A study from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet in JAMA Neurology found people with heart disease who live in areas with even minimal air pollution are at elevated risk for dementia, reports CNN . This is thought to be the first study to examine the combined effect of cardiovascular disease and long-term air pollution on cognition. Roughly 3,000 adults, average age 74, were monitored for up to 11 years. All were residents of Stockholm's Kungsholmen district, where the annual average level of particulate matter was low compared to international standards. Not only was long-term exposure to air pollution associated with a higher risk of dementia, but a heart condition amplified this association. The biggest linkage was between stroke, air pollution, and dementia, with stroke accounting for almost half of air pollution-related dementia cases. "Our findings suggest air pollution does play a role in the development of dementia, and mainly through the intermediate step of cardiovascular disease and especially stroke," said Karolinska's Giulia Grande. Sixty-eight percent of the world population are expected to live in urban areas by 2050, where they are continuously exposed to air pollution.

In a study in JAMA Network Open , Penn State College of Medicine researchers suggested that older Americans may be receiving cancer screenings against recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, reports News-Medical . The researchers analyzed data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, reviewing data for 20,937 men and 34,244 women for colorectal cancer, 82,811 women for cervical cancer, and 38,356 women for breast cancer. Overscreened patients included those over age 75 for colorectal cancer screening, and women over 65 for cervical and over 75 for breast cancer screenings. The team found overscreening of 59.3 percent of men and 56.2 percent of women for colorectal cancer, 45.8 percent of women for breast cancer, and 73 percent of women for breast cancer. Overscreening was higher for women living in or near cities. Possible reasons for this may be that women living in rural areas may have longer and more trusting relationships with healthcare providers, or less access to screening centers. Women who live in or near cities also may receive automated screening reminders from more technologically advanced healthcare providers, while beliefs about cancer may differ between rural and city populations.

Pharmavite has announced a study published in PLoS ONE investigating inadequate nutrient consumption as it relates to the risk of osteoporosis, reports EurekAlert . Poverty plays a major role in poor intake of calcium and vitamin D, while age, gender, and dietary intake are additional key factors that contribute to osteoporosis prevalence. Pharmavite found that American women older than 50 consistently have inadequate calcium intake regardless of their economic status. Furthermore, inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D impacts poverty-stricken men more than women in terms of osteoporosis risk. Meanwhile, non-Hispanic black men in a low income bracket are twice as likely to develop osteoporosis. "Improving the consumption of nutrient-rich and fortified foods among individuals that live in poverty can help to decrease their chances of developing osteoporosis," said Pharmavite Vice President of Science & Technology Susan Hazels Mitmesse. "Additionally, dietary supplements can play a critical role in helping any underserved population meet their nutrition needs — including making supplements readily available through programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, for example."

Three new studies presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2020 indicate that poor education and lifestyle behaviors in teenage years and our 20s elevate the risk of cognitive decline and dementia later, reports CNN . Two studies considered the impact of higher body-mass index (BMI) or heart disease risk factors in the teens and 20s. One examined data on more than 700 African Americans in adolescence, young adulthood, and midlife and discovered that heart-related conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes was associated with significantly worse late-life cognition. The second analyzed the impact of BMI at age 20 on the risk for later-life dementia for more than 5,000 men and women. Women overweight at age 20 raised the risk of dementia 1.8 times, while clinical obesity heightened the risk 2.5 times compared to 20-year-old women with normal weight. Men who were obese at age 20 had a 2.5 times higher risk for dementia. The third study considered educational and health data on over 2,400 black and white men and women 65 or older, and learned that black men and women who attended school in states with lower quality educational standards undergo a more rapid decline in memory and language in later life. Higher-quality education in childhood was associated with better language and memory performance, and lower risk of dementia later.

Three new studies presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2020 indicate that poor education and lifestyle behaviors in teenage years and our 20s elevate the risk of cognitive decline and dementia later, reports CNN . Two studies considered the impact of higher body-mass index (BMI) or heart disease risk factors in the teens and 20s. One examined data on more than 700 African Americans in adolescence, young adulthood, and midlife and discovered that heart-related conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes was associated with significantly worse late-life cognition. The second analyzed the impact of BMI at age 20 on the risk for later-life dementia for more than 5,000 men and women. Women overweight at age 20 raised the risk of dementia 1.8 times, while clinical obesity heightened the risk 2.5 times compared to 20-year-old women with normal weight. Men who were obese at age 20 had a 2.5 times higher risk for dementia. The third study considered educational and health data on over 2,400 black and white men and women 65 or older, and learned that black men and women who attended school in states with lower quality educational standards undergo a more rapid decline in memory and language in later life. Higher-quality education in childhood was associated with better language and memory performance, and lower risk of dementia later.

