HealthDay (12/12, Thompson ) reports a study suggests that “seniors who want to stay sharp as they age should hit the treadmill, elliptical or exercise bike as often as possible.” The new research “shows that better cardio fitness in older age is linked to healthier brain aging.” That kind “of fitness preserves brain health as people age even if they carry genetic risk factors that make them vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease, researchers reported.” The findings were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Staying Fit Can Keep Seniors’ Brains Sharp,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, December 12, 2024

HealthDay (12/11, Maher) reports “ableism, or prejudice against people with disabilities, is an established problem in general healthcare,” but “now, a small study shows those same issues persist in mental healthcare.” In some cases, “the barriers to care are physical, such as inaccessible entrances or a lack of reliable transit.” In other instances, “the hurdles are informational, such as hard-to-use online patient portals.” The findings were published in SSM – Qualitative Research in Health.

Related Links:

— “‘Ableism’ Prevents Many Americans From Getting Mental Health Care,” Denise Maher, HealthDay, December 11, 2024

CBS News (12/11, Breen) says, “Drug overdose deaths in the United States fell 17% between July 2023 and July 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a new report released Wednesday.” It marks “the largest decrease in deaths ever seen in the United States, White House Domestic Policy Council Advisor Neera Tanden said Wednesday.”

Related Links:

— “Overdose deaths in the U.S. fell 17% in 1-year period, CDC says,” Kerry Breen, CBS News, December 11, 2024

HCPlive (12/11, Smith ) reports, “Individuals with alcohol-associated cirrhosis who have anxiety/depression and are younger are more likely to implement alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment, new findings suggest.” The research also suggests “that implementing targeted outreach and the integration of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and AUD may be necessary.” The findings were published in Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research.

Related Links:

— “Study Highlights Traits of Patients with Alcohol-Associated Cirrhosis Seeking Treatment,” Tim Smith, HCPlive, December 11, 2024

NBC News (12/10, Lovelace ) reports a US District Court judge on Monday “blocked a Biden administration rule that allowed DACA recipients to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.” The judge “sided with a group of 19 Republican state attorneys general who filed a lawsuit in August to prevent the rule from taking effect, saying it violates a law that prohibits giving public benefits to people without legal immigration status.” DACA recipients “began signing up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, at the start of open enrollment on Nov. 1.”

The AP (12/10, Hanna , Dura ) reports that the ruling will block DACA recipients in 19 states from obtaining coverage, calling the ruling “a setback to a Biden administration rule that was estimated to allow 147,000 immigrants to enroll for coverage.”

Related Links:

— “Federal judge blocks Obamacare coverage for DACA recipients in 19 states/a>,” Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, December 10, 2024

HCPlive (12/10, Derman) reports, “Patients with suicidal ideation, Black or Asian ethnicity, or older age face a greater risk of undertreatment for depression, a new study discovered.” The researchers said, “We found that 38% of patients received [United States Preventive Services Task Force]-recommended initial treatment (antidepressant, referral) at the screening visit.” The findings were published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Study Identifies Depression Treatment Gaps by Ethnicity, Age, Suicidal Risk,” Chelsie Derman, HCPLive, December 10, 2024

Cardiovascular Business (12/9, Walter ) reports, “Long-term survival after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is much less likely when patients report feeling depressed prior to treatment, according to a new analysis.” Investigators “tracked registry data from 499 patients who underwent transfemoral TAVR at a single facility from 2016 to 2020.” The researchers found that “at that three-year mark, the mortality rates were much higher for patients with depression (34%) than those without depression (22.2%).” The findings were published in JACC: Advances.

Related Links:

— “TAVR survival less likely when patients are depressed,” Michael Walter, Cardiovascular Business, December 9, 2024

HealthDay (12/9, Thompson ) reports “a new survey suggests…more than one-third of middle-aged and senior Americans feel” lonely and isolated, which “means that loneliness and isolation has mostly returned to pre-pandemic rates among older Americans, the researchers noted.” The investigators found that “some older adults still have much higher rates of social isolation than others, particularly those dealing with major physical or mental health problems.” The findings were published in JAMA.

Related Links:

— “1 in 3 Older Americans Say They Feel Lonely, Poll Finds,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, December 9, 2024

MedPage Today (12/9, Henderson ) reports, “Use of treatment for depression among adolescents was significantly lower in states that mandate caregiver consent for such treatment, according to a cross-sectional study.” Researchers found that “after adjusting for state-level prevalence estimates of adolescent major depressive episodes, those who experienced an episode in the past year in states with laws prohibiting independent adolescent consent for mental health treatment were significantly less likely to receive treatment.” The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (12/6, Thompson ) reported, “Stroke survivors have an 80% increased risk of dementia compared to people who’ve never suffered a stroke, a new study finds.” Researchers found that “about 19% of people who’d had a stroke developed dementia during an average six-year follow-up, compared with just 13% of those with no stroke.” The findings were published in Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Stroke Survivors Face Much Higher Odds for Dementia,” , HealthDay, December 6, 2024