Could Managing Four Common Health Conditions Slow Cognitive Decline from Alzheimer’s?

Could Managing Four Common Health Conditions Slow Cognitive Decline from Alzheimer’s?

From Dementia Matters by Wisconsin Alzheimer‘s Disease Research Center

January 27, 2026 · 27 min · Episode 227

About this episode

Dr. Barb Bendlin discusses research on how managing common health conditions may slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients.

Alzheimer’s disease isn’t always the only health condition a person faces, so how does treating other diseases impact the progression of Alzheimer’s? Researchers at the University of Arizona focused on four common health conditions – type two diabetes, hypertension, inflammation and dyslipidemia – which are known to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and set out to investigate whether those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s who received treatments for these four conditions also saw a delay in cognitive decline. Dr. Barb Bendlin joins the podcast to break down the findings from this research, as well as discuss the impact of personalized prevention strategies and combination therapies. Guest: Barbara Bendlin, PhD, professor, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine and Public Health, deputy director, UW Center for Health Disparities Research (CHDR) Show Notes Read the study, “Combination therapy targeting Alzheimer's disease risk factors is associated with a significant delay in Alzheimer's disease–related cognitive decline,” published by Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions on the…

People in this episode

Guest: Barbara Bendlin Phd

Topics covered

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • cognitive decline
  • health conditions
  • personalized prevention strategies
  • combination therapies

Keywords

  • type two diabetes
  • hypertension
  • inflammation
  • dyslipidemia
  • cognitive decline delay

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center

Books & works: When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer's and Dementia

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