Healio (9/18, Gramigna) reported, “Alcohol-induced loss of consciousness appeared associated with a subsequent increase in dementia risk,” investigators concluded after analyzing “data of 131,415 participants in seven cohort studies conducted in the U.K., France, Sweden and Finland.” Included in the data were people “aged 18 to 77 years, were free of diagnosed dementia and reported alcohol consumption at baseline.” The findings of the “multicohort study” were published online in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “People who lose consciousness due to alcohol at greater risk for dementia “Joe Gramigna, Healio, September 18, 2020

Medscape (9/17, Yasgur, Subscription Publication) reports, “Vitamin B1 deficiency may play a role in the development of alcohol-related dementia,” investigators concluded after exploring in a medical literature review “the hypothesis that the accumulation of iron in the brain is caused by a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier…attributable to thiamine depletion induced by alcohol consumption.” The findings were published online Aug. 18 in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

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— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (9/17, Preidt) reports, “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may significantly increase the risk of dementia later in life,” investigators concluded after analyzing data from “13 studies from four continents that included a total of nearly 1.7 million people.” The analysis revealed that “people with a history of PTSD were up to two times more likely to develop dementia than those who never had PTSD.” The findings of the systematic review and meta-analysis were published online Sept. 16 in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “PTSD May Be Tied to Greater Dementia Risk “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, September 17, 2020

As part of its “#AskReuters Twitter chat series,” Reuters (9/17, Lockwood) “gathered a group of experts to share their tips on coping with isolation, caregiving and more” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the experts quoted was Howard Liu, MD, MBA, “chair of University of Nebraska Medical Center’s department of psychiatry and spokesperson for the American Psychiatric Association,” who said, “Role modeling is so important for kids, and that includes role modeling vulnerability as parents.” Dr. Liu advised parents, “When we are grieving, don’t hide. It’s OK for kids to see your tears. When we are down, it’s OK to let them know you are seeing a therapist or psychiatrist.”

Related Links:

— “Tips for managing mental health during COVID-19 “Beatrix Lockwood, Reuters, September 17, 2020

Healthcare Finance News (9/16, Lagasse) reports that “in 2020, virtual care is expected to account for more than 20% of all medical visits in the U.S., which in turn is projected to drive $29 billion in total healthcare services,” according to Doximity’s 2020 State of Telemedicine Report. The report “also found that up to $106 billion of current U.S. healthcare spend could be virtualized by 2023.”

Related Links:

— “Telehealth is expected to drive $29 billion in healthcare services in 2020 “Jeff Lagasse,Healthcare Finance News, September 16, 2020

Pulmonology Advisor (9/16, May) reports a review study suggests that “long-acting naltrexone is a promising approach for opioid use disorder (OUD), but its use has clinical implications in critically ill patients who are receiving sedation and analgesia.” The review study was published in Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Related Links:

— “Managing Sedation, Analgesia in Critically Ill Patients Receiving Naltrexone “Brandon May, Pulmonology Advisor, September 16, 2020

Psychiatric News (9/16) reports, “Physicians experience higher rates of psychological distress and suicidal ideation than the general population, but the experience of age may act as a buffer for older physicians,” investigators concluded in a 10,038-physician study that also revealed that “work-life conflict declined as physicians grew older.” The findings were published online Sept. 12 in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Older Physicians Experience Less Work-Related Stress, Psychological Distress Than Younger Colleagues, Psychiatric News, September 16, 2020

Healio (9/15, Gramigna) reports, “Increasing death rates related to drug poisonings, suicide and alcohol varied significantly based on demographics and geography,” investigators concluded after analyzing “national vital statistics data of U.S. residents aged 20 to 64 years from January 2000 to December 2017.” For example, the study team “observed a significant cluster of drug poisoning deaths among the Northeast through Appalachia; however, rates of alcohol-induced and suicide deaths appeared higher in the West,” whereas “for rural areas, only suicide death rates were highest.” The findings of the “serial cross-sectional study” were published online in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “‘Deaths of despair’ have increased along demographic, geographic lines “Joe Gramigna, Healio, September 15, 2020

MedPage Today (9/15, Hlavinka) reports researchers analyzed EHRs and found that people with substance use disorders, especially opioid use disorder, are at higher risk for COVID-19. The findings were published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Healio (9/15, Gramigna) reports, “Suicide rates appeared to increase among United States military service members after transition to civilian life,” investigators concluded after conducting “a retrospective population-based cohort study in which they collected military service and demographic data of 1,868,970 service members who were included in the VA/Department of Defense Identity Repository.” In particular, the study team focused on people “who served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps or Navy after Sept. 11, 2001, and who separated from active status between January 2010 and December 2017.” The findings were published online in JAMA Network Open.

Psychiatric News (9/15) reports, “Suicide rates among veterans peaked six to 12 months after they left the military, and those at higher risk included veterans who were younger, were male, had a shorter length of service, were not married, or were separated from the Marine Corps or Army,” the study revealed.

Related Links:

— “Military service member suicide rates increase after separation and vary by demographics “Joe Gramigna, Healio, September 15, 2020