In aging societies, the morbidity and mortality of dementia is increasing at a significant rate, thereby imposing burden on healthcare, economy and the society as well. Patients’ and caregivers’ quality of life and life expectancy are greatly determined by the early diagnosis and the initiation of available symptomatic treatments. Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine have been the cornerstones of Alzheimer’s therapy for approximately two decades and over the years, more and more experience has been gained on their use in non-Alzheimer’s dementias too. The aim of our work was to provide a comprehensive summary about the use of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and non-Alzheimers’s dementias.

[Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are not only the leading causes of mortality in Hungary, but also the mortality rate is excessively high compared with the average of European Union, so screening programs identifying subjects with elevated blood pressure (BP) is of utmost importance. May Measurement Month (MMM) is an annual global initiative which began in 2017 aimed at raising awareness of high BP. Hungary, through the Hungarian Society of Hypertension has joined the campaign of MMM from the beginning. The results of years 2017 and 2019 are presented in this paper. ]

[The number of people living with diabetes continues to rise. Therefore neurologists or other health care practitioners may be increasingly faced with comorbid neuropsychiatric disorders commonly presented by diabetic patients. More recently there has been an increasing research interest not only in the interactions between diabetes and the nervous system, the fine structure and functional changes of the brain, but also in the cognitive aspects of antidiabetic treatments. Patients with both types of diabetes mellitus may show signs of cognitive decline, and depression. Comorbid insomnia, anxiety, and distress may also occur. The bi-directional relationships between all these phenomena as well as their connection with diabetes can lead to further health and quality of life deterioration. Therefore it is important that all practitioners involved in the care of diabetic patients recognize the presence of comorbid neuropsychiatric disturbances early on during the healthcare process. Identifying higher risk patients and early screening could improve the prognosis of diabetes and may prevent complications.]

Objective - The increasing prevalence of dementia over the previous decades has been accompanied by numerous social and economic problems. The importance of exercise in the prevention of dementia coupled with the impact of aspiration pneumonia on the mortality and morbidity of dementia patients cannot be overstated. This study investigates the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation combined with aerobic stretching exercises on the cognitive function, life quality, effort capacity, and level of depression in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the early stages of dementia. Methods - Sixty-nine patients with MCI diagnosis were routinely monitored, and six were excluded because they did not attend the follow-up appointments. The remaining 63 patients undertook pulmonary physiotherapy (PPT) and extremity exercises for six months. The mini-mental state examination (MMSE), six-minute walk test (6MWT), Nottingham health profile (NHP), and Beck depression inventory (BDI) scores were evaluated before and after exercise. Results - PPT plus extremity exercises appeared to significantly improve the MMSE scores and increase the 6MWT (p < 0.001) by an average of 25 m. No significant improvement was observed in the BDI and NHP scores. Conclusion - PPT and aerobic exercise positively affected the cognitive ability of MCI patients and improved their walking distance. These results underscore the importance of combining medical treatment with physical rehabilitation at the onset of dementia, a disease which exerts a significantly negative impact on the economy.

[The significance of hypertension as one of the major cardiovascular risk factor is unquestionable. By achieving target blood pressure values differentiated by age and comorbidities, the risk of cardiovascular events can be significantly reduced. However, it is essential to the quality of life the patient spends the extra years of life thus gained. This is a really complex issue affecting many co-disciplines, but one of the most important of these is the mental health, maintaining cognitive functions, and avoiding dementia. High blood pressure impairs the blood supply to the target organs, including the brain, by damaging the smooth muscle of the arteries and accelerating atherosclerosis, which increases the risk, the frequency and the severity of mental decline in proportion to the degree of tension. This means serious implications not only for the individual, but for the family and the society, as well. A particular contradiction is that treating blood pressure to the target range does not automatically means preserving cognitive functions and avoiding the risk of dementia. Meta-analyzes of large studies have shown differences between the individual antihypertensive groups have been confirmed in this respect as well. Inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system and calcium antagonists – mainly dihydropyridines – appear to be a priority in this regard. The authors provide an overview of the relationship between hypertension and mental abilities, with a review of the literature on the effects of antihypertensive therapy, with particular reference to the effects on cognitive function and dementia. ]