MedPage Today (11/19, George ) reports, “Genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia appeared to be partly offset by high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, U.K. Biobank data suggested.” Investigators found that “overall, high cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with better global and domain-specific cognitive functions and lower risk of dementia in both middle-age and older adults.”

The data indicated that “the incidence rate ratio of all-cause dementia was 0.60…for high versus low cardiorespiratory fitness. Dementia onset was delayed by 1.48 years…in the high fitness group.”

Meanwhile, “among people with moderate or high genetic dementia risk scores, high cardiorespiratory fitness attenuated dementia risk by 35%…compared with low fitness.” The findings were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Healio (11/19, Rhoades) reports “internet use could help improve mental health and well-being in adults aged 50 years or older, study results” suggest. The data “showed that internet usage ‘could be an effective strategy to improve overall mental health in middle-aged and older populations,’ but policymakers ‘need to recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach for older people with different sociodemographic characteristics,health behaviors, physical health and genetic risk,’ the researchers concluded.” The findings were publishedin Nature Human Behaviour.

Related Links:

— “Internet use may improve mental health in middle-aged, older adults,” Gina Brockenbrough, MA, Healio, November 19, 2024

The Hill (11/19, Timotija ) reports, “Awareness of the 988 national suicide prevention hotline is growing since the number was updated, but it is still low, according to a new survey.” The Annenberg Public Policy Center/SSRS poll “found that only 15 percent of survey respondents named the correct number for the hotline, officially named the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, as of September this year.” That number rose “by 4 percent since August 2023, when just 11 percent of surveytakers shared the accurate numbers.” In January of last year, “just 8 percent knew the correct digits, according to the survey’s analysis.”

Related Links:

— “Public awareness of 988 national suicide prevention hotline low, but growing: Poll,” Filip Timotija, The Hill, November 19, 2024

HealthDay (11/18, Thompson ) reports “a new survey shows that many parents struggle to manage their kids’ anger, and some even suspect they’re not providing a good example themselves.” About “seven in 10 parents think they sometimes don’t handle anger well and their kids may model that behavior, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.” The poll found that “one in seven parents think their kids get angrier than peers the same age, and four in 10 say their child has experienced negative consequences when angry.”

Related Links:

— “Poll Finds Many Parents Struggling to Manage Kids’ Anger,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, November 18, 2024

HealthDay (11/18, Mundell ) reports, “A dose of green may be just what school kids with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues need, new research shows.” Researchers “found that a school program that let 10- to 12-year-olds spend a little time each week in nature paid dividends in improving kids’ mental well-being.” One investigator said, “Nature-based programs may offer targeted benefits for children with higher levels of mental health vulnerabilities and potentially act as an equalizer of mental health among school-age children.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “When Schools Give Kids Time in Nature, Anxiety and Behavior Issues Ease,” Ernie Mundell, HealthDay, November 18, 2024