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Can vitamin D lower dementia risk? Quite possibly, a team of British and Canadian researchers report. In their study, investigators spent roughly a decade tracking more than 12,000 older people. None had dementia at the start of the study period. In the end, the team determined that those who had been taking vitamin D supplements during that time appeared to face a 40% lower risk for dementia, compared with those who had never taken the supplements. Even so, Claire Sexton, senior director of scientific programs and outreach at the Alzheimer’s Association, cautioned that much more research is needed to better understand a possible link between vitamin D and dementia risk. For one thing, she noted that the study team did not track how much vitamin D supplementation any of the participants took, nor how long they had been taking them. Similarly, overall patient vitamin D levels were never assessed — either at the study launch or conclusion. In addition, the study was observational, Sexton added, meaning at no point were patients told to take, or not to take, vitamin D. That means the study cannot prove that vitamin D actually causes dementia risk to fall. Still, study author Dr. Zahinoor Ismail said that fresh evidence of vitamin D’s power against dementia has “great biological plausibility.” For example, prior research indicates that people with genetic mutations… read on > read on >

A new study is enough to take your breath way: Nearly no place on Earth is free of air pollution, it found. The study “provides a deep understanding of the current state of outdoor air pollution and its impacts on human health. With this information, policymakers, public health officials and researchers can better assess the short-term and long-term health effects of air pollution and develop air pollution mitigation strategies,” said study co-author Yuming Guo, from the Monash University School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in Melbourne, Australia. He spoke in a university news release. The researchers found that only 0.001% of the global population is exposed to World Health Organization-established safe levels of ambient fine particulate matter known as PM2.5. Only 0.18% of the global land area had safe levels of pollution, the study found. Fine particle pollution (PM2.5) is the main cause of smog in parts of the United States. It can be inhaled deep in the lungs, raising the risk of lung and heart disease. Daily pollution levels have fallen in Europe and North America over two decades, but they increased in southern Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and the Caribbean, with more than 70% of days globally exceeding safe levels. Among the other results, the study found that in southern Asia and eastern Asia, more than 90% of days had… read on > read on >

Young adults in the United States carry an increasing burden of heart health risk factors, making it more likely they’ll suffer a heart attack and stroke as they age, a new study warns. More adults ages 20 to 44 are obese and diabetic than a decade ago, and they are more likely to have poorly controlled blood pressure, according to the study published March 5 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers also found that young Black and Hispanic adults are more likely to suffer from these risk factors than white young adults. “We’re witnessing a smoldering public health crisis,” said senior researcher Dr. Rishi Wadhera, section head of health policy and equity at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Boston. “The onset of these risk factors earlier in life is associated with a higher lifetime risk of heart disease and potentially life-threatening cardiovascular conditions, like a heart attack or stroke,” Wadhera continued. “Our finding that the burden of many cardiovascular risk factors is rising in young adults could have major public health implications over the long-term, especially as the U.S. population ages.” These health problems in people so young are likely contributing to declining life expectancy in the United States, said Norrina Allen, director of the Institute for Public Health and Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School… read on > read on >

Swapping that steak for a fish filet or a veggie burger is not only good for your health, but the planet’s, too, a new study suggests. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, ranked various diets based on two measures: nutritional quality and “carbon footprint.” And overall, non-meat diets came out on top, on both counts. Researchers found that on average, vegan and vegetarian diets had the smallest carbon footprint — which refers to the amount of greenhouse gases that are churned into the atmosphere in order to produce the foods the diets comprise. Meanwhile, the pescatarian diet — which includes seafood, but no meat — scored highest in nutritional quality, and was more planet-friendly than diets containing meat. On the opposite end of the spectrum were two diets currently in vogue: the high-fat, low-carbohydrate keto diet; and the paleo diet, which centers on foods its proponents say were consumed in prehistoric times — mainly meat, fish, eggs, nuts and vegetables. Those two meat-heavy eating plans, the study found, carried the biggest carbon footprints and lowest dietary quality. (The keto diet may also be tough on the heart, raising levels of “bad” cholesterol and the risk of artery blockages, according to new research presented at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology). Experts said the findings may give consumers some food… read on > read on >

You toss, you turn, you can’t fall asleep. Certainly, there are sleep medications that can be prescribed by a doctor. And with some investment of time, cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia is considered to be an effective option. Yet, there are also a lot of healthy sleep habits and natural sleep aids that some experts believe can make a difference, too. With more than 60 million Americans suffering from poor sleep quality, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, it seems like these easily accessible options could be worth a try when searching for the best natural sleep aid. Practice good sleep hygiene About 20% of Americans take sleep medication, according to recent research from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. Those include a long list of drugs, such as Sonata, Lunesta and Ambien. But Dr. Sanjeev Kothare, a sleep expert and pediatric neurologist at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in Queens, N.Y., suggests starting with some basics to make sleep a little easier. ‘There are certain natural things that you can take and there are certain things that you can do,” Kothare said. Start with healthy sleep hours, Kothare recommends. For adults, that means going to bed at roughly 10 to 11 p.m. and waking up at 7 a.m., to get a good seven to eight hours of sleep. Teenagers need eight or nine hours a night.… read on > read on >

