Treating And Managing Chronic Conditions And The Impact On Brain Health By Dr. Smita Patel

 

November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and my patients sometimes bring questions about studies gaining attention in the media. This month, I will highlight four studies which I find interesting, to shed light on ways we can preserve our brain health and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers in Taiwan recently carried out a study among subjects with a history of stroke and who had taken statin medications, which are prescribed to treat high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. An inverse relationship was found between duration of statin exposure and dementia risk – meaning the longer the use of statin, the lower the risk of dementia.

In this particular study statin use was associated with lower dementia risk among patients with a history of stroke, and it reinforces what I frequently remind my patients: maintaining a relationship with your doctor in treating and managing chronic conditions is an important strategy to maintain brain health. And, considering the potential complications that come with untreated chronic conditions, treating them and lowering your risk of them by adopting and maintaining healthy lifestyle choices is an additional strategy in preserving brain health.

Source: Pan ML, Hsu CC, Chen YM, et al. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2018 Aug 4. [Epub ahead of print].