Visit The Boston Globe Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Comment on this Scroll to top of page By Susan Moeller December 11, 2018 ON A WARM DAY last spring, I stop by my friend’s house to meet her for a walk. I knock on the door. A strange woman answers. My brain is momentarily stumped, but I soldier on.“Oh, I’m just here to meet Sara,” I say. “She doesn’t live here anymore,” the woman says, dryly. “I’m the new owner.” Advertisement Suddenly the proverbial light bulb clicks on and I remember my neighbor had, indeed, moved months earlier to a nearby condo that I had actually visited. I mumble an apology, back down the front stoop, and set off for her correct address. And, like everyone over 60 who has these senior moments, I feel a surge of momentary panic that this lapse isn’t just distraction or forgetfulness, but a sure sign of dementia. Get Today's Headlines in your inbox: The day's top … [Read more...] about Why you shouldn’t be afraid of your aging brain
Graduate school of public health
Racial discrimination linked to higher risk of chronic illness in black women in new study
Drew Costley Published 1:55 pm PDT, Thursday, October 11, 2018 A protester marches through stopped cars while in the Alameda-Oakland tunnel during a "Millions March" demonstration in Oakland protesting the killing of unarmed black men by police in this Dec. 13, 2014 photo. A new study out of UC Berkeley found that less-educated black women who report high levels of racial discrimination may face higher risk of developing chronic diseases. less A protester marches through stopped cars while in the Alameda-Oakland tunnel during a "Millions March" demonstration in Oakland protesting the killing of unarmed black men by police in this Dec. 13, 2014 ... more Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images Click through the slideshow to see the racial incidents that have made national headlines recently. Click through the slideshow to see the racial incidents that have made national headlines recently. … [Read more...] about Racial discrimination linked to higher risk of chronic illness in black women in new study
Juul: Why a trendy e-cig is causing a social – and public health – commotion
The photo above is used with permission from vaping360.com/juul/juul-vapor-review.• • •The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched a campaign to discourage e-cigarette vaping. While it targeted all e-cigarette vaping, the campaign makes a powerful visual reference to Juul, a device that can be recharged in a computer USB drive and has been reported to be gaining popularity among youth, even though Juul Labs created it for adults who want to stop smoking. The HHS campaign depicts seemingly emotionless teenagers with USB ports where their mouths should be. The campaign is part of a long, successful history of fear-based campaigns that have effectively “denormalized” smoking. But, in the case of Juul, is it a new public health threat? Or is it a disruptive technology that threatens to make combustible tobacco products, which kill half of all smokers, obsolete? In short, could it help or hurt public health? HARM REDUCTION OR … [Read more...] about Juul: Why a trendy e-cig is causing a social – and public health – commotion
Philadelphia’s health lags most big cities in America
A new resource available online is providing a look at the relative state of Philadelphia's health – and the diagnosis could be better. The City Health Dashboard, which is making available community-level health, social and economic data by zip code, allows comparison of individual cities to a 500-city average of the largest U.S. cities. For example, the dashboard for Philadelphia shows that:• Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 15 or more days of class per school year, is much higher in Philadelphia public schools – 31.3 percent than the 500-city average 17.1 percent. • Nearly 37 percent of city children live in poverty, a figure 1.5 times greater than the 500-city average of 23.6 percent. • Violent crimes, including murder, aggravated assault, robbery and forcible rape, numbered 995.8 offenses per 100,000 population, while the national average was 511.2 offenses. • The number of deaths due to opioid overdose was 32.5 per 100,000 of population, … [Read more...] about Philadelphia’s health lags most big cities in America
2018 DC-area college graduation: Dates, times and locations
WASHINGTON — For college seniors and their loved ones, graduation marks the first page of an exciting new chapter. For the rest of the D.C. area, it can trigger migraine-level traffic headaches. Festivities are getting underway this weekend for several schools around the area — Howard, University, American University, Catholic University and the University of D.C. Graduates from Georgetown University, George Mason University, George Washington University and the University of Maryland walk the following weekend. Here’s a roundup of dates, times and locations for graduation events that may impact traffic. American University(Complete information is available on the American website.) Baccalaureate service (Kay Spiritual Life Center): Friday May 11, 4 p.m. School of Communication commencement ceremony (Bender Arena): Saturday May 12, 9 a.m. Kogod School of Business commencement ceremony (Bender Arena): Saturday May 12, 1:30 p.m. School of International Service … [Read more...] about 2018 DC-area college graduation: Dates, times and locations