A Prescription for Brain Health

As the caregiver for a person with corticobasal degeneration, I was fascinated by Sanjay Gupta's lifestyle suggestions (“Dr. Sanjay Gupta Gives Advice on How to Improve Brain Health,” February/March 2021). Had I known about his ideas six years ago, my life might be different today. —Rosalind Heid, Baltimore, MD

I wanted to let you know how much I look forward to each issue. I particularly enjoyed the new one with Dr. Gupta, whom I admire and respect. I also wanted to report that I received my first vaccination shot. As an 80-year-old, relatively healthy male, I find many helpful articles in your magazine.  —David Calderwood, Cheyenne, WY

After 60 years of varied health care endeavors, as well as personal experience with bipolar disease and dementia, I know and appreciate the value of hope. But misleading or hollow hope can be more devastating than none at all. Dr. Sanjay Gupta's statement about making great progress in understanding why people develop diseases like dementia is not accurate. His advice about brain health is mainly speculative, and his recommendations are not all scientifically proven. No medications can delay, prevent, or treat dementia. We can only try to modify troublesome behaviors of the disease. —Leonard Kreisler, MD, Las Vegas, NV

THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for your letter about our cover story on Dr. Sanjay Gupta. As a medical correspondent for CNN, Dr. Gupta aims to educate the public about brain health and advances in neurologic research. The advice he shared in our story about exercise, stress, sleep, and socialization has been well documented in the scientific literature to improve heart health and by extension brain health. While there is more to learn about how dementia develops and how to manage and treat it, researchers continue to expand our understanding. 

Vaccine Effectiveness

In the editor's letter (“A Shot of Hope,” February/March 2021), Dr. Orly Avitzur wrote, “Clinical studies show the two-dose vaccines are nearly 95 percent effective.” The vaccines were first used on December 14, 2020. What clinical study could have been started and completed before this issue was published? Moderna and Pfizer say the completion dates for their clinical trials are October 27, 2022, and January 31, 2023, respectively, so what studies are you citing? Since the initial vaccine development process, there has not been enough time to collect even short-term reliable efficacy data. How can anyone say the vaccine is 95 percent reliable when nobody knows anything about long-term effects of any drug the first month it is available to the public? Suggesting that 95 percent of inoculated people so far haven't gotten COVID-19 in the past 30 days might be possible, but there's no completed study that proves anything else. —Mary Fly, Townsend, GA

THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for allowing us to clarify the statistics about the COVID-19 vaccines. Their efficacy refers to clinical trials conducted on tens of thousands of people by Moderna and Pfizer since July 2020. Trial participants who received these vaccines had a 95 percent lower risk of getting COVID-19 than people in the control group who were not vaccinated. The vaccines' effectiveness refers to how well they work in the real world. New data from a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in February offers insight into their effectiveness. An analysis of 600,000 people who received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine in Israel found that the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 infection decreased by 94 percent a week after the second dose.

Going Mobile

The excellent article on children's mobility devices came at the right moment (“Mobility Devices May Boost Children's Brain Health,” February/March 2021). As the owner of a physical therapy clinic that works with children ages 0 to 2 and a half, I have witnessed the sudden increase in language and social development that comes with independent mobility. I had been wondering how I could provide mobility opportunities for a 9-month-old and a 23-month-old in my care. Your article was a godsend. —Jacqueline Mast, Portland, ME

Zen Zone

I agree wholeheartedly with Kevin Cook's sentiments in the Speak Up essay (“Finding Zen,” February/March 2021)! My grandmother, mother, and four of my six siblings have inherited spinocerebellar ataxia 3. I was diagnosed more than 10 years ago. I'm now 64, and symptoms such as imbalance, trouble walking, double vision, and incoordination are taking their toll on me. I was an avid athlete through college and was still running and riding a bicycle a few years ago. I can no longer do those things, but I have also found my “Zen.” I now ride a recumbent tricycle, meditate most days, and take a short walk almost daily with the help of trekking poles. A quote that keeps me going, along with faith, family, and friends, is “Happiness lies not in finding what is missing, but in finding what is present.” —Cheri Bearman, Hoagland, IN

Diet and Parkinson's

When I saw the article on Parkinson's nutrition (“How a Plant-Based Diet May Lower Risk of Parkinson's Disease,” February/March 2021), I was excited to read it. However, I was disappointed that it was about lowering the risk of getting Parkinson's disease, rather than how you should eat once you've been diagnosed with the condition. As someone with the disease, I wish the article had dealt with nutrition for people like me. Please include more articles on this topic in the future. —Ken Schiff, Medford, OR

Sharing the Love

I cannot tell you how much help and anxiety relief your magazine has given me and my friends. I am so thankful that a friend's son introduced me to Brain & Life. I have Parkinson's disease, my granddaughter has autism, my grandson has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and a close friend has dementia. I have ordered books from the American Academy of Neurology, too. So much applicable information in such a small package. And the fact that you disseminate it all for free is truly miraculous.  —Karan Kipp, Nottingham, MD

I look forward to receiving Brain & Life. I sustained a traumatic brain injury and can relate to many of your articles. —Kent Williamson, Longview, TX

Thank you for such a wonderful magazine that covers so many neurologic disorders. I've had four concussions in five years and experience migraine. The concussions happened after I passed out from low blood pressure and hit my head. I'm the primary caregiver for my father, who has Alzheimer's disease. One of my sisters also has Alzheimer's. I often reread the articles in Brain & Life to remember all the insightful and helpful information in them. Please keep the stories coming. I look forward to reading them and continuing to learn from them. —Vicki Scheuren, Sheboygan, WI

I'd like you to know just how much I love Brain & Life magazine. It's packed full of great articles and information about neurologic issues that affect our lives every day. My brother and son have both sustained traumatic brain injuries, and we've found ways to manage. Part of that is creating art and raising awareness. Another is subscribing to your magazine, which is such a treasure.  —Kim Lando-Smith, Opelousas, LA

Broaden the Scope

I have noticed a semi-permanent focus on Parkinson’s disease. While I understand how complicated life is with this condition—my sister-in-law has it—I can't help but wonder when I might see in-depth information on dysautonomia and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. I’ve had dysautonomia for more than a decade and haven’t seen much new information since then. Many others with this condition and its variants are often thought to be lazy or hypochondriacs. This invisible disorder steals everything from us, even our loved ones who see no public service announcements, no commercials for medications or treatment options, and little information in your publication. Additionally, some physicians, particularly those with little experience or understanding of symptoms, still believe it isn’t real. Despite having all the symptoms, I was undiagnosed for 20 years and felt shamed and ridiculed by many health care personnel who lacked basic information about these disorders. Please be more inclusive of all neurological conditions, not just the ones that have outward signs and symptoms.  —Margaret Hays, Cummington, MA

THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for your feedback and suggestion. We have written about dysautonomia in previous issues and have another story on the topic scheduled for this year.

Vaccine Credit

I was surprised that Dr. Orly Avitzur did not mention Donald Trump in her editor’s letter (“Shot of Hope,” February/March 2021). She mentioned other public figures getting vaccinated, including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, but did not recognize Trump. It is thanks to the former president that we have the vaccine. Even if you don’t subscribe to his policies, you should be fair and give him the kudos he deserves for making the vaccine available to the political figures you noted. —Jenny K Hammond, Cicero, NY