Study Finds Alzheimer's Disease May Be Frequently Misdiagnosed

REPRINTED FROM AOL HEALTH

By Catherine Donaldson-Evans

Alzheimer's disease is often and easily misdiagnosed in the elderly, a new study shows -- raising new doubts about existing detection methods for the traumatic, memory-loss illness.

Read more about the study.

Art Therapy Program in the News!

Our art therapy program and its wonderful benefits for older adults was featured in the Feb. 17th edition of the Sewickley Herald. You can read the article online.

Healthy Life Style

How you can take brain health to heart:

• Adopt a long-term, heart-healthy “food lifestyle” rather than a short-term diet and eat in moderation. A long-term study of 1,500 adults found that those who were obese in middle age were twice as likely to develop dementia in later life. Those who also had high cholesterol and high blood pressure had six times the risk of dementia.
  
• Reduce your intake of fat and cholesterol.Studies have shown that high intake of saturated fat and cholesterol clogs the arteries and is associated with higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Use mono- and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil, for example. Try baking or grilling food instead of frying.
  
• Exercise. Walking or other moderate exercise for 30 minutes each day gets the body moving and the heart pumping.
  
• Don’t smoke.Smoking interferes with blood flow and oxygen to the brain and is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

• Manage your numbers. Controlling your body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar helps reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke