Hey folks. Short issue this week as I am leaving for NOLA Jazz Fest then speaking at Argentum. Going to be at the Argentum conference next week? Come to our session, Your Brain on Music, 3:15 p.m. Monday. Hope to bump into you. Also, no issue next week as I will be speaking in MD on Friday as well.
Loneliness as risky as smoking up to 12 cigarettes daily, surgeon general says
AP - Widespread loneliness in the U.S. poses health risks as deadly as smoking up to a dozen cigarettes daily, costing the health industry billions of dollars annually, the U.S. surgeon general said in declaring the latest public health epidemic.
About half of U.S. adults say they’ve experienced loneliness, Dr. Vivek Murthy said in an 81-page report from his office. “Millions of people in America are struggling in the shadows, and that’s not right. That’s why I issued this advisory to pull back the curtain on a struggle that too many people are experiencing.”
Observation - So here is what I am thinking. There are a lot of senior solutions on the market that because of their on-demand nature and ability to be viewed on tablets and such actually exacerbate loneliness. And hardly any interactive solutions that seek to engage people utilize music, which, far and away, provides a therapeutic value to people who are experiencing loneliness and mental health issues.
Social interaction reduces dementia risk and increases longevity: study
UNSW - Spending time with loved ones can have significant health benefits as we age, according to a new meta-analysis study from the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) at UNSW Sydney.
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Regular internet use may be linked to lower dementia risk in older adults, study says
CNN - If your parents or grandparents ask you how to post on Instagram or how to send a birthday message to a Facebook friend, a new study suggests you might want to help them – not just to be nice but because getting them online may help their brain health, too.
A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggested that older people who regularly used the internet were less likely to develop dementia.
Observation - so some studies say tech is bad; some say good. I think the distinction that is developing is too much time on social media is bad but learning how to use tech for useful endeavors is good - or something like that!
So then … Brigham and Women's study suggests technology didn't help elderly in pandemic
CBS Boston - People often praise technology for reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new study finds it may have had the opposite effect.
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital looked at the use of digital communication by more than 3,000 adults 65 and older with friends, family, and health care providers during the pandemic. They found that those who reported frequent communication using e-mails and video calls were more likely to report feelings of depression and anxiety about COVID-19, while in-person interactions were associated with fewer mental health concerns.
They say social media technologies should be tailored to meet the needs of older adults in the future.
Is cranberry juice really effective against urinary tract infections?
Medical News Today - Cranberry has long been regarded as a preventive or curative treatment for urinary tract infections (UTIs). To date, though, research has produced conflicting evidence of its effectiveness.
Scientists at Flinders University and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Australia recently published a global study showing that cranberry products may indeed reduce the risk of UTIs in some groups.
Top 10 healthiest (unhealthiest) cities in America
BenefitsPro - Location matters when it comes to health. Some places promote wellness by expanding access to nutritious food and recreational facilities. Others strive to keep healthcare costs affordable for everyone or keep parks clean and well-maintained. Of course, the most pressing health issue in the past two years has been the COVID-19 pandemic. Although life has returned almost to normal now, city leaders need to stay vigilant for any future health crises to safeguard the wellness of their residents, both physically and mentally.
Cerebellum Stimulation Boosts Older Adults' Episodic Memory
Psychology Today - A new study (Almeida et al., 2023) into the cerebellum's role in cognitive functions found that stimulating the right cerebellar hemisphere with anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) improves episodic memory in older adults over age 60.
Observation - why zap the brain when you can just use music?!
Apple Hearing Study Finds Many Adults Are Exposed to Risky Levels of Noise
CNET - About 1 in 3 adults are exposed to excessive noise, which can lead to hearing loss and more, according to a study Apple conducted using data from its Apple Watch.
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