When you learn that someone close to you has Alzheimer’s disease, deciding when and how to tell your family and friends may be difficult. You may be worried about how others will react to or treat your loved one. It’s okay to wait until you feel emotionally ready to share the news or to only tell your closest family members and friends. By knowing what is happening, the people you trust the most can help support you and the person with Alzheimer’s. The following suggestions can help get you started.

Sharing the diagnosis

It may be hard to share a loved one’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis with others. Here are a few suggested approaches:

• Realize that family and friends often sense that something is wrong before they are told.
• Be honest with them about the Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Explain that Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that can have wide-ranging symptoms. Memory loss is a common symptom, but it’s not the only one. Changes in behavior and communication are also common.
• Share resources to help them understand what you and the person with Alzheimer’s are experiencing.
• Give examples of ways they can help, such as visiting, providing meals, or helping with home safety modifications. Let them know you need breaks.

Helping family and friends feel comfortable

Family and friends may not know how to interact with someone who has Alzheimer’s. Share tips to help them feel more comfortable. You can:

• Tell people who visit how much your loved one can understand. For example, if the person is still in the early stage of Alzheimer’s, you might say that they can still have a conversation over dinner or play a favorite board game.
• If your loved one has difficulty remembering people, suggest that visitors start a conversation with the person by briefly introducing themselves. For example, “Hello George, I’m John. We used to work together.”
• Offer ways to make the conversation easier and more respectful, such as not correcting or arguing with the person with Alzheimer’s if they make a mistake or forget something.
• Remind visitors to be patient when the person with Alzheimer’s has trouble finding the right words or putting feelings into words.
• Suggest activities beyond talking that they can do together, including listening to music or looking through a photo album.

Helping children understand

When a family member has Alzheimer’s, it affects the whole family, including children and grandchildren. It’s important to talk to young people and help them understand what is happening. For example:

• Answer their questions simply and honestly. For example, you might tell a young child, “Grandma has an illness that makes it hard for her to remember things.”
• Tell them that feelings of sadness and anger are normal.
• Comfort them. Explain that no one caused the disease. Young children may think they did something to hurt their grandparent.

Younger children may watch how you act around your loved one with Alzheimer’s. Do not use “baby talk” or adopt a harsh tone with your loved one — children may pick up on this and act similarly. Try to be mindful of the tone of voice you’re using and the way you’re interacting with them. It’s important to show children they can still talk with the person and do things with them. Activities children and people with Alzheimer’s might do together include:

• Simple arts and crafts
• Playing music or singing
• Looking through photo albums
• Reading stories out loud

If you and your children are living in the same house as someone with Alzheimer’s, it’s important not to let the caregiving responsibilities overshadow the children’s day-to-day needs. For example:

• Avoid having a young child help take care of or “babysit” the person with Alzheimer’s. This may not be safe for the child or that person.
• Make sure the child has time for their own interests and needs, such as playing with friends, school activities, or doing homework.
• Spend quality time with your child so they don’t feel that all your attention is on the person with Alzheimer’s.
• Be honest about your feelings when you talk with kids, but don’t overwhelm them.

Some children may not talk about their feelings but may act out at school or at home. Older children and teens might be embarrassed by the behavior of the person with Alzheimer’s. Let children know they can always talk to you about what they’re feeling. School counselors and social workers also can help children develop healthy ways to process their feelings.

To learn more, please visit https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-and-relationships/helping-family-and-friends-understand-alzheimers-disease.

Don’t let falling temperatures stop you from exercising outdoors! By taking a few extra steps to stay safe, you can walk, run, ski, ice skate, and more. Even when it’s cold, you may be able to exercise outdoors. Be sure to follow these tips to stay safe in colder weather.

1. Warm up and cool down: Stretch or walk in place to prepare and restore your muscles before and after a workout.
2. Pick the right clothes: Dress in several layers of loose clothing to trap warm air between them. Wear a waterproof coat or jacket if it’s snowy or rainy, and don’t forget a hat, scarf, and gloves.
3. Be extra careful in snow and ice: Check sidewalks before using them. Wear nonskid, rubber-soled, low-heeled shoes to help prevent slipping.
4. Check the forecast: If it’s too windy, cold, icy, or wet outside, consider staying indoors and using an online workout video or your own routine.
5. Be prepared: Know the signs of hypothermia, inform others of your outdoor whereabouts, and carry a fully charged mobile phone.

To learn more, please visit https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/exercise-and-physical-activity/safety-tips-exercising-outdoors-older-adults.

Individuals who maintain a regimen of physical activity throughout their lives may prevent brain deterioration during middle and older adulthood. NIA researchers made the discovery by measuring cardiorespiratory fitness in 125 cognitively unimpaired adults, ranging in age from 22 to 94, and by examining their brains. Specifically, they assessed the white matter of the brain, which is composed of myelin, a fatty layer of insulation that surrounds neurons. The study suggests lifelong exercise could be a therapeutic strategy for promoting brain health and reducing the risk of developing neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Myelin, which tends to decrease as humans grow older, has two major functions: protect neurons from insults and harm such as toxic byproducts generated by the brain, and accelerate the communication between different neurons and regions of the brain. Other studies have shown aerobic exercise may preserve and enhance cerebral myelination throughout the adult lifespan, but how it worked remained unknown.

