To date, the reality is sobering: physicians, patients, and families have little in their arsenal to combat cognitive decline once a dementia or Alzheimer’s diagnosis has been made. Drug development continues to be disappointing and few medications currently on the market show real benefit. As we’ve previously said in agebuzz, your best bet still appears to be early intervention, especially when it comes to such lifestyle changes as diet, exercise, social engagement, and brain stimulation. And what about early screening? Does it help to get cognitively screened whenever you pop into your primary care physician’s office? The message on that count is mixed, according to a recent article by Kaiser Health News correspondent Judith Graham. As Graham notes, a leading group of medical experts believes there is not sufficient evidence to promote primary care screening in older adults who show no symptoms. Apparently there is still concern that the harms caused by screening are outweighed by whatever benefits might be gained in a healthy older population. Nonetheless, the advice doesn’t equate with ignoring reality. In essence, it’s like the saying “if you see something, say something.” So, if your doctor is unaware of a problem with you or a loved one, but you nonetheless suspect something may be happening, by all means, speak up and ask for an evaluation.

In the meantime, there are some recent reports of circumstances that may put you at heightened risk for cognitive decline as well as advice about how to respond. First up is a recent study about hearing loss. There is already evidence that hearing loss may negatively impact brain health. Now, in a new study out of Australia, researchers have found that the use of hearing aids not only enhances hearing but can slow cognitive decline and even boost brain function. In essence, the researchers believe that hearing loss is a modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline in older adults and report that the greater the use of hearing aids, the greater the improvements in cognitive function. So stop turning up the volume on the remote and instead turn your attention here.

It’s also been recently reported that widowhood may speed up cognitive decline among women who are already at risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s. Coming out of Massachusetts General Hospital and The Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts, this study suggests that widowhood may be an underappreciated risk factor for cognitive impairment among some older women, one that needs to be recognized and addressed as another modifiable factor for cognitive decline. Read more about this study here.

Finally, one easy way to potentially slow down the slide of your cognitive functioning? Pop some walnuts on your next salad. In a recent study out of Loma Linda University, scientists found that in a certain group of at-risk older adults, walnut consumption seems to produce cognitive benefits. Again, for those considered at higher risk of cognitive decline (determined by cognitive testing at the start of the study), eating walnuts, with their omega 3 fatty acids and polyphenols, seemed to offset inflammation and oxidative stress that can lead to cognitive decline. So pop open that bag of walnut pieces and take a look here.