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New study suggests shingles vaccine may lower dementia risk

A groundbreaking new study suggests that getting vaccinated against shingles could offer protection against dementia, adding to the growing evidence linking viral infections to cognitive decline. Shingles is a painful and debilitating condition that occurs in individuals who have previously had chickenpox. The varicella-zoster virus, responsible for both diseases, can lie dormant for years before reactivating as shingles. The latest research, published recently in Nature, analysed data from over 280,000 older adults in Wales. The findings reveal that individuals who received the original live-virus shingles vaccine were 20% less likely to develop dementia than those who were not vaccinated. The study was made possible by a unique public health policy in Wales, which provided an unusual opportunity to compare similar populations. On September 1, 2013, the vaccine was offered to individuals who were 79 years old on that date but not to those who had turned 80. This created two nearly identical groups, differing only in their eligibility for the vaccine, allowing researchers from Germany and Stanford University to examine its impact on dementia risk. “This study is essentially like a randomised controlled trial, which is the gold standard in research,” said Dr Pascal Geldsetzer, a Stanford University assistant professor of medicine and senior author of the study. Previous research has suggested an association between the newer Shingrix vaccine – which replaced the live-virus version in 2020 – and a lower risk of dementia, particularly in women. However, earlier studies were unable to fully account for differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, such as overall health status. Dr Allison Aiello, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Aging Centre, praised the design of the Welsh study. “It’s like having a control group compared to a treated group,” Aiello, who was not involved in the research, said. “The 20% reduction in dementia risk is a pretty strong effect, which aligns with other findings that suggest herpes viruses might influence dementia.” Scientists do not yet fully understand how the varicella-zoster virus increases dementia risk. One theory is that viral reactivation may contribute to the buildup of abnormal proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Another possibility is that shingles reactivation might also trigger herpes simplex virus (HSV), which has previously been linked to dementia. Herpes viruses, including HSV-1 and HSV-2, can linger in the body indefinitely, often reactivating when the immune system weakens with age. These viruses can infiltrate the central nervous system, potentially leading to brain inflammation and neurodegenerative effects. A 2024 study found that among 70-year-olds without dementia at the outset, those diagnosed with herpes simplex were more than twice as likely to develop dementia over 15 years. While the new study offers compelling evidence, it is not a definitive randomised controlled trial, cautioned Dr William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre. “It’s provocative, interesting and exciting,” he said. However, he noted that it would be unethical to randomly assign people to receive or forgo the vaccine. The US FDA may eventually review the accumulating research and consider updating the shingles vaccine label to reflect a possible dementia-protection benefit, Schaffner added. Even if such an update does not occur, doctors may use these findings to encourage more people over 50 to get vaccinated. “There are still many eligible people who haven’t received the vaccine,” Schaffner said. “If they hear that it might help prevent dementia, that could be the push they need.” Image: Supplied

