Managing the Medicine Cabinet: How Prescriptions Impact Cognition and Brain Health as We Age

Managing the Medicine Cabinet: How Prescriptions Impact Cognition and Brain Health as We Age

Prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and supplements are incredibly common among older adults, yet many of these routine treatments can unexpectedly impact cognitive function and brain health. To help us safely navigate medication management, Dr. Lauren Welch, a clinical geriatric pharmacy practitioner, joins the podcast to discuss how common drugs affect cognition, the risks of drug-drug interactions, and how families can effectively partner with their health care team to review and de-prescribe medications.  Guest: Lauren Welch, PharmD, BCGP, clinical geriatric pharmacy practitioner, Veterans Affair Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center   Show Notes Learn more about the Wisconsin Pharmacy Quality Collaborative (WPQC) and how to get a physician referral [https://www.pswi.org/Resources/Wisconsin-Pharmacy-Quality-Collaborative-WPQC/WPQC-Providers-Patients] at the Pharmacist Society of Wisconsin’s website [https://www.pswi.org/WPQC]. Learn more about the effect of blood pressure control on dementia risk, mentioned by Dr. Welch at 22:50, by listening to our past episode “SPRINT to a Healthy Mind: How Blood Pressure Control Affects Brain Health and Dementia Risk [https://dementiamatters.adrc.wisc.edu/2026/06/18/sprint-to-a-healthy-mind-how-blood-pressure-control-affects-brain-health-and-dementia-risk/]” on our website.   Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production. Learn about Dr. Chin’s book, When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer's and Dementia [https://read.macmillan.com/lp/when-memory-fades-9781250400857/].

Taking a Deep Dive into Subjective Cognitive Decline

Dr. Jessen returns to the podcast to take a deeper dive into subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Aiming to cover everything relating to SCD, Dr. Jessen shares insights in prognosis, risk factors and how SCD should be addressed in research and clinical practice.  Guest: Frank Jessen, MD, professor of psychiatry and psychotherapy, director, department of psychiatry, University of Cologne, clinical board member, Clinical Alzheimer's Research, German Center of Neurodegenerative Disease (DZNE), chair, European Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium (EADC), founder and past chairman, ISTARRT Professional Interest Area on SCD,  SCD-initiative (SCD-I), founder, chair, German Memory Clinic Network (DNG), advisory board, German Alzheimer Association, Hirnliga Show Notes Read Dr. Jessen's study, “The characterisation of subjective cognitive decline [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7062546/],” on the National Library of Medicine website.  Listen to our previous episode with Dr. Jessen, “Defining Subjective Cognitive Decline [https://dementiamatters.adrc.wisc.edu/2026/06/30/defining-subjective-cognitive-decline/],” on the Dementia Matters website or wherever you get your podcasts. Read Dr. Jessen’s study, “Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study (DELCODE [https://www.dzne.de/en/research/studies/clinical-studies/delcode/]),” on the DZNE website. Learn more about Dr. Jessen at his profile on the DZNE website [https://www.dzne.de/en/research/research-areas/clinical-research/research-groups/jessen/research-areasfocus/]. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production. Learn about Dr. Chin’s book, When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer's and Dementia [https://read.macmillan.com/lp/when-memory-fades-9781250400857/].

Defining Subjective Cognitive Decline

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) can be one of the earliest noticeable signs of Alzheimer's disease, yet SCD is not yet fully understood. To help us understand more, Dr. Frank Jessen, an expert in the field, joins the podcast to discuss how SCD is defined, classified, and evaluated in both clinical and research settings. Guest: Frank Jessen, MD, professor of psychiatry and psychotherapy, director, department of psychiatry, University of Cologne, clinical board member, Clinical Alzheimer's Research, German Center of Neurodegenerative Disease (DZNE), chair, European Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium (EADC), founder and past chairman, ISTARRT Professional Interest Area on SCD, SCD-initiative (SCD-I), founder, chair, German Memory Clinic Network (DNG), advisory board, German Alzheimer Association, Hirnliga Show Notes Read Dr. Jessen's study, “The characterisation of subjective cognitive decline [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7062546/],” on the National Library of Medicine website.  Learn more about Dr. Jessen at his profile on the DZNE website [https://www.dzne.de/en/research/research-areas/clinical-research/research-groups/jessen/research-areasfocus/]. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production. Learn about Dr. Chin’s book, When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer's and Dementia [https://read.macmillan.com/lp/when-memory-fades-9781250400857/].

