HealthDay (7/15, Mozes) reports that research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2014 suggests that high blood pressure “might help to stave off mental decline among the extreme elderly.”

MedPage Today (7/15, Gever) reports, “With mean follow-up 2.8 years (range up to 10 years), the age- and education-adjusted relative risk of incident dementia in 625 prospectively followed individuals was 0.45 (P<0.01) for those with onset of hypertension in their 90s, compared with similarly aged participants remaining hypertension-free.” Related Links:

— “High Blood Pressure May Protect the Very Old From Dementia,” Alan Mozes, HealthDay, July 14, 2014.

FOX News Latino (7/11, del Castillo) reported that according to the American Psychiatric Association, “lack of access to mental health services is one of the most serious health problems in the Hispanic community.” Previous research “released by the APA in 2001 reported that as few as one in 11 Hispanics with mental health issues seek professional care.” Annelle Primm, MD, deputy medical director and director of the APA’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity, tied the lack of access partly to “a lack of insurance.”

Related Links:

— “Mental Illness An Epidemic Among U.S. Latinos: Only 1 In 11 Seek Treatment,” Nicole del Castillo, Fox News Latino, July 11, 2014.

The NPR (7/12, Aschwanden) “Shots” blog reported, “In 2012, 11.5 million people in the US seriously considered suicide, 4.8 million made a suicide plan, and 2.5 million made a suicide attempt.” While most “people who survive a suicidal crisis don’t go on to kill themselves…they are isolated by a culture of silence, according to DeQuincy Lezine, 37, a clinical psychologist, and suicide attempt survivor” who “helped craft a plan issued Monday by the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention that calls for evidence-based support and treatment for people who have had (or are having) suicidal thoughts.” Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that suicide ranks among the top 10 causes of death in the US.

Related Links:

— “Suicide Attempt Survivors Seek A Voice In Helping Others At Risk,” Christie Aschwanden, National Public Radio, July 11, 2014.

The AP (7/14, Geller) reports that the Cook County, IL “jail and many of its 3,300 counterparts across the country have become treatment centers of last resort for people with serious mental illnesses, most arrested for non-violent crimes.” Now that “the number of those with serious mental illnesses surpasses 20 percent in some jails,” prison officials struggle with “the task of screening for mental illness, managing medications, providing care and ensuring inmate safety.”

Related Links:

— “US JAILS STRUGGLE WITH ROLE AS MAKESHIFT ASYLUMS,” Adam Geller, Associated Press, July 14, 2014.

NPR (7/11, Hamilton) reports in its “Shots” blog results of a survey suggest that “watching, reading or listening to the news,” especially if it’s disturbing, may contribute to stress. The survey of more than 2,500 people in the US “found that about 1 in 4 said they had experienced a ‘great deal’ of stress in the previous month.”

The participants noted “that one of the biggest contributors to their day-to-day stress was” exposure to the certain kinds of news. The study was conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Related Links:

— “Bingeing On Bad News Can Fuel Daily Stress,” Jon Hamilton, National Public Radio, July 10, 2014.