Monthly Archives: January 2023

Recommended Brain Check Tool to Help reduce your risk of dementia

Start checking and training your brain


I came across an article today suggesting a brain checker tool to help avoid dementia.

I covered this topic in another of my blogs back in 2019 when another report came out stating Scientists have long found a possible link between anticholinergic drugs and an increased risk of dementia.
A study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday suggests that the link is strongest for certain classes of anticholinergic drugs — particularly antidepressants such as paroxetine or amitriptyline, bladder antimuscarinics such as oxybutynin or tolterodine, antipsychotics such as chlorpromazine or olanzapine and antiepileptic drugs such as oxcarbazepine or carbamazepine.


Study is important because it strengthens a growing body of evidence showing that strong anticholinergic drugs have long term associations with dementia risk,” said Carol Coupland, professor of medical statistics in primary care at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom and first author of the study.


We wish it wasn’t the case but, unfortunately, memory loss is a hot topic. People have countless questions about brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
What really causes it? Read more

So the Alzheimer’s Research UK has launched a new app which gives people of all ages tips on how to keep their brains active and to reduce the risk of dementia.

The brain checker tool encourages people to do more to look after their brains, and offers suggestions to stay sharp.

Dementia is the term used to describe a set of symptoms that over time can affect memory, problem-solving, language and behaviour. 

The disease is progressive, which means symptoms may be mild or even unnoticeable at first, but they get worse over time. There are many types of dementia but Alzheimer’s disease is the most common. The next most common is vascular dementia

Well excuse me.. In March 2015, researchers published a prospective cohort study in JAMA Internal Medicine called “Cumulative Use of Strong Anticholinergics and Incident Dementia.”

The University of Washington and Seattle healthcare system, Group Health, conducted the long-term study which tracked 3,434 men and women who were aged 65 and up, and had no dementia when the study began.

The team accessed every participant’s history of drug use for the previous decade, including both over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Over a 7-year timeline, they followed up with all the participants every two years, during which 797 participants developed dementia (637 of whom developed Alzheimer’s disease).

As researchers looked back on what those 797 individuals took, anticholinergic drugs became the main suspect. The most common anticholinergics participants used were tricyclic antidepressants, first-generation antihistamines, and bladder antimuscarinics.

Compared to those who didn’t take anticholinergic drugs, people who did for as little as three years were 54% more likely to develop dementia.

What Are Anticholinergics?
Usually, these types of drugs are prescribed to treat problems including urinary incontinence, Parkinson’s disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD).

Anticholinergic drugs’ main purpose is to block the actions and effects of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter which causes muscles to contract, activates pain responses and regulates endocrine and REM sleep functions.

It’s just a natural fact of life – as we age, our bodies’ ability to produce acetylcholine decreases. Since the brain actually contains many acetylcholine-producing cells, as Harvard editor Beverly Merz highlights, “blocking its effects can deliver a double whammy to older people.”


Related: NHS outlines over 45 Common Medications Linked to Memory Loss!

It was suggested that if you want to keep your head clear and brain functioning as highly as possible, steering clear of anticholinergic drugs seems ideal.


However, it is important to recognize that the long-term study revealed only a small portion of drugs was interfering with cognitive function. So, please discuss with your doctor if you’re thinking of getting off any prescribed medications.

I know that we have to try all avenues to help combat what is now the fastest growing health problem around the world.

Most children are pretty advanced on their mobile phones

Almost everyone has a mobile phone, a good percentage of owners pay games on their phone. We have the highest users of technology and evening is becoming automated. So if we are already using technology how is just a checker going to help? Just asking

Retailers turning to A I technology to combat Recession

As the word recession is on the lips of so many economists and financial institutions, businesses are beginning to explore new and innovative ways to stay afloat. One of the most trending methods used in recent years is artificial intelligence chatbots. These chatbots allow customers to interact with a computer system that can mimic human conversation, providing them with real-time discounts on products and services.

There are many benefits of using AI chatbots for business owners. Some of these include:

1) Increased Sales: Chatbots can help businesses increase their sales and footfall by up to 30%. This is because they provide customers with instant access to discounts on products and services.

2) Greater Customer Engagement: Chatbots keep customers engaged by allowing them to actually talk to a computer system that mimics human conversation. This creates a more personal connection between customer and business owner, which can result in increased loyalty and repeat business.

