Mid-life crises ‘early warning signs of Alzheimer’s in old age’
WOMEN who go through a mid-life crisis increase their risk of dementia later in life, according to a study.
Researchers found British women who had greater personal growth and selfesteem when they were 52 were more likely to have better cognitive function 17 years later.
Findings were based on around 700 female baby boomers born in the UK just after the Second World War.
Lead author of the subsequent report, Dr Miharu Nakanishi, of Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, said more attention should be paid to people’s state of mind decades before Alzheimer’s symptoms usually emerge.
“Midlife is a critical period for dementia-related brain changes and psycho-social crises,” she said.
Earlier this year a report by the Global Council on Brain
Health found feelings of hopelessness and pessimism may interfere with the ability to think and reason as we get older.
Now the latest findings, published in the Journal Of Alzheimer’s Disease, could lead to new initiatives that focus on psychological wellbeing.
Established recommendations to increase self-esteem include visiting friends or family, doing things you enjoy, staying active, eating healthily, volunteering and relaxing.
BRITAIN has fewer doctors and nurses, spends less on healthcare and offers patients less time with their GP than other high-income countries, a damning report reveals.
The NHS has “pockets of good performance” but the quality of care appears to be “slipping”, experts warned.
They compared the UK health system with those of nine other countries, including France, Germany, Australia and the US. Britain spent the least on its health service in 2017, at £2,972 per person compared with an average of £4,422.
Although the UK shared a similar population of over 65s, it also spent slightly less than average on long term care, with a greater proportion of funding for care in old age coming from private sources.
When it came to doctors, the UK lagged behind with just 2.8 for every 1,000 people, compared to an average of 3.5. And a staggering 92 per cent of UK GPs said they spent less than 15 minutes with a patient during a routine appointment, compared to an average of 38 per cent.
Experts from London School of Economics and Harvard School of Public Health used data from previous studies including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, to look at key areas of health.
Countries studied also included Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.
The UK had slightly below average life expectancy at 81.3 years compared with an average of 81.7.
It also had the lowest survival rates for breast and colon cancer, and the second lowest survival rates for rectal and cervical cancer.