Brain, Memory Loss | featured news

Would you go to the gym or pick up those free weights to prevent memory loss, sharpen your thinking, and protect you from dementia and Alzheimer's? New evidence suggests exercise is the best way to take care of your brain.

Brain specialists say that dementia may not be inevitable and that making lifestyle changes earlier in life can lessen the chances of it.

Scientists are closing in on a long-sought goal: A blood test to screen people for Alzheimer's disease. An experimental test did a good job of indicating how much of the telltale Alzheimer's plaque lurks in people's brains, Australian researchers reported Wednesday. If the test proves accurate in larger studies, it could offer a way to check people having memory problems to see who needs more definitive testing for the disease.

In the fight against memory loss, nothing is certain, doctors say. A seemingly steady stream of new research purports to show supplements' and vitamins' promise in preventing or slowing cognitive decline, but in reality no hard evidence supports taking any of them. At the same time, such supplements have been proved safe, barring drug interactions and other complications, so some doctors recommend trying them anyway.