3) Reduced Costs: The use of chatbots helps reduce costs for businesses by automating routine tasks such as customer service inquiries or sales enquiries. This allows business owners to focus on more important tasks while still providing great customer service.

4) Update offers, run promotions in real time without spending huge sums of investment in paper and ppc adverts

The Launch of the Shoppers Discount Club

After a significant period of closures during lockdown with many customers opting for online retailers to meet their needs, retailers have struggled to incentivise those shoppers back in-store.

Diane Shawe founder of the Shoppers Discount club App was inspired by the use of QR code technology in the hospitality sector, so the company set out to deliver a benefit to retailers using the same technology people had become so accustomed to. Diane was delighted to bring her background in technology and retail together to be able to offer retailers something which will truly make a difference and provide the much needed solution stores need to increase footfall again.”

The app provides bespoke, QR codes and POS material for shoppers to display intheir store fronts. These QR codes host live discounts which shoppers can redeem in-store and are fully-customisable to retailers, allowing them to discount certain products to yield increased profits.

“With the rising cost of living, everyone is looking for a deal” states Diane.

Additional benefits for retailers include the ability to personalise discounts to different target audiences, including pensioners, students, traders, local residents, or government workers, making offers as targeted and relevant as possible. Retailers also keep 100% of their profits compared to other online discount offerings.

Overall, conversational chatbots offer many benefits for businesses looking to survive the recession and thrive in today’s economy. They allow businesses to offer greater value to their customers while reducing costs, making them an essential tool for any company looking to stay competitive in today’s market .

If you would like to find out more about this new must-have app visit, https://more-customers.shoppersdiscount.club

Innovative Shoppers Discount Club App Launches To Support Struggling Retailers

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom., January 2, 2023 –  Innovative game changing Discount App has been launched Following the Covid-19 pandemic, as brick and mortar retailers have struggled to revert to the levels of footfall, and profits, they saw pre-pandemic

The Shoppers Discount Club aims to provide a solution to the decrease in customers, and profits, by providing a way for retailers to compete with online offers and discounts. The app will leverage popular QR code technology and chat bots to help struggling retailers provide live, in-person discounts.

The idea, born out of the covid-19 pandemic, is designed to support stores competing against large online retailers. After a significant period of closures during lockdown with many customers opting for online retailers to meet their needs, retailers have struggled to incentivise those shoppers back in-store. The app provides bespoke, QR codes and POS material for shoppers to display in their store fronts. These QR codes host live discounts which shoppers can redeem in-store and are fully-customisable to retailers, allowing them to discount certain products to yield increased profits.

By utilising QR code technology, Shoppers Discount Club is leveraging the tool which became popular during the pandemic, used by thousands of bars and restaurants to facilitate contactless payments. Diane Shawe founder of Shoppers Discount Club said: ‘The pandemic was a tough time for so many retailers, with less footfall on the high street and long period of closures.

Inspired by the use of QR code technology in the hospitality sector, the company set out to deliver a benefit to retailers using the same technology people had become so accustomed to. Diane was delighted to bring her background in technology and retail together to be able to offer retailers something which will truly make a difference and provide the much needed solution stores need to increase footfall again.”

As well as increasing footfall and sales for their business, retailers are also able to take advantage of the app to avoid costly advertising spend on point of sale merchandising, in store displays or flyers to promote their offers. By signing up to the app, users will get a uniquely designed A3 poster to display in their window, which features their QR code. Offers behind the QR code can be updated at any time to stay relevant and discount different products, without the need to update the advertising material, ultimately saving them on advertising spend.

Not only can retailers utilise the app to make fully customisable offers, users can also benefit from chat bot technology. Instant responses from chat bots are a much quicker, less resource intensive way for retailers to respond to customer enquiries and reduce long wait times for responses via telephone, social media or email. The technology will also free up retailers’ time to focus on

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other crucial tasks and increase overall efficiency of their business.

Additional benefits for retailers include the ability to personalise discounts to different target audiences including pensioners, students, traders, local residents or government workers, making offers as targeted and relevant as possible. Retailers also keep 100% of their profits, compared to other online discount offerings.

Annual subscriptions start from just £120. To find out more about this service contact the Shoppers Discount Club by emailing order@shoppersdiscount.club or to sign up, visit https://shoppersdiscount.club