Following up on Halloween, we hate to be Debbie Downers around here, but we felt we had to bring this to people’s attention. This is because this is the time of year where people quite caring about what they pout into their bodies. Just a little bit of attention when you are young can make a big difference for a long time.

Extreme obesity has long been associated with heart failure, but until now, scientists have not been able to determine how lesser degrees of obesity and overweight influence an individual’s risk of this disease. According to a recent study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), excess body weight is strongly and independently associated with an increased risk of heart failure. This risk, which increases continuously with increasing degrees of body weight, is 34% higher for overweight individuals and 104% higher for obese persons. Here’s our most recent article in health: medicaid trusts.

The community-based study investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of heart failure in over 5,000 participants. An estimated 61% of US adults aged 20-74 are either overweight or obese. About 34% of these individuals are overweight and 27%, or 50 million, are obese. Nearly 5 million Americans have heart failure, a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood through the body. Which, frankly leads me directly into my new topic about how cholesterol busting drugs fight dementia.

With updated census and life expectancy data, specialists now estimate that the number of Alzheimer’s sufferers could triple by the year 2050. The disease currently affects about 4.6 million Americans and costs the country about $100 billion per year. The new estimate shows an increase over previous ones, mostly because more people are expected to live past 85.

But scientists also recently reported some hopeful news in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Specifically, some anti-cholesterol drugs may cut the risk of Alzheimer’s along with that of heart disease. The drugs, known as statins, are the most widely used drugs for reducing cholesterol. Their extra benefit of reducing Alzheimer’s risk has been confirmed in three recent studies.

Also, another study showed that the Alzheimer’s drug Reminyl can effectively slow the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s by at least 12 months, and the benefit can be sustained for up to three years.

And we could consider this great news, that being social and in a community fights Alzheimers…

Elderly people who lead active social lives or have hobbies may have a lower risk of mental decline, according to a recent study conducted in Switzerland. The researchers studied adults aged 75 and older and found that those who socialized often or had hobbies such as gardening or sewing were much less likely to develop dementia within 6 years.

The study involved 732 seniors who did not suffer from any form of dementia. They were interviewed about their leisure activities, including reading, completing puzzles, drawing, socializing, playing games, gardening, cooking, sewing, and others. The researchers found that participating in such activities on a daily basis could cut the participants’ risk of dementia by 40% or more. Also, individuals who reported daily exercise activities had about half the risk of dementia.