A while back we reported on some new research that concluded that women over the age of 65 are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s than breast cancer and today we’ve got the results of another study that could shock many: it appears that memory slips could very well be an early indicator of future dementia risk.
We’ve all had memory slips, young and old, men and women. But when does something as common and as seemingly harmless memory slip turn into a warning sing of future dementia risk? Well, this new research says that people who experience and report memory issues, such as memory slips, have an increased chance of future dementia risk, later in live, even if they’re not experiencing any other signs of the disease.
Dementia is the clinical name given to a group of disorder that impair the memory, motor functions, language abilities, object recognition and even decision making; one of the most common diseases is Alzheimer’s.
The author of the study is Richard Kryscio, professor at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. He had this to say about the study and its findings that were published in Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology’s journal:
Our study adds strong evidence to the idea that memory complaints are common among older adults and are sometimes indicators of future memory and thinking problems. Doctors should not minimize these complaints and should take them seriously.
The study found that 82 was the age when 56% of the people who participated in the study experienced and reported changes in the memory. They were found to be three times more likely to develop memory problems, as well as thinking issues associated with future dementia risk.
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