Caring

Albanese calls May 3 election, with cost of living the central battleground

<div class="theconversation-article-body">Australians will go to the polls on May 3 for an election squarely centred on the cost of living. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Governor-General Sam Mostyn at Yarralumla first thing on Friday morning. Later he told an 8am news conference at parliament house the election choice was “between Labor’s plan to keep building or Peter Dutton’s plan to cut. "Only Labor has the plan to make you better off over the next three years,” he said. “Now is not the time for cutting and wrecking, punching down.” Less than a week after the federal budget and following an earlier delay caused by Cyclone Alfred, the formal campaign starts with government and opposition neck and neck and minority government considered a real possibility. But in recent days, the government has gained more momentum and Labor enters the campaign more confident than at the start of the year. The aggregated January-March quarterly Newspoll had the Coalition leading Labor 51-49%, but Albanese leading Peter Dutton as preferred PM 45% to 40%. A YouGov poll published March 21 had Labor and Coalition on 50-50. Polling only shows a snapshot of the present, and the campaign itself could be crucial to the election result. This is the fourth consecutive election launched off the back of a budget, with both sides this week bidding for voters’ support with big handouts. Labor pushed through legislation for its $17 billion tax cut, the first stage of which comes in mid next year. Opposition leader Peter Dutton in his budget reply promised a 12-month halving of excise on petrol and diesel and a gas reservation scheme. Labor goes <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/federal/2025/guide/pendulum">into the election</a> with 78 seats in the lower house, and the Coalition with 57 (counting the seats of two recent Liberal defectors). The large crossbench includes four Greens and half a dozen “teals”. With a majority being 76 seats in the new 150-seat parliament, the Coalition needs to win 19 seats for an outright majority. This would require a uniform swing of 5.3% (although swings are not uniform). A swing of less than 1% could take Labor into minority. The Coalition would need a swing of about 3.6% to end with more seats than the government. While all states are important if the result is close, Victoria and NSW are regarded as the crucial battlegrounds. If the Coalition won, it would be the first time that a first-term government had been defeated since 1931, during the great depression. Since the end of the second world war, while all first term governments have been reelected, each saw a two-party swing against them. One challenge for Albanese is that he has only a tiny majority, providing little buffer against a swing. The combined vote of the major parties will be something to watch, with the vote steadily declining from 85.47% of the vote just 19 years ago at the 2007 election, to only 68.28% at the 2022 election. Labor won the last election with a two-party vote of 52.13% to the Coalition’s 47.87%. As of December 31 2024, 17,939,818 Australians were enrolled to vote. The start of the formal campaign follows a long “faux” campaign in which both leaders have been travelling the length and breadth of the country non-stop, with the government making a series of major spending announcement but the opposition holding back on policy.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/250774/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <h2>Marginal seats based on the redistribution</h2> <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2025/03/Antony-Greens-ABC-Electoral-Pendulum.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="1535" /> * Seat with a sitting ALP member ** Seat with a sitting Liberal member *** Warringah MP Zali Steggall was elected before the 2022 ‘teals’, but is regarded as one of them. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/dat/news/elections/federal/2025/guide/FED2025_PostRedistPendulum.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Antony Green's ABC Electoral Pendulum</a> By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-grattan-20316">Michelle Grattan</a>, Professorial Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/albanese-calls-may-3-election-with-cost-of-living-the-central-battleground-250774">original article</a>. Images: <em style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box;">Image credits: LUKAS COCH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial <div class="footer-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"> </div> </div>

Legal

Thousands of Aussie women to benefit from cheaper medicine in May

A new treatment for a common painful condition, along with two other drugs, will soon become far more affordable, improving the lives of thousands of Australian women. The federal government announced on Sunday that, from May 1, about 8,500 Australian women are expected to benefit annually from the inclusion of Ryeqo on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The drug offers a new treatment option for endometriosis sufferers who experience moderate to severe pain and have not found relief through other hormonal treatments and painkillers. Endometriosis affects one in seven Australian women, with tissue similar to the womb’s lining growing elsewhere in the body, leading to severe pain and potential fertility issues. Symptoms can vary, often causing delays in diagnosis that average six and a half years, according to Endometriosis Australia. Additional subsidies will also reduce the costs of a progestogen-only contraceptive pill and an IVF hormone therapy. Women with low hormone levels will now have earlier access to Pergoveris for $32 per treatment cycle from their first IVF attempt, rather than waiting for multiple failed cycles. An unsubsidised cycle typically costs around $3,500. Adelaide mother Helana Shehadeh <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/thousands-of-australians-to-benefit-from-cheaper-medicine-c-18056149" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told 7News</a> that she used Pergoveris during her second IVF cycle in 2023, resulting in the birth of baby Zayn. She said that it's important to get early access to fertility treatments, adding that, “Anyone who has been through IVF understands the agony of multiple cycles. Earlier access to this fertility treatment will alleviate some of the burden for women undergoing IVF.” The announcement comes as Australia’s birth rate falls to a record low of 1.5 babies per woman. Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand president Petra Wale welcomed the move, highlighting the financial strain of assisted reproduction. “The cost of assisted reproduction remains a major barrier for many families, particularly amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Fewer financial and logistical hurdles mean more families can focus on what truly matters – having a baby,” she said. “Women have asked government to take their health care seriously," said Health Minister Mark Butler, "and we have listened. These listings could save women and their families thousands of dollars across their lifetimes.” Addressing criticism over delays in listing Ryeqo, Butler defended the government’s actions, stating that all recommendations had been handled “expeditiously”. He noted that in the previous nine years under the coalition government, “not a single new pill, not a single endometriosis treatment, not a single menopause treatment” was added to the PBS. The opposition, however, criticised the government for leaving women waiting more than a year for “potentially life-changing medications”. Opposition health spokeswoman Senator Anne Ruston reaffirmed the coalition’s commitment to timely PBS listings for all Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee-recommended medicines. Additionally, the cost of the contraceptive pill Slinda, used by about 80,000 women, will also be reduced under the PBS. The annual price will drop from approximately $320 to $94 for general patients and to $22 for concession card holders. Slinda, a progestogen-only pill, is particularly suitable for older women, smokers, women at increased risk of blood clots, and those who suffer from migraines. Image: Shutterstock

