Silent strokes linked to memory loss
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By Maria Cendejas
Wednesday Jan 4, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) --Silent strokes and small areas of dead brain tissue may be responsible for causing memory loss in older people, according to Los Angeles Times.
A recent study in the journal of Neurology looked at the effects of silent strokes on memory, as well as hippocampus size. A smaller hippocampus has been linked in some prior studies with memory loss.
The study included 658 people of the age 65 and older who had no signs of dementia at the start of the study. They took neuropsychological tests that measured language, information processing speed memory and visual perception, and they also took MRIs and the measured their hippocampal volume.
Of the study subjects, 174 had silent strokes, which can sometimes go unnoticed, and can also damage the brain.
The strokes were linked to having a smaller hippocampus. But researchers also discovered that the strokes by themselves were associated with doing poorly on memory tests, compared with those who didn't have evidence of silent strokes.
Authors of the study wrote that brain infarctions are "a largely preventable brain injury with clearly identified risk factors, and prevention programs."
Adam M. Brickman, co-author of the study, of Columbia University Medical Center in New York said, "Given that conditions like Alzheimer's disease are defined mainly by memory problems, our results may lead to further insight into what causes symptoms and the development of new interventions for prevention. Since silent strokes and the volume of the hippocampus appeared to be associated with memory loss separately in our study, our results also support stroke prevention as a means for staving off memory problems."
What are associated with reduced risk for stroke include diet full of antioxidants, Mediterranean diet, olive oil, vegetarian diet, DASH diet, high intake of potassium and megnesium, vitamin E, white fruits, vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids, and fatty fish.
What are correlated with increased risk for stroke include diet soda, depression, processed meat, eating too much fat, and high blood pressure among other things.
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