News
What's happening in Alzheimer's care, research funding, and treatment — summarized simply, each item linked to the original reporting.
Free to read, “May need a subscription” and “Archived copy”: what they mean
Whether an article is free to read is a guess, not a test of your access. Each item is one of three:
- No label: free to read (304 of 349). The publisher’s page marks it free, or the outlet publishes free to read: Medical Xpress, ScienceDaily, NIH (incl. NIA and PMC), Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's News Today, NPR, Alzheimer's Disease International, or a .gov site.
- May need a subscription (11 of 349). The publisher’s own page marks the article as not free to read, or — when the page says nothing — the outlet sells subscriptions: The New York Times, STAT, Scientific American, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Wired, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Times, The Telegraph, New Scientist, Endpoints News, Science. Each badge says which.
- “Free to read? Not known” (34 of 349). The outlet is on neither list and its page said nothing. We do not call these paywalled.
Archived copy links go to a copy the Internet Archive (web.archive.org) saved, dated the day it was saved. We show one only where the Internet Archive reported a working saved copy when we checked; an archived copy of a subscription article sometimes shows only its opening. 265 of 349 items have one.
Can hormone replacement therapy prevent dementia? What the latest research tells us
A study has raised a question that many women would understandably want answered: Could hormone replacement therapy (HRT) protect against dementia? …
Why it matters: A study raised a key question about whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could help protect women against dementia.
Read at Medical Xpress →Blood proteins shift during Alzheimer's treatment and may help monitor the effects of the medication
Patients with early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease may be prescribed anti-amyloid therapy, which can help clear the sticky clumps of amyloid protein in the brain that characterize Alzheimer's. …
Why it matters: Shifts in blood proteins during Alzheimer's treatment may help monitor the effects of medication in patients receiving anti-amyloid therapy.
Cognitive speed training linked to lower dementia incidence up to 20 years later
Adults age 65 and older who completed five to six weeks of cognitive speed training—in this case, speed of processing training, which helps people quickly find visual information on a computer screen and handle increasingly complex tasks in a shorter time period…
Why it matters: Cognitive speed training, which helps older adults quickly find visual information, is linked to a lower incidence of dementia up to 20 years later.
Your morning coffee might protect your brain as you age. Here's the sweet spot
Scientists have found that drinking two to three cups of coffee a day may significantly reduce your risk of developing dementia, but drinking more won't help protect your brain any further.
Why it matters: Scientists found drinking two to three cups of coffee daily may significantly reduce dementia risk, though drinking more provides no additional brain protection.
Obesity and aging: Study links inflammation to cognitive decline
Obesity and older age are strongly associated with low-grade inflammation in the body, a condition that appears closely linked to cognitive decline and dementia. …
Why it matters: Obesity and older age are linked to low-grade inflammation, which appears closely connected to cognitive decline and dementia.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (7 Mar 2026), Internet Archive'Person-centered care' improves lives of dementia residents, caregivers
For many Kentuckians with dementia, medical interventions may seem like the only choice, but a new University of Kentucky study shows that prioritizing joy and engagement through enrichment activities is vital for the health of both residents and the caregivers who support them.
Why it matters: Prioritizing joy and engagement through enrichment activities improves health for dementia residents and caregivers, offering a vital alternative to medical interventions.
Read at Medical Xpress →Consuming 2–3 cups of coffee daily associated with lower dementia risk, better cognitive function
A new prospective cohort study by investigators from Mass General Brigham, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard analyzed 131,821 participants from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study…
Why it matters: Analyzing 131,821 participants, this study links consuming 2–3 cups of coffee daily to a lower dementia risk and better cognitive function.
Speed-focused brain training tied to 25% lower dementia risk after 20 years
A simple brain-training exercise could reduce people's risk of developing dementia by 25%, a study said Monday, but with outside researchers expressing caution in interpreting the results.
