Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Cognitive impairment link found in older adults taking popular stomach acid medications

Cognitive impairment link found in older adults taking popular stomach acid medications

August 06, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS - Long-term use of histamine2 receptor antagonists (H2A), one class of drugs that blocks stomach acid, may be associated with cognitive impairment in older African-American adults. According to an Indiana University School of Medicine and Regenstrief Institute study published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the risk for showing signs of cognitive impairment is 2.5 times greater for patients using these medications long-term.

These acid blockers, including ranitidine and famotidine, are among the most popular medications prescribed in the United States. More than 16 million prescriptions were dispensed in 2005 and several of these medications are also available over-the-counter. The drugs are sold under brand names such as Axid, Pepcid, Tagamet and Zantac, and are used to treat ulcers, acid reflux and other gastrointestinal disorders.




The five-year observational study included 1,558 cognitively normal African-Americans aged 65 and older. After controlling for other possible factors, nearly 18 percent of H2A users studied exhibited signs of cognitive impairment.

"Taking these medications continuously appears to put older African-Americans at greater risk for the development of cognitive impairment," said Malaz Boustani, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of medicine at the IU School of Medicine and a Regenstrief research scientist. Dr. Boustani is lead author of the study. "We need to study this further to determine how acid blockers might be causing or creating this effect and if it occurs only in African-Americans."

Indiana University



Related Cognitive Impairment Current Events and Cognitive Impairment News Articles Cognitive Impairment Current Events and Cognitive Impairment News RSS Cognitive Impairment Current Events and Cognitive Impairment News RSS
Surgery not linked to memory problems in older patients
For years, it has been widely assumed that older adults may experience memory loss and other cognitive problems following surgery. But a new study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis questions those assumptions.

Reduced muscle strength associated with risk for Alzheimer's
Individuals with weaker muscles appear to have a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and declines in cognitive function over time, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Clinical tests begin on medication to correct Fragile X defect
NIH-supported scientists at Seaside Therapeutics in Cambridge, Mass., are beginning a clinical trial of a potential medication designed to correct a central neurochemical defect underlying Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability.

Statins show dramatic drug and cell dependent effects in the brain
Besides their tremendous value in treating high cholesterol and lowering the risk of heart disease, statins have also been reported to potentially lower the risks of other diseases, such as dementia.

Older Patients with Dementia at Increased Risk for Flu Mortality
An epidemiological study on pneumonia and influenza (P&I) in adults age 65 and over reports that patients with dementia are diagnosed with flu less frequently, have shorter hospital stays, and have a fifty percent higher rate of death than those without dementia.

Fighting Sleep, Penn Researchers Reverse the Cognitive Impairment Caused By Sleep Deprivation
A research collaboration led by biologists and neuroscientists at the University of Pennsylvania has found a molecular pathway in the brain that is the cause of cognitive impairment due to sleep deprivation.

Chemobrain - the flip side of surviving cancer
One of the most problematic side effects of cancer treatment, chemobrain - a range of symptoms including memory loss, inability to concentrate, difficulty thinking and other subtle cognitive changes following chemotherapy - seriously diminishes women's quality of life and daily functioning.

Mount Sinai researchers find phone assessment effective for evaluating cognition in the elderly
Cognitive testing by telephone in elderly individuals is generally as effective as in-person testing, according to a new study by Effie M. Mitsis, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and part of Mount Sinai's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. The study will appear in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

The future of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a major public health problem. Affecting almost 1% of the world's population, it takes an enormous economic and social toll in addition to the distress, dysfunction, disability and mortality for those afflicted with this disease.

High fruit and vegetable intake positively correlated with antioxidant status, cognitive performance
Researchers at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I of the Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany, investigated the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake, plasma antioxidant micronutrient status and cognitive performance in healthy subjects aged 45 to 102 years.
More Cognitive Impairment Current Events and Cognitive Impairment News Articles
Assessment of Feigned Cognitive Impairment: A Neuropsychological Perspective

Assessment of Feigned Cognitive Impairment: A Neuropsychological Perspective
by Kyle Brauer Boone (Editor)

Comprehensive and user friendly, this book synthesizes the growing literature on symptom feigning in cognitive testing and translates it into evidence-based recommendations for clinical and forensic practice. A wide range of cognitive effort assessment techniques and strategies are critically reviewed, including both dedicated measures and the use of embedded indicators in standard clinical tests. The book describes approaches to distinguishing between credible and noncredible performance in specific clinical populations: persons presenting with head injury, chronic pain and fatigue, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and learning disability, mental retardation, seizures, and exposure to environmental toxins. Special topics include the...

