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Anthea Rowan

This is the 29th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope.
How many languages do you speak? Just your mother tongue? Two? Three? I speak one and a second badly. I am trying – and failing – to get to grips with French with the popular Duolingo programme.
My failing is reflected in the dying Duolingo owl, which has faded from vibrant green on my screen to a skeletal bone with hollow eyes. I’m not doing very well.
I should keep trying, according to a recent study conducted by Mario Mendez, a professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the United States, and published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease.
Speaking more than one language may delay the onset of dementia symptoms by as much as five years, it suggests.
That is true even if there is evidence of the pathology of the disease – including amyloid plaques and tau tangles.

Clinical neuroscientist Tommasso Ballarini at the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Berlin, Germany, says several studies indicate there is a protective role for bilingualism or multilingualism when it comes to dementia and cognitive decline.
He has researched the impact of early-life bilingualism in later life. There are, he explains, a number of hypotheses as to why second-language learning might stave off dementia.
According to one, speaking two or more languages engages and trains cognitive control processes and the underlying neural networks.
The challenge and benefits of learning another language
Ballarini says speaking more than one language requires “a frequent switching between languages or controlling and suppressing the language that is not used at the moment”.
These tasks are not strictly language-related, he says. They require and promote cognitive agility in the switching to one language and suppression of another, so you don’t mix up your words.
Also, he says, bilingualism may promote neuroplasticity – “the ability of the brain to reorganise itself in response to experiences and learning”.
Several studies have shown that bilingualism can shape both the brain’s functional and structural architecture, making it more resilient to the changes associated with ageing and neurodegeneration and, in that way, it can help to build our cognitive reserve.

This is key in delaying or even preventing the clinical signs of dementia manifesting even in the presence of the pathology of Alzheimer’s.
Mendez agrees that bilingualism can reshape the brain, making it more resilient to the changes associated with ageing and neurodegeneration.
Dr John Grundy at Iowa State University in the United States agrees. The incidence rate of Alzheimer’s is about the same in people who speak one language as people who speak two, he says, “but bilinguals tend to be able to stave off … symptoms for longer”.
That is cognitive reserve at play. So even though Alzheimer’s might be present in the brain, the resilience of neural networks is reinforced by many things – reading, socialising, exercise, music and speaking more than one language.
‘Use it or lose it’: building ‘cognitive reserve’ keeps dementia at bay
Grundy, who co-authored a review of research on this, explains: “When you start to learn a new language,” he says, “it’s very taxing on the frontal lobes which are responsible for executive functions. Executive functions include things like switching between tasks and working memory.
“To cope with these demands, the brain works to maximise efficiency by strengthening connections with other more automated parts of the brain … With time, there’s a shift – or sharing – of load from the frontal lobes to the back and deeper parts of the brain.
“When you get older, and the frontal lobes begin to fail, if they have a good working relationship with other parts of the brain, it can work around deficiencies in the frontal lobes to compensate.”

Does it matter when you learn a language? The jury’s still out on that one. Grundy believes earlier is better and before five is optimum. But learning a new language at any age will be effective.
Caitlin Ware, a researcher at Broca Hospital in Paris, France, who studies bilingualism and brain health, suggests the age at which you learn another language is less important than how often you speak it.
In a 2017 study, published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, Ware references studies that show that older adults do indeed have the capacity to learn a second language, and that they can relearn previously acquired words just as well as younger subjects even years after the language was originally learned.
Real-life learning the key to mastering a second language
Ballarini’s team investigated the links between language use at different life stages and the cognitive impact in older adulthood.
“What we observed is that only the language use in early and middle life stages was associated with the cognitive advantages later on. However, we didn’t have information on the age of acquisition of the second language, so we cannot make any statements about when it would be most useful to learn a second language.”
Like Ware, he believes that while the age of acquisition might play a role, what’s much more important “is the frequent use of the languages in daily life”.
At 16, my mother went to school in France to improve her schoolgirl French. When she arrived there, she told me once – long before her memories were lost to her dementia – nobody could understand a word she was saying. But a year later, she remembered, she was actually dreaming in French.

