HealthDay (10/25, Dallas) reports that research published in Neurology suggests that individuals “who take certain commonly used blood pressure medications have a significantly lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease than” individuals who do not use the medications. Researchers looked at data on approximately 2,200 individuals aged between 75 and 96 years. The investigators found that “regular use” of “diuretics, ARBs and ACE inhibitors” reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Related Links:

— “Common Blood Pressure Drugs Tied to Lower Risk of Alzheimer’s: Study, “Mary Elizabeth Dallas, HealthDay, October 24, 2013.

Reuters (10/25, Raven) reports that research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that depression may not increase an individual’s risk of developing cancer. Investigators came to this conclusion after analyzing data from more than 14,000 individuals over a period of 15 years.

Related Links:

— “No link between depression and cancer risk: study, “Kathleen Raven, Reuters, October 24, 2013.

On Wednesday evening, Vice President Joe Biden and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius both appeared at the inaugural gala of the Kennedy Forum Mental Health Summit held in Boston, Massachusetts. The forum, which includes a day-long conference today, commemorates the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s signing of the Community Mental Health Act, a law that funded mental health centers throughout the US.

The Boston Globe (10/24, Conaboy) reports that Vice President Biden “said Wednesday night that the United States is ‘on the cusp’ of major changes in how mental illness is diagnosed and treated.” In addition, Biden “called provisions of the Affordable Care Act that list treatment for mental illness and substance use disorders as essential health benefits that insurers must pay for.” Also lauding the ACA “as a boon for people suffering from mental illness” was HHS Secretary Sebelius.

Related Links:

— “US ‘on the cusp’ of mental health advances, Biden says, “Chelsea Conaboy, The Boston Globe, October 23, 2013.

USA Today (10/24, Kennedy) reports, “A key part of mental health policy – the final rule on mental health parity – has been delayed…because of the government shutdown this month, said” Jeffrey Lieberman, MD, president of the American Psychiatric Association. Officials with the Obama Administration “say the rule will be issued by the end of the year, and that it entered the final stage of review Monday.” Dr. Lieberman also called the Affordable Care Act “a ‘pivotal moment’ for mental health care…because it will help with homelessness and crime, which are both driven by mental illness.”

Related Links:

— “JFK’s vision for mental health care languishing?, “Kelly Kennedy, USA Today, October 23, 2013.

On its front page, the Wall Street Journal (10/23, Fields, Subscription Publication) reports a noticeable uptick over the past decade in the number of fatal confrontations between police officers and people with severe mental illnesses. A small number of those cases are known as “suicide by cop” in which police officers are intentionally provoked to react with lethal force. In other cases, police officers with poor or no mental health training misread a situation with deadly results. Some police departments are now sending officers to special crisis-intervention training and teaching them how to respond to situations involving people with severe mental illnesses, emphasizing communication and use of non-lethal weapons.

Related Links:

— “Lives of Mentally Ill, Police Collide, The Wall Street Journal, October 23, 2013.