PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Risk of death for people with dementia increases after a hurricane exposure

2023-03-13
(Press-News.org) Previous studies of hurricanes have shown general increases in mortality but little has been known about how mortality following hurricane exposure may differ among older adults living with dementia. 

 

Their increased risk could be due to disruption of normal routine, such as access to caregiving, changes in living environment, loss in access to medications, and change in daily routines, said study first author Sue Anne Bell, assistant professor at the U-M School of Nursing.

 

The analysis focused on risk for mortality among people with dementia, rather than actual increases in mortality. The findings don't give a precise number of deaths due to hurricane effects. 

 

Bell and colleagues examined counties in U.S. states affected by Hurricanes Irma, Harvey and Florence in the year before and after the storm. There were 54,340 deaths among the study population of 346,171. 

 

Key findings include:

 

Risk of mortality was highest in those aged 85 and older, with a 9% increase in  risk of death compared to adults over 85 without dementia.   Older adults who are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid had an 11% increased risk for mortality.  Among people with dementia who moved a year after the storm, the risks for mortality remained whether they moved or not. The percentage of mortality attributed to exposure among people with dementia ranged from 10.9% for Harvey to 6.2% for Irma.  Mortality peaked 3-6 months after hurricanes Irma and Harvey, suggesting the increase in mortality was due to factors other than the immediate harms of the storm, such as lack of health care access and changes in normal routines.  

Why the impact on dementia patients matters

 

The Population Reference Bureau estimates that more than 7 million people aged 65 or older had dementia in 2020, Bell said. If current demographic and health trends continue, more than 9 million Americans could have dementia by 2030 and nearly 12 million by 2040. As climate change worsens, disasters will increase along with the numbers of people with dementia.

 

"The important message is that older adults with dementia have unique needs, most notably that during a disaster, they are almost entirely dependent on caregivers due to their lack of awareness of the crisis," Bell said. "I think if anything, there is new attention to the needs of older adults during a disaster, and this study is one of an emerging body of evidence that is working to better support the needs of older adults before, during and after disasters.

 

Next steps in disaster research and dementia

 

"There is so much more that needs to be studied here that could help inform us about being ready for disasters," Bell said. "Studying how caregivers have prepared, whether people evacuated, what type of response capabilities their community had––would potentially influence the impact of the disaster on this group of older adults." 

 

Bell hopes these findings raise awareness about the special needs of people living with dementia during disasters and call for an integrated approach to preparedness and response that includes local, state and federal responders, healthcare regulators, and policy makers. 

 

Study: Mortality After Exposure to a Hurricane Among Older Adults Living With Dementia 


 

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Cherenkov color imaging shows promise in enhancing radiation therapy effectiveness

Cherenkov color imaging shows promise in enhancing radiation therapy effectiveness
2023-03-13
Cherenkov imaging is a valuable cancer treatment tool that can help doctors track and monitor radiation doses received by tissues during cancer therapy in real time. This imaging technique works by detecting Cherenkov radiation, which is emitted by tissues exposed to high-energy radiation, such as X-rays or electron beams from a linear accelerator. As high-energy charged particles from the incident radiation pass through biological tissue, either as primary or secondary radiation, they interact with the electromagnetic fields of the atoms and molecules in the tissue. These soft collision-type interactions ...

Abnormal biomarkers associated with obesity are identified in very young Latino children, study finds

2023-03-13
In the United States, low-income, Latino youth are disproportionately affected by obesity with 25.8% of Latino youth aged 2-19 considered to have obesity, which is approximately two times more likely when compared to their non-Latino white counterparts. A higher level of obesity results in an increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases, which are a group of related diseases caused by an unhealthy lifestyle and/or an increased genetic predisposition. A new study by Allison McKay, RDN, department manager for the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, identified elevated insulin, hemoglobin A1C, triglycerides, and other cardiometabolic ...

People should have right to shape marine environmental decisions

People should have right to shape marine environmental decisions
2023-03-13
Government and political institutions should do more to make citizens feel empowered within marine environment decisions and give them the right to participate, new research shows. Marine Citizenship is the term used for people who get involved in changing how humans use the ocean. It has been investigated as a potential policy tool to engage the public in marine environmental issues through a new study by the University of Exeter and the University of Bristol Law School. Despite efforts to tackle human causes such as overfishing, marine litter, microplastics, pollution, ocean acidity, global warming and climate change, there ...

New targets for CAR-T cell therapy against acute myeloid leukemia through AI-assisted analysis

2023-03-13
Unlike other forms of blood cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cannot currently be treated with CAR-T cell immunotherapy. The reason is that specific molecular targets with which certain immune cells could specifically target AML cells are lacking, which would permit the immune system to attack cancer. Two research teams of Professor Dr. Sebastian Kobold with Dr. Adrian Gottschlich from the Division of Clinical Pharmacology at LMU University Hospital Munich and Dr. Carsten Marr with Moritz Thomas from the Institute of AI for Health at Helmholtz Munich have now ...

