Why Millennials are the Newest Caregivers
Why Millennials are the Newest Caregivers
People Who Fill Out Advance Directives More Likely to Seek Interventions
Cleveland Clinic
A new study finds that nearly a third of people who fill out advance health care directives — a person’s wishes for end-of-life care — request medical interventions. The research from DePaul University – “Assessing Advance Care Planning: Examining Autonomous Selections in an Advance Directive,” – was published in the fall by Craig M. Klugman, hair of DePaul’s Department of Health Sciences, and co-author Nicole M. Tolwin.
No surprise, younger people requested interventions such as respiratory support or antibiotics more frequently than people over the age of 50. Researchers also discovered that many people may not be discussing their wishes with loved ones after an advance directive is completed.
- People over the age of 50 were more likely to refuse aggressive care in the document, while those younger than 50 were more likely to request interventions.
- Some 95 percent of respondents want to be free from pain during end-of-life care.
- The vast majority, 93 percent of respondents, described valuing quality of life over quantity.
- Overall, two-thirds to three-quarters of participants chose to refuse interventions, lower than findings in previous research.
- While many respondents turned their advance directive over to an attorney or physician, far fewer actually had conversations about the document with loved ones.
- Of those who had conversations about advance care planning, most discussed it with a spouse or partner, followed by a child or a sibling.
Take Vitamin D and Ward Off Dementia
Take Vitamin D and Ward Off Dementia
Vitamin D insufficiency was associated with faster decline in cognitive functions among a group of ethnically diverse older adults, according to an article published online by JAMA Neurology.
Joshua W. Miller, Ph.D., of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., and coauthors from the University of California, Davis, examined baseline vitamin D status and change in cognitive function as measured on assessment scales in a group of 382 older adults.
Study participants were an average age of 75.5 years and nearly 62 percent were female, while 41.4 percent of the group was white, 29.6 percent were African American and 25.1 percent were Hispanic. At study enrollment, 17.5 percent of the participants had dementia, 32.7 percent had mild cognitive impairment and 49.5 percent were cognitively normal.
The authors did not directly measure dairy intake, sun exposure or exercise, each of which can influence vitamin D levels.
The data support the common occurrence of Vitamin D insufficiency among older individuals. Independent of race or ethnicity, baseline cognitive ability, and a host of other risk factors, insufficiency was associated with significantly faster declines in both episodic memory and executive function performance, which may correspond to elevated risk for incident Alzheimer disease.
I take a supplement partly because I am Vitamin D deficient but also because I have osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis and the Vitamin D helps there as well. So something to consider.
Large Portions, Packages and Tableware Lead to Higher Consumption of Food and Drink
Large Portions, Packages and Tableware Lead to Higher Consumption of Food and Drink A new review has produced the most conclusive evidence to date that people consume more food or non-alcoholic drinks when offered larger sized portions or when they use larger items of tableware. The research, carried out by the University of Cambridge and published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, suggests that eliminating larger-sized portions from the diet completely could reduce energy intake by up to 29% among US adults. Overeating increases the risks of heart disease, diabetes, and many cancers, which are among the leading causes of ill health and premature death. Researchers combined results from 61 high quality studies, capturing data from 6,711 participants, to investigate the influence of portion, package and tableware size on food consumption. The data showed that people consistently consume more food and drink when offered larger-sized portions, packages or tableware than when offered smaller-sized versions. The researchers did not find variation between men and women, or by peopleÛªs body mass index, susceptibility to hunger, or tendency to consciously control their eating behavior. Dr Gareth Hollands from the Behaviour and Health Research Unit, noted: “Our findings highlight the important role of environmental influences on food consumption. Helping people to avoid Û÷overservingÛª themselves or others with larger portions of food or drink by reducing their size, availability and appeal in shops, restaurants and in the home, is likely to be a good way of helping lots of people to reduce their risk of overeating.Û The researchers highlight a range of potential actions that could be taken, including: upper-limits on serving sizes of energy-dense foods and drinks (for example, fatty foods, desserts and sugary drinks), or on the sizes of crockery, cutlery and glasses provided for use in their consumption; placing larger portion sizes further away from purchasers to make them less accessible; and demarcating single portion sizes in packaging through wrapping or a visual cue. Other potential actions include: restricting pricing practices whereby larger portion and package sizes cost less in relative (and sometimes absolute) monetary terms than smaller sizes and thus offer greater value for money to consumers; and restricting price promotions on larger portion and package sizes. ÛÏAt the moment, it is all too easy ÛÒ and often better value for money ÛÒ for us to eat or drink too much,Û said Ian Shemilt, who co-led the review.
Being Overweight May Increase Risk of Type of Brain Tumor
Being Overweight May Increase Risk of Type of Brain Tumor Being overweight or obese may be tied to an increased risk of a type of brain tumor called meningioma, according to a research in the online issue of Neurologyå¨, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. A meningioma is a tumor that arises from the meninges ÛÓ the membranes that surround your brain and spinal cord. Most meningiomas are noncancerous (benign), though rarely a meningioma may be cancerous (malignant). Meningiomas occur at a rate of about five to eight cases per 100,000 people per year. The five-year survival rate for meningioma is 63 percent. ÛÏThis is an important finding since there are few known risk factors for meningioma and the ones we do know about are not things a person can change,Û said meta-analysis author Gundula Behrens, PhD, of the University of Regensburg in Regensburg, Germany. ÛÏGiven the high prevalence of obesity and the unfavorable prognosis for this type of tumor, these findings may be relevant for strategies aimed at reducing the risk of meningioma.Û A total of 12 studies on body mass index and six on physical activity were analyzed, involving nearly 6.000 cases. The analysis found that compared to people with a normal weight, overweight people were 21 percent more likely to develop a meningioma and obese people were 54 percent more likely to develop one. Overweight was defined as having a BMI of 25 to 29.9; obese was considered a BMI of 30 or higher. Having a high level of physical activity was modestly associated with a decreased risk of meningioma. Those with the highest amount of physical activity were 27 percent less likely to have a meningioma than those with the lowest amount of activity. Behrens said several biological processes could potentially link excess weight and increased risk of meningioma. For example, excess weight is associated with excess production of estrogen, and estrogens promote the development of meningioma. Also, excess weight is linked to high levels of insulin, which could promote meningioma growth. Another good argument for diet and exercise.