She didn’t keep it up, though, and slowly the language was almost lost to her. But even in dementia I was astonished that I could ask her a question, How are you, Mum? in (my poor schoolgirl) French, “Comment ça va, maman?” and she responded immediately, without deliberation and with confidence: “Je vais bien, merci” [I am doing well, thanks].
I wondered often afterwards if she had just kept it up, kept using this second language, whether she would have reinforced her cerebral scaffolding.
Curiosity and the acquisition of knowledge is always going to be good for the brain. Learning a new language is just one more way to do this – building words, worlds, connections, and, it turns out, even your brain.
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Wellness

How speaking more than one language can delay dementia symptoms – it helps build cognitive reserve, which protects your brain

While the age of acquiring a second language might play a role in fending off dementia symptoms, what’s much more important is the frequent use of multiple languages in daily life. Photo: Shutterstock

Speaking more than one language increases what is called your cognitive reserve and can thus delay the onset of dementia symptoms, according to recent studies. The more you use a second language, the better. Photo: Shutterstock 

Dr Mario Mendez, a professor of neurology and psychiatry at UCLA, led a recent study into the effect of speaking multiple languages on the onset of dementia symptoms. Photo: UCLA

To learn a new language is taxing on the frontal lobes. To meet demand the brain works to maximise efficiency by strengthening connections with other more automated parts of the brain. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr John Grundy, of Iowa State University, believes the earlier you learn a second language, the better it is for your brain. Other experts believe it’s how often you speak them that counts. Photo: Iowa State University

Learning a second language early in life is believed to be most effective in protecting against dementia symptoms later in life, although learning at any age will bring benefits. Photo: Shutterstock

How music touches dementia patients, bringing back memories and abilities believed to have been lost – experts explain

Dementia patient John, 84, is an enthusiastic regular at group music sessions at his care home in London, having learned to play the guitar after receiving music therapy. For some people with dementia, music therapy has been shown improve their thinking, feeling, perception, mood and behaviour. Photo: The Spitz Charitable Trust

People are able to enjoy new music throughout their lives, no matter when they are exposed to it, and respond emotionally to new musical experiences, as this care home resident shows. Photo: Music for Dementia 

John was admitted to Bridgeside Lodge in London in 2017 with vascular dementia. After receiving music therapy he learned to play the guitar. Photo: The Spitz Charitable Trust

The Our Dementia Choir, pictured with singer Tony Christie (front, centre). Photo: Music for Dementia

Dr Daphne Cheung is an associate professor in the School of Nursing at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Photo: Dr Daphne Cheung

A resident of the Bridgeside Lodge in London plays some drums, courtesy of The Spitz Charitable Trust. Photo: The Spitz Charitable Trust

Fatma Makalo is the manager of John’s care home in the UK capital. Photo: Twitter/IslingtonBC

Why eating strawberries can lower the risk of dementia and help protect our brains, and the similar benefits of omega 3-rich salmon, walnuts and wasabi

Strawberries have been found to contain a compound that reduces the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease. They are not the only superfood good for brain health – fatty fish,  walnuts and wasabi have similar properties. Photo: Shutterstock

Strawberries are the latest superfood linked to staving off dementia. Photo: Shutterstock 

Pelargonidin-rich foods include raspberries and blueberries, but strawberries are particularly high in the compound. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Puja Agarwal, an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Rush University, in the US. Photo: Alyce Henson

Walnuts are high in antioxidants which help to prevent oxidative stress and inflammation – things linked to dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Cold-water fatty fish like salmon, which is rich in omega-3, is also good brain food. Photo: Shutterstock

Wasabi has also just been found to have positive effects on brain health. Photo: Shutterstock

5 Alzheimer’s experts’ lifestyle advice on avoiding and delaying the onset of the most common form of dementia

Lifestyle tips for avoiding or delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, include staying active and socially engaged. Photo: Shutterstock

Keep your brain active throughout your lifetime – particularly by learning new skills as you age. Photo: Shutterstock 

Regular physical activity – even having a daily walk – can help delay the onset of dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Andrew Lees is professor of neurology at the National Hospital in London, and University College London. Photo: Dr Andrew Lees

Professor Timothy Kwok is professor of geriatric medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. 

Professor Craig Ritchie is professor of the psychiatry of ageing at the University of Edinburgh. Photo: Professor Craig Ritchie

Dr David Merrill is an adult and geriatric psychiatrist and director of the Brain Health Centre at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in California. Photo: courtesy of David Merrill

David Robinson is a consultant geriatrician at St James’s Hospital in Dublin. Photo: David Robinson

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Decoding dementia

How caring for a parent with dementia taught me about symptoms, prevention and why seeking out the latest research is so important

Author Anthea Rowan (right) with her mother.

