Jan–Mar 2022 • Vol LXI • No. 3 7 Health News Health News Cataract Extraction Reduces the Risk of Dementia in Older Adults To address the conflicting results of the association between cataract extraction and dementia, data from an ongoing, population-based Adult Change in Thought (ACT) study were analyzed by a group of researchers at the University of Washington (Seattle, WA, USA). The analyses included patients older than 65 years from the ACT study, diagnosed with cataract or glaucoma, with apolipoprotein E genotype data, and no history of dementia. The patients were evaluated biennially for all-cause dementia and probable or possible Alzheimer’s disease dementia and scored with the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument. The findings confirmed that in the participants who underwent cataract extraction, the risk of all-cause dementia was significantly lower than that in participants who did not undergo cataract surgery (P < .001). However, no correlation was found between glaucoma surgery and lowered risk of dementia. Thus, cataract surgery might have clinical relevance in older adults who are at a risk of developing dementia.1 Nutritional Choices Can Influence the Mental Wellbeing of School-Going Children A new study published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health investigated the role of nutritional intake on the mental health of school-going children. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted in 5- to 13-year-old children about their home situation, adverse experiences, health and well-being, consumption of fruits and vegetables, and meal type consumed (eg, conventional breakfast, packed lunch, and energy drinks and energy bars). The mental well-being score, assessed using the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and the Stirling Children’s Wellbeing Scale, was 46.6 and 46.0 in the secondary and primary school children, respectively. Only 25.2% of the secondary school children and 28.5% of the primary school children reported consuming the recommended 5-a-day fruits and vegetables, while 21.1% and 11.4% of the secondary school children reported not consuming breakfast and lunch, respectively. Mental well-being was found to be strongly associated with the consumption of fruits and vegetables and the type of breakfast and lunch.3 A Three-Minute Exposure to Sunlight Can Restore Color Vision According to a study published in Scientific Reports, a single exposure of the aging retina to sunlight of long wavelength (650–900 nm), for 3 minutes, can partially restore color vision for a week. The dominant eye of healthy participants (34–70 y; both sexes), with normal color vision, was exposed to light of 670 nm wavelength, for 3 minutes, either in the morning (between 8 and 9 AM) or noon (between 12 and 1 PM). The color contrast sensitivity was measured using the Chroma Test, either 3 hours after exposure or 1 week later, and the threshold was determined. The results suggested that a single, 3-minute morning exposure of the eyes to sunlight can improve cone cells’ photoreceptor function in aged individuals for up to a week. A population-level adoption of this technique can minimize the problems associated with reduced vision and significantly improve the quality of life in adults.2 Exposure to Low Temperature and Humidity Can Increase the Incidence of Acute Myocardial Infarction An observational study published in Scientific Reports evaluated the association between the weather (temperature and humidity) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) hospitalization in the elderly. Data pertaining to temperature and humidity and diagnosis of AMI requiring hospitalization were collected from the Japanese registry of all cardiac and vascular diseases database. Data were analyzed for the number of AMI cases that required hospitalization per day based on the seasonal changes in the average weather temperature and humidity and patient demographics using the multilevel mixed-effects linear regression models. Findings showed that, independent of the age and sex factors, the number of AMI hospitalizations was pronounced during autumn and spring because of the varying temperature and humidity. Therefore, protection of the elderly from low temperature and humidity can be effective in the prevention of AMI.4 References 1. Lee CS, et al. JAMA Intern Med. December 6, 2021 (doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.6990). 2. Shinhmar H, et al. Sci Rep. 2021;11:22872. 3. Hayhoe R, et al. BMJ Nutr Prev Health. October 28, 2021 (doi: 10.1136/bmjnph-2020-000205). 4. Higuma T, et al. Sci Rep. 2021;11:22832.
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