The fat tax: Long-term, systemic antibiotic use for the treatment of adolescent acne can promote fat accumulation

The fat tax: Long-term, systemic antibiotic use for the treatment of adolescent acne can promote fat accumulation
2023-03-13
A growing body of evidence is showing that the healthy gut microbiome – a community of microorganisms that live together in the gut – influences many aspects of human growth and development, especially during adolescence. While there are many physiologic changes during this time, one of the most outward facing, and sometimes distressing, is the development of acne. Most individuals treat their acne with topical therapies; however, around 25% of adolescents require systemic antibiotics, such as minocycline, to help to alleviate symptoms and clear up the skin. These systemic antibiotic ...

Insilico Medicine brings AI-powered “ChatPandaGPT” to its target discovery platform

Insilico Medicine brings AI-powered “ChatPandaGPT”  to its target discovery platform
2023-03-13
Insilico Medicine, a clinical-stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-powered drug discovery company, has integrated advanced AI chat functionality based on recent advances in large language models into its PandaOmics platform. The new feature, “ChatPandaGPT,” enables researchers to have natural language conversations with the platform and efficiently navigate and analyze large datasets, facilitating the discovery of potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers in a more efficient manner. Insilico Medicine is the first biotech company to implement chat functionality using large language models into its AI drug ...

Oncotarget | Selective protection of normal cells from chemotherapy, while killing drug-resistant cancer cells

Oncotarget | Selective protection of normal cells from chemotherapy, while killing drug-resistant cancer cells
2023-03-13
“Selective protection of normal cells may transform therapy of cancer.”  BUFFALO, NY- March 13, 2023 – A new review paper was published in Oncotarget's Volume 14 on March 11, 2023, entitled, “Selective protection of normal cells from chemotherapy, while killing drug-resistant cancer cells.” Cancer therapy is limited by toxicity in normal cells and drug-resistance in cancer cells. In his latest review, Mikhail V. Blagosklonny, M.D., Ph.D., from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center discusses the theory that cancer resistance to certain therapies can be exploited ...

Agriculture needs fresh approach to tackle insect resistance to biopesticides, new analysis finds

Agriculture needs fresh approach to tackle insect resistance to biopesticides, new analysis finds
2023-03-13
Insect pests which attack crops have extraordinary powers to develop resistance to greener pesticides and a new way to manage resistance risks is needed, according to analysis by University of Stirling scientists. For more than 70 years, agriculture’s response to pesticide resistance has been to seek new pesticides in an endless race to keep up with evolving pests. Researchers now propose a new way to step off this treadmill as farmers embrace the ongoing green revolution in pest control by switching to biopesticides derived from natural organisms. The evolution of resistance to biopesticides - a crucial tool in ...

Racial health inequality in prostate cancer associated with facility-level disparities

2023-03-13
Racial minorities in the United States are less likely to receive treatment for prostate cancer and, overall, have worse survival outcomes compared to individuals who are white. Typically, patient-level and physician-level factors have been used to explain the racial and socioeconomic differences in prostate cancer disparities. However, a new study led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, investigated the role of facilities themselves ...

Scientists develop new concepts about the shape and dynamic nature of molecules

2023-03-13
-With pictures- Scientists have demonstrated in a new study that carbon-based molecules can be much more dynamic than previously thought. When a carbon atom forms four bonds to different groups, the molecule can exist in two mirror image forms. These mirror image forms are vital in medicine because they have different biological activities. Usually, it is impossible to interconvert between these ‘enantiomers’ because to do so would require a bond to be broken, a process that needs too much energy. The researchers ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Editorial urges deeper focus on heart-lung interactions in pulmonary vascular disease

Five University of Tennessee faculty receive Fulbright Awards

5 advances to protect water sources, availability

OU Scholar awarded Fulbright for Soviet cinema research

Brain might become target of new type 1 diabetes treatments

‘Shore Wars:’ New research aims to resolve coastal conflict between oysters and mangroves, aiding restoration efforts

Why do symptoms linger in some people after an infection? A conversation on post-acute infection syndromes

Study reveals hidden drivers of asthma flare-ups in children

Physicists decode mysterious membrane behavior

New insights about brain receptor may pave way for next-gen mental health drugs

Melanoma ‘sat-nav’ discovery could help curb metastasis

When immune commanders misfire: new insights into rheumatoid arthritis inflammation

SFU researchers develop a new tool that brings blender-like lighting control to any photograph

Pups in tow, Yellowstone-area wolves trek long distances to stay near prey

AI breakthrough unlocks 'new' materials to replace lithium-ion batteries

Making molecules make sense: A regional explanation method reveals structure–property relationships

Partisan hostility, not just policy, drives U.S. protests

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: August 1, 2025

Young human blood serum factors show potential to rejuvenate skin through bone marrow

Large language models reshape the future of task planning

Narrower coverage of MS drugs tied to higher relapse risk

Researchers harness AI-powered protein design to enhance T-cell based immunotherapies

Smartphone engagement during school hours among US youths

Online reviews of health care facilities

MS may begin far earlier than previously thought

New AI tool learns to read medical images with far less data

Announcing XPRIZE Healthspan as Tier 5 Sponsor of ARDD 2025

Announcing Immortal Dragons as Tier 4 Sponsor of ARDD 2025

Reporting guideline for chatbot health advice studies

Announcing Mitra Bio as Tier 3 Sponsor of ARDD 2025

[Press-News.org] Risk of death for people with dementia increases after a hurricane exposure