There is little that is harder than watching a loved one struggle with depression. So what can you do? More than you might think, experts say. First, depression is a mood disorder that can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, socioeconomic status or gender. Symptoms ranging from mild to severe and it impacts the way you feel, think and behave, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Here are a few simple facts about depression, also known as major depressive disorder. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): It’s common. An estimated 21 million adults have experienced major depression at least once. It’s one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States. It’s serious. Major depression leads to impairment that impacts your ability to function on a day-to-day basis. Simple activities like eating, sleeping, working and concentrating can become almost impossible. It can lead to feelings of guilt and worthlessness and suicidal thoughts or attempts. It’s treatable. Depression is treated with psychotherapy and/or medication. Experts at NIMH remind patients that treatment is a process. It can take time to find a regimen that’s effective. When someone you care about is experiencing symptoms of depression, it can be hard to know what to do, what to say, or how to help. “The most important thing we can offer is ourselves, our… read on > read on >

Have you ever been in a social situation where you felt nervous? Maybe starting a new job caused you to sweat a lot on your first day. Or going to a party where you didn’t know anyone gave you a nervous stomach. These are normal feelings that most people experience at different times in their lives. But social anxiety is a much different experience. It can be debilitating and interfere with simple, day-to-day activities like going to work, attending social gatherings or even going to the store. What is social anxiety? Experts from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America describe social anxiety as “intense anxiety or fear of being judged, negatively evaluated or rejected in a social or performance situation.” Fear of appearing awkward or dumb intensifies anxious feelings and often leads to avoiding the social situation altogether. Since avoidance is a common response, social anxiety can be a life-limiting disorder if left untreated. The avoidance turns into missed opportunities, experiences or relationships, which leads to low achievement in school and work, poor social skills, low self-esteem, social isolation, depression and even suicidal thoughts or attempts. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Fifteen million American adults have social anxiety disorder, according to Mental Health America. Social anxiety symptoms Mayo Clinic says the criteria for diagnosing social anxiety disorder include: Persistent, intense fear or… read on > read on >

Alarmed by the increasing spread of medical misinformation, 50 U.S. medical and science organizations have announced the formation of a new group that aims to debunk fake health news. Called the Coalition for Trust in Health & Science, the group brings together reputable associations representing American academics, researchers, scientists, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, drug and insurance companies, consumer advocates, public health professionals and even medical ethicists. A small sampling of the groups that have currently signed on includes the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American College of Physicians, the American College of Preventive Medicine, the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. The coalition plans to take direct aim at what it is calling a “health infodemic.” “I’ll start in saying that we in health care are very aware that American society — the contemporary society that we live in — is characterized to a significant degree by a distrust in almost all of institutions of our society, and by uncertainty as to the truthfulness or accuracy of the information that is being presented to them,” noted Dr. Reed Tuckson, chair and co-founder of the Black Coalition Against COVID (BCAC) and a core convening committee member of the newly formed coalition. He argues that this predisposition to distrust is compounded by the… read on > read on >

It won’t come as a surprise to those who love their furry friends, but a new poll finds many Americans saying their pets offer them mental health benefits and are a part of the family. Roughly 86% of cat and dog owners said their pets had a positive impact on their well-being, the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Healthy Minds Monthly Poll found. Owners of fish, birds and turtles were less likely to say so, at 62%. Still, about 88% of all pet owners said their animals were part of their family. “People recognize that there is something special about bonds between humans and their pets,” said APA President Dr. Rebecca Brendel. “The animals we bring into our lives and our families play many roles, from nonjudgmental companions that we love to key partners in reducing our stress and anxiety,” she said in an APA news release. “Americans clearly recognize that our relationships with our pets can have noticeable benefits for our overall mental health.” About 50% of 2,200 people surveyed in February said they had dogs, 35% had cats, 3% had a variety of other pets and 31% had no pets. But there were some downsides to being so attached to their pets. Among the concerns pets brought their owners were worries about the pets aging or dying, at 71%, their pets’ health conditions, at… read on > read on >

Men suffering from an enlarged prostate can receive long-term relief from a minimally invasive procedure that partially blocks blood flow to the gland, new research reports. The procedure, called prostate artery embolization (PAE), dramatically improved urinary symptoms in patients without having any effect on erectile function, said senior researcher Dr. Shivank Bhatia, chair of interventional radiology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. PAE also improved the overall health of the prostate, Bhatia added. “Medical imaging before and after the procedure showed a 32% reduction in size of the prostate gland at 12 months following the procedure,” Bhatia said. “Additionally, the PSA [prostate-specific antigen] lab values showed a decrease of 42% at 12 months post-PAE,” he added. PSA levels are used to detect prostate cancer and signs of poor prostate health. Results from 1,000 men who underwent embolization show that their relief was both significant and sustained, lasting through up to six years of follow-up, Bhatia said. Bhatia will present these results Monday at a meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology, in Phoenix. Findings presented at medical meetings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. As many as 18 million U.S. men suffer from enlarged prostates, including more than 50% of men older than 60, researchers said in background notes. The prostate gland naturally enlarges with age, putting pressure on… read on > read on >