In this study, the research team tracked cardiovascular fitness levels by measuring maximum oxygen consumption. While running on a treadmill, participants breathed through a mask that was connected to equipment that monitored oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations. Oxygen consumption was calculated every 30 seconds. The highest value, termed VO2max, was expressed in milliliters per kilogram of body weight per minute (mL/kg/min). This method is considered the most accurate way to measure cardiovascular fitness.

To examine myelin content, the researchers used MRI to scan different regions of participants’ brains. They analyzed those images using mathematical and physics modeling to extract information on myelin content, called myelin water fraction. The participants were divided into four age groups: 22 to 39 years, 40 to 59 years, 60 to 79 years, and 80 to 94 years.

The scientists saw a strong correlation between cardiovascular fitness and myelin content, with even small improvements in VO2max leading to large boosts in myelin. Participants 40 and older experienced the greatest myelin increase, suggesting if young adults maintain good cardiovascular health throughout their lives, it will pay off later when they reach midlife and beyond by protecting their brain myelin.

The research suggests cardiovascular fitness may be crucial for the production and maintenance of myelin. The authors emphasize study participants were not professional athletes — just average people who exercised regularly — and that workout length and intensity were varied.

This research was supported by NIA grant ZIAAG000353.

To learn more, please visit https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39159379/.

Some older adults have more memory or thinking problems than other adults their age. This condition is called mild cognitive impairment, or MCI.

There is no single cause of MCI. The risk of developing MCI increases as someone gets older. Conditions such as diabetes, depression, and stroke may increase a person’s risk for MCI.

What are the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment?

The symptoms of MCI are not as severe as the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. For example, people with MCI do not experience the personality changes or other problems that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s. People with MCI are still able to take care of themselves and do their normal daily activities.

Signs of MCI may include:

• Losing things often
• Forgetting to go to events or appointments
• Having more trouble coming up with words than other people of the same age

Movement difficulties and problems with the sense of smell have also been linked to MCI.

How is mild cognitive impairment diagnosed?

Family and friends may notice memory lapses, and the person with MCI may worry about losing his or her memory. These worries may prompt the person to see a doctor about their memory problems.

In some cases, memory and thinking problems may be caused by conditions that are treatable. A doctor can perform tests and assessments to help understand whether the source of memory problems is something treatable or may be MCI. He or she also may suggest that the person see a specialist for more tests.

How is mild cognitive impairment managed?

There currently is no standard treatment or approved medication for MCI, but there are things a person can do that may help them stay healthy and deal with changes in their thinking.

Because MCI may be an early sign of more serious memory problems, it’s important to see a doctor or specialist every six to 12 months. A doctor can help track changes in memory and thinking skills over time. Keeping a record of any changes can also be helpful.

People with MCI might also consider participating in clinical trials or studies. Clinical trials are research studies that help test if a treatment, like a new drug, is safe and effective in people. People with and without memory problems can take part in clinical trials, which may help themselves, their families, or future generations.

To find out more about participating in clinical trials for people with memory problems and people without cognitive impairment, visit Alzheimers.gov or call the Alzheimer’s and related Dementias Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center at 1-800-438-4380.

Does mild cognitive impairment lead to dementia?

Researchers have found that more people with MCI than those without it go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. An estimated 10 to 20% of people age 65 or older with MCI develop dementia over a one-year period. However, not everyone who has MCI develops dementia. In many cases, the symptoms of MCI may stay the same or even improve.

Research suggests that genetic factors may play a role in who will develop MCI, as they do in Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Studies are underway to learn why some people with MCI progress to Alzheimer’s and others do not.

To learn more, visit https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/memory-loss-and-forgetfulness/what-mild-cognitive-impairment.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons. It usually starts in the late fall and early winter and goes away during the spring and summer. Some people do have episodes of depression that start in the spring or summer, but that is a lot less common. Symptoms of SAD may include:

• Sadness
• Gloomy outlook
• Feeling hopeless, worthless, and irritable
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
• Low energy
• Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping
• Carbohydrate cravings and weight gain
• Thoughts of death or suicide

SAD is more common in women, young people, and those who live far from the equator. You are also more likely to have SAD if you or your family members have depression.

The exact causes of SAD are unknown. Researchers have found that people with SAD may have an imbalance of serotonin, a brain chemical that affects your mood. Their bodies also make too much melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, and not enough vitamin D.

The main treatment for SAD is light therapy. The idea behind light therapy is to replace the sunshine that you miss during the fall and winter months. You sit in front of a light therapy box every morning to get daily exposure to bright, artificial light. But some people with SAD do not respond to light therapy alone. Antidepressant medicines and talk therapy can reduce SAD symptoms, either alone or combined with light therapy.

To learn more, please visit https://medlineplus.gov/seasonalaffectivedisorder.html