The opportunity to help people in their communities was a compelling factor in the decision of John Nixon, MD, to enroll at Rush Medical College. During his first year of medical school, he was one of the student volunteers who drove more than two dozen outreach efforts in the Rush Community Service Initiatives Program (RCSIP).

A healthier heart could prevent Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The study, published online Feb. 19 in Circulation, associates heart function with the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Participants with decreased heart function, measured by cardiac index, were two to three times more likely to develop significant memory loss over the follow-up period.

Autopsies have revealed that some individuals develop the cellular changes indicative of Alzheimer’s disease without ever showing clinical symptoms in their lifetime. Vanderbilt University Medical Center memory researchers have discovered a potential genetic variant in these asymptomatic individuals that may make brains more resilient against Alzheimer’s.

Thomas Kent has never met a stranger. He is quick to share tales about his time as a music manager in Las Vegas or to pull out one of his favorite one-liners. He says he’s the only Quaker minister in town with a wife behind the pulpit to strike a “bada-bing” after each joke. What can be difficult about Kent is getting him to talk about his health. “I’ve seen a lot and I’ve been lucky. For example, I had my first heart attack while I was already here at Vanderbilt. It’s a good place to be if something happens,” Kent said.

A study of cognitive complaints in older adults showed that memory concerns from both the patient and an informant was most predictive of converting to Alzheimer’s disease or dementia within three years.