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WEDNESDAY, Oct. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Most older adults want to spend their final days in the peace of their own home, but new research finds that Black Americans are far more likely to fall short of that goal.Why? Because Black adults are much more likely than white adults to develop the kind of disability that will preclude them from being able to age in place.The finding stems from a new survey that gathered information between January and February of 2022 from nearly 2,300 Americans aged 50 to 80.“We found that almost one-third of our survey participants reported that they had a disability,” said study lead author Sheria Robinson-Lane. She is an assistant professor in the department of systems, populations and leadership with the University of Michigan's School of...

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Raging wildfires, droughts, floods and record-breaking heat brought on by climate change are taking a toll on kids’ already fragile mental health.This is the main message from a new report by the American Psychological Association and the climate advocacy organization ecoAmerica. These effects may start before kids are born and worsen with age, and are on top of other known stressors such as COVID-19, war and gun violence. What’s more, certain groups of children are even more hard-hit by the mental health effects of climate change due to poverty, racism, disability and other factors. Climate change affects mental health directly and indirectly, said report co-author Christie Manning, of Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn. She is the...

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Renting a home, rather than owning it outright, may speed up the body's aging process, a new study suggests.Researchers found that when compared with people who owned their home outright (no mortgage), those who rented showed signs of faster "biological aging" — which meant their body cells and tissues were a bit "older."On average, the impact was equivalent to just a small fraction of a year of aging. Even so, the study found, that was greater than the effects of being unemployed or being a former smoker.In addition, the link was specifically seen among people who rented privately — not those in public housing.While that might seem puzzling, the researchers said it makes sense: At least in the United Kingdom, where the study was...

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A medication already approved for excessive daytime sleepiness may help ease attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in adults who aren’t getting relief from available treatments, according to a small pilot study.Solriamfetol is a nonstimulant drug that is approved for sleepiness caused by narcolepsy (sudden sleep attacks) and obstructive sleep apnea (marked by breathing lapses during sleep). “The pilot study is very promising, but more research is needed before this medication can be recommended or approved for adults with ADHD,” said study author Dr. Craig Surman. He is the director of the clinical and research program for adult ADHD at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of psychiatry at...