AFP (7/11) reports that research published in Stroke suggests that “feeling cynical and hostile toward others may double the risk of having a stroke in middle-aged and older adults.” The study also indicated that “depression and high stress increased stroke risk.” The study included “more than 6,700 adults aged 45 to 84” who “answered questionnaires about their state of mind and behavior.” Participants were followed for eight to 11 years.

Related Links:

— “Hostile people more likely to suffer a stroke,” Yahoo News, July 10, 2014.

The Wall Street Journal (7/16, Esterl, Mehrotra, Bauerlein, Subscription Publication) reports that the US has fewer smokers than ever before. But, even though the rate of smoking is now less than 20 percent, some 40 million people still smoke in this country. The article goes on to explore current trends in the tobacco industry, such as concentrated growth in the menthol and e-cigarette sectors and the targeting of marketing campaigns toward the LGBT community.

Related Links:

— “America’s Smokers: Still 40 Million Strong,” Mike Esterl, Karishma Mehrotra and Valerie Bauerlein, Wall Street Journal, July 16, 2014.

Medscape (7/16, Brooks) reports that according to yearly rankings published online July 15 in US News & World Report, the “Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston is the best hospital for psychiatry” in the US. The full list of top-ranked hospitals for psychiatry can be seen at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/psychiatry .

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

NBC News (7/16, Fox) reports that despite the many warnings that “Obamacare was going to create a crush of pent-up medical demand,” a new study shows that visits to physicians actually “appear to be down slightly over 2013.” A research team at Athenahealth found that “Most specialty types did not see higher new patient visit rates for the first five months of 2014 than they did in the same period in 2013. Indeed, with the exception of pediatrics, all specialties are seeing lower new patient visit rates in 2014 compared to 2013.”

Related Links:

— “The Obamacare Surge? No Sign of Pent-Up Doctor Demand Yet,” Maggie Fox, NBC News, July 15, 2014.

The AP (7/16, Marchione) reports that the dementia rate “is falling in the United States and some other rich countries.” What’s more, the onset of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, appears to be happening later in life. Investigators came to both conclusions after analyzing data from the “federally funded Framingham study” that “tracked new dementia cases among several thousand people 60 and older in five-year periods starting in 1978, 1989, 1996 and 2006.”

Dallas Anderson, chief of epidemiology at the National Institute on Aging, said, “For those who get the disease, it may come later in life, which is a good thing.”

Related Links:

— “,” Marilynn Marchione, Associated Press, July 15, 2014.