Finding solutions for aging challenges
Find out about the work being done at the AGE-WELL Summer Institute at UPEI to help solve some of the challenges of aging.
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Globe and Mail
12 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Morning Update: Sunscreen skepticism goes viral
Good morning. The TikTok generation is trading sunblock for sunburns, using apps to optimize their summer glow — more on that below, along with the one-year anniversary of Jasper's wildfire and Ozzy Osbourne's musical legacy. But first: The kids are tanning again. They're frying themselves to a Paris Hilton Y2K crisp. They're speeding along the entire process with gels that are basically Vaseline and lotions that are literally beer. (The Cleveland Clinic actually stepped in to warn about the perils of 'beer tanning.') They're using apps with names like Rayz and Beam to track peak UV hours, so they can hustle outside and sharpen their tan lines by laying in the sun. Then they're showing off their handiwork on social media, where the hashtag 'tanlines' has appeared in more than 236 million TikTok posts. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, 70 per cent of Gen Z report actively tanning. Half of them say they returned with a burn, a number that ticks up to 57 per cent in Canada. And while the pursuit of a sun-baked complexion is at least a century old – back when Josephine Baker launched her own tanning oil and Coco Chanel said 'a golden tan is the index of chic' – this generation appears to be worryingly unaware of the risks. Maybe the beer tanning tipped you off: 28 per cent of 18- to 26-year-olds say they don't believe suntans cause skin cancer. And 68 per cent admit they often forgo sunscreen. Real quick: Scientists estimate that exposure to UV radiation is associated with 80 to 90 per cent of all skin cancers. That includes melanoma, which is its most fatal form. Sunscreen isn't a silver bullet – flat-out sun avoidance and sun-protective clothing are the best ways to keep your skin safe. Still, study after study after study have shown that regular sunscreen use reduces your risk of developing skin cancer. But that message doesn't tend to accompany those #tanlines Tiktoks. Timothy Caulfield, a professor of health law and science policy at the University of Alberta, told The Globe that what's playing out on social media instead is nothing short of an 'anti-sunscreen movement.' He chalks that up to the power of online influencers such as American podcaster Joe Rogan, who has floated the idea that sunscreen can damage the brain. (It can't.) Wellness bro Andrew Huberman said on his show that the chemicals in sunscreen may be endocrine disruptors. (They're not.) Trad-couple influencers Nara and Lucky Blue Smith whipped up their own sunscreen from coconut oil and shea butter. The process – which you really should not try at home – has been viewed on TikTok nearly 22 million times. To the most bullish sunscreen truthers, the sun is all-natural and SPF is synthetic, peddled by Big Pharma to keep you sick. It's an easy theory that fits tidily into the whole Make America Healthy Again movement, where measles are treated with cod liver oil, not vaccines, and milk is best when it's raw, not pasteurized, and bone marrow is a daily menu staple. Sometimes, MAHA worlds collide: A brand called Primally Pure is now hawking a sunscreen alternative made from beef tallow. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – who sports a serious bronze himself – posted last year that the war on sunshine (and anything else that 'can't be patented by Pharma') was about to end. It's all having an impact on young adults. The Orlando Health Cancer Institute found that 14 per cent of them felt it was more harmful to wear sunscreen every day than to go without. Nearly 30 per cent of Gen Z said getting a tan was more important than preventing skin cancer anyway. In his inaugural address last January, U.S. President Donald Trump – another tanning enthusiast – promised to usher in a new golden age. This might not exactly be the hue he was aiming for, but it's looking increasingly like the one he'll get. One year ago, a 50-metre-high wildfire overtook Jasper, displacing the entire town and destroying at least a third of its buildings. Read more here about the long road to recovery – and how residents are working to rebuild their community. At home: A cybersecurity breach at the $4-billion hedge fund manager Waratah, which handles money for wealthy Canadians, may have exposed names, social insurance numbers and account sizes. Abroad: U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson sent lawmakers home early for the summer to avoid a vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files. Music: Just weeks after playing the final Black Sabbath concert, heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76. Sports: Canadian soccer phenom Olivia Smith is the first female player to fetch a £1-million transfer fee after signing with Arsenal of England's Women's Super League. Pop: It was a banner second quarter for Coca-Cola, which beat profit estimates and is about to put cane sugar back in its drinks.