Why it matters: A simple brain-training exercise could cut dementia risk by 25% after 20 years, though outside researchers caution how the results are interpreted.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (14 Feb 2026), Internet ArchivePreclinical study successfully reverses loss of blood flow to brain, an early sign of Alzheimer's disease
Supriya Chakraborty might have been studying insects in a lab had it not been for an immunology college instructor in India who taught him about the superheroes inside him—immune cells that wage a battle against bacteria, parasites…
Why it matters: A preclinical study successfully reversed loss of blood flow to the brain, which is an early sign of Alzheimer's disease.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (17 Feb 2026), Internet ArchiveDementia research must include voices of those with lived experience
A new Canadian study has found that people living with dementia (PLWD) are often excluded from research due to assumptions of incapacity and variations in institutional processes. …
Why it matters: A new Canadian study shows people living with dementia are often excluded from research due to assumptions of incapacity and institutional variations.
Read at Medical Xpress →One-third of dementia cases are linked to non brain-related diseases, study finds
Dementia is a term used to describe memory loss, impaired reasoning, difficulties communicating and other mental impairments that can be caused by Alzheimer's disease, other neurodegenerative disease, strokes, severe infections, head injuries or various other conditions. …
Pregnancy, breastfeeding associated with higher levels of cognitive function for postmenopausal women
Female brains have historically evolved to adapt to pregnancy, undergoing structural and functional changes. But the cognitive health implications of these adaptations have long been overlooked—until now. …
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (5 Feb 2026), Internet ArchiveASA: White matter hyperintensity burden tied to future decline in older adults' driving ability
White matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden predicts functional decline in real-world driving among older adults, according to a study scheduled to be presented at the annual American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference, held from Feb. 4 to 6 in New Orleans.
Why it matters: White matter hyperintensity burden predicts functional decline in real-world driving among older adults, offering insight into their future driving ability.
Read at Medical Xpress →Common bacteria discovered in the eye linked to cognitive decline
Chlamydia pneumoniae—a common bacterium that causes pneumonia and sinus infections—can linger in the eye and brain for years and may aggravate Alzheimer's disease, according to a study from Cedars-Sinai. …
Why it matters: A study shows Chlamydia pneumoniae can persist in the eye and brain for years and may aggravate Alzheimer's disease.
Shingles vaccination associated with delayed dementia onset in older adults
Every three seconds, someone, somewhere in the world, develops dementia. The number of people living with the condition is projected to rise dramatically, doubling from 78 million in 2020 to 139 million by 2050, making dementia an urgent public health concern of our time. …
Why it matters: Dementia is an urgent public health concern with cases projected to double from 78 million in 2020 to 139 million by 2050, as someone develops it every three seconds.
Study recommends better continuity of care with GPs for people with dementia to save NHS money
Better continuity of care with GPs for people with dementia who are in their final year of life can save the NHS money, according to new research from academics at the Cicely Saunders Institute, part of the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care at King's College London.
Why it matters: Better continuity of care with GPs for people with dementia in their final year of life can save the NHS money, according to new research from King's College London.
A nerve-based approach to helping older adults bounce back after surgery
After surgery, some older adults don't simply recover—they unravel. Confusion, inattention, and agitation can set in, a condition known as postoperative delirium. …
Hippocampus does more than store memories: It predicts rewards, study finds
A preclinical study published in Nature has found evidence that the hippocampus, the brain region that stores memory, also reorganizes memories to anticipate future outcomes.
Why it matters: A preclinical study shows the hippocampus not only stores memories but also reorganizes them to predict future outcomes.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (6 Feb 2026), Internet ArchiveBrain 'hazmat' protein cleans up tau: Could it prevent dementia?
Researchers at UC San Francisco have identified a hazardous waste collector in the brain that disposes of the toxic clumps of tau protein that can lead to dementia. Neurons with more of this garbage collector, technically known as CUL5, are less vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease.
Why it matters: UC San Francisco researchers found that neurons with more CUL5, a brain waste collector, are less vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease.