Author Anthea Rowan (right) with her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia. Photo: Anthea Rowan

Anthea with her mother. Photo: Anthea Rowan

Studies suggest that regular exercise lowers the risk of cognitive decline by 35 per cent. Photo: Getty Images

Staying active can help prevent or delay the onset of dementia, studies suggest. Photo: Shutterstock

Why should you have a brain scan to test for dementia when there’s no cure? Knowing can help you delay its onset, neurologist says

It can be daunting to get a brain scan to test for signs of dementia, but a neurologist behind new research reveals the advantages of knowing early. Photo: Shutterstock

New research has found that dementia can be detected as early as nine years before symptoms manifest, and this could have significant implications for treatment. Photo: Shutterstock

Timothy Rittman, the neurologist who led the dementia research at Cambridge University. Photo: Cambridge University

A brain scan showing signs of dementia. Photo: Getty Images

Lizzie Perry, founder of This is Dementia, with her father, who was diagnosed with the disease at 58. Photo: This is Dementia

The approval in the US of a new drug that slows the onset of Alzheimer’s makes Rittman hopeful about the future of dementia treatment. Photo: Cambridge University

Why women are more likely to have dementia than men as they age, and how exercise and engagement can help lower your risk

Women may be at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s than men for a number of reasons: biological, societal or cultural. Experts suggest exercise and social engagement can help offset the risk. Photo: Getty Images

The spread of tau – the protein that clumps into the telltale tangles of dementia – may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Photo: Shutterstock

Female twins with a male co-twin were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia than female twins with a female co-twin. Photo: Shutterstock

Prenatal care and monitoring pregnant women’s health is key, as it may impact cognition and dementia risk in later life. Photo: Shutterstock

Taking regular exercise is key for women – and men – to reduce the risk of dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

How high or low blood pressure increases the risk of dementia, and why it’s never too late, or early, to adopt a healthy lifestyle to manage it

Having blood pressure that is too high or too low has been linked to a higher risk of dementia, but it’s never too late to start living a healthy lifestyle that will help maintain optimal blood pressure. Photo: Shutterstock


An optimal blood pressure reading, easily measured with a home device, is around 120/80. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Ruth Peters was lead author of a study looking at the links between blood pressure and dementia. Photo: Dr Ruth Peters

It’s never too late, or too early, to start thinking about brain health and living a healthy lifestyle. Photo: Shutterstock

Problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes may result from damage caused by impaired blood flow to the brain – which may be brought on by high blood pressure. Photo: Shutterstock

6 dementia fighting tips from Dr Sanjay Gupta and Marc Milstein, experts on brain health – walk, talk, read, learn, relax, and eat and drink properly

We can protect ourselves against the risk of dementia with some simple lifestyle practices. Exercising (above), eating a good diet, drinking less alcohol, socialising, reading more and trying new things all help keep the brain sharp, say brain experts including Dr Sanjay Gupta. Photo: Shutterstock 

The cover of one of Dr Sanjay Gupta’s book. Photo: Simon & Schuster

The cover of Marc Milstein’s book. Photo: Marc Milstein

Drink alcohol mindfully and ask yourself why you are having that drink. Photo: Shutterstock

Learning new things creates new brain cell connections and helps keep your mind sharp. Photo: Shutterstock

Reading is good for brain health. Try to read a wide range of book styles, and join a book club to discuss with others what you are reading. Photo: Shutterstock

During sleep, our brains are restored and repaired, so relaxing is important if we’re going to get those seven hours of quality sleep. Photo: Shutterstock

Relationships keep us engaged, interested and interesting, and may help prevent dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

‘Like a light switch’: how sundowning syndrome affects dementia sufferers – and their carers; what it is and tips for how to cope

A person with dementia may experience “sundowning” syndrome - towards the end of the day they become more agitated, confused, panicked, resistant to instruction and restless. This affects their carers, too. Photo: Shutterstock

A person in bed, unable to sleep. Conservative estimates suggest about 20 per cent of dementia patients experience sundowning at some point.