The NewsHour Reports on Brain Research, Treatment and Disease

The NewsHour Reports on Brain Research, Treatment and Disease
Starring: Betty Ann Bowser; Dr. Mickey Collins; Dr. Mark Lovell; Susan Dentzer; Dr. Michael Simberkoff; Paul Allen
Also With: MacNeil / Lehrer Productions (Producer)

The NewsHour reports on brain research and treatments for brain injury and disease. Included are segments featuring research on diagnosing and treating concussion; traumatic brain injury treatment of veterans; the development of a brain mapping tool; research on cell phone use and its effects on the brain and research that demonstrates the human body is able to produce new brain cells. This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Mild Cognitive Impairment and Early Alzheimer's Disease: Detection and Diagnosis

Mild Cognitive Impairment and Early Alzheimer's Disease: Detection and Diagnosis
by Jeffrey Burns (Author), John Morris (Author)

Written by leading authorities in the field, this book describes the cognitive changes associated with age, the earliest detectable stages of Alzheimer’s, and the relationship of these conditions to MCI. The authors review the latest advances in our understanding of MCI, its prevalence, evaluation, management, and outcomes and in so doing provide practising physicians with a useful resource that assists them in identifying those MCI patients who will progress to recognised Alzheimer’s Disease.

Beautifully presented in full colour, Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Mild Cognitive Impairment includes case studies and discusses future therapeutic and diagnostic strategies. It is an invaluable resource for postgraduates and professionals, for specialist physicians in neurology...

Key Aspects of Elder Care: Managing Falls, Incontinence, and Cognitive Impairment

Key Aspects of Elder Care: Managing Falls, Incontinence, and Cognitive Impairment
by Sandra G. Funk (Author), Elizabeth M. Tornquist (Contributor)

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Practical text of nursing research in elder care, for nursing clinicians. Topics include fall prevention, incontinence exercises, and clinical assessment of confusion. 88 Contributors, mostly U.S.

Rehabilitation Trends Vol. 3 /Brain Injury Series VHS tape with Jerome Stenehjem, M.D.

Rehabilitation Trends Vol. 3 /Brain Injury Series VHS tape with Jerome Stenehjem, M.D.
by CUSH JAGUAR OF SAN DIEGO

Mine is Volume 111: Rehabilitation Trends

Mild Cognitive Impairment: Aging to Alzheimer's Disease (Medicine)

Mild Cognitive Impairment: Aging to Alzheimer's Disease (Medicine)
by Ronald C. Petersen (Editor)

What are the boundary zones between normal aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD)? Are many elderly people whom we regard as normal actually in the early stages of AD? Alzheimer's disease does not develop overnight; the early phases may last for years or even decades. Recently, clinical investigators have identified a transitional condition between normal aging and and very early Alzheimer's disease that they have called mild cognitive impairment, or MCI. This term typically refers to memory impairment beyond what one would expect in individuals of a given age whose other abilities to function in daily life are well preserved. Persons who meet the criteria for mild cognitive impairment have an increased risk of progressing to Alzheimer's disease in the near future. Though many questions...

Exercises for Brain Health: A Caregiver's Guide for Managing Dementia, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's Related Cognitive Impairment

Exercises for Brain Health: A Caregiver's Guide for Managing Dementia, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's Related Cognitive Impairment
by William Smith (Author)

An Important Resource for Caregivers and Family Members

Utilizing the three principles of movement, stability, and stamina, Exercises for Brain Health follows scientifically-sound exercise programs that address the neuro-cognitive decline evident in diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Exercises for Brain Health also demonstrates exercise programming that has been shown to improve cerebral blood flow, assist in neurogenesis, and challenge the participant to multi-task with physical and mental tasks.

Exercises for Brain Health also features:
* Up-to-date clinical treatments on dementia
* Daily exercise recommendations
* Training log to track progress

All exercises in this book are clearly photographed in easy-to-follow sequences alongside complete...

Perspectives on Mild Cognitive Impairment (Studies on Neuropsychology, Neurology and Cognition)

Perspectives on Mild Cognitive Impairment (Studies on Neuropsychology, Neurology and Cognition)
by Holly A. Tuokko (Author), David F. Hultsch (Author)

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) has been identified as an important clinical transition between normal aging and the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Since treatments for AD are most likely to be most effective early in the course of the disease, MCI has become a topic of great importance and has been investigated in different populations of interest in many countries. This book brings together these differing perspectives on MCI for the first time.

This volume provides a comprehensive resource for clinicians, researchers, and students involved in the study, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of people with MCI. Clinical investigators initially defined mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as a transitional condition between normal aging and the early stages of...

  Cognitive Impairment: Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment (Neurology-Laboratory and Clinical Research Developments)
by Melanie L. Landow (Editor)

Mild cognitive impairment, also known as incipient dementia, or isolated memory impairment, is a diagnosis given to individuals who have cognitive impairments beyond that expected for their age and education, but that do not interfere significantly with their daily activities. It is considered to be the boundary or transitional stage between normal ageing and dementia. Although MCI can present with a variety of symptoms, when memory loss is the predominant symptom it is termed 'amnestic MCI' and is frequently seen as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Studies suggest that these individuals tend to progress to probable Alzheimer's disease at a rate of approximately 10 per cent to 15 per cent per year. Additionally, when individuals have impairments in domains other than memory it is...

  Caring for Individuals with Cognitive and Sensory Challenges: Cognitive Impairment (CD)
by Classroom (Author)

This segment describes how impaired awareness, memory, mood, and judgment affect care for persons with conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease, multi-infarct dementia, and post-traumatic brain injury. It discusses vital assessment areas including day-to-day care giving issues, patient comfort, communication, and discharge planning and follow-up. Specific strategies for managing the behavioral challenges presented by a person with dementia in an acute healthcare setting are shown.

© 2009 BrightSurf.com