For Aging Women Sleep Disturbance Accompanies Mental Decline

July 26, 2007

As part of an osteoporosis study, Columbia University researchers tracked sleep patterns and cognitive function in women over the age of 65. Cognitive decline tended to coincide with sleep disturbance. But which causes which? Too soon to say.

These were healthy women living in the community. Most similar research on sleep disorders and dementia has focused on nursing-home populations

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Patient Education Materials
Only future research will tell whether sleep loss causes cognitive loss, or vice versa. Meanwhile, what information can you offer patients about strategies to avoid cognitive decline?

Alternative-Complementary Medicine
Patients concerned about their mental function may want to know about herbal remedies for insomnia.

No Comments » | Dementia | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Cranky Aged Mama

What if Selenium Triggers Type 2 Diabetes?

July 19, 2007

Analysis from a large study testing selenium supplements to prevent melanoma found that subjects taking selenium were half again more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those in the control arm. (Earlier studies had suggested that the mineral might enhance glucose metabolism.)

What to tell patients concerned about this new report in the Annals of Internal Medicine? The subjects were all elderly, their diagnosis was by self-report—and anyway the evidence suggests that few people need selenium supplements.

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Evidence-based Medicine and Meta-analysis
Why are researchers testing selenium to prevent cancer?

Alternative Medicine
What else are selenium supplements used for?

Patient Education Materials
What can someone do to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes?

No Comments » | Diabetes_Endocrine | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Cranky Aged Mama

Do Antidepressants Avert Suicide?

July 12, 2007

More fuel for the debate over the FDA black box warning about SSRIs: Two different large observational studies now suggest that antidepressants deter people from attempting suicide, rather than provoking it. An analysis of insurance claims from Group Health Cooperative in Washington state showed depressed patients are at most risk of suicide during the month before treatment, with risk declining afterwards. This was just as true for psychotherapy as for antidepressant medications.

A second study, analyzing records from the Veterans Administration, also showed large reductions in suicide attempts after treatment began.

An editorial in the same issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry urges doctors to reconsider their antidepressants as a way to prevent suicide, not a cause. The consequences of not prescribing them may be fatal, warns the author—especially for adolescents.

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Evidence-based Medicine and Meta-analysis
How effective is psychotherapy in preventing suicide?

Patient Education Materials
What can you safely tell the parents of depressed adolescents about medication and suicide risk?

Practical Articles and News
What can you do to protect yourself from malpractice liability in the case of a suicidal patient?

No Comments » | Depression | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Cranky Aged Mama