SPRINT to a Healthy Mind: How Blood Pressure Control Affects Brain Health and Dementia Risk

Geriatrician Dr. Mark Supiano joins the podcast to discuss the connection between heart and brain health. Citing multiple clinical trials, he breaks down what these studies and their findings mean for blood pressure management’s effect on cognitive decline and how they directly impact both patients and clinicians. Guest: Mark A. Supiano, MD, geriatrician, University Hospital Geriatrics Clinic, professor, Internal Medicine, Utah School of Medicine Show Notes Read about the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) Study [https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/science/systolic-blood-pressure-intervention-trial-sprint-study] on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Learn about the SPRINT MIND study [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2723256] in the Journal of the American Medical Association.  Read Dr. Supiano’s study, “Hypertension in the Oldest Old, [https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacadv.2025.102306]” published by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Advances on their website. Learn about the HYVET [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11302283/], STEP [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16569567/], SPRINT-HEART [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8035296/] and China Rural Hypertension Control Project [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35500594/] studies through their articles on the National Library of Medicine website. Learn about an ancillary study to SPRINT, “Changes in arterial stiffness under blood pressure control are independently associated with cognitive impairment [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42151744/],” on the National Library of Medicine website. Learn about the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP) study [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/10641968909035386], published by Clinical and Experimental Hypertension, on the Taylor and Francis Online website. Learn about the ESPRIT study [https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01028-6/fulltext] on The Lancet website. Learn more about Dr. Supiano on the University of Utah Health website [https://healthcare.utah.edu/find-a-doctor/mark-supiano].   Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production. Learn about Dr. Chin’s book, When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer's and Dementia [https://read.macmillan.com/lp/when-memory-fades-9781250400857/].

Addressing Cochrane’s Review on Amyloid-Targeting Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease

Amyloid-targeting monoclonal antibody treatments have ushered in a new era of Alzheimer’s disease therapies after decades of research and clinical trials. A recent review published by Cochrane, a global, independent, non-profit network of researchers, professionals, patients and carers regarded as a gold standard for producing and promoting trusted, high-quality health information, has a different perspective on these therapies. The review found these treatments produce “little to no difference” in cognition and offer few benefits while increasing risks for adverse effects. Drs. Cynthia Carlsson, a clinical trialist, David Wolk, a clinician, and Henrik Zetterberg, a biomarker and disease biology expert, join the podcast to break down the review and their concerns, as well as highlight how this review could impact clinical care, research and public policy. Guests: Cynthia Carlsson, MD, MS, director, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, Clinical Core leader, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), Louis A. Holland, Sr., Professor in Alzheimer’s Disease, geriatrician, University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine and Public Health; David Wolk, MD, director, Penn ADRC, co-director, Penn Memory Center, co-director, Penn Institute on Aging, professor of neurology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; and Henrik Zetterberg, MD, PhD, professor of neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, visiting professor, UW–Madison and University College London, Biomarker Core co-leader, Wisconsin ADRC Show Notes Read Cochrane’s review, “Amyloid‐beta‐targeting monoclonal antibodies for people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease [https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD016297/full],” on the Cochrane Library website. Learn more about Dr. Carlsson [https://adrc.wisc.edu/cynthia-carlsson-md-ms] and Dr. Zetterberg [https://adrc.wisc.edu/henrik-zetterberg-md-phd] at their profiles on the Wisconsin ADRC website and about Dr. Wolk [https://pennmemorycenter.org/who-we-are/staff/david-wolk-md/] at his profile on the Penn Memory Center website. Watch and listen to Dr. Carlsson’s past episode, “A Closer Look at the Lecanemab Clinical Trials,” on our YouTube channel [https://youtu.be/ZPWgVaKKVJo] or on our website [https://dementiamatters.adrc.wisc.edu/2023/02/16/a-closer-look-at-the-lecanemab-clinical-trials/]. Listen to Dr. Wolk’s past episode, “LATE, Explained [https://dementiamatters.adrc.wisc.edu/2025/01/14/late-explained/],” on our website. Listen to Dr. Zetterberg’s past episode, “The Future of Fluid Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias [https://dementiamatters.adrc.wisc.edu/2024/11/26/the-future-of-fluid-biomarkers-for-alzheimers-disease-and-related-dementias/],” on our website. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/dementia-matters]. Email Dementia Matters [dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu]: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wisconsinadrc] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/WisconsinADRC]. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter [https://www.adrc.wisc.edu/newsletter]. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s [https://supportuw.org/giveto/dementiamatters]. All donations go toward outreach and production. Learn about Dr. Chin’s book, When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer's and Dementia [https://read.macmillan.com/lp/when-memory-fades-9781250400857/], out June 2, 2026.