A study in Neurology suggests a diet high in processed meats, starches, and sugary snacks could raise the risk of dementia, reports United Press International . Dementia occurred more frequently among people who ate mostly processed meats like ham and sausages, starches like potatoes, and snacks such as cookies and cakes. Those who lacked dementia were more likely to adhere to a variegated diet that included fruits, vegetables, seafood, and poultry. "Worse eating habits toward charcuterie and snacking were evident years before dementia diagnosis in our cohort," noted the University of Bordeaux's Cecilia Samieri. "In contrast, diverse and healthy diets appear to decrease the risk to develop dementia." Samieri explained that highly processed meats — sausages, cured meats, and paté — formed the "hub" of diets that persons with dementia ate. These meats were mostly consumed in combination with potatoes, alcohol, and sweet snacks. Samieri added that the amounts of food eaten appeared to be less important to increasing the risk of dementia than the omission of healthier foods from their diet.

A Smartsheet survey found that 95 percent of Generation Z and 93 percent of millennial employees in the United States find working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic difficult, reports the Associated Press . In addition, 60 percent of American workers feel less informed about what is happening in their company since they started working from home. This feeling is profound among 74 percent of Gen Zers and 66 percent of millennials, compared to 53 percent of Generation X and 50 percent of baby boomers. Younger generations cite video calls as an obstacle to employer-employee communication compared to older generations, with the percentage of boomers acknowledging the problem lowest at 26 percent. Meanwhile, 50 percent of Gen Z and 50 percent of millennials find it difficult to get status updates, versus 40 percent of Gen X and 39 percent of boomers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dashed the hopes for many older Americans to graduate from college, reports CNN . The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that adult learners, defined as college students 25 and older, comprised 7.4 million of the 19.9 million students who were enrolled in colleges and universities last fall. Many of these older students have been nursing this dream for decades. Graduates like Siobhan Smith, 56, decided to go back to school after retiring. For Smith, college was an opportunity to prove to herself that she could do it and diminish the shame she felt about not attending a university in her youth. "I wanted to throw my cap in the air. I wanted my kids to be there and to be proud of me," she said. "It's not the most important part of achieving my goal but those ceremonial things are really important." Others have pursued graduate degrees to improve their employment prospects.

Researchers are investigating a treatment for Alzheimer's disease that uses flickering lights and sound in the wake of a series of mice studies that suggest it is effective, reports WFMZ-TV in Pennsylvania. "Based on mouse studies, we do see things like we can reduce plaques in animals," said Georgia Institute of Technology Professor Annabelle Singer. Emory University Professor James Lah added that subjects in experimental trials must sit under flashing lights and repetitive sound stimulation for an hour each day for four to eight weeks. The brain emits a surge of signaling chemicals at 40 hertz that may help combat Alzheimer's. The scientists suggest this methodology also could be used to treat other neurological disorders, like Parkinson's.

Clinicians from McLean Hospital's Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineers have remotely monitored a person with COVID-19 using a device that wirelessly tracks respiration, movement, and sleep patterns, reports Newswise . The "Emerald" device has been employed in multiple hospitals and senior care communities, including with a COVID-19 patient at Heritage Assisted Living in Boston's Framingham suburb. Emerald analyzes wireless signals in the environment, and employs artificial intelligence to collect the various metrics. "Emerald may offer us a way to track respiratory symptoms as well as behavioral symptoms simultaneously and remotely," said McLean Hospital's Ipsit Vahia. Emerald noninvasively monitors the subject's health and sends that data to Vahia at his home, where he can remotely observe progress by studying information like breathing and walking speed. "It's clear that, with these high-risk seniors, they would greatly benefit from us being able to passively gather medical data over time when it is not possible to meet with each person directly," said Heritage Assisted Living's William McGrory. MIT's Dina Katabi added that remote-sensing devices like Emerald could help to expand healthcare capacity by triaging less severe cases and monitoring them at home.