In a study in JAMA Network Open , Penn State College of Medicine researchers suggested that older Americans may be receiving cancer screenings against recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, reports News-Medical . The researchers analyzed data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, reviewing data for 20,937 men and 34,244 women for colorectal cancer, 82,811 women for cervical cancer, and 38,356 women for breast cancer. Overscreened patients included those over age 75 for colorectal cancer screening, and women over 65 for cervical and over 75 for breast cancer screenings. The team found overscreening of 59.3 percent of men and 56.2 percent of women for colorectal cancer, 45.8 percent of women for breast cancer, and 73 percent of women for breast cancer. Overscreening was higher for women living in or near cities. Possible reasons for this may be that women living in rural areas may have longer and more trusting relationships with healthcare providers, or less access to screening centers. Women who live in or near cities also may receive automated screening reminders from more technologically advanced healthcare providers, while beliefs about cancer may differ between rural and city populations.

Pharmavite has announced a study published in PLoS ONE investigating inadequate nutrient consumption as it relates to the risk of osteoporosis, reports EurekAlert . Poverty plays a major role in poor intake of calcium and vitamin D, while age, gender, and dietary intake are additional key factors that contribute to osteoporosis prevalence. Pharmavite found that American women older than 50 consistently have inadequate calcium intake regardless of their economic status. Furthermore, inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D impacts poverty-stricken men more than women in terms of osteoporosis risk. Meanwhile, non-Hispanic black men in a low income bracket are twice as likely to develop osteoporosis. "Improving the consumption of nutrient-rich and fortified foods among individuals that live in poverty can help to decrease their chances of developing osteoporosis," said Pharmavite Vice President of Science & Technology Susan Hazels Mitmesse. "Additionally, dietary supplements can play a critical role in helping any underserved population meet their nutrition needs — including making supplements readily available through programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, for example."

University of Virginia (UVA) students are distributing second-hand devices to older adults to help prevent unnecessary coronavirus exposure as part of the TeleHealth Access for Seniors program, reports the Cavalier Daily . Founded by four students this past March, the program enlists volunteers to collect devices family, friends, businesses, and schools no longer use and donate them to local hospitals and clinics. Rising third-year college students Rachana Subbanna, Anika Iyer, and Tanvi Nallanagula joined the Virginia team last month. "Our three main goals are prevention, connection, and education," Iyer said. "We want to prevent complications from chronic conditions or exposure to COVID-19 by enabling senior citizens to access devices and telehealth resources. We also want to help seniors connect with family and friends virtually as they practice social distancing, as well as offer educational tools as they learn to use their devices." The UVA team partnered with the Charlottesville Free Clinic and, after three weeks of seeking donations, delivered some 25 devices to underinsured and uninsured seniors in the Charlottesville community. "The pandemic is not going away anytime soon," Iyer said. "So we will just keep expanding and recruiting more volunteers in more states, because even a little bit of work — preventing a now potentially life-threatening trip to the doctor's office — can make a difference in the lives of older Americans suffering from chronic conditions."

A study to be presented at the American Heart Association's Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2020 Scientific Sessions has linked a flu vaccine to a significantly reduced risk of heart attack and stroke among people older than 50, reports Becker's Hospital Review . Researchers analyzed more than 7 million people hospitalized, of whom only 168,325 received the flu vaccine in 2014. Compared to those who were not vaccinated, adults 50 and older who had received the flu vaccine had a 28 percent lower risk of heart attack, a 73 percent lower risk of death, a 47 percent lower risk of stroke, and an 85 percent lower risk of cardiac arrest. "The results we found are staggering," said Roshni A. Mandania at Texas Tech University's Foster School of Medicine. "It's hard to ignore the positive effect the flu vaccine can have on serious cardiac complications."

A University College London study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that more frequent Internet use improves the well-being of older adults, especially the more affluent and better educated, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers investigated the accounts of more than 9,000 people over 50 from 2012 to 2017. They observed a positive long-term effect of daily Internet use, while infrequent use was connected to declining life satisfaction among older people. Daily users experienced larger increases in life satisfaction scores than those who used the Internet weekly or never, and had the highest scores by the conclusion of the study. Yet mental well-being varied by Internet use type, the most common of which were "information access" and "communication," with 68 percent and 66 percent of participants reporting use of these two types, respectively. People who went online for communication and keeping in touch with others were more likely to report less depression and better life satisfaction than those who did not. However, those who went online for information access, specifically job-searching, had worse life satisfaction compared to those who did not. Subjects in the wealthiest quantile were most likely to go online daily, while those in the highest educational and occupational groups benefited more mentally from frequent use than those in the lowest groups.