Wellnews by Scott LaFee

When it comes to cognitive function, middle age is the new old.

At least, that's sort of the conclusion of a study published in the British Medical Journal that found that mental abilities begin to decline around the age of 45, not in the 60s as previously assumed.

The researchers tested the cognitive abilities of 7,390 British civil servants, men and women. Over the next 10 years, the group was tested twice more. The scientists found that for those participants who were between the ages of 45 and 49, mental cognition declined 3.6 percent. The decline was greater for people in their 50s and 60s, particularly men.

The decline wasn't dramatic or life-changing, but the results suggest that efforts to head off mental problems probably need to begin earlier in life. That means reducing risk for behaviors and conditions known to impact cognitive function, directly or indirectly, such as keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels low.

The study authors cautioned folks not to take the news too much to heart. It's a matter of how you think about it. Cognitive function naturally declines with age, but it doesn't have to be fast or dramatic if you take care of your brain as well as your body.

 

BODY OF KNOWLEDGE

On average, your body gives off enough heat in half an hour to boil a half-a-gallon of water.

 

GET ME THAT. STAT!

Massachusetts has the best healthcare coverage, with just 5 percent of the state's population lacking insurance, according to the United Health Foundation. The national average is 16.2 percent. California ranks 45th among states, with 19.2 percent of its population uninsured. Texas ranks 50th, with fully one-quarter of its population uninsured.

 

NUMBER CRUNCHER

A cup of sunflower seeds, including edible hulls (46 grams) contains 269 calories, 213 from fat. It has 23.7 grams of total fat or 36 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

It also contains zero cholesterol; 4 milligrams of sodium (less than 1 percent); 9.2 grams of total carbohydrates (3 percent); 4 g of fiber (16 percent); 1.2 grams of sugar and 9.6 g of protein.

 

STORIES FOR THE WAITING ROOM

Most folks want to get in and out of a hospital emergency room as quickly as possible.

Not a 44-year-old Florida man who recently refused to depart the Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute's emergency room after being treated and discharged for an undisclosed condition.

The man adamantly insisted upon remaining at the hospital until served a meal.

When local police were finally summoned, the man behaved offensively. (We'll spare the details, but it involves bathroom behavior.) When the man said he needed a ride, officers directed him to a pay phone in the ER lobby, where he promptly and repeatedly dialed 9-1-1 to request transportation to a mental health facility. Ultimately, he got a ride — to jail, where he presumably also was finally served a meal.

 

DOC TALK

Eating in — intravenous feeding

 

PHOBIA OF THE WEEK

Acerophobia — fear of sourness

 

NEVER SAY DIET

The world's speed-eating record for grilled cheese sandwiches is 47 in 10 minutes, held by Joey Chestnut.

 

BEST MEDICINE

Be kind to dentists. They have fillings, too.

 

OBSERVATION

"Did God who gave us flowers and trees, also provide the allergies?"

— American songwriter E.Y. Harburg (1896-1981)

 

LAST WORDS

"Mother, I'm going to get my things and get out of this house. Father hates me, and I'm never coming back."

— American singer Marvin Gaye (1939-1984), moments before his father, Marvin Gaye Sr., fatally shot him after his son has intervened in a parental argument over misplaced business documents. Ironically, the gun used had been given by Gaye to his father as a gift. The elder Gaye pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to five years' probation. He died of pneumonia in 1998.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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