According to the Alzheimer’s Society, around 850,000 people in the UK suffer from dementia – more than half of those with Alzheimer’s. The combination of ageing populations and lack of disease-halting therapies has fuelled the search for preventative measures. To date, lifestyle has been recognised as the most modifiable risk factor for the condition with a new study pointing to the power of certain household chores which could help to reduce your risk.

“This suggests that people in their 80s who can’t participate in formal exercise still get a benefit by leading a more active lifestyle,” said lead author Dr Aron S. Buchman, associate professor of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center.

He added: “You don’t have to get a membership in the local gym.

If you simply walk up some more steps, stand up and do the dishes more, you stand to benefit because it’s incremental and adds up over the course of a full day.”

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Another Canadian study found older adults who spent more time on household chores showed greater brain size – a strong predictor of cognitive health.

The researchers found that certain household chores are capable of giving the human brain a workout to help prevent the condition.

Highlighting the benefits of household chores may motivate older adults to be more active by “providing a more realistic, low risk form of physical activity”, noted the researchers.

“Scientists already know that exercise has a positive impact on the brain, but our study is the first to show that the same may be true for household chores,” said study author Noah Koblinsky at Rotman Research Institute (RRI) at Baycrest in Toronto, Canada. 

“Understanding how different forms of physical activity contribute to brain health is crucial for developing strategies to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older adults.”

The researchers found that older adults who spent more time engaging in certain household chores had greater brain volume, regardless of how much they engaged in the more strenuous forms of physical exercise including running. 

A committee of independent advisers for the Food and Drugs Administration has voted in favour of authorising a booster dose of Pfizer/BioNTech after rejecting Pfizer’s applications to distribute booster shots to the wider population. The panel has unanimously embraced the alternate plan to offer booster shots to older Americans and other vulnerable people at risk of severe illness, at least six month after completion of the primary two doses.

Doctor Ofer Levy, a vaccine and infectious disease specialist at Boston’s Children’s Hospital, said: “It’s likely beneficial in my opinion for the elderly, and may eventually be indicated for the general population. 

“I just don’t think we’re there yet in terms of the data.”

Although the FDA is not bound by the recommendation, it is unlikely to reject the panel’s advise. 

The meeting was held days after a group of leading researchers suggested vaccine protection against severe Covid persists despite protection against mild disease waning over time. 

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The result were expected after two senior FDA officials involved in the meeting said they weren’t convinced every American who received the Pfizer vaccine needed a third dose of the jab. 

Members of the panel cited a lack of safety data on extra doses for individuals in that age group. 

Other advisors highlighted the risk of myocarditis in younger people, arguing that further research was needed.

Other members argued that the third dose should be limited to individuals over the age of 60 who are at risk of severe disease. 

A recent study made public by the FDA on Wednesday showed that a third dose of the vaccine could restore protection from infection to 95 percent.

The Israeli study drew on data collected between July 1 and August 30, when rates of the delta variant skyrocketed. 

In a presentation, Doctor Sharon Elroy-Preiss, of Israel’s Health Ministry, said the nation began administering booster at the end of July in a bid to appease pressure on the nation’s hospitals.

She said: “We were able to dampen that effect and our severe cases are roughly 700 or less and have stayed stable, even though we still have days at 10,000 confirmed cases.”

Scientists have warned that the fleeting symptoms of a mini-stroke could be a harbinger for a more serious stroke. It is estimated about one in three people who have a transient ischaemic attack – or mini stroke – will eventually have an acute incident. The effect of a transient attack on the brain, however, can be just as damaging as a severe stroke. What’s more, transient ischaemic attacks often go undetected in brain scans. Doctor Clare O’Donnell, Optometrist and Head of Research at specialist eye hospital Optegra Eye Health Care, warns that four signs around the eyes that could be symptoms of a mini-stroke.

“Symptoms of a mini-stroke can include temporary disturbances, so sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes should always prompt urgent investigation for treatment as the risk of a full stroke is increased substantially, particularly in the hours and days following a transient ischaemic attack.”

Deterioration in cognitive skills following stroke can severely alter an individual’s ability to carry out daily tasks.

It is common for people to experience some degree of vision loss after an acute stroke, with acute events often affecting the way the brain processes information it receives from the eyes.

