Anthea Rowan

1 week ago | scmp.com | Anthea Rowan

This is the 63rd instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. My grandmother, who died in her eighties, struggled with a number of significant handicaps. She had macular degeneration – an eye disease – and was almost totally blind at the end of her life; she could not read or watch television. Her mobility was compromised as a result of bad knees, one of which resulted from poor knee surgery.

1 week ago | sciencefocus.com | Anthea Rowan

I don’t have to think very hard to remember when my mother’s memory revealed the first tiniest clues that all was not well. We were on the phone. I recounted a story of my best friend, Caroline. “Who’s Caroline?” she asked. I had known Caroline since I was very young; she was a significant part of my life. And Mum’s. I told myself my mother’s lapse was on account of the dislocation that comes with a conversation that isn’t face-to-face. That my reference to Caroline was out of context.

3 weeks ago | scmp.com | Anthea Rowan

Have you ever had a cold sore? They are common, uncomfortable and can be hard to get rid of. But there is new hope on the horizon. Research has discovered that a protein in the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) – a virus that causes both cold sores and a small proportion of genital herpes, and which can lie dormant for extended periods – is required to activate the immune system and reawaken the virus when it is dormant.

3 weeks ago | scmp.com | Anthea Rowan

This is the 62nd instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope. What you eat affects your brain. Food affects cardiovascular health, blood sugar levels and blood pressure. All of these can influence brain health since the gut is connected to the brain via the gut-brain axis.

1 month ago | scmp.com | Anthea Rowan

Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke was only 24 when she suffered a stroke following a workout. Known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO fantasy series, Clarke felt a severe headache, began vomiting and then collapsed in the bathroom of her gym. At the time, she was the definition of youthful fitness and certainly not the sort of person you would expect to have a stroke.