worldwide and this number will treble by 2050. Currently, only around half of those in high income countries, and one in ten or less in low and middle income countries have received a diagnosis. Expanding coverage of services for increasing numbers of people with dementia can only be achieved – and a crisis averted – by boosting capacity, and the efficiency with which care is delivered.
The report highlights that dementia care being provided mainly by specialist doctors is a key barrier to progress. Greater involvement of non-specialist primary care staff can unlock capacity to meet increasing demand for dementia care, and could make the cost of care per person up to 40% cheaper. Primary care services will need to be strengthened and supported to take on this role, through specialists providing guidance and support. Affordability of new treatments is critical to ensuring equity and social justice for the two-thirds of people with dementia living in low-resourced countries.
Clear ‘care pathways’ would define roles and responsibilities within the care system, and establish standards to be monitored and met. Care pathways, a structured and organised approach to the coordination, resourcing and delivery of continuing care, are now a common component of chronic disease care for other conditions including diabetes, hypertension, and cancer care. Case management supports coordination and integration of care, and can help ensure that services are both person-centred and efficient.
Increased coverage of comprehensive healthcare services is affordable, amounting to approximately 0.5% of total healthcare expenditure by 2030. However, political will is required to establish the necessary changes.
The report calls for a radical change in the way healthcare is delivered to people living with dementia, with a rebalancing toward non-specialist primary care, and planned and coordinated inputs from all levels of the health and social care sectors. It emphasises that care must be holistic, continuous and integrated, with a focus on quality of life for people living with dementia and their carers, and explicit monitoring of processes and outcomes.
More research is needed into; the cost-effectiveness of case management; the potential for unnecessary hospital admissions to be averted or abbreviated, and the outcomes of hospital admission to be improved; the benefits and harms of advanced care planning, and a palliative care approach; and trials to establish which elements of care can be safely transferred to non-specialist services.
Glenn Rees, Chair of ADI, said, “The goal of both improving rates of diagnosis and making the global health system more efficient was critically important to the report, including a clear recommendation that we monitor the outcomes of dementia care so that people with dementia and their care partners can be better informed about the quality of care available.”
Professor Martin Prince, lead author, from King’s College London, said: “This landmark report highlights the need to redesign and repurpose dementia care services for the challenges of the 21st Century. We have just 10-15 years to get this right, planning and implementing a realistic and robust platform for delivering dementia healthcare for all, in advance of any new and more effective treatments becoming available.”
The report includes an analysis of existing care models in Canada, China, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea and Switzerland.
The World Alzheimer Report 2016 was researched and written by the Global Observatory for Ageing and Dementia Care at King’s College London in collaboration with the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE).
5 TIPS FOR TURNING YOUR CAREGIVER DUTIES FROM BURDENS TO OPPORTUNITIES
5 TIPS FOR TURNING YOUR CAREGIVER DUTIES FROM BURDENS TO OPPORTUNITIES
Are you a family caregiver to a loved one? Many are. In fact, nearly 40 million Americans are caregivers. Six in 10 are employed while juggling caregiving. And a surprising 25% of family caregivers are Millennials.
The Eliza Foundation has identified three major life stressors. If looked at closely, they impact our over-all health. The first one is caregiving followed by financial stress and relationship Issues. You can make the connection that caregiving can lead to both financial duress and relationship issues. So for many, it is easy to see why caregiving can be viewed in a negative light.
Just ask me. I’m a former caregiver. My mom passed away June 2. My sister was her first caregiver. She predeceased mom, dying at age 66 from lung cancer. Caregivers preceding the ones they care for in death is not uncommon. Forty-five percent of Alzheimer’s caregivers have worsened health than other caregivers.
Like my sister, 60% of caregivers die before the one they are taking care of. For her, caregiving was a burden, which started with her attitude toward it. When I took over mom’s caregiving in 2014, I was determined to make the best of it and not let it impact my health. Even as a health and aging professional who knew the issues, that was still hard. Here is how I approached it.
View Caregiving as a Profound Purpose
Caregiving starts with a mindset. I knew my life forever changed the day my sister died. Despite a full time, career, I had a new, life-defining purpose – mom. Mom lived close by in an independent living community but my caregiver mind was on 24-7. When I viewed my caregiving as a purposeful opportunity, it helped me cope better and actually enjoy the experience.
And believe you me, mom was a tough Italian broad who could give you a hard way to go. Mom’s passing not only left a hole in my heart but a void in my purpose. According to Rush University researchers, people who view life with a sense of purpose are two to four times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s.
Take Care of Your Health
After my last physical and prior to mom’s passing, my physician wanted me to come back for a four-month follow-up. I was taken aback. I am in good health, physically fit and make an active commitment to staying that way. However, he saw something I was not seeing – my stress level. And he was concerned.
He must have been on to something because since mom passed, I have been told I look younger and that I have never been more relaxed. Does that mean I was miserable in my caregiving? No not at all. I enjoyed the 2 ½ years with mom immensely. We spent more time together, talked more deeply and grew closer. But you have to be vigilant about your good health.
Reach Out for Help
Caregivers often think that they have to go it alone. Some are afraid to self-identify for fear of repercussions at work or in their social circles. However, caregiving is becoming more mainstream. Remember when someone you knew that you were aware of someone who was impacted by cancer? Well, dementia and Alzheimer’s are the diseases that can’t be avoided in the 21st Century.
So it’s OK to talk about it with others and reach out for help. Certainly there is a myriad of paid services – from home health care to geriatric care managers – who can help you. But there are also communities of people that can help too. One community I used to assist in helping with mom when my sister was diagnosed with cancer is called Lotsa Helping Hands. Check it out.
Make Time for Yourself
Often caregiving isolates the caregiver from friend and even family. A recent study showed that maintaining social activity despite health-related challenges appears to help lessen the decline. It demonstrates the benefits of socialization at any stage in life. Make an active effort to maintain your social network. It will help you during and after your caregiving journey.
Keep a Sense of Humor
I kept a diary of my journey with mom because you never knew what she was going to say. She did after all have all of her cognition. Before she was being wheeled into her last operation, she turned and said “Well I guess this is goodbye!” Typical mom. It wasn’t goodbye. At least not at that time. So when she came out of the anesthesia, I told her she was in heaven and I was the first one she was seeing! You have to keep a sense of humor. When I speak to caregiving groups, I have a segment where I have them let their hair down, getting silly, and having fun. They love it.
What challenges are you facing in your caregiving journey? For some guidance, you can download my free “Caregiver Survival Guide” on my blog page. Please join the conversation.
Reprinted from my Sixty and Me blog.