Caring

An artificial heart may save your life. But it can also change you in surprising ways

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> This week, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/12/australian-man-survives-100-days-with-artificial-heart-in-world-first-success">doctors announced</a> that an Australian man with severe heart failure had left hospital with an artificial heart that had kept him alive until he could receive a donor heart. The patient, a man from New South Wales in his 40s, was not the world’s first person to receive this type of artificial heart. However, he is <a href="https://www.svhs.org.au/newsroom/news/australia-first-total-artificial-heart-implant">said to be</a> the <a href="https://www.monash.edu/news/articles/australias-first-durable-total-artificial-heart-implant-announced-as-a-success">first with one to be discharged from hospital</a> to wait for a heart transplant, which he’s since had. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT This machine has enabled an Australian man with severe heart failure to be the first person in the world to leave hospital with an artificial heart transplant <a href="https://t.co/6S12mINwBm">pic.twitter.com/6S12mINwBm</a> — Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1899862954155126824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2025</a></blockquote> I am a philosopher and bioethicist. I <a href="https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/thesis/Phenomenology_and_Artificial_Hearts/22312204">completed my PhD</a> on artificial hearts – particularly how these implants can change people’s lives in profound ways. Here’s what patients and their families need to consider. <h2>What is an artificial heart?</h2> Artificial hearts began to be developed in the 1960s, sponsored by the United States government and funded in a similar way to space and military programs. In 1982, a man named <a href="https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/hero-or-victim-the-25th-anniversary-of-barney-clar">Barney Clark</a> received the Jarvik-7 total artificial heart. Doctors removed his failing biological heart and replaced it with a plastic and metal device to circulate blood to his lungs and around his body. He lived for 112 days before dying from multi-organ failure. He never left hospital. In the 1980s and 1990s, medical device companies began to develop alternatives to total artificial hearts. These partial artificial hearts, known as ventricular assist devices, help out a biological heart by supplementing or replacing one of its two pumping chambers. These are more straightforward and versatile than total artificial hearts, and can be used for earlier stages of heart failure. Not all artificial hearts generate a pulse. Artificial hearts with a pulse generally mimic the biological heart. They pump blood in the same way the heart beats, by filling with blood and squeezing to circulate blood in waves or pulses. But some devices continuously push blood around the body instead of pulsing. So with these continuous-flow devices neither the patient nor their health team can <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11906-017-0782-6">detect a pulse</a>. <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0003497524008749">In the US between 2014 and 2024</a>, almost 30,000 patients received continuous-flow ventricular assist devices. In the same period, more than 310 total artificial hearts were implanted. The total artificial hearts <a href="https://www.syncardia.com/syncardia-total-artificial-heart-stah.html">commercially</a> <a href="https://www.carmatsa.com/en/our_product/">available</a> today are licensed exclusively as bridging therapies – to keep people alive until a donor heart becomes available – rather than permanent implants. <h2>How about the device making news this week?</h2> The device in the news – the <a href="https://www.monash.edu/news/articles/australias-first-durable-total-artificial-heart-implant-announced-as-a-success">BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart</a> – was developed by a US-Australian collaboration. This device is innovative, mainly because it is the first continuous-flow device designed to replace the whole heart. Designers are also aiming for it to be the first total artificial heart suitable as a permanent transplant (known as destination therapy). A reliable, durable and responsive total artificial heart is, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-12/sydney-hospital-artificial-heart-implant-operation-success/105036154">in the words</a> of Paul Jansz, the surgeon who implanted the device, “the Holy Grail”. The BiVACOR’s clinical success so far gives us reason to be optimistic about an alternative to scarce donor hearts for responding to severe heart failure. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&rect=12%2C12%2C8231%2C5475&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&rect=12%2C12%2C8231%2C5475&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/655013/original/file-20250313-56-4w24qy.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Hand holding the BiVACOR artificial heart" /></a><figcaption>This device is designed to replace the whole heart, and for now, is licensed as a temporary implant, ahead of a heart transplant. BiVACOR TIQ</figcaption></figure> <h2>Transplants can change lives</h2> However, patients do not just resume their old lives when they leave hospital with an artificial heart. While the pumping component is inside their chest, there are also <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHW0ATvgFDu/?hl=en">external components</a> to manage and monitor. A thick tube perforates their abdomen and connects to an external controller unit and power supply, which the patient carries around in a bag. Controllers must be closely monitored, and batteries must be regularly recharged. My research showed that even a perfectly safe and reliable total artificial heart could transform patients’ lives in at least three major areas. 1. Is it part of me? Do I trust it? Patients must <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09638288.2020.1717648">trust, tolerate and receive sensory feedback about how the device is working</a> for it to feel like part of them. In the case of an artificial heart, this might mean the device feels responsive to exercise and the body’s needs. But it may be difficult for artificial hearts to meet these criteria, especially for devices that do not generate a pulse. Patients may also question whether their heart is located in their body, or in the controller unit. They may wonder if they even have a heart, particularly if they can’t feel a pulse. 2. Beeps and alarms An artificial heart also changes how patients live their lives and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11097-024-10050-7">navigate the world</a>. Interruptions from <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1049732317700853">loud device alarms</a> distract patients from their normal activities. And patients must switch between mains power and batteries when they <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0147956311002718">wake in the night and need to visit the toilet</a>. 3. Marking time Our hearts may be our <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurorobotics/articles/10.3389/fnbot.2014.00015/full">natural</a> <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0301051111000032">metronomes</a>, marking time. So removing someone’s heart rhythm can confuse their sense of time. The need for batteries to be recharged periodically can also reshape patients’ days. Waiting around for a transplant heart, or the latest software update, may change patients’ perspectives on what months and years feel like. <h2>We need to give patients the whole picture</h2> Artificial hearts are remarkable devices with great promise. But patients and families also deserve to know how these extraordinary treatments might change how they feel about themselves and the world. They need to know this before they sign up for them. Artificial hearts don’t just save lives – they also change them.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/252165/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/pat-mcconville-2344684">Pat McConville</a>, Lecturer in Ethics, Law, and Professionalism, School of Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/an-artificial-heart-may-save-your-life-but-it-can-also-change-you-in-surprising-ways-252165">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock </div>

Body

To keep your cool in a heatwave, it may help to water your trees

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gregory-moore-1779">Gregory Moore</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> <a href="https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/heatwave/">Heatwaves</a> are among the world’s <a href="https://wmo.int/topics/heatwave#:%7E:text=Impact,died%20from%20heat%2Drelated%20stress.">deadliest</a> weather hazards. Every year, vast numbers of people are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901114000999">killed by heat stress</a> and it can worsen health problems such as <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-heat-and-health">diabetes, asthma and heart disease</a>. Unfortunately, the bitumen roads, brick and concrete structures and roofing tiles in cities can absorb and retain vast amounts of heat, much of which is released after the sun has set. This creates what’s known as the <a href="https://www.climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au/impacts-climate-change/built-environment/urban-heat">urban heat island effect</a>. In fact, temperatures can be <a href