Eric Larson, MD, MPH, executive director of Group Health Research Institute and senior author of the paper
Older patients hospitalized for acute care or a critical illness are more likely to experience cognitive decline compared to older adults who are not hospitalized, according to a University of Washington study conducted among older Group Health members and published in the February 24 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
A large proportion of patients who are hospitalized for acute care or care of a critical illness are older adults. Some studies have suggested that many survivors of critical illness experience long-term cognitive impairment, but these studies did not measure cognitive function before a critical illness, according to background information in the article. (more…)
Every two years, 2,000 senior Group Health patients check in with the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study. The joint project between Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington (UW) focuses on finding ways to delay or prevent dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, and declines in memory and thinking. It aims to deepen understanding of how the body—especially the brain—ages. More…
Eric Larson MD, Executive Director of Group Health Research Institute
Collaboration with University of Washington aims to prevent dementia, including Alzheimer’s
SEATTLE— Every two years, 2,000 senior Group Health patients check in with the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study. The joint project between Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington (UW) focuses on finding ways to delay or prevent dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, and declines in memory and thinking. It aims to deepen understanding of how the body—especially the brain—ages.
The National Institute on Aging recently awarded the ACT study a grant of nearly $12 million to continue its work for the next five years. In continuous operation for 23 years, it is the longest-running study of its kind.
“Thanks to our dedicated patients—and our team of leading-edge scientists and staff at the UW and Group Health—the ACT study is a ‘living laboratory’ of aging,” said study leader Eric B. Larson, MD, MPH, executive director of Group Health Research Institute. “We’ve learned about what our research subjects value as they age. And we hope to help them find the best solutions to age well—promoting their independence and providing them with skills to cope with any problems that may occur.”
At each biannual study visit, participants are observed as they walk and do many other physical and mental tasks. They are asked many questions, including whether they would allow an autopsy on their brains after they die. Thanks to willing participants, the study has gleaned its most recent discoveries, which center on how vascular (blood vessel) disease contributes to late-life dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease: (more…)
