Reuters (6/2, Crist) reported, “Being a victim of police violence is tied to a fourfold higher risk of suicide attempts for those who reported physical assault and a greater than tenfold higher risk for those who reported assault with a weapon or sexual victimization,” researchers found after surveying some “1,615 adults in four US cities – Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC – who were selected to be representative of the general population.” The findings were published online May 22 in the Journal of Urban Health.

Related Links:

— “Police violence linked to increased risk of suicide attempt,” Carolyn Crist, Reuters, June 02, 2017.

In a nearly 4,500-word article, Newsweek (6/1, Wapner) reports that “rural America is being hit particularly hard” by dementia and Alzheimer’s. As younger people move away, residents left behind as experiencing a rise in dementia as the population ages. Unfortunately, “these counties do not have the money, the professionals or the services to address the coming tidal wave of cognitive decline.” New York state, however, “has dedicated $62.5 million over five years to support caregivers.” New York is not alone. Several “state-funded programs have cropped up across the country, particularly in rural states, such as North Dakota, Minnesota and North Carolina.” Such “initiatives could save billions of dollars,” while making “life bearable again for” caregivers.

Related Links:

— “AS RURAL AMERICA FACES AN ONSLAUGHT OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, STATES LOOK TO RADICAL WAYS TO HELP,”Jessica Wapner, Newsweek , June 01, 2017.

In a greater than 4,000-word article, Washington Post Magazine (6/1, Golden) reports “older African Americans develop Alzheimer’s at a higher rate than any other group of older Americans,” and “are about twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to develop the disease or other forms of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.” The Post explores the burden of dementia on African-Americans and also discusses the need for more research on the topic, especially because currently African-Americans are underrepresented in clinical trials concerning Alzheimer’s disease. The article mentions that President Trump has proposed reducing funding for the National Institutes of Health, and that the NIH is funding research on Alzheimer’s disease including trials that have African-American participants.

Related Links:

— “African Americans are more likely than whites to develop Alzheimer’s. Why?,”Marita Golden, The Washington Post, June 01, 2017.

Reuters (6/1, Seaman) reports, “Damage to the microvascular system – often caused by high blood pressure or diabetes, and made worse by smoking – is tied to an increased risk of depression among people age 40 years and older,” investigators found after examining “data on 43,600 individuals, including 9,203 with depression.” The findings were published online May 31 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Tiny blood vessel damage tied to depression among older adults,” Andrew M. Seaman, Reuters, June 01, 2017.

Modern Healthcare (5/31, Dickson, Subscription Publication) reports some members of Congress and some states are trying to “end some limits on Medicaid reimbursements for behavioral health and substance abuse treatment in the face of the nationwide opioid addiction crisis.” The article points out that a bipartisan group of Senators introduced a bill in May that would ease restrictions on such reimbursements, and some states have also been authorized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services “to lift these restrictions for their Medicaid programs.”

Related Links:

— “Feds, states seek to end Medicaid’s limits on substance abuse care,”Virgil Dickson, Modern Healthcare, May 31, 2017.