Stroke Archive

Many older adults feel they can’t keep up with the deluge of apps, texts, emails, patient portals, social media, and video calls that are now part of everyday life. Age-related brain changes can make digital overload more challenging, and too much screen time can affect physical and mental health.

People who aggressively lower their high blood pressure not only help their heart health, but also may protect their brains from cognitive decline in the process, according to a 2025 study.

Communicating with someone with dementia can be tricky, since their ability to understand others and express themselves fluctuates and declines. Certain communication strategies can help smooth interactions between caregivers and dementia patients. They include being an active listener, avoiding confrontation, agreeing with the patient's reality, removing distractions, using shorter sentences and smaller words, asking yes-or-no questions, using written lists and schedules, and incorporating touch.

When you take an aging parent to a medical appointment, you wind up playing many roles. Millions of people in the US are caring for family members and are learning as they go along, so they can benefit from tips to keep them on track before, during, and after the appointment.

Recent advances in caring for people with strokes include expanded access to medications and clot removal procedures. In certain cases, these therapies may be done up to 24 hours after stroke symptoms first appear.

All adults should get a lipoprotein(a) blood test at least once in their lifetime, according to the 2026 cholesterol guidelines. Also known as Lp(a), these fatty particles are similar to LDL (bad) cholesterol but more dangerous.

Dementia poses many challenges, both for people struggling with it and for those close to them. Understanding common behaviors and learning to handle situations that arise can help families and caregivers.

More than 30% of adults over 70 have amyloid or tau (proteins implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease) in their brains yet have no apparent cognitive problems. This may indicate greater cognitive reserve, the brain’s ability to compensate for damage.

A long-running study found that closely following the MIND Diet was linked with significantly slower age-related brain changes, including 20% less shrinkage in grey matter—equivalent to slowing brain aging by 2.5 years. However, it’s not known if these changes translate to better brain function.