Older patients who are depressed when they are admitted to a hospital are at a significantly higher risk of having poorer health outcomes, researchers at Case Western Reserve University have found.
More than 570 patients older than age 70 were assessed on 15 symptoms of depression, such as feeling unhappy, helpless, worthless and hopeless. Patients who had six or more symptoms were more likely to deteriorate and less likely to improve during and after hospitalization than patients with fewer symptoms.
Older patients should be routinely screened for depression and provided with anti-depressant therapy, Dr. Kenneth E. Covinsky of the Cleveland-based university reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
DENTAL DISEASE CAN BE SPREAD
Periodontal disease may be passed from one family member to another through the spread of oral bacteria linked to the disease.
An Ohio State University study of 564 members of randomly selected families found that 37.1 percent were infected with Porphyromas gingivalis, a bacterium thought to be a cause of gum disease. Spouses of infected individuals were four times as likely to be infected as spouses of noninfected persons. Children of infected parents also had a higher rate of infection.
Once one member of a family has been diagnosed with periodontal disease, other members should also be examined, said Dr. M. Tuite-McDonnell in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. F591
A GUIDE FOR PREVENTING DRUG ABUSE
A guide to preventing drug abuse among young people, which is based on successful anti-drug programs, is being made available to parents, teachers and community groups by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The guide contains 14 prevention principles that call for targeting all forms of drug abuse, including alcohol and tobacco.
The new guide, “Preventing Drug Use Among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based guide,” can be obtained free from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 1-800-729-6686. Additional information is available on the NIDA home page at http://www.nida.nih.gov.
