health

YOU'RE LOSING IT!

from page 127

great deal of information held tem-
porarily in memory also decline.
For example, as we age we find it
more difficult to follow complex direc-
tions while driving or doing difficult
calculations in our heads.
By age 60, 70 percent of the popu-
lation have some memory impairment
7 —eid there's a 30 percent drop in per-
formance as compared to when we
were 30. On the other hand, other
abilities, such as vocabulary and
abstract thinking, improve with age.
The problem is that while our memo-
ry banks grow, we access them at the
same rate so it takes longer to remem-
ber some things. It's like filling up
\your computer hard drive, so it takes
/longer for the computer to find a file.
The slowing pace for remembering
new information varies greatly among
people. Some people can take in more
new information than others during a
given period of time. Most older peo-
ple need to spend extra time learning
a new software program, for example,
but once the information is learned,
\ the older person should retain it just
/as well as a younger person.
"What many people don't realize is
that medication can adversely affect
memory," explains Dr. David Rosen-
' berg, Farmington Hills family physi-
cian with a specialty in geriatrics.
"The average adult over 65 takes a
half-dozen medications, many of
which can cause memory loss and
-onfusion. Some hypertension and
congestive heart failure drugs are good
examples.
"Calcium channel blockers and cer-
tain kinds of diuretics are also associ-
ated with memory, as well as prescrip-
tion drugs such as benzodiazepines
used to treat anxiety. This is also true
of alcohol, marijuana or over-the-
counter sleep medication and tranquil-
, zers.
'All of which is a good reason why
it's so very important to monitor your
medication. On your next visit to
your physician, ask if the medication
or combinations and dosages you use
are absolutely necessary and if they
pose a potential problem."
It seems that memory, similar to
cur general health, depends on many
things: family traits of aging, educa-
tion, lifelong habits of mental activity,
social interaction, general health,
nutrition and fitness.
Just as reducing heart disease takes
several interrelated efforts, the best
intervention for maintaining memory
is to keep the mind in good shape. ❑

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