HealthDay (9/3, Norton) reports that anticholinergic medications may “speed up older adults’ mental decline – especially if they are at increased risk of dementia,” investigators concluded. The study also revealed that “healthy older adults on these medications had an increased risk of developing mild cognitive impairment.” The findings of the 688-older adult study were published online Sept. 2 in the journal Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Common Meds Tied to Faster Mental Decline in Seniors “Amy Norton, HeathDay, September 3, 2020

HealthDay (9/3, Preidt) reports, “Young adults with kidney problems may be at increased risk for mental decline in middle age,” investigators concluded in a study that “included more than 2,600 people with an average age of 35.” Participants underwent “blood and urine tests to assess kidney function every five years for 20 years, and the tests were used to estimate their risk of kidney failure at each visit.” When the study period ended, “participants were given thinking and memory tests.” The findings were published online Sept. 2 in the journal Neurology.

Related Links:

— “Kidneys Might Affect Mental Status As You Age “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, September 3, 2020

The New York Times (9/3, Bakalar) reports obesity “may be linked to an increased risk for dementia,” investigators concluded in a study that analyzed “data on 6,582 men and women, age 50 and older, who were cognitively healthy at the” beginning of the study and who were tracked “for an average of 11 years.” The findings were published online June 23 in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Related Links:

— “Excess Weight May Increase Your Risk of Dementia “Nicholas Bakalar, The New York Times, September 3, 2020

HealthDay (9/2, Preidt) reports, “Cyberbullying is less common among teens who feel loved and supported by their parents,” investigators concluded after analyzing survey “responses from more than 12,600 U.S. youth aged 11 to 15 years” in which the children “were asked about their bullying behaviors and their relationship with their parents.” The study revealed that “the more adolescents considered their parents as loving, the less likely they were to cyberbully, the survey findings” revealed. The findings were published online in the International Journal of Bullying Prevention.

Related Links:

— “Cyberbullying Could Rise During Lockdown, But Parents Can Stop It “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, September 2, 2020

NBC News (9/3, Kingkade) reports researchers “found active shooter drills in schools correlated with a 42 percent increase in anxiety and stress and a 39 percent increase in depression among those in the school community, including students, teachers and parents, based on their social media posts,” according to a report released by Everytown for Gun Safety. The report is based “on research from Georgia Tech’s Social Dynamics and Wellbeing Lab, which analyzed 27.9 million tweets and 1,454 Reddit posts that came from accounts with connections to 114 schools in 33 states that held active shooter drills in the 2018-19 academic year.”

Related Links:

— “Active shooter drills are meant to prepare students. But research finds ‘severe’ side effects “Tyler Kingkade, NBC News , September 3, 2020