Mediterranean diet could stave off dementia
AVOIDANCE of saturated fats, meat and dairy has been linked to a reduced risk of cognitive impairment and memory loss in the largest study of its kind to date.
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Neurology
The following articles have the tag Neurology
Consider alternative therapies
IT is important to include complementary and alternative medicine in history-taking.
Mediterranean diet preserves cognitive function
A MEDITERRANEAN-style diet packed with fish, chicken and olive oil and low on fatty dairy products and meat may lower the risk of cognitive impairment later in life, a large US study says.
Fainting might be passed down in the family: research
VASOVAGAL syncope may be heritable, according to Australian research at odds with the conclusions of a previous systematic review.
sCJD can be easily confused
PATIENTS with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (sCJD) may receive scores of differential diagnoses, a study shows.
Dual approach works best for migraine prevention
USING beta-blockers and behavioural management together prevents migraine effectively and should be adopted alongside optimal acute care, US research suggests. Patients receiving a combined preventive approach had 3.3 fewer migraines over 30 days compared to those receiving optimal acute care alone, a study of 232 adults showed. The benefits of the dual approach were sustained up to 16 months; but behavioural management or beta-blockers were not effective in isolation, prompting calls for wider adoption of the dual approach. “Patient outcomes will not improve merely by writing a prescription for a preventive drug. Migraine is a complex ...
Study links low-dose NSAIDs to stroke risk in healthy population
EXPERT opinion remains divided on risks versus benefits of NSAIDs, after research shows even low doses may raise the risk of stroke in healthy individuals. The findings, building on earlier work linking NSAIDs to cardiovascular (CV) mortality, have prompted calls for diclofenac to be withdrawn. The Danish study, presented recently at the European Society of Cardiology congress, reviewed data from more than a million patients prescribed an NSAID. Diclofenac use increased the risk of stroke by 86%, while ibuprofen increased it by 28 per cent. There was a dose-dependent relationship with both drugs. David Henry, ...
Puzzles slow cognitive decline initially but speed it up later
MENTALLY stimulating activities such as crossword puzzles, playing cards and reading newspapers may at first slow the decline of cognitive skills in Alzheimer’s disease, but patients may pay a price later on. A US study of 1157 individuals (mean age 78 years) found those who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease had an increased rate of cognitive decline if they undertook more cognitive activity. Among those with mild cognitive impairment, the rate of cognitive decline was unrelated to the level of cognitive activity. In contrast, those free of cognitive impairment at baseline had slower cognitive decline if ...
Migraine with aura an independent CV death risk
MIGRAINE with aura can now be regarded as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. An Icelandic study, including 18,725 middle-aged people, found migraineurs with aura had a 27% increased risk of cardiovascular-related death compared with non-migraineurs. After 26 years follow-up, they also had a 21% increased risk of all-cause mortality. There was no such increased risk among those with non-migraine headache or migraine without aura. The association remained after adjusting for other risk factors. “Migraine with aura was an independent risk factor for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in both men and women, but ...
Antiepileptics linked to suicide risk
THE use of newer antiepileptic drugs, already associated with an increased risk of depression, has now been linked to a three-fold increased risk of self-harm or suicidal behaviour. A study of 453 potential cases, from a UK general practice database of 44,000 patients with epilepsy, showed those taking the antiepileptics had an increased risk of suicidal behaviour compared to non-users. However, the finding is based on a small number of cases, six people taking topiramate, levetiracetam, vigabatrin or tiagabine. Other new antiepileptics considered low risk – oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine, gabapentin and pregabalin – as well as conventional ...
Driving change
Draft guidelines on assessing fitness to drive may make life a little easier for GPs, but some experts say they need to go much further. Caroline Brettingham-Moore reports.