People with dementia have a higher risk of getting COVID-19, are more likely to require hospitalization, and are more likely to have severe or fatal cases of this disease compared with people without dementia. This risk is even higher in Black patients with dementia, according to a new study funded in part by NIA and published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

A person’s age and preexisting health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are significant risk factors for serious illness from COVID-19. Interestingly, these factors are also linked to dementia. However, scientists and doctors have little information about how COVID-19 affects people who have dementia. The new study, led by researchers at Case Western Reserve University, used information from the electronic health records of about 61.9 million U.S. adults from all 50 states to explore the link between dementia and COVID-19. The data was collected as part of the IBM Watson Health Explorys database. In this dataset, more than 1 million patients had dementia, 15,770 had COVID-19, and 810 had both.

The study found that people with dementia were twice as likely to get COVID-19 compared with people without dementia, even after adjusting for age, sex, living in a nursing home, and having similar preexisting conditions. The researchers suggest that the memory problems associated with dementia might make it difficult for patients to stick to safety measures such as wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and social distancing.

Results showed that 73% of Black patients with dementia and 54% of White patients with dementia were hospitalized within 6 months of their COVID-19 diagnosis, compared with 25% of patients without dementia. Only 20% of Black patients with dementia but not COVID-19 and 12% of White patients with dementia but not COVID-19 were hospitalized within the same time frame. Patients of either race with dementia were almost four times more likely to die from COVID-19 than patients without dementia. The researchers also found that vascular dementia, which is caused by damage to the vessels that supply blood to the brain, led to the highest risk of COVID-19, suggesting that damaged blood vessels might make it easier for disease-causing bacteria and viruses to get from a person’s blood into the brain.

Although their findings need to be replicated using other databases and registries, the researchers note that the study lays the foundation for future research into the interactions between COVID-19 and brain diseases, including whether COVID-19’s effects on the brain increase the risk of or worsen dementia. The study demonstrates the need for innovative and effective measures to protect older adults with dementia from COVID-19 as part of controlling the pandemic and highlights the pressing need to address health disparities.

This research was supported in part by NIA grants AG057557 and AG062272.

A third round of stimulus payments are on their way. But has your second one shown up yet? Next question: Did you file last year’s 2019 taxes on paper instead of e-filing? If so, that might well be the reason you don’t have your money yet.

The IRS got behind on processing the paper tax forms we sent a year ago. If all had gone well, those who were eligible should have received a $600 stimulus check (the second one) by Jan. 29, 2021.

The IRS has a specific page for you to check the status of your stimulus payment, but it’s only good for the third stimulus check. All information for your first and second stimulus money has been removed from their website.

Start with www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment and scroll to Get My Payment. Click on it and fill out the information. You’ll go to a page that tells you the status of the payment you’re to receive now, the third payment. If it says that payment information is Not Available, it means you’re not going to receive a payment the easy way (and might be why your second payment is still missing). On the Get My Payment page, click on Frequently Asked Questions to see what applies to you.

Even if you don’t normally file, you’ll need to file for 2020 (preferably e-file) if you want that stimulus money quickly. Look for Line 30 on the Form 1040 or 1040-SR. It’s called the Recovery Rebate Credit. If you received Notice 1444 or 1444B in the mail from the IRS, it will tell you what figures to use.

If you’re confused about COVID vaccine and when our lives are going to change for the better, you’re not alone. We’re considered to be fully vaccinated once two weeks have passed after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after the one-dose Johnson & Johnson.

What’s new is this, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: If fully vaccinated, you can be indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask. You can meet indoors with unvaccinated people in one household unless one of those people has a health risk. If you’ve been around someone who has COVID, you don’t have to stay away from people or get tested unless you have symptoms … or live in a group setting. In that case, stay away from others for 14 days and get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms.

It gets worse. According to the CDC, as fabulous as this new vaccine is, even if fully vaccinated, we still need to wear masks in public. We still need to social distance. We still need to avoid medium and large crowds. We still need to stay out of poorly ventilated spaces. We should delay travel.

So what’s the holdup? Why are we still under restrictions after getting the vaccine? The best I can figure out is that the answer lies with the COVID variants, the different versions created as the virus mutates.

(c) 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.

Vascular dementia is caused by conditions such as stroke that disrupt blood flow to the brain and lead to problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Vascular dementia is the second most common dementia diagnosis, after Alzheimer’s disease, and can occur alone or alongside another form of dementia.

Vascular dementia is caused by conditions that damage blood vessels in the brain and interrupt the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. In the research community, these conditions are known as vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). The brains of people with vascular dementia often show evidence of prior strokes, thickening blood vessel walls, and thinning white matter — the brain’s connecting “wires” that relay messages between regions.

Not everyone who has had a stroke will develop vascular dementia. A person’s risk for dementia after stroke depends on the size and number of strokes and the brain regions affected. Vascular dementia can also result from other conditions that impede blood flow and delivery of oxygen to the brain, such as narrowing of the arteries.

High blood pressure, problems with the heartbeat’s rhythm, diabetes, and high cholesterol can increase a person’s risk of vascular dementia. By controlling or managing risk factors, you may lower your chance of developing cognitive impairment and dementia.

Symptoms of vascular dementia can appear suddenly and may progress slowly over time. Symptoms often look similar to those of Alzheimer’s disease, but memory loss is more prominent in Alzheimer’s, whereas problems with organization, attention, and problem-solving may be more obvious in vascular dementia.

People with vascular dementia may experience:

• Difficulty performing tasks that used to be easy, such as paying bills
• Trouble following instructions or learning new information and routines
• Forgetting current or past events
• Misplacing items
• Getting lost on familiar routes
• Problems with language, such as finding the right word or using the wrong word
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Difficulty reading and writing
• Loss of interest in things or people
• Changes in personality, behavior, and mood, such as depression, agitation, and anger
• Hallucinations or delusions (believing something is real that is not)
• Poor judgment and loss of ability to perceive danger
• Symptoms may depend on the size, location, and number of damaged areas of the brain.

To diagnose vascular dementia, a doctor may ask about problems with daily activities, conduct memory or thinking tests, and speak with someone who knows the person well to see if symptoms of dementia are present. Medical history, lifestyle, and brain imaging tests are often used to help determine whether vascular dementia is the cause of symptoms.

No treatments are available to reverse brain damage that has been caused by a stroke. Treatment for vascular dementia focuses on preventing future strokes. Medications to prevent strokes, such as blood thinners, may help decrease the risk of further damage to the brain. Medications that help treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease might benefit people with early vascular dementia. A doctor may also recommend treating risk factors, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, through medications and lifestyle changes.

A healthy lifestyle is important to help reduce risk factors of vascular dementia. This includes eating well, limiting alcohol, not smoking, exercising, and managing stress.

If you are concerned about vascular dementia symptoms, talk with your doctor. If you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed, explore the resources on this website and linked below to find out more about the disease, care, support, and research.