Doctor O’Donnell noted: “Additionally, after a stroke up to 60 percent of survivors may have vision problems such as those listed below and the optometrist has a key role to play in recognising the way the eye can be affected.

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“Also, as the eye is the only body part where we can look directly at the blog vessels and follow any changes, optometrists are able to spot signs of high blood pressure, which is a known risk factor for stroke.

“In fact, the signs at the back of the eye can reflect or mimic the changes taking place in the brain.

“After stroke there may be loss of a part of the visual field – the entire central and peripheral area we can see – because the areas of the brain responsible for vision have been damaged.

“Another type of field loss may affect central vision in one eye, usually presenting as sudden loss of sight in the affected eye. This can be due to a type of stroke affecting the retina at the back of the eye.”

A 2016 study found that quickly taking an aspiring after a mini stroke could quickly avert the risk of death and disability.

Doctor O’Donnell added: “Sudden loss of vision should prompt a visit to your local A&E straight away. If the nerve controlling the eye’s muscles has been affected, this can cause blurred of double vision, or difficulty focussing on objects because the eyes are not always able to keep still.

“Some people after stroke have difficulty in processing information coming from the eyes. This can result in difficulty recognising colours, once family faces or objects.

“Shadows and hallucinations can even occur where people ‘see’ moving shadows, shapes or objects appears in the affected area of the visual field.”

While anaemia due to a vitamin B12 deficiency develops gradually, the body will somewhat adapt to the lower-quality red blood cells. Thus, symptoms of anaemia might appear mild when anaemia is in fact well developed. Global healthcare leader, MSD, listed the symptoms of anaemia, which include: paleness, weakness and fatigue. However, if anaemia is “severe”, three problematic signs of the condition include dizziness, shortness of breath, and a rapid heart rate.

A routine blood test, arranged by your doctor, can help detect abnormally shaped red blood cells – an indicator of a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Once the deficiency is addressed by taking high doses of vitamin B12 supplementation, then the signs of anaemia can dissipate.

However, should nerve and cognitive damage have occurred due to the deficiency, such symptoms might be permanent.

Furthermore, extended low reserves of vitamin B12 might need to be remedied by life-long vitamin B12 injections, administered by medical staff.

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What causes a vitamin B12 deficiency?

The most common cause of a vitamin B12 deficiency is inadequate absorption, which can be caused by a variety of reasons.

For instance, an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestines could be one underlying factor.

Another could be a lack of intrinsic factor – a protein – in the stomach, caused by a condition caused pernicious anaemia.

Pernicious anaemia is an acquired autoimmune condition whereby the body attacks the stomach cells, which are responsible for making intrinsic factor.

Inflammatory bowel disease

The NHS explained this term is mainly used to describe ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease include:

• Pain, cramps or swelling in the tummy
• Recurring or bloody diarrhoea
• Weight loss
• Extreme tiredness.

Additional symptoms might include a high temperature, vomiting, and anaemia.

Other health conditions tend to be linked to inflammatory bowel disease, such as:

• Arthritis
• Jaundice.

Vitamin B12 performs a multitude of roles in the body, such as helping the formation of DNA and supporting the nervous system. In regards to the latter, untreated low B12 levels can give rise to nerve damage. “If the level of vitamin B12 stays low for a long time, it can damage your nerve cells,” explains the University of Michigan Health.

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Pernicious anaemia is the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency in the UK.

It is an autoimmune condition, which causes your immune system to attack the cells in your stomach that produce a protein that helps the body to absorb vitamin B12.

Some people can develop a vitamin B12 deficiency as a result of not getting enough vitamin B12 from their diet.

A diet that includes meat, fish and dairy products usually provides enough vitamin B12, but people who do not regularly eat these foods can become deficient.

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Anaemia is a deficiency in the number or quality of red blood cells in your body.

There are two types of vitamin B12 injections:

• Hydroxocobalamin
• Cyanocobalamin.

The most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency in the UK is pernicious anaemia, which is not related to your diet.

According to the NHS, people who find it difficult to get enough vitamin B12 in their diets, such as those following a vegan diet, may need vitamin B12 tablets for life.