HealthDay (3/5, Salamon) reports that research scheduled for presentation March 4 at the American Heart Association’s meeting suggests that “people who are fit in their 40s seem to retain more brain volume two decades later and also perform better on decision-making tests.” In fact, “the analysis of more than 1,200 participants who were tracked for more than 20 years showed that those with lower fitness levels at midlife had smaller brain volumes in their 60s – a sign of accelerated brain aging.” Researchers arrived at this conclusion after following 1,270 people who “underwent exercise treadmill testing in the 1970s,” then underwent cognitive performance testing and MRI brain scans when in their 60s.

Related Links:

— “Fit Body at 40 May Keep Brain Bright at 60,” Maureen Salamon, HealthDay, March 4, 2015.

Modern Healthcare (3/5, Rice, Subscription Publication) reports that “internists, family medicine physicians, psychiatrists and neurologists wrote more than 80% of the prescriptions for antipsychotics for older adults with dementia in 2012, according to a report calling for expanded federal efforts to curb use of the” medicines. The Government Accountability Office report said that even “though several initiatives have addressed overuse of the medications among nursing home patients who do not have a diagnosis of psychosis, no actions have specifically been directed to other settings.”

Related Links:

— “Antipsychotic overuse not just a problem in nursing homes,” Sabriya Rice, Modern Healthcare, March 4, 2015.

In continuing coverage, the Wall Street Journal (3/3, Silverman) “Pharmalot” blog reports that in the wake of growing concern over rampant overprescribing of antipsychotic medicines to the elderly, a Federal government report has found that it is in fact prevalent, pointing out that the HHS hasn’t taken adequate steps to tackle the problem for those living in nursing homes as well as those living elsewhere.

Providing details of the GAO report, The Hill (3/3, Ferris) reports “nearly 15 percent of older Americans enrolled in the government’s prescription healthcare program, Medicare Part D, were prescribed an antipsychotic prescription in 2012.” The report notes prescriptions “cost nearly $400 million that year alone.”

Related Links:

— “Feds do Little to Halt Antipsychotic use Among Elderly not in Nursing Homes,” Ed Silverman, Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2015.

USA Today (3/3, Szabo) reports on a study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published online March 2 in JAMA Pediatrics that found that “twenty-one percent of high school girls have been physically or sexually assaulted by someone they dated,” while “ten percent of high school boys also report having been physically or sexually assaulted by a dating partner.” The study also finds that these teens are “at much higher risk for a variety of serious problems,” including considering suicide, being bullied, getting into fights, carrying weapons, using alcohol, using marijuana or cocaine, and having sex with multiple partners. The study was based on the CDC’s Youth Behavior Risk Surveillance System of questionnaires of over 13,000 high school students.

Related Links:

— “Study: One in five teen girls victim of dating violence,” Liz Szabo, USA Today, March 2, 2015.

Think Progress (3/2, Collins) reports that “Facebook wants to capitalize on the confessional nature of its platform” and plans to unveil a “new suicide prevention tool — which it created in partnership with a few mental health organizations — that allows users to reach out to their troubled loved ones virtually and connect them with online resources after spotting the first sign of trouble.” Lisa Horowitz, PhD, MPH, a “staff scientist and pediatric psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health, praised Facebook’s latest strategy to meet troubled youngsters on a medium they use often, saying that the suicide prevention app enables friends and family members to step in immediately.”

Related Links:

— “Will Facebook’s Efforts Actually Help Prevent Suicide?,” Sam P.K. Collins, Think Progress, March 2, 2015.