Are You Forgetful?

Can minor hints predict future problems?, Many of us joke about having ‘senior moments’, but when should we take memory lapses more seriously? Probably earlier than most of us – and our doctors – do, suggest two separate studies.

Early memory complaints from older adults at risk for dementia may predict cognitive decline later in life, says a University of Kentucky study published in ‘Neurology’, which adds to growing evidence that’s reached similar conclusions.

In the study, adults who complained of problems with subjective memory – such as misplacing items or increasing difficulty recalling names or recent events – were almost three times as likely to develop mild cognitive impairment as were high-risk participants who had no complaints.

Mild Cognitive Impairment

Mild cognitive impairment is a memory disorder that falls somewhere between ageassociated memory impairment and early dementia.

People with mild cognitive impairment are more forgetful than others their age, but they don’t experience other cognitive problems associated with dementia such as disorientation, difficulty carrying out routine activities and impaired reasoning.

Dementia is marked by a persistent decline in two or more intellectual abilities, including memory, judgment and abstract thinking, which persist over time. Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia.

The University of Kentucky researchers evaluated 531 older adults (average age, 73) who had one or more risk factors for dementia, such as a family history of the condition, the presence of a gene associated with Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and a history of smoking.