Trey Todd is a neuroscientist at the University of Wyoming. Photo: Trey Todd

Sundowning was coined in 1987 by Lois Evans of Penn Nursing at Pennsylvania University. Photo: University of Pennsylvania

The pineal gland in our brain produces melatonin, which is what helps prompt us to sleep and awaken. In a broken system it is disrupted. Melatonin supplements might help fight sundowning. Photo: Shutterstock

Taking a patient with sundowning syndrome for a walk at a consistent time each day, morning or evening, may alleviate symptoms. Photo: Shutterstock

Getting out into the daylight early in the day is good for our sleep patterns, whether we have dementia or not. Photo: Shutterstock

Healthy marriage, healthy mind? Dementia risk lower for people married a long time, studies show; expert suggests why

Research suggests that people who have stayed married for a long time have a lower risk for dementia because they feel less lonely, are more likely to eat well and exercise more, and are more cognitively engaged. Photo: Shutterstock

Vegard Skirbekk is a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Photo: Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Anthea Rowan’s parents on their wedding day. Photo: courtesy of Anthea Rowan

A long-time married partner represents a security that provides a buffer against stressors. Photo: Shutterstock

Anthea Rowan and her husband on their wedding day. Photo: courtesy of Anthea Rowan

If you live with a partner long term, you are more likely to develop healthy daily patterns, to eat well and exercise more. Photo: Shutterstock

‘Dementia village’ that’s the first of its kind helps residents live normal lives, has a restaurant, theatre and supermarket – and no one wears a white coat

Residents are free to live their lives as they like at the world’s first “dementia village”, The Hogeweyk in The Netherlands. Photo: The Hogeweyk

The Hogeweyk, a “dementia villlage” in the Netherlands, provides care and a familiar and safe environment in which people with dementia live while retaining their own identity and autonomy as much as possible. Photo: The Hogeweyk

Jannette Spiering is the senior managing adviser and co-founder at The Hogeweyk in the Netherlands, which offers “humanising care for people with dementia”. Photo: The Hogeweyk

Residents relax around the fountain in the theatre square at The Hogeweyk. Photo: The Hogeweyk 

Residents of The Hogeweyk respond positively to their increased autonomy. Photo: The Hogeweyk

Residents at the healthcare facility take part in a painting class. Photo: The Hogeweyk

Hearing loss dramatically raises the risk of dementia, so why are so many people in midlife doing nothing to prevent it? A test is easy to arrange

Hearing loss has been linked to a higher risk of dementia and cognitive decline,  say experts, who recommend testing for preventable hearing problems (above).  Photo: Getty Images

Alison Huang, a senior research associate at the Cochlear Centre at Johns Hopkins, in the US, says hearing loss makes the brain work harder to process sounds. Photo: Johns Hopkins

Jiang Fan from the School of Public Health at China’s Shandong University. Photo: Shandong University

Checking your hearing in midlife is crucial, and can help you stave off cognitive deterioration. Photo: Shutterstock

Can HRT reduce dementia risk? New hormone replacement therapy studies say yes, upending 2002 reports

HRT use has been linked to better cognition, blood flow and brain size and a reduction in all neurodegenerative disease in recent studies. Photo: Shutterstock

HRT (hormone replacement therapy) use has been linked to better cognition, blood flow and brain size and a reduction in dementia and other neurodegenerative disease in recent studies. Photo: Shutterstock

If HRT is started after the age of 65, brain cells will have already been deprived of oestrogen for many years. This could mean there is a decline in neuronal connections – the brain’s messaging system. Photo: Shutterstock

HRT was found to be most effective when introduced early in menopause, says Anne Marie Minihane, director of the UK’s Norwich Institute of Healthy Ageing at the University of East Anglia. Photo: University of East Anglia

Dr Andrea Kwakowsky from at the University of Galway in Ireland believes the “critical period” for starting HRT is within five years of menopause. Photo: University of Galway

How can you prevent dementia? Free brain health online tool teaches the risks and gives essential tips on avoiding it

The new free “Think Brain Health Check-in” online tool from Alzheimer’s Research UK doesn’t test your memory but checks how well you’re looking after your brain and gives tips to help prevent dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Susan Mitchell is head of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK. Photo: Dr Susan Mitchell

