News Briefs – SEPTEMBER 2021

More Than 11% of Elders at Risk for Abuse

One of the top-priority issues facing older adults is the potential for abuse, which can lead to premature mortality, poor mental and physical health, diminished quality of life, increased hospitalizations, and placement in a nursing home. A recent study among older adults in New York state found that 11.4% of respondents experienced some form of abuse during the previous 10 years. The diversity of the study population implies that this holds true far beyond New York.

The study, conducted by interview, was a follow-up to a longitudinal study conducted from 2009 to 2019. The new interview results, published in JAMA Network Open, suggest that 360,000 elders in New York will experience abuse over the next 10 years.

Researchers categorized abuse into five areas: financial, psychological or emotional, physical, sexual, and neglect. Financial abuse was the most prevalent form, experienced by 8.5% of respondents. Emotional abuse was the next highest form at 4.1%, followed by physical abuse at 2.3%, and neglect at 1%. No sexual abuse was reported. 

Interestingly, elders living alone were more likely to experience financial abuse, challenging previous thinking that cohabitation increases this form of abuse. The researchers speculated that the lack of a protective spouse or partner to help manage finances may be part of the reason. They also highlighted that Black elders were more prone to financial abuse than other racial or ethnic groups.

The researchers found that poor health was a significant factor leading to abuse. They propose  that health care practitioners could play an important role in screening, providing education, and making appropriate referrals.

 

Latinx Face the Largest Increase in Alzheimer’s Disease

The number of people in the United States with Alzheimer’s disease is projected to triple by 2060, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute on Aging. One of the main reasons for this huge jump is the projected increase in the older Latinx population over the next 40 years. Latinx people are 50% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than non-Hispanic whites. 

By 2060, the Latinx population will reach 111 million, or 28% of the total US population, compared with about 18% today, according to United States Census Bureau data. As a result, the number of Latinx people with dementia will reach 3.5 million, an increase of 832%. At the same time, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune, Latinx individuals are less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or seek treatment. 

One reason that Latinx people are more prone to Alzheimer’s is a higher rate of chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure that may increase the risk for Alzheimer’s. Factors that prevent Latinx people from pursuing treatment include language barriers, fewer economic resources, and a strong belief that family takes care of their own. As a result, many Latinx caregivers report feeling isolated and having poor physical and emotional health.

An in-depth report out of the University of Southern California recommends ways to decrease problems associated with this expected increase in Alzheimer’s. They include expanding the number of diverse health care professionals, devoting more funding for research on the disease in the Latinx population, recruiting more Latinx Alzheimer’s researchers, and developing culturally tailored engagement and education.

 

Ann Arbor Plans Psychoactive Mushroom Festival

The city council of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has approved by unanimous vote a magic mushroom festival on September 19 to celebrate the city’s establishment of Entheogenic and Fungi Awareness Month. Entheo Fest is being held on the first anniversary of the city’s  decriminalization of psychoactive plants such as psilocybin, ayahuasca, ibogaine, mescaline, and peyote. Ann Arbor is the sixth city in the nation to decriminalize the use of these plants.

The FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation to psilocybin in 2018 and again in 2019 for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Research into psilocybin, entheogenic plants, and  other psychoactive medications have demonstrated their effectiveness in treating PTSD, cluster headaches, depression, and end-of-life anxiety. Entheogenic plants have been used for religious, shamanic, and sacred practices in many cultures for thousands of years. 

According to an article in the Detroit Metro Times, the three-hour festival in Ann Arbor will be held on the University of Michigan campus. It will include speakers, educational vendors, and  live music.

 

Inflammation May Be Linked to Depression

The standard treatment for depression is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Lexapro, Prozac, and Zoloft. These medications increase the amount of serotonin, called the “feel good molecule,” in the brain. In studying why some people don’t respond well to SSRIs, researchers have come to believe that inflammation may play a role. 

To test this theory, a group of scientists at the Imperial College of London and the University of South Carolina conducted a study in mice. One group of mice was injected with a chemical that causes inflammation, while a control group was injected with a saline solution. In the study group the serotonin levels dropped within minutes, while the levels didn’t change in the control group. The researchers showed that the serotonin drop of the study group was accompanied by an increase in histamine activity in the brain caused by inflammation. 

Both groups of mice were injected with an SSRI. In the study group the serotonin levels did not increase as much as they did in the control group, implying that histamine activity interfered with the effectiveness of the SSRI. To check this out further, the researchers then administered a histamine-reducing chemical to the study group, and their serotonin levels returned to the same level as that of the control group.

The results of the study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, suggest that histamine activity may play a critical role in depression. This opens the door to exploring new histamine-reducing drugs for the treatment of depression, possibly in combination with an SSRI. Further study in humans may be the next step.