Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear later in life. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that more than 6 million Americans, most of them age 65 or older, may have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease is currently ranked as the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and is the most common cause of dementia among older adults.

Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning — thinking, remembering, and reasoning — and behavioral abilities to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. Dementia ranges in severity from the mildest stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning, to the most severe stage, when the person must depend completely on others for help with basic activities of daily living.

The causes of dementia can vary, depending on the types of brain changes that may be taking place. Other dementias include Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal disorders, and vascular dementia. It is common for people to have mixed dementia — a combination of two or more types of dementia. For example, some people have both Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. After she died, he examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps (now called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (now called neurofibrillary, or tau, tangles).

These plaques and tangles in the brain are still considered some of the main features of Alzheimer’s disease. Another feature is the loss of connections between neurons in the brain. Neurons transmit messages between different parts of the brain, and from the brain to muscles and organs in the body.

Aging BiologyClinical Research Cognitive Health

Individuals who have one or more heart attacks in their lifetime may experience faster long-term cognitive decline, according to an NIA-funded study. Heart attacks were not associated with cognitive decline immediately following the event. The findings, published in JAMA Neurology, suggest that heart attacks are an important risk factor for cognitive decline, even after someone has recovered from the heart attack itself.

Participants who had a heart attack generally did not have any change in cognitive function at the time of the event. However, in the years that followed, they had faster rates of cognitive decline than those who had never had a heart attack.

These results add to a growing amount of evidence pointing toward a link between heart and brain health.

This research was supported in part by NIA grants R01AG051827 and K01AG050699

What are your best coverage options?

Did you know you have choices in your Medicare prescription drug and health coverage? Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) is your chance to think about what matters most to you. Plans can change from year to year, and your health needs may change, too. So it’s important to know your options.

Preview Coverage Options

You have 2 main ways to get your Medicare coverage — Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage (Medicare-approved plans from private companies). It’s important to understand the differences between the 2 options.

Start at Medicare.gov, your official source to find the type of coverage that fits you best. If you need more help comparing options:

Call us at 1-800-MEDICARE during Open Enrollment.

Contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Visit shiphelp.org to get the phone number for your state.

Sincerely,

The Medicare Team

NOTE: If you make less than $22,000 a year ($30,000 for married couples), it’s worth applying for “Extra Help.” Extra Help can pay for your prescription drug coverage (Part D) premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and other costs. Visit ssa.gov/extrahelp or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to apply for Extra Help.

With the Medicare Open Enrollment period about to begin, the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) – part of the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, a division of the Human Services Agency – will again be providing countywide resources and help.

Medicare Open Enrollment begins on October 15 and runs through December 7. HICAP provides free, unbiased Medicare counseling to the public.

In October, November, and December, HICAP counselors — who are registered with the California Department of Aging — will be all around the county, hosting 37 One-Stops to provide individual counseling sessions, as well as 13 “2024 Medicare Changes” presentations.

Sites for these various events include Ventura (the VCAAA office), Camarillo (Camarillo Health Care District, Pleasant Valley Senior Center), Fillmore (Active Adult Center), Moorpark (Active Adult Center), Ojai (HELP of Ojai), Oxnard (Colonia Senior Center, Palm Vista Senior Center, South Oxnard Senior Center, Wilson Senior Center), Santa Paula (Senior Center), Simi Valley (Senior Center) and Thousand Oaks (CRPD Conejo Creek Community Building, Goebel Adult Community Center).

Visit www.vcaaa.org/HICAP for specific dates, times, and locations.

These events are free, but pre-registration is required for individual appointments at the One-Stops, and requested prior to attendance at the 2024 Medicare Changes presentations. Online signups can be found at www.vcaaa.org/HICAP, or by calling the VCAAA at (805) 477-7300.