Writing letters, taking classes and playing mentally stimulating games like chess in your older years could lower your risk of dementia over the next decade, a new study suggests. Researchers in Australia found that journaling, using a computer, taking education classes and other “literacy enrichment” activities might lessen the risk of developing dementia by 11%.…  read on >  read on >

Two new studies using CRISPR gene editing offer potential new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. “A pipeline of potential new treatments offers hope for the Alzheimer’s and dementia community,” said Maria Carrillo, chief science officer for the Alzheimer’s Association. “The progress and approvals we’ve seen, as well as the diversification of potential new therapies over the…  read on >  read on >

In findings that are likely to fuel the debate over the safety of aspartame, one World Health Organization (WHO) agency announced Thursday that the artificial sweetener is a possible carcinogen while another stood firm in saying that aspartame is safe in recommended doses. “Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. Every year,…  read on >  read on >

Ticks may be responsible for the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Wisconsin’s deer population, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that ticks can harbor transmissible amounts of the protein particle that causes CWD, a fatal neurological disease seen in deer, elk and moose. The pathogen, prion,…  read on >  read on >

Treatment can control the symptoms of the most common type of glaucoma and save someone’s vision. The catch is that a person can’t feel the changes in eye pressure that can damage vision, so they often won’t know they even have it before it’s too late. That is, unless they’ve been seeing an eye doctor…  read on >  read on >