Globe and Mail
12 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
As anti-sunscreen misinformation spreads online, skin cancer advocates say beware
Kelly Johnston's skin cancer journey began more than a decade ago, after a biopsy revealed that a red, scaly scab above her left eyebrow was basal cell carcinoma. Since then, she's had other cancerous spots appear elsewhere on her body, including on her back. In 2022, Ms. Johnston received more serious news: She had melanoma, considered the most fatal form of skin cancer, on her left inner thigh. Her melanoma was caught early and removed by her doctor, thanks to check-ins and screenings, which are, and will continue to be, part of her life as a skin cancer patient. Ms. Johnston is part of a growing group of Canadians – including dermatologists and representatives for cancer organizations – who are speaking up about the dangers of ultraviolet radiation from sun exposure and artificial sources, as well as rising rates of skin cancer. Doctors turn to social media to help patients where they're at: online in a sea of misinformation This push for awareness is taking place at a time when physicians say misinformation about sunscreen is spreading online, including debunked theories positing that the products are toxic. Some posts on TikTok and Instagram claim that certain sunscreen ingredients, specifically oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate, are linked to cancer. Melanoma Canada says this is not supported by evidence. The growth of online medical misinformation is considered a major public health problem because it undermines scientific research and contributes to negative health outcomes. In the case of sunscreen, dermatologists warn about dangerous and even fatal consequences linked to people turning away from its use. They say sunscreen offers critical protection from ultraviolet, or UV, exposure. Ms. Johnston is concerned about what she's seeing play out on social media about sunscreen. This is coupled, she said, with how the platforms generate social pressures to look a certain way. 'Skin cancer, the risk of melanoma – this is serious stuff that is just not worth sitting in the sun or in a tanning bed for,' said Ms. Johnston, who is a 38-year-old content creator and model based in Owen Sound, Ont. 'You're naturally beautiful the way you are.' The Canadian Cancer Society estimated that last year, 11,300 Canadians would be diagnosed with melanoma and 1,300 others would die because of it. Of those diagnosed, the society projected 6,500 would be men, and 4,800 would be women. The World Health Organization says 85 per cent of melanomas that present in patients over the age of 30 are attributed to UV exposure. It also says tanning beds are a public health issue that account for about half a million new cancer diagnoses every year in the U.S., Europe and Australia. Falyn Katz, the CEO of Melanoma Canada, said that the cancer can affect anyone, regardless of age, sex or race. Sunscreen and sun safety is important for everyone, she added. 'Why would we not take the opportunity to prevent a potentially deadly cancer?' she said. Ms. Katz warns online misinformation about sunscreen is both worrying and dangerous. Some influencers, she said, are trying to teach people how to make their own sunscreen, without any of the medical background and knowledge required to do so. She encouraged seeking information about sun protection from reputable sources. For instance, all sunscreens available for sale on shelves, including at pharmacies, must be evaluated and approved by Health Canada. The Canadian Medical Association and other health organizations have also highlighted their concerns about the uptick in medical misinformation being widely shared on social media platforms. Timothy Caulfield, who is the research director at the Health Law Institute, and a professor in the faculty of law and school of public health at the University of Alberta, studies this space. He said what is playing out is nothing short of an 'anti-sunscreen movement.' This misinformation, he added, is creating real harm. Prof. Caulfield pointed to the sway of online influencers, including American podcaster Joe Rogan, as a big factor. Mr. Rogan's show has explored questions on whether sunscreen can harm the brain. Inside the testosterone-fuelled, regimented and expensive world of longevity influencers Meanwhile, there is robust evidence that sunscreen is effective and that most melanomas are caused by exposure to the sun, Prof. Caulfield said. At the same time, data shows younger people are less inclined to use sunscreen, which he sees as a direct result of the misinformation about it, as well as about the sun. In May, a study led by McGill University found Canadians are spending more time in the sun, but using less sun protection. It also found young adults were much more likely to get sunburned and use tanning beds than older adults. For Ms. Johnston, cancer has upended her pursuit of a golden glow. While she still seeks a bronzed look, it comes from self-tanner now, instead. 'Unsafe UV exposure, it catches up with you,' she said. 1. Look for apparel with UV protection: This can include clothing such as shorts, shirts, bathing suits and hats, from a variety of different brands. 2. Cover up as much skin as possible; consider long sleeves and a broad-brimmed hat. 3. Plan to do activities such as outdoor exercise or yardwork outside of peak UV hours, which are between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. 4. Try to sit in the shade if you are outside. 5. Don't forget sunscreen. SPF 50 or above is recommended. Apply the product 20 minutes before swimming and reapply it every two hours or more.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
A crisis foretold: 3 decades of warnings on N.B.'s aging population
Social Sharing The nursing home wait-list crisis hitting some of New Brunswick's biggest hospitals this summer may be setting new records, but it should not come as a surprise. Governments have known for decades the province's population was aging, and they would have to cope with an ever-growing number of seniors needing care. "We're well behind the eight ball and we're trying to play catch up," Premier Susan Holt acknowledged at a recent news conference. As early as 1991, a report warned that the province had to get serious about in-home care services. The report, Enhancing Seniors' Independence: Building for the Future, drafted under Frank McKenna's Liberal government, projected the seniors' share of the population soaring from nine per cent in 1976 to a then-staggering 13.1 per cent by 2006. Last year, they made up 22.9 per cent. Without a policy shift, "inappropriate admissions" to hospitals and nursing homes would fill up available beds — a costly option compared to home care, according to the 34-year-old report. WATCH | 'There is no political will': 3 decades of warnings: A nursing home wait-list crisis that everyone saw coming 1 hour ago Government reports dating back more than 30 years warned that an aging New Brunswick population required a shift to more home care. Both parties have known for the last 20 to 30 years that this tsunami was coming," said Florence Parks, a 76-year-old Saint John resident and former nursing home employee who contacted CBC News this week. "Nobody did anything about it." Holt lamented at her July 17 news conference "a history of not moving quickly enough to transform how we deliver care in New Brunswick. And so we have a perfect storm." Earlier in the week, Horizon issued a public plea for the province to grant "critical state admission prioritization status" for more than 650 hospital patients who did not need acute care but were waiting for placement in a long-term care facility such as a nursing home. "It causes emergency department wait times to grow longer. It forces care to be delivered in hallways, dining areas, lounges, and other makeshift spaces — conditions that are far from ideal for patients, families, and staff," CEO Margaret Melanson said. Holt's government agreed to the measure for 30 days. The premier said the estimates of how many people need care in nursing homes and special-care homes "has increased and increased and increased" faster than the creation of beds in such facilities — despite the trend being well-known for a long time. "We live in an aging society and with that brings different challenges," Progressive Conservative premier Bernard Lord said during the 2006 election campaign. "Seniors need more senior care." He was visiting the construction site of a nursing home outside Saint John, a project that had been delayed multiple times. He said the new home would "ease some of the pressure from what is often called bed-blockers" in New Brunswick hospitals. But Lord didn't promise any additional new nursing homes in that campaign. Nor did the leader who defeated him, Liberal Shawn Graham. "Home care has to come first and foremost, but will they fix it?" said Cecile Cassista, executive director of the Coalition for Seniors and Nursing Home Residents' Rights. "I've been saying that for 20 years: 'You need to fix it.' And they're not fixing it." "There's no political will. If there was, they'd do it. They make lots of promises during elections. But there is no will to fix the issue. They know there's an issue, but they only jump on it when there's a crisis." Last week, Holt blamed the Progressive Conservative government of Blaine Higgs for not moving fast enough on primary care to head off the pressure facing hospitals this summer. And home care "hasn't really had any attention over the last number of years," she said. The 1991 McKenna government report forecasting an aging population and calling for more home care, was the first of many. But leaders often focused their promises elsewhere. In 2006, Lord and Graham sparred over who would do more, and who would move faster, to exempt seniors' assets from the calculation of what they pay toward nursing home costs — in other words, to put a larger share of the expense on taxpayers. A subsequent report by the province's auditor-general concluded such policy changes contributed to huge increases to the waiting list for nursing home care. Population of seniors is over 196,000 A 2008 Graham government report on senior care, "Be Independent. Longer," also called for expanded home care. That report underestimated how much the population was aging, projecting that 188,300 New Brunswickers would be 65 years old or older by 2026. But Statistics Canada estimated last year the number was already above 196,000. In 2012, PC premier David Alward said the potential cost of caring for a larger and larger cohort of seniors kept him awake at night. Alward commissioned a report that called for New Brunswickers to "fundamentally change the way they view aging and the role of older adults." A 2017 report for the Liberal government of Brian Gallant also warned of an aging population. It called for more provincial support for home care programs, which it said was in "a sorry stage." At that time, Horizon hospitals were looking after an average of 466 alternative-level-of-care patients — people who could have been in nursing homes or special care homes. The number increased to 480 in 2018-19, dipped for three years during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was pushing 500 in 2022-23. It surpassed 600 this year. One government attempted bold action during that time: the PC government of Blaine Higgs launched a reform in 2019 eliminate night-time emergency care at six small hospitals and turn them into alternative-level-of-care facilities with a total of 120 beds. But the ER reductions were so unpopular, Higgs backed down within days. Expansion of Nursing Homes Without Walls program Last week, when the Holt government agreed to Horizon's request to put alternative-level-of-care patients at the top of the nursing home wait list, it was unable to say how many people might actually be transferred. On Monday, the province agreed to a similar request from the Vitalité Health Network for the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst. The Liberals hope an expansion of the Nursing Homes Without Walls program, put in place by Higgs, will make it easier for some seniors to remain in their homes — and make more beds available for transfers from hospitals. The program provides some nursing home-style services to seniors living in their own homes. "We're starting to see some of that work snowball a bit, but there's a lot more to be done," Holt said. She also acknowledged that the performance target she set for nursing homes in her state of the province speech in January may seem underwhelming. The goal is to keep the provincial waiting list exactly where it was at the time — 1,088 patients — until 2028. Given the growing number of seniors in need of care, even that isn't easy, Holt said. "The current demographic projections would see the number of people waiting in hospitals and waiting at home for those beds going up exponentially," she said. "And so for us, it was the the best we believed we could do was reduce that exponential increase, such that we were maintaining the list as is." That's not a great forecast for hospital administrators, but Holt said other initiatives, such as improvements to primary care, should ease the pressure further. And after more than three decades of warnings, simply preventing the problem from getting worse would represent a grim achievement.