The Think Brain Health Check-in asks how often you challenge your brain - and then highlights why challenging your brain is key to staving off dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Getting a good night’s sleep every night is one way to lower the risk of developing dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Up to 40 per cent of dementia cases could be prevented if people were mindful of the risk factors for the illness and made lifestyle changes to prevent them. Photo: Shutterstock

Can lack of sleep raise dementia risk? Yes, studies say – but with one exception

Having only five hours of sleep a night can increase dementia risk by 30 per cent for adults over 50, one study says. Photo: Shutterstock

One tip to overcome insomnia is to avoid clock-watching. Photo: Shutterstock

Taking a warm shower or bath in the hour or so before bed may help you fall asleep – and stay asleep. Photo: Shutterstock

Professor Roger Wong of the department of public health and preventive medicine at the State University of New York’s Upstate Medical University. Photo: Roger Wong

Sleep aids can heighten dementia risk, Wong says. Photo: Shutterstock

Can’t sleep? Try getting up and engaging in cognitively stimulating activities, like reading or making jam. Photo: Shutterstock

Dementia and ACB scores: how common prescription and over-the-counter drugs raise the risk of memory loss and cognitive decline

Certain common drugs, including antihistamines, antacids, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines, can disrupt the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, dubbed the “memory molecule” increasing the risk of dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

The writer, Anthea Rowan, with her mother. Photo: Anthea Rowan

Taking medications that block the action of acetylcholine can lead to memory loss, problems with spatial awareness, and cognitive decline. Photo: Shutterstock

Studies have found that anticholinergic drugs carried “significant’ dementia risk” for the over-65s. Photo: Shutterstock

Doctors need to be mindful of the risks posed by anticholinergic drugs, especially to an already at-risk population: the over 65s. Photo: Shutterstock

How to safeguard your ageing brain: build ‘cognitive reserve’ with mental and physical exercise, and stay active and socially engaged

The phrase ‘use it or lose it’ is not just a hypothesis, it’s a basic biological fact that holds as true for our brains as our muscles or bones. Photo:
Shutterstock

Our brains, like our muscles need regular use to stay healthy and flexible, say experts, and keeping our brains active builds our ‘cognitive reserve’, helping us to stave off dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Geriatric psychiatrist Dr David Merrill recommends the active pursuit of activities that keep the brain sharp to stave off dementia. Photo: Dr David Merrill

Dorina Cadar says cultural and social engagement, reading, doing crossword puzzles, visiting art galleries, clubs and cinemas, and volunteering all increase our cognitive reserve. Photo: Dorina Cadar

Visiting an art gallery or doing something new and different are good ways to build up cognitive reserve. Photo: Shutterstock 

How yoga benefits dementia patients: new study uncovers brain-health boosts, supporting earlier research

Yoga has health benefits including better brain neuroplasticity, improved sleep quality, and more robust cardiorespiratory fitness, all of which help people experiencing cognitive decline or dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Diana Karamacoska is a research support programme fellow in healthy ageing and dementia at the NICM Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University. Photo: Courtesy of Diana Karamacoska

Yoga could be helpful in managing brain inflammation, particularly with its mindfulness component. Photo: Shutterstock

Wendy Du is the founder of Shan Studios in Hong Kong. Photo: Wendy Du/Shan Studios

Du has maintained a daily yoga practice for 10 years. Photo: Courtesy of Shan Studios

5 nutrients good for brain health that can delay dementia, or prevent it, and foods to eat with a high concentration of them

Research has identified some key nutrients we need in our diets to maintain good cognitive function and delay or prevent the onset of dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Eating healthy isn’t just good for our bodies, it’s good for our brains, too. Photo: Shutterstock

Zahinoor Ismail, of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the University of Calgary. Photo: University of Calgary

Kale with pine nuts is a dish high in magnesium, and so good for brain function. Photo: Shutterstock

Oatmeal, and other wholegrain foods such as brown rice and quinoa, are rich in magnesium. Photo: Shutterstock

Mackerel is a fish that is especially high in magnesium. Photo: Shutterstock

Why you have to keep smiling at a dementia patient – you’ll feel better and it could evoke a positive response

A smile can bring a smile in return from a dementia patient, and may make them more amenable to your requests. Photo: Shutterstock

Author Anthea Rowan with her mother, who suffered from dementia. As a carer you’ve got to keep smiling, an expert on the condition tells her - and it’s not for the reason you might think. Photo: Anthea Rowan

