Health
Early dementia often has a surprising warning sign, report says: 'Financial consequences'
Dementia takes a costly toll on the families it affects — emotionally, physically and even financially.
In many cases, an impact on finances is one of the earliest signs of the disease, according to a new report from the New York Federal Reserve.
In analyzing 17 years of data from consumer credit agencies and Medicare databases, researchers found that a decline in credit scores and an increase in late payments are often seen in the five years prior to diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD).
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Those in the early stages of dementia may also accumulate greater debt, open new credit accounts and use multiple types of credit.
“Considering the typical progression of the disease, these findings point to financial consequences of the disease in its earliest stages, when symptoms are typically mild and not widely apparent,” the researchers wrote.
In many cases, a negative impact on finances is one of the earliest signs of the disease, according to a new report. (iStock)
“The financial consequences of ADRD prior to diagnosis steadily increase over time.”
This is particularly concerning given that older adults with dementia will likely face substantial costs for caregiving and other related expenses, the report noted.
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Monica Moreno, senior director of care and support for the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago, said the new report confirms what experts have already known — that challenges in managing money or personal finances are common early warning signs of dementia.
“While there are several signs or symptoms of dementia, challenges with problem-solving or planning can cause a person to mismanage their finances,” Moreno, who was not involved with the New York Fed’s report, told Fox News Digital via email.
“Other dementia-related symptoms, including decreased or poor judgment and difficulty completing familiar tasks, can also adversely affect money management or personal finances.”
“The individual may have stacks of unopened bills or may be spending an excessive amount of money.”
Early in the disease, people may struggle with more complicated tasks, like managing investments or making decisions about large purchases, Moreno noted.
“Since dementia is often a progressive condition, these challenges will increase over time,” she said. “It is important for family members to identify these potential signs early and intervene as soon as possible.”
Common warning signs
Some common signs to look for include the inability to balance a checking account, or consistently late payments on credit cards or other monthly bills, Moreno said.
“The individual may also have stacks of unopened bills or may be spending an excessive amount of money,” she said.
Some common signs to look for include the inability to balance a checking account, or consistently late payments on credit cards or other monthly bills, an expert said. (iStock)
People living with dementia are also more susceptible to financial abuse, identity theft, fraud or get-rich-quick schemes.
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“Failure to address these problems or potential threats can put individuals living with dementia at great financial risk,” Moreno warned.
5 ways families can help
“If you feel a family member is showing signs of dementia, it’s important to share your concerns and talk to a health care professional,” said Moreno. “Early diagnosis of dementia offers the best opportunity to put financial safeguards in place.”
For those whose loved ones are having difficulty managing their finances, the Alzheimer’s Association shared the following tips and strategies with Fox News Digital.
1. Discuss with the person how a trusted family member or friend can help either with paying bills or setting up automatic billing to avoid late payments.
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2. Create a separate account where you can keep a small, agreed-upon amount of money that the person can use for recreational activities, meals with friends or other personal purchases.
3. Sign up to receive automatic notifications for withdrawals from bank accounts or large charges to credit cards. If you set a charge or spending limit and if the person spends more than that, the bank or credit card company will let you know.
People living with dementia are also more susceptible to financial abuse, identity theft, fraud or get-rich-quick schemes, experts warn. (iStock)
4. Request electronic bank and credit card statements and watch for unusual purchases or changes in how the person typically spends money.
5. Sign up for the “Do Not Call” list at donotcall.gov to protect against telemarketing calls and potential phone scams.
It’s always best to have conversations about managing finances sooner rather than later, Moreno advised.
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“In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, people are more likely to understand the importance of these issues and suspicious activities to avoid,” she said.
“If you wait, these concepts will be more difficult to comprehend as your relatives’ memories and other executive functioning skills decline.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the New York Federal Reserve researchers requesting comment.
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
BACTERIA IN YOUR MOUTH MAY TRAVEL TO THE GUT AND TRIGGER STOMACH CANCER, RESEARCH FINDS
After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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