Is there a simple way to screen older folks for dementia risk years before there are any signs of memory loss or thinking impairment? Yes, researchers report. It’s a test called SOMI, short for Stages of Objective Memory Impairment. The process is straightforward. After being shown a series of images, patients who have no symptoms…  read on >  read on >

Many Americans went hungry in 2021, including disproportionate numbers of people with disabilities and single parents, a new government report shows. Experts are concerned that things may have only gotten worse. “These data likely do not reflect what is going on currently as pandemic programs end and inflation is affecting food prices,” explained Linda Wilbrecht,…  read on >  read on >

For people with epilepsy, living in lower-income neighborhoods is associated with worse mental functioning, new research suggests. For the study, the researchers looked at the memory, thinking ability and mental health of people with epilepsy, and found differences based on where they lived. Brain-health issues were more common among those from disadvantaged areas with fewer…  read on >  read on >

One in five people who die by suicide experienced intimate partner problems that included divorce, separation, arguments and violence, new research shows. “I think people hear the term intimate partner problems and go straight to intimate partner violence. That is a component of intimate partner problems, but it’s not just about violence,” said study author…  read on >  read on >

A new Australian study found that children who had COVID-19 during the first couple of years of the pandemic could be safely treated at home, taking the burden off hospitals. Children who had COVID-19 with moderate symptoms or preexisting high-risk conditions could be treated effectively via a Hospital-in-the-Home (HITH) program, according to the study. The…  read on >  read on >

Patients with a common vascular disease that causes blockages in their leg vessels had both worse symptoms and outcomes if they were Black or poor, new research finds. The study from Michigan Medicine looked at more than 7,000 patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) who had a lower extremity bypass operation to improve circulation. PAD…  read on >  read on >

Health care facilities remain one of the last places left in the United States with COVID-era mask requirements still in effect. It’s time for that to end, experts say. A prestigious collection of infection disease experts and epidemiologists say universal masking requirements in health care settings should be lifted, according to a commentary they published…  read on >  read on >

Nearly one-third of Americans live in counties with unhealthy air, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. One in three, or 120 million, people lives with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution, the “State of the Air” report says. While air quality has improved overall, there are major differences between Eastern…  read on >  read on >

Seniors and people with weakened immune systems can get another booster dose of the bivalent COVID vaccine this spring, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday. Seniors age 65 and older can get a booster at least four months following their first dose of the bivalent vaccine, which protects against both the original and…  read on >  read on >