ABC World News Tonight (12/12, Story 10, 0:20, Muir) reported, “A new study shows that high use of…statins” may be associated with “a lower risk of Alzheimer’s for patients over the age of 65.”

CNN (12/12, Howard) reports that the research, published online Dec. 12 in JAMA Neurology, “involved Medicare data on 399,979 statin users.” Investigators “found that those who were exposed to higher levels of statins…were 10% less likely to have an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis in each of the subsequent five years than those with lower statin exposure.”

HealthDay (12/12) reports that researchers found, however, that “it may depend on the specific statin, and the gender and race or ethnicity of the person taking it.” For instance, “black men appeared to gain no benefit from taking any statin, while white women may lower their risk regardless of which statin they take, the researchers said.”

Related Links:

— “Are statins a key to preventing Alzheimer’s disease?,”Jacqueline Howard, CNN, December 12, 2016.

Healio (12/20, Oldt) reports that “a recent literature review identified several mental health screening tools validated for Spanish and use in individuals with limited English proficiency.” In order to evaluate “Spanish-language validity and implementation of Bright Futures pre-visit mental health screening tools and models of care for Latino children, researchers reviewed studies published between 2005 and 2015 that reported screening results for Latino or Spanish-speaking population.” After their assessment, the study authors recommended use of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist, including pictorial versions (PSC-35), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) “as they are validated in Spanish and freely accessible.” The review’s findings were published online Nov. 23 in Clinical Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Review indicates reliable mental health screening tools for Latino children,”Oldt , Healio, December 20, 2016.

Reuters (12/1, Kennedy) reports that research indicated “teens in Hong Kong whose high school delayed the start of the day by just 15 minutes got to sleep a little longer, were late to school less often and showed better mental health and focus.” The findings of the 1,377-student study were published online Nov. 16 in Sleep Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Small delay in school start time may improve teens’ sleep and focus,”Madeline Kennedy, Reuters, December 01, 2016.

Healio (12/1, Tedesco) reports, “Women who have experienced a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy are at a greater risk for” post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) “and should be screened regularly for the condition,” researchers concluded after conducting “a prospective survey study to examine the type and severity of emotional distress that women with an early pregnancy loss (n = 128) experience compared with women with viable ongoing pregnancies (n = 58).” The findings were published online Nov. 2 in BMJ Open.

Related Links:

— “Miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy associated with PTSD, “Alaina Tedesco Healio, December 01, 2016.

The New York Times (12/1, A14, Carey, Subscription Publication) reports that research indicated “more than half of chronic insomniacs who used an automated online therapy program reported improvement within weeks and were sleeping normally a year later.” The findings were published online Nov. 30 in JAMA Psychiatry.

HealthDay (11/30, Reinberg) reports that in “the study, more than 300 adults were randomly assigned to the six-week program,” called SHUTi (Sleep Healthy Using the Internet), “or to online patient education about improving sleep.”

Healio (11/30) reports that “participants who received SHUTi exhibited greater improvement in insomnia severity (P < .001), sleep-onset latency (P < .001) and wake after sleep onset (P < .001), compared with those who received online education.” The investigators found that “treatment effects were maintained at 1-year follow-up, with 56.6% of the SHUTi group achieving remission status and 69.7% identified as treatment responders at 1 year based on Insomnia Severity Index data.” Psychiatric News (11/30) reports the authors of an accompanying editorialobserved that the study’s “results provide an indication that the benefits conferred by SHUTi are not diminished by the presence of either psychiatric or medical comorbidities.” Related Links:

— “Insomniacs Are Helped by Online Therapy, Study Finds,”Benedict Carey, The New York Times, December 1, 2016.