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website:cbsnews/videos/living-to-90-and-beyond-part-one/

Part two is also there... some interesting stuff going on. I especially liked the part about caffeine, high blood pressure and alcohol having an affect on not getting dementia.... if I can keep this up another 20 years I may just make it!!

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I've heard nicotine can help to protect the brain. I wondered if anyone had tried nicotine patches for someone who had early Alzheimer's. I'm off to watch the video. Thank you!
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My chances are looking better all the time!
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Part 2 really changed my thinking about dementia. So glad I watched it. I was stuck in the old plaque and tangles rut.
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We should mention that high bp AFTER 90 was beneficial. Younger people, of course, still have vascular and stroke risk that comes with hypertension. It is hard on the vessels. I have read a couple of places, and a doctor mentioned, that having slightly higher bp (e.g. 150 systolic) can be beneficial for elders in helping to get blood to the head.
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Jessie there is a lot of confusion between nicotine and nicotinic acid. Nicotine just makes the brain speed up. Nicotinic acid is actually Niacin or Vitamin B3 which raises the HDL (good cholesterol) and prevents clogged arteries.
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Yeah, I was a bit bummed about being over 90 with high bp... but two out of three ain't bad odds!! Nicotine patches do make one a bit speedy... hmmm, this poses a good a rather good or very bad theory! Maybe a cocktail of nicotine, followed by some Niacin and Vitamin B pills chased with a bottle of wine ? (not funny, I know)
Either way, they are seemingly getting closer to solving this awful awful disease.
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One glass of red wine with a meal is a beautiful thing. Lots of antioxidants, flavonoids and polyphenols. A good source of B vitamins all by itself, and choline for memory.
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Pam, it is actually nicotine that is protective of the brain. No one knows why yet. If you google nicotine brain protection, you can read a bit of it. It made me wonder if nicotine patches and lozenges might have another use than smoking cessation.

Part 2 of the video made me start looking to see if there are any new follow-ups. I couldn't find anything. If anyone chances across something, I would love to read it.
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I was thinking on this more today. The video pointed out that everything may not be so black & white as plaques & tangles. I've been with my mother for 4.5 years now and she has been acting peculiar for more than 10 years. She was diagnosed with significant cognitive impairment last year, but not diagnosed with any specific dementia type. The course of her impairment and the symptoms she has do not fit well with Alz. I had wondered if it was vascular or maybe even Lewey body. It doesn't fit well into any of the classifications. What if they find in the end that it caused by something as simple as not getting enough oxygen to the brain cells for whatever reason? Or what if we are so busy looking for dementia that we ignore the person has just become mentally ill unrelated to dementia? A person may be able to cover up a mental illness when young and healthy, but it may become more difficult when age sets in. Maybe we're putting a lot of things into the untreatable dementia box when there is something simple that might help.
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Jessie, maybe you should look into a more in-depth evaluation? I wholeheartedly agree with the being able to cover mental impairments when younger and more difficult when older.

My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Somewhere around this place is the medical report. I know it's here, I'm sure I've seen it...not sure where I put it tho! She finally has her Neurologist appt in a few weeks and I want to take it with us. She was diagnosed in a small town and I mean they finally got a McDonalds a few years ago small town... who's to say it wasn't just a quickie diagnosis?

People vary in the course of the disease but there are some strong almost always there similarities. It's good to stay informed and bring all symptoms to the attention of the physician. You might be onto something!
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I started a discussion on this yesterday and didn't realize there was already one here!

Anyway, my thoughts were mixed. The study seems biased in that the people involved seem (SEEM) to be well educated, active, etc., etc. I'm wondering if there are studies that would include those who haven't had a chance either through upbringing, etc., to be as well versed, in a 'higher class' (hate to say this, but there's some truth to it), along with those who just don't have the money to socialized as well as these people have during their past thirty years in this retirement community. I did Google "NIH 90 Plus (+) study and found some information. I was also looking for the transcript on the CBS website, but the video along with it's 'coins' (don't know what that's all about, i.e., seems you get more 'coins' the more commercials you watch before the video) annoyed me, so I quit.

Does anyone know or perhaps one of the professionals can write an article on this study and others out there for those of us who are dealing with the different forms of dementia. I know before my mom got vascular dementia with the paranoia element, I thought dementia was dementia and just led to Alzheimer's because I cared for my MIL about 20 years ago who had what was then known as familial Alzheimer's (very little known back then). Interesting to see the different types, how people can cope and work around it, etc., etc.

What I do know is that I'm very grateful (and people are probably getting sick of my mentioning this) for the 'newer specialty' which I found out about at least fifteen years ago while studying bereavement, aging, etc., of Board Certified (important) geriatric medicine. Now I find there are geriatric psychiatrists also. So important since many in internal medicine seem to believe that once you are of a certain age, i.e., 65 or a bit older, your problems are because of your age and nothing else. My father in law was a victim of this in that he would complain of hip pain to his internist at the time (once again, 10-15 years ago) which internist attributed to age without even doing x-rays, whatever. Turned out to be bone cancer. So important to find that right doctor who will listen to the 'aged' and hear them, not dismiss them.
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I watched this when it aired. Unfortunately it didn't say what type of lifestyle these people had over the years. I now live out in the country. Neighbours two roads over have always grown, raised and eaten their own poultry, fruit and veggies, canned and frozen surplus to eat over the winter. The poultry free ranges and they use no chemicals on anything. Leonard is 82, Ester is 85 and they're fitter than I've ever been. Barring accidents and necessary surgeries I'm inclined to think that what we eat has a lot to do with it. My mother is 88, has been a vegetarian for over 40 years and, as we learn more, I can't help wondering why she's had Parkinsons for over 15 years - no history anywhere in the family. Maybe all the pesticides and chemicals sprayed on fruit and veg?
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I will watch it later today, just got frustrated with the commercials. Found it, and it appears to be without commercial at the Alzheimer's reading room. Google it.
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