MedPage Today (8/12, George) reports a study found that “men had higher mortality and hospitalization rates after a dementia diagnosis compared with women, even after controlling for age and comorbidities.” Researchers observed that “crude 1-year mortality rates were lower for women with incident dementia compared with men (21.8% vs 27.2%). After adjusting for age, race, ethnicity, Medicaid dual eligibility, medical comorbidity burden, and access to healthcare resources, the hazard of death associated with male sex was 1.24.” They added that “all-cause hospitalizations were lower for women with newly diagnosed dementia (46.9% vs 50.5%). The adjusted hazard ratio of hospitalization associated with male sex was 1.08.” Furthermore, men “had higher rates of hospice stay, neuroimaging services, and hospitalization for neurodegenerative disease diagnoses.” The study was published in JAMA Neurology.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Reuters (8/11, Erman, Rigby) reports the Annals of Internal Medicine “is rejecting a call from” the HHS Secretary “to retract a large Danish study that found that aluminum ingredients in vaccines do not increase health risks for children.” The study “analyzed nationwide registry data for more than 1.2 million children over more than two decades. It did not find evidence that exposure to aluminum in vaccines had caused an increased risk for autoimmune, atopic or allergic, or neurodevelopmental disorders.” In an interview with Reuters, Dr. Christine Laine, editor in chief of the Annals and a professor of medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, said, “I see no reason for retraction.”

Related Links:

— “Exclusive: Medical journal rejects Kennedy’s call for retraction of vaccine study,” Michael Erman and Jennifer Rigby , Reuters, August 11, 2025

USA Today (8/11, Wire) reports President Trump said during a Monday news conference that his Administration is considering reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug “over the next few weeks.” USA Today notes that “45 states have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal or recreational use,” but the federal government “still classifies it as a Schedule I drug,” which is “defined as highly dangerous, addictive and without medical use.” Reclassifying marijuana would mark the “biggest change in marijuana policy the federal government has taken since the drug was first outlawed, but it would not make recreational usage legal under federal law.”

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— “Trump says he’s looking at reclassifying marijuana at federal level, “Sarah D. Wire , USA TODAY, August 11, 2025

The New York Times (8/9, Span) reported an analysis of 57 studies published in Nature Human Behaviour suggests that the use of everyday digital technology has been associated with reduced risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults. Researchers observed that people over 50 “who used computers, smartphones, the internet or a mix did better on cognitive tests, with lower rates of cognitive impairment or dementia diagnoses, than those who avoided technology or used it less often.” Almost 90% of the studies analyzed “found that technology had a protective cognitive effect.” When researchers “accounted for health, education, socioeconomic status and other demographic variables, they still found significantly higher cognitive ability among older digital technology users.” Furthermore, digital technology “may also protect brain health by fostering social connections, known to help stave off cognitive decline.”

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— The New York Times (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (8/8) reported an umbrella review published in JAMA Psychiatry found that “nearly one-third of transgender and nonbinary people will attempt suicide at least once in their lives.” The review “included 24 reviews and meta-analyses that analyzed 754 primary studies published between 1983 and 2022.” Researchers observed the “lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation among transgender and nonbinary people was 50%, the lifetime prevalence of suicide attempt was 29%, and the lifetime prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury was 47%. Compared with cisgender people, trans and nonbinary people were about 3.5 times as likely to experience any of these above events.” The review also found that “trans and nonbinary people were more likely than cisgender individuals to experience an eating disorder, experience post-traumatic stress disorder, and be diagnosed with autism.”

Related Links:

— “Suicidal and Self-Harm Behaviors Common Among Transgender and Nonbinary People, Psychiatric News, August 8, 2025