Photo by Thirdman via Pexels
Are hypertension and blood pressure changes in early adulthood associated with late-life brain health? According to a new study from UC Davis, the answer is yes, especially for men.
Many younger adults may pay little attention to issues like blood pressure, but it’s a good opportunity for journalists to remind their audience that heart health matters at every age.
Photo: Mike Krzeszak via Flickr
Losing some hearing or eyesight is fairly common as we age. However, a new study says losing function in both senses may increase risk of dementia and cognitive decline down the road.
Journalists may want to consider looking at any local programs that address vision and hearing loss in older adults and how, or if, these programs address challenges of cognitive decline or multiple sensory impairments. Continue reading
Photo: Brian Walker via Flickr
Strong evidence on dementia care interventions is lacking, and what exists does not reflect the experiences of diverse populations, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Most existing community-based programs don’t offer clear proof they work to address the care and services needed by those with the disease or their caregivers, the report found.
Members of the ad hoc NASEM committee assessed the current body of evidence on care interventions for those living with dementia and their caregivers to help guide decision-making about which interventions should be broadly disseminated and implemented and to model for future actions and research. A systematic review found only two programs had any evidence of benefit, and those were only supported by low-strength evidence: Collaborative Care models, which integrate medical and psychosocial care, and Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health (REACH) II, an intervention aimed at supporting family caregivers. Continue reading
Photo: Dan Lingard via Flickr
Millions of people around the world take acid suppressants called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for conditions like heartburn, gastritis and stomach ulcers. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now report that long-term use of these drugs could increase the risk of developing dementia. Continue reading
Photo: Eric Ward via Flickr
How do you wrap your arms around a topic as big as dementia to create a five-part series that’s cohesive, coherent, and focuses on what matters to your audience? That was the challenge for AHCJ member Katherine Foley, health and science reporter for Quartz.
In this new How I Did It piece, Foley explains how she developed ideas for a weekly series for the publication’s paid subscribers. She relied on her prior reporting about neurodegenerative diseases (a strong area of interest for her), to sketch out a concept. Since Quartz is a business publication, it wasn’t hard to determine that costs and data had to play an important role in the series. Continue reading