People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who develop COVID-19 may be at a heightened risk of developing severe symptoms and additional complications, reports Medical News Today . One study in Autoimmunity Reviews suggests that people with RA have an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 because of their impaired immune system, and factors like medication, age, and other health conditions can affect their susceptibility. Moreover, RA treatments such as corticosteroids and drugs that modify or suppress the immune system may increase the risk of infection. Other risk factors for people with RA, such as being over 65, living in a long-term care community, or having another medical condition, can add to the risk for severe illness. The best approach for reducing the risk of developing COVID-19 is to shelter in place and follow consistent infection prevention habits to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, people with RA should strive to ensure they have access to their medications. Doctors may recommend that they have at least a 90-day supply on hand, and should not discontinue any medication unless directed to do so.

U.S. researchers claim that high blood pressure symptoms at night could raise the risk of dementia, reports the Daily Express . People with hypertension should check their blood pressure to see whether they are at risk of dementia. Alzheimer's Research UK has urged the public to follow a healthy lifestyle to reduce their chances of developing a neurodegenerative or cardiovascular condition in later life. "This study suggests that it's not just daytime blood pressure that affects dementia risk but blood pressure levels throughout the day and night," said Sara Imarisio at Alzheimer's Research UK. "Although the phenomenon of reverse dipping during the night is an accepted measure of cardiovascular risk, the effect that reverse dipping has on dementia risk is a relatively understudied area of research." Imarisio said evidence suggests that not smoking, drinking in moderation, remaining mentally and physically active, a balanced diet, and keeping cholesterol levels in check help to keep the brain healthy as we age.

A study in Nature Medicine evaluated networks of more than 3,000 proteins to determine that the glucose metabolism of the brain's microglia and astrocytes could be a potential drug target and biomarker for Alzheimer's disease in spinal fluid tests, reports Being Patient . In the largest such study to date, the researchers analyzed proteins in more than 2,000 postmortem human brains and almost 400 cerebrospinal fluid samples of people with Alzheimer's, healthy subjects, and asymptomatic individuals with documented brain pathology. The proteins were classified into 13 categories, and sugar metabolisms of microglia and astrocytes accelerated in the brain samples and cerebrospinal fluid samples of persons with Alzheimer's and asymptomatic subjects with the disease. The implication of these findings is that astrocytes and microglia may ramp up their metabolisms to protect the brain against tangled beta amyloid proteins. The microglia also were associated with anti-inflammatory properties, but more research is needed to examine these cells in isolation. A better understanding of their function could enable the potential development of therapies that encourage the cells to generate more beneficial responses.

Bank of America has donated $50,000 to Senior Resources' COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund, supporting Richland County, S.C.'s emergency response to seniors via the Emergency Senior Nutrition Program, reports ABC Columbia . The program was set up to provide any senior-age adult in Richland County with five free meals once a week during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program has fed more than 30,000 local seniors in the first few weeks following launch, and Bank of America's donation will be used to address the immediate nutrition needs of this most vulnerable demographic. "The disease itself is particularly dangerous to older adults, but so are the side effects of current economic hardship and distancing from family and friends," said Senior Resources Executive Director Andrew Boozer. "Bank of America's commitment to providing emergency needs, especially in the form of nutritious meals, is not only meeting basic needs, but it is also keeping seniors healthy during a time of uncertainty."

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) said its researchers have begun studying the effects of the coronavirus on veterans with dementia in nursing communities, reports Connecting Vets . The National Institute on Aging allocated a $184,375 grant to the VA Center for Innovation in Long-term Services and Supports, which will help researchers seek risk factors for the virus in veterans, determine outcomes of intensive care use, and examine how the virus spreads throughout a nursing community. The VA said this information will be used to better protect veterans with dementia. The department also said each VA Community Living Center typically includes eight to 12 veterans, with some shared spaces. Those communities are currently using social distancing and monitoring temperatures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. "Veterans in our Community Living Centers are among our most vulnerable patients," declared VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. "They're counting on us to understand how this virus spreads and how it affects certain populations in these centers, and this timely grant will help us get there."