Protein buildup in brain blood vessels linked with increased 5-year risk of dementia
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a condition where protein (called amyloid) builds up in the brain, making blood vessels weak. People with CAA are four times more likely to develop dementia within five years, regardless of whether they have had a stroke…
Why it matters: People with cerebral amyloid angiopathy are four times more likely to develop dementia within five years, regardless of whether they have had a stroke.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (15 Feb 2026), Internet ArchiveNew risk assessment tool may help predict dementia after a stroke
A new risk calculator accurately estimated the likelihood of adults developing dementia within 10 years after a stroke, according to a preliminary study presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2026, held in New Orleans, Feb. 4–6, 2026.
Why it matters: A new risk calculator accurately estimated the likelihood of adults developing dementia within 10 years after a stroke, according to a preliminary study.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (15 Feb 2026), Internet ArchiveNew report projects 64% increase in dementia across Europe by 2050
Alzheimer Europe has launched the "The Prevalence of Dementia in Europe 2025" report, which provides updated prevalence figures for the number of people living with dementia both for Europe as a whole, as well as the countries within. …
Why it matters: The report provides updated prevalence figures for people living with dementia across Europe, projecting a 64% increase by 2050.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (30 Jan 2026), Internet ArchiveResearchers explore new diagnostic tools, genetic roots for early-onset dementia
Researchers at the new Center for Brain Health at UT Health San Antonio are studying midlife testing for early-onset dementia with blood-based biomarkers to see if they can detect disease activity up to 20 years before symptoms appear.
Why it matters: Midlife blood-based biomarker testing is being studied to see if it can detect early-onset dementia activity up to 20 years before symptoms appear.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (27 Jan 2026), Internet ArchiveSmoking, blood pressure and diabetes each show distinct dementia-related brain changes
Almost half of all dementia cases can be attributed to risk factors that we can potentially influence ourselves, such as smoking and high blood pressure. …
Why it matters: Almost half of all dementia cases can be attributed to risk factors that we can potentially influence ourselves, such as smoking and high blood pressure.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy should be recognized as a distinct cause of dementia, study finds
The largest study of its kind from the Boston University CTE Center reveals that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) should be recognized as a new cause of dementia. …
Why it matters: The largest study of its kind reveals that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) should be recognized as a new cause of dementia.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (27 Jan 2026), Internet ArchiveTerry Pratchett's novels may have held clues to his dementia a decade before diagnosis, our new study suggests
The earliest signs of dementia are rarely dramatic. They do not arrive as forgotten names or misplaced keys, but as changes so subtle they are almost impossible to notice: a slightly narrower vocabulary, less variation in description, a gentle flattening of language.
Why it matters: A new study suggests that subtle language changes in Terry Pratchett's novels may have held early clues to his dementia a decade before diagnosis.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (26 Feb 2026), Internet ArchiveNitrate in drinking water linked to increased dementia risk while nitrate from vegetables is linked to a lower risk
New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) and the Danish Cancer Research Institute (DCRI) investigated the association between the intake of nitrate and nitrite from a wide range of different sources, and the associated risk of dementia.
Why it matters: New ECU and DCRI research links nitrate intake from drinking water to higher dementia risk, while vegetable nitrate is linked to lower risk.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (27 Jan 2026), Internet ArchiveAlzheimer's disease can be evaluated with brain stimulation, finds study
As individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) move from the mild cognitive impairment stage to moderate and severe dementia, complex awareness deteriorates although lower-level sensory awareness is relatively maintained. …
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (22 Jan 2026), Internet ArchiveHelping people with dementia have a say in their medical care
A new resource is helping people with dementia speak to their doctors and health care professionals about their medicines with more confidence.
Why it matters: A new resource helps people with dementia communicate with doctors and health care professionals about their medicines with more confidence.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (26 Feb 2026), Internet ArchiveEnding dementia stigma could change its trajectory: Cancer's history shows why
At a recent party, another guest, a nurse, asked what I do for a living. I explained that as a health policy researcher, my work focuses on helping health-care systems coordinate care for dementia as effectively as for major conditions like cancer, diabetes or stroke. …
Why it matters: A health policy researcher highlights the need for health-care systems to coordinate dementia care as effectively as major conditions like cancer.
Read at Medical Xpress → Archived copy (22 Jan 2026), Internet ArchiveFollow new items in a feed reader: Atom feed.