On Being an Aging Parent

Oh, it's so true!

Slate carried a great piece today written from the perspective of being (rather than caring for) an aging parent.  I had a fit laughing about "the look" when you forget a name or a date.

Don't get me wrong here: I don't think dementia is funny.  I am simply aware that forgetting the names of things is in the Top Five ist of things people see a doctor for, where there is nothing seriously wrong with them.

At the same time, I am sort of surprised that the risk at 85 years of age or older of developing Alzheimer's disease is 50%.  To me, I guess that sounds pretty good considering (1) the average life expectancy is 78-82, and (2) that means there's a 50% chance at that age and older of NOT developing Alzheimer's disease!  I guess I'm more of a glass half-full kind of guy than I thought.

Do remember (no joke intended) that it has been shown that folks at 85 and older who maintain normal short-term memory tend to regularly exercise, socialize and get out of the house.

The Importance of Sleep

The Big Picture linked to a couple of good articles this weekend on sleep.

While we generally feel like missing some sleep here and there is not a big deal, it's turning out that it is a big deal after all.

The New York Times describes some of the current research on sleep's role in not just consoldating memory and maintaining functional neuronal connections, but also in clearing the brain of accumulated metabolic waste products.

The Boston Globe lists some of the adverse effects noted of sleep deprivation on physical and mental health and longevity.

Interesting Reading

Aeon Magazine has a fascinating article on a town in Belgium that has a long history of taking in people from out of town who have psychiatric or learning disabilities.  Apparently, the improvement in their quality of life and function has been a source of interest in the European psychiatric community since the 19th Century.


Scientific American has an excellent examination of the high cost of medications (hint: difficult science is expensive).

The New York Times carries an interesting story of what happens when doctors "Google" their patients.  The author claims just about every doctor does this: I confess the thought had never crossed my mind.

Happy New Year!

Thanks to Medscape for posting this article that really speaks to the root of the doctor-patient relationship, and to Slate for this discussion of the importance of exercise!