Weekly health news roundup: Alzheimer’s disease, kidney disease, urinary tract infections, blood pressure, and dementia

This week’s health news roundup presents the latest stories and news articles on Alzheimer’s disease, kidney disease, urinary tract infections, blood pressure, and dementia. In case the recent elections kept you busy, here are our top stories for you to catch up on the latest health developments and recommendations.

Alzheimer’s disease and eating problems: Tips to encourage and improve nutrition in dementia patients

In patients with Alzheimer’s disease, eating problems can be quite common. Eating problems in Alzheimer’s disease increase the risk for malnutrition and can worsen other health conditions the patient may already have.

As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, patients may forget to eat or they may even develop difficulties eating, but one thing is for certain: proper eating is very important in Alzheimer’s disease.

Eating and drinking is essential for all people to stay healthy as it provides us with proper nutrition and hydration essential for healthy bodily functions. Insufficient nutrition and hydration can lead to deterioration of overall health, including mental health, as well as weight loss, dehydration, reduced communication abilities, infections, constipation, among other things. Continue reading…

Kidney disease risk may increase with metabolic syndrome

Kidney disease risk may increase with metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of disorders making one more susceptible to diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The researchers reviewed medical literature and combined data from 11 studies to examine the relationship between metabolic syndrome and the risk of kidney disease. The studies included over 30,416 individuals.

The researchers found that people with metabolic syndrome had a 55 percent higher risk of kidney problems. Individual components of metabolic syndrome were found to be linked with the development of kidney disease, and the kidney disease risk increased as the number of metabolic syndrome components increased. Continue reading…

Treat urinary tract infections naturally without antibiotics: Study

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a bacterial infection of the kidneys, ureters, or bladder. UTIs are common and not usually serious if treated right away. If you don’t take action, though, the infection can spread to your kidneys, which can get serious and cause permanent damage. That’s why it’s good to keep in mind some preventative measures for bladder health and other natural remedies for UTIs.

For the most part, the body flushes out harmful bacteria without a problem. But sometimes an infection can happen when those bacteria stick around, literally, by attaching themselves to the lining of the urinary tract. Continue reading…

Blood pressure and colon cancer risk may be lowered with vegetarian diet: Study

Blood pressure and colon cancer risk may be lowered with a vegetarian diet. The researchers analyzed seven clinical trials and 32 studies where participants consumed a vegetarian diet. The researchers measured differences in blood pressure associated with eating a vegetarian diet.

The researchers found that adhering to a vegetarian diet was associated with reduced systolic blood pressure along with reduced diastolic blood pressure, compared to eating a plant and animal (omnivorous) diet.

The researchers concluded, “Further studies are required to clarify which types of vegetarian diets are most strongly associated with lower BP [blood pressure]. Research into the implementation of such diets, either as public health initiatives aiming at prevention of hypertension or in clinical settings, would also be of great potential value.” Continue reading…

Dementia and sleeping problems: Causes and treatment

Sleeping problems in dementia are quite common, and without proper sleep symptoms related to dementia can worsen greatly. Some patients sleep during the day and are wide awake at night as a result. Others may have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Some patients may wander throughout the night or get confused, which can lead to greater behavioral changes making patient care difficult.

Unfortunately, these changes in sleep patterns aren’t fully understood by researchers. Some speculate that sleep changes could be stemming from brain changes that occur in dementia. Sleep problems may worsen as dementia worsens, too. Continue reading…