Free Republic

Early-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s disease jumped 200% among commercially insured Americans between the ages of 30 and 64 over a recent five-year period, a new analysis of Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurer claims shows. The report, the latest from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, shows 131,000 people between the ages of “30 and 64 were diagnosed with either form of dementia” in 2017. The average age of someone “with either condition is 49 and women are disproportionately impacted than men,” the report, which is the latest in the trade group’s “The Health of America” series, shows. In...

Scientists have come up with yet more evidence to suggest that keeping the brain active can ward off senile dementia. Researchers in the United States have found that dancing, playing musical instruments, reading and playing board games can all reduce the risks of developing the condition. The findings back up previous studies which have suggested that doing crosswords or learning a new language have a similar protective effect. Dementia affects an estimated 700,000 people living in Britain. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Lifestyle factors Dr Joe Verghese and colleagues at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine...