Worry, gloom and Alzheimer’s
If you want your mind to stay healthy into your golden years, don’t worry, be happy.
That could be the message of new research showing that those prone to worry, anxiety or depression are more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment, a condition often considered a precursor to the more-debilitating Alzheimer’s disease.
“MCI is now recognized as a very early sign of incipient Alzheimer’s disease,” said Robert S. Wilson, lead author of the study and a neuropsychologist at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago. “We found that among healthy elderly people without evidence of cognitive dysfunction at the beginning of the study, chronic distress predicted the development of MCI.”
“The most important implications are down the road,” Wilson added. “If we could understand the mechanism, it could open up new avenues for preventing or at least delaying the onset of symptoms.”
Camp kids should be vaccinated
Sunscreen, swimsuit, bug repellent — and meningitis vaccine? Experts say the potentially lifesaving shot is now a “must-have” item for kids headed off to camp this summer.
“Many parents are aware [of the need for vaccination] when kids are leaving for college but don’t think of it for early adolescence; they are not aware of the fact that the Centers for Disease Control is recommending vaccination for younger children,” said Peg Smith, the CEO of the American Camp Association, a 7,000-member organization that aims to ensure that the nation’s camps are safe and healthy.
Meningococcal disease is a result of either viral or bacterial infection. The viral infection is less severe, but the much rarer bacterial form can lead to meningitis, pneumonia and bloodstream infections and prove lethal.
Diabetes cuts 8 years off life span
A diagnosis of diabetes means losing an average of eight years from your expected life span, new research shows. In addition, diabetics are more likely to develop heart disease sooner than non-diabetics, the study found.
“Having diabetes at age 50 years and over does not only represent a significant increase in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and mortality but also a very important loss in life expectancy and life expectancy free from cardiovascular disease,” said lead author Dr. Oscar H. Franco, of the University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Unilever Corporate Research, Sharnbrook, England.
About 95 percent of diabetics suffer from the obesity-linked Type 2 form of the blood-sugar illness.
This means that “prevention of diabetes is a fundamental task facing today’s society aiming to achieve populations living longer and healthier,” Franco said.
His team published its findings in the June 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