Timothy Kwok, professor of geriatric medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Director of the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing. Photo: Timothy Kwok

Dementia sufferers cannot be reasoned with, and their emotions can run the gamut from highly positive to negative in the course of a day. Photo: Shutterstock

Many dementia sufferers end up in residential care homes because caring for them is difficult and time-consuming – especially for family members with jobs. Photo: Shutterstock

The living room at Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, in Hong Kong. Photo: Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing

‘An attack by aliens’: how to deal with a dementia patient’s delusions – experts’ tips for carers

Carers often find it challenging to calm a dementia patient down when they suffer from paranoia, hallucinations and delusions. Experts offer advice on what to do. Photo: Shutterstock

It can be heartbreaking for a carer, especially if they are a family member, when a dementia patient cannot recognise them. Photo: Shutterstock

Disinhibition, poor control or restraint over emotions or actions, is common in patients with advanced dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Professor Fiona Kumfor is a neuropsychologist at the University of Sydney in Australia. Photo: Fiona Kumfor

When a dementia patient cannot remember where they put something, they might jump to the conclusion that it has been stolen. Photo: Shutterstock

Dementia begins in the memory centres, the hippocampus and the medial temporal lobe, then moves to other parts of the brain like the temporal lobes and then into the frontal lobe and the parietal lobes. Photo: Shutterstock

Sometimes dementia patients lose the ability to recognise loved ones’ faces, and so they may say they have never met them before. Photo: Shutterstock

Timothy Kwok is a professor of geriatric medicine at Chinese University of Hong Kong. Photo: Timothy Kwok

Unravelling 2 Alzheimer’s markers: what are amyloid plaques and tau tangles, how do they form and what do they do to the brain?

“Sepia galactic storms”: the rust coloured clumps are the stained amyloid plaques, the little black squiggles are the tau tangles. Photo: Andrew Lee

Amyloid plaques and tau tangles found in Alzheimer’s sufferers’ brains are caused by build-ups of proteins that block electrical messages. 
Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Andrew Lees, author of “The Silent Plague”, is a professor of neurology at the National Hospital in London and University College London. Photo: Dr Andrew Lees

Lee’s image of “sepia galactic storms”: the rust-coloured clumps are stained amyloid plaques, the little black squiggles are tau tangles. Photo: Andrew Lee

Two neurons: a healthy one and one with Alzheimer’s disease – with tangles and disintegration of the microtubules. Photo: Shutterstock

Daniele Vigolo and his team were able to monitor the change from liquid to solid in “fused in sarcoma” proteins, and study their internal structure. Photo: Daniele Vigolo

At risk for Alzheimer’s disease? 2 new blood tests could detect it early – here’s how they do it

New blood tests developed in Hong Kong and the US deliver an easier, less invasive and more cost-effective way to detect Alzheimer’s disease early. Photo: Shutterstock

Professor Amy Fu is on the Cognitact team at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Photo: Professor Amy Fu

Previously, Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis relied on costly MRI scans. Photo: Shutterstock

Simulated results of Quest’s AD Detect Test for Alzheimer’s Disease. Photo: Quest

The author, Anthea Rowan, pictured with her late mother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Photo: Courtesy of Anthea Rowan

Excess belly fat linked to higher dementia risk, research shows. Experts explain, and advise how to shrink your waist to protect your brain

Having excess belly fat increases the risk of suffering from dementia, especially for women, according to recent research. Experts explain the link and give tips on how to shrink your waist to prevent your brain shrinking. Photo: Shutterstock

A waist size of more than 88cm for women and more than 102cm for men may put brain health at risk. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Cyrus Raji, assistant professor of radiology and neurology at Washington University School of Medicine. Photo: Washington University School of Medicine 

David Merrill, director of the Pacific Brain Health Centre. Photo: Pacific Brain Health Centre

Amanda Corse, nutrition and wellness coach at Fizz Fitness in Tanzania. Photo: Instagram/@fizz.fitness

A Buddha bowl containing vegetables and other healthy ingredients, recommended by Corse of Fizz Fitness in Tanzania. Photo: Instagram/@fizz.fitness

These MRI images of two 61-year-old women’s bodies and brains show how one with a high level of abdominal fat (red border) has a higher level of brain atrophy than the other with a normal amount of abdominal fat. Photo: Cyrus Raji