HealthDay (2/1, Reinberg) reports, “Declining weight from middle-age years to late life may be a sign of impending dementia,” a study published online Feb. 1 in JAMA Neurology suggests. After analyzing “data on almost 1,900 men and women 70 and older who took part in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging,” researchers found that “people who lose weight over decades appear to have an increased risk for losing memory and thinking skills – called mild cognitive impairment [MCI] – which can lead to dementia.”

Investigators concluded that “a loss of 11 pounds every 10 years may indicate as much as a 24 percent higher risk for loss of mental ability.”

According to Medical Daily (2/1, Cara), several theories may explain the link between weight loss and the risk for dementia. Perhaps weight loss is “an early warning symptom of MCI/dementia, since it’s already known that a loss of appetite is often seen in the elderly, particularly the more frail they are.”

Another theory is that “psychological conditions like depression may also increase the risk of weight loss and MCI simultaneously.” It could also be that “the same protein deposits that accumulate in the brain and can lead to dementia can also interfere with a person’s sense of smell, which in turn reduces calorie intake.”

Related Links:

— “Weight Loss Starting at Midlife Tied to Later Dementia Risk in Study,” Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, February 1, 2016.

According to Reuters (2/1, Rapaport), a study published online Feb. 1 in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that many adolescents who receive a diagnosis of depression may not be getting proper follow-up assessment, therapy or medication.

HealthDay (2/1, Preidt) reports that after tracking “the care of more than 4,600 teens with depression symptoms,” researchers found that “36 percent of the teens received no treatment at all within three months of their diagnosis, and more than two-thirds (68 percent) did not have any follow-up assessment.” In addition, “40 percent of those teens who were prescribed antidepressants did not undergo documented follow-up care, the researchers reported.”

Related Links:

— “Many depressed teens don’t get needed treatment,” Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, February 1, 2016.

The New York Times (2/1, A12, Carey, Subscription Publication) reported, “A new approach to treating early schizophrenia, which includes family counseling, results in improvements in quality of life [QoL] that make it worth the added expense,” a study published online Jan. 31 in Schizophrenia Bulletin suggests. The study “included 183 people who received typical care and 223 who got…more comprehensive services.” The study, a cost analysis based on the National Institute of Mental Health’s RAISE (Recovery After Initial Schizophrenia Episode) trial data, “was an important test of the new care program’s value.”

The study concluded that “coordinated specialty care for young people with first-episode psychosis may be more cost-effective than typical community care,” Psychiatric News (2/2) reports. In fact, “when converted to monetized Quality Adjusted Life Years…benefits exceeded costs, especially at future generic drug prices.”

Related Links:

— “New Plan to Treat Schizophrenia Is Worth Added Cost, Study Says,” Benedict Carey, New York Times, February 1, 2016.

The Washington Post (1/31, Nutt) “Health & Science” blog reported that loneliness “is increasingly seen today as a serious public health hazard.” Researchers are finding that “social isolation changes the human genome in profound, long-lasting ways,” resulting in damage “comparable to the injuries to health from smoking and, even worse, from diabetes and obesity.”

Related Links:

— “Loneliness grows from individual ache to public health hazard,” Amy Ellis Nutt, Washington Post, January 31, 2016.

The Military Times (1/29, Kime) reported that in a notice to be published today in the Federal Register, “the Defense Department will propose several changes to mental health services to better align the military health program with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” The Pentagon is proposing to eliminate “limits on inpatient services” and to allow “Tricare to cover hormone therapy for transgender individuals.”

Related Links:

— “Gender dysphoria treatment included in proposed mental health services overhaul,” Patricia Kime, Military Times, February 1, 2016.