Use Brain Health to Start the Alcohol Conversation
Nathaniel Chin, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology; Associate Program Director, UW Health Memory Clinic; Medical Director, Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Study; Medical Director, Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention Study; Medical Director, ADRC Consortium for Clarity in ADRD Research Through Imaging (CLARiTI), University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
Disclosure: Nathaniel Chin, MD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:Serve(d) as a consultant or advisor for: New Amsterdam Pharma Inc (1-day advisory panel, July 2023); Eli Lilly Inc (2-day advisory panel, January 2025)
Serve(d) as a volunteer board member for: Medical and Scientific Board, Wisconsin Alzheimer's Association; Alzheimer's Foundation of America
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
24 minutes ago
- New York Times
Chargers' Jim Harbaugh says he had hip replacement, heart procedure during offseason
Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said he had successful hip replacement surgery and a cardiac ablation during the offseason. 'Now the doctors can't find anything wrong with me,' Harbaugh said at Tuesday's minicamp. 'Got an 'A' grade.' Harbaugh's health update comes after he exited a Week 6 game against the Denver Broncos last year while dealing with atrial flutter, a type of arrhythmia. The 61-year-old left in the first quarter and initially entered Los Angeles' medical tent before heading to the locker room for treatment, which included an IV and an EKG. He returned to the sideline in the first quarter and coached the remainder of the game. Advertisement After the Chargers' 23-16 win over the Broncos, Harbaugh said it was his third atrial flutter episode. He had one in 1999 as a player and another while coaching for the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. Harbaugh said he received an ablation to treat each of those two episodes. A cardiac ablation is a procedure that 'uses heat or cold energy to create tiny scars in the heart,' according to the Mayo Clinic. Those scars 'block faulty heart signals and restore a typical heartbeat.' Harbaugh saw a cardiologist after the Broncos game. The coach had to wear a heart monitor for two weeks and was placed on medication. This offseason, Harbaugh also underwent a hip replacement after walking with a significant limp for years. He did not provide any additional details on the procedure at minicamp Tuesday and said 'everything's good' when asked about his offseason health updates.
Associated Press
30 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Should you let your pets sleep on the bed? Does it even matter what the experts say?
It turns out, our furry best friend might be our sleep enemy. Lots of pet owners let their animals sleep on their bed, which usually disrupts sleep. But many would say it's worth it. And researchers don't necessarily disagree. Melissa Milanak, a professor at Medical University of South Carolina specializing in sleep health, said most people at her clinic say their pets disturb them often at night. 'You can't say that hands down, it's bad for every single person, but there is a lot out there saying it negatively impacts your sleep,' she said. Generally speaking, having a pet is good for many people's health. Pets have been shown to lower their humans' stress levels, get them to exercise and more. Many pet owners also say they feel an immeasurable amount of comfort by having their pets close as they sleep. But dogs' and cats' natural sleep cycles aren't the same as those of humans. Dogs tend to be light sleepers and wake up multiple times at night. Some display instinctual behavior like scratching at bedding, which can prevent deeper phases of sleep even if it doesn't wake you up. As many cat owners know, 'the zoomies' often happen before they are ready to get out of bed. Cats evolved to hunt in low light, meaning they are particularly active at dusk and dawn. Milanak also said allergens such as pet dander and microbes brought into the house can affect owners' breathing, preventing them from getting enough deep sleep. Brian Chin, a professor of social and health psychology at Trinity College in Connecticut, said his research has found sleeping with pets was associated with poor sleep, 'particularly those dimensions of sleep quality and insomnia symptoms.' That's even accounting for the fact that pet owners may be less inclined to report problems in a survey because they don't believe their beloved pets cause problems. 'I hate to even admit that my cat disrupts my sleep at all,' said Chin, who has one cat that keeps him awake and another that leaves him alone. Moreover, a higher number of pets was associated with higher sleep disruption, he said. What should you do about it? It's not as simple as telling pet owners that they shouldn't share the bed, Milanak said. For a lot of people, it becomes part of their sleep routine, which makes it difficult to sleep without it because they have come to associate pets with sleep. Because the topic is sensitive, Milanak asks new patients several questions before getting to whether they sleep with a pet. If they're waking up multiple times a night, for example, they may not realize why. Once the association is made, she then asks whether they are open to not sleeping together. 'It's like if I said to somebody, you need to stop smoking,' she said. 'They're going to give me all the reasons why they want to continue smoking.' The first, most obvious solution is putting a dog bed on the floor in the bedroom, or locking the cat out of the room at night. For those who insist on having the pet in bed with them, she advises washing the sheets more frequently and perhaps adjusting their sleep schedule to match their pet's routine. 'Maybe you need to go to bed earlier so you can get up earlier to accommodate the pet,' she said. If it ain't broke, don't fix it Despite any problems, many pet owners feel that the bonding and emotional benefits outweigh minor sleep disruption. Angela Wilson, who lives in Cobb County, Georgia, said she has bought a series of ever-more plush beds for her golden retriever, Sadie. But Sadie jumps into her bed anyway. Then they usually sleep peacefully back to back. 'People complain about their dogs waking them up, but she doesn't wake me up,' Wilson said. 'She's very gentle.' EDITOR'S NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about wellness, food and travel. Find his work at
Associated Press
30 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Women's tennis adds ranking protection for fertility procedures such as egg or embryo freezing
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Professional tennis players who take time off from competition for a fertility procedure such as egg or embryo freezing will have their ranking protected under a WTA Tour policy announced Wednesday. This follows the introduction in March of paid maternity leave and grants for fertility protection measures in women's tennis. Under the new protected ranking rule covering absences for fertility procedures, players can use the special ranking to enter up to three tournaments. Players already were eligible for ranking protection while pregnant or other ways of becoming a parent. 'For any woman, the conversation of family life versus a career is nuanced and complex,' 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens said in a statement released by the tour. 'The WTA has now created a safe space for players to explore options and to make the best decisions for themselves.' ___ More AP tennis:
