Senior Spotlight: Health Highlights From Next Avenue

August is halfway behind us and fall is nearly on the way. As our Senior Spotlight continues to focus on home, happiness and health… the latter is the focus of this week’s blog! One of our go-to resources for great topics is Next Avenue, an online publication dedicated to 'meeting the needs and unleashing the potential of older Americans.’

This month, Next Avenue has published some interesting reads regarding health… that you may have never known before! Here are 3 fun and factual findings: 

#1: Did you know that new research from Neuroimage: Reports (June 2023) has revealed that piano practice and music education can slow (and even reverse!) the normal atrophy that occurs in certain parts of the brain with age? Six months of intentional music intervention increases the brain’s gray matter volume and working memory performance.

Learn More: On Music and Gray Matter 

#2: Do You know about the connection between dentistry and dementia? Emerging evidence from the Dental Academy of Continuing Education strongly suggests that the infection and inflammation associated with periodontal (gum) disease are two culprits of increased dementia risk. “Infection may allow oral pathogens from a festering mouth condition to find their way into the blood system, reaching already damaged neurons in the brain and adding to the burdened organ.” Plus, the immune system’s response to inflammation in the mouth draws from the protection from neuroinflammation in the brain that occurs with age.

Learn More: Keep Flossing for Memory's Sake

#3: Have you heard that older adults are more likely to be depressed than the general population – if so, please note that this is FALSE. As our blog highlighted last month, the Surgeon General has identified isolation as an epidemic, but not one that is linked to seniors as a whole (it impacts us all!). In fact, 3 out of 4 older adults are not impacted by mental health disorders. However, among the 1 in 4 older adults who are struggling with depression or anxiety, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is the most severe and we all should know how to spot the signs.

Learn More: It’s a Myth That Everyone 90+ Is Depressed 

If you learned something new about health and aging, we encourage you to share this blog with others who may wish to stay informed too! We all deserve to be the healthiest, happiest and most aware that we can be as we age. Why not help each other get there?

Take care,

Bobbi

*All blogs are for informational purposes only and are NOT intended to serve as medical advice. Please consult with a healthcare professional for any and all health and aging matters.

Bobbi Decker
DRE#00607999

Broker Associate
650.346.5352 cell
650.577.3127 efax
www.bobbidecker.com


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