Reducing the risk of cognitive decline or dementia

Eating a Poor Diet:

“You already know a nutritional, well-balanced diet is essential to your heart and weight. But food’s benefits for the brain are sometimes overlooked. ‘The brain needs healthy fats, lean proteins, vitamins and minerals to function properly,’ says Howard Fillit, MD, founding executive director and chief scientist of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and the ADDF’s Cognitive Vitality Program. Also, research shows that people who have a diet high in saturated fats are more likely to develop dementia. The best nutrition you can give your brain is a diet full of fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Replace butter with healthy fats, such as olive oil, and limit your intake of red meat, instead opting for other lean protein sources including chicken and fish…

Ignoring Chronic Illness:

“Untreated hypertension and diabetes are two of the greatest risk factors for dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease, explains Dr. Fillit. ‘Diabetics have up to 73 percent increased risk of dementia and a an even higher risk of developing vascular dementia than non-diabetics,’ he says. ‘Having hypertension in middle age also increases the risk of both Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.’ For both diseases, managing them with medication, diet and exercise can lower dementia risk significantly. To manage—or ideally, avoid—chronic illness, be sure to keep up with your doctor’s appointments. ‘Patients who visit doctors are less likely to get dementia, as high blood pressure, diabetes and hypertension all can be modified when they’re under a physician’s surveillance,’ says Clifford Segil, DO, neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.

Drinking Alcohol in Excess:

‘Hitting the bottle too hard can increase your risk for many health issues, including high blood pressure, stroke, liver disease, in addition to dementia. ‘Drinking too much can make people’s brains atrophy or get pickled, causing early onset memory loss,’ says Dr. Segil. ‘Multiple studies have shown a correlation between prolonged alcohol use and cognitive complaints.’ In addition, years of drinking alcohol can cause rare forms or memory loss that lead to confusion, known as Wenicke-Korsakoff syndrome. It is safe for your health to drink in moderation—one drink a day for women and two for men. In fact, doing so (especially red wine) may be good for your brain health, as the flavonoids in red wine are linked to a lowered risk of dementia in older people.

Smoking:

‘Cigarettes and cigarette smoke contain more than 4,700 chemical compounds, including some that are highly toxic, says Dr. Fillit. In addition, studies have shown that people who smoke are at higher risk of developing all types of dementia, and a much higher risk (up to 79 percent) for Alzheimer’s disease, specifically. The good news is that former smokers have a much lower dementia risk than current smokers, so the sooner you quit the better…

Living a Sedentary Lifestyle:

“More than a million cases of Alzheimer’s disease in the United States can been attributed to a lack of exercise, and yet nearly one-third of Americans remain physically inactive. ‘Strong research shows that exercise benefits the brain and can reduce your risk of falls, age-related diseases and even death,’ says Dr. Fillit. When exercise is pumping oxygen and blood to your heart and muscles, your brain is benefitting too. The World Health Organization recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity (or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity) aerobic exercise every week, which equates to working out 30 minutes a day around five times a week.

Lack of Mental Stimulation:

“Just as it’s important to exercise your body, it’s equally important to exercise your mind. Spending too much time glued to your couch, passively cycling through your Netflix queue instead of actively engaging your brain may increase your risk for dementia. ‘Research suggests that keeping the brain active seems to increase its vitality and may build its reserves of brain cells and connections,’ Heather Snyder, senior director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer’s Association, says. Tapping these benefits is easy, too: ‘Complete a jigsaw or crossword puzzle, play games which require strategic thinking like chess or bridge or take a class online or at your local community college,’ Synder suggests…

Being a Loner:

“Last year, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital published a study finding an association between feeling of loneliness and social isolation and build-up of beta-amyloid—a protein in the brain linked to Alzheimer’s. ‘This corresponds to earlier research that lonely people had double the risk of Alzheimer’s than their more social peers,’ says Dr. Fillit. Even if you’re more of an introvert and enjoy your alone time, try to put more effort into pursuing social activities, for example joining a book club, volunteering at an animal shelter or participating in community sports…

Not Getting Enough Sleep:

“Dr. Fillit points to research linking sleep problems—such as insomnia and sleep apnea—with an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease. ‘In addition, a recent study estimates that 15 percent of Alzheimer’s disease cases may be attributable to sleep problems.’ Other recent research published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia involving nearly 7,500 women found that averaging less than six hours a night of sleep raised risk of dementia by 36 percent. To lower your risk, Dr. Fillit suggests establishing a bedtime routine, maintaining a regular sleep schedule and treating sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea. It’s also a good idea not to exercise or eat within two to three hours before bedtime, as both can impair sleep.

Getting Too Much Sleep:

“It’s natural for sleep patterns to change as you age. For example, parents caring for a newborn baby might average three to four hours, while a 60-something who recently retired might be able to manage nine a night. In the same study of 7,500 women, the researchers found that sleeping more than eight hours a night increased risk of dementia by 35 percent. Using certain types of sleep aids to get enough sleep may also be a problem: ‘I often see patients with insomnia or other sleeping problems resolving their issues with medications,’ says Dr. Segil. ‘One type of sleeping pill often used is Benadryl, which is an antihistamine. These medications decrease the same chemicals in the brain that one family of Alzheimer’s medications is designed to increase.’ Talk with your doctor and make sure if you’re going to take sleeping pills other behavioral things have been tried like improving your sleep hygiene.”

Nine every day habits that seriously up your risk of dementia by Jenn Sinrich

“More than a Million Teachers Don’t Have Social Security” by Cory Turner

“Teachers have staged protests in recent weeks in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Colorado and Arizona. Some are fighting lawmakers who want to scale back their pensions. It's no secret that many states have badly underfunded their teacher pension plans for decades and now find themselves drowning in debt. But this pensions fight is also complicated by one little-known fact:

“More than a million teachers don't have Social Security to fall back on. To understand why, we need to go back to Aug. 14, 1935. That is when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the original Social Security Act. ‘This Social Security measure gives at least some protection to at least 50 million of our citizens,’ Roosevelt intoned.

“But of those 50 million citizens, one big group was left out: state and local workers. That was because of constitutional concerns over whether the federal government could tax state and local governments, says Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. ‘So, in the 1950s,’ Munnell says, ‘there were amendments added to the Social Security Act that allowed governments to enroll their workers.’

“And many did, leading the Social Security Administration to trumpet in one 1952 promotional film that ‘most American families are now able to ensure for themselves an income that is guaranteed for life.’ Most American families ... except for a lot of teachers, says Chad Aldeman, editor of TeacherPensions.org. ‘Fifteen states do not offer all of their teachers Social Security coverage,’ Aldeman says, ‘and that means about 40 percent of the workforce is not covered.’

“Forty percent of all teachers. That's more than a million educators, in Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas.

“Now, these teachers aren't benefit-less. The law requires that states that opt out of Social Security give teachers a pension that is at least as generous. ‘On the whole, teachers who don't get Social Security aren't necessarily disadvantaged if they work a full career and get a full pension,’ says Andrew Biggs, who studies retirement issues at the American Enterprise Institute.

But there are still risks, Biggs says. For one, many teachers don't spend a full career in the classroom, and some states' pension plans take a decade before teachers see any real benefit. ‘You know, in theory, you could work for 10 years as a schoolteacher, come out with very little on the pension end, but also not have earned any credits toward getting any Social Security benefits,’ Biggs says.

“In other words: 10 years of work with little retirement savings to show for it. There is another big risk for teachers who don't get Social Security — even the ones who spend a lifetime in the classroom. Many states that long ago opted out of Social Security have also underfunded their pension plans, badly. ‘We're kind of worried now,’ says Munnell of Boston College. ‘In some places, they're actually going to run out of money.’  

“Pension experts say this is a real conundrum in many places right now: how to fund pension systems that have been starved for decades without giving teachers a retirement plan that is not as secure as Social Security…” (Why More than a Million Teachers Can’t Use Social Security, NPR). 

Commentary:

Another injustice is the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset.  Click here for more information: WEP/GPO. 

The Original "Ladies Man": Easter Sunday 1955

Robert Mueller's 448-Page Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election

"Attorney General William Barr delivered a redacted version of the Mueller report to Congress and posted the special counsel's findings online Thursday morning, April 18. The document's publication followed a Justice Department press conference that critics and Democratic lawmakers denounced as an effort to spin Mueller's findings and protect President Donald Trump" (Common Dreams).

Read Mueller's report (pdf)

Notre Dame Cathedral

Black Hole

“Scientists have obtained the first image of a black hole, using Event Horizon Telescope observations of the center of the galaxy M87. The image shows a bright ring formed as light bends in the intense gravity around a black hole that is 6.5 billion times more massive than the Sun.”

Suspected rhino poacher is killed by an elephant and then eaten by lions in South Africa (by Livvy Doherty)

(CNN) Only a skull and a pair of trousers remained after a suspected rhino poacher was killed by an elephant and then eaten by lions in Kruger National Park, South African National Parks said.

The incident happened after the man entered the park with four others to target rhinos, according to a parks service statement released Friday.

His family were notified of his death late Tuesday by his fellow poachers, and a search party led by Kruger's regional manager, Don English, set out to recover the body. Rangers scoured on foot and police flew over the area, but due to failing light, it could not be found.

The search resumed Thursday morning and, with the help of added field rangers, what was left of his body was discovered.

"Indications found at the scene suggested that a pride of lions had devoured the remains leaving only a human skull and a pair of pants," the statement said.

Glenn Phillips, the managing executive of Kruger National Park, extended his condolences to the man's family.

"Entering Kruger National Park illegally and on foot is not wise, it holds many dangers and this incident is evidence of that," he warned. "It is very sad to see the daughters of the deceased mourning the loss of their father, and worse still, only being able to recover very little of his remains."

The four individuals who joined the illegal hunt were arrested Wednesday by the South African Police Service, and officers continue to investigate what happened.

The African rhino is targeted for its horn because of the belief among some who practice Eastern medicine that the horn has benefits as an aphrodisiac, making it more valuable than cocaine in parts of the world.

Of special concern is the black rhino, which is considered critically endangered after its population tumbled from about 65,000 to 1970 to 2,400 in 1995, according to Kruger National Park. 

Conservation efforts have since boosted their numbers, and the world's remaining 5,000 or so black rhinos live predominantly in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Zimbabwe.

In 2016, there were between 349 and 465 black rhinos living at Kruger and between 6,600 and 7,800 white rhinos, who also suffer from poaching, South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs said.

Kruger is considered an intensive protection zone, and the government employs a range of resources to deter poaching, including aircraft, dogs, special rangers and an environmental crime investigation unit.

Of the 680 poaching and trafficking arrests made in 2016 by South Africa Police Services, 417 were in and around Kruger, the department said. In September, the department announced that six men -- including two syndicate leaders, two police officers and a former police officer -- had been arrested for trafficking in rhino horns.

CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report.