older parents

One of the biggest misconceptions about dementia is that it's part of the normal course of aging. Alarmingly, that's a belief shared by many caregivers for older adults. A new survey of relatives and friends caring for people now diagnosed with Alzheimer's or other dementia found two-thirds mistook early symptoms for normal cognitive wear and tear. In doing so, they may have delayed proper diagnosis and early treatment for their loved ones.

A new study looking at the link between genetic mutations and parental age has turned a long-standing assumption on its head: It's the father's age, not the mother's, that raises the risk for new genetic mutations in their children, including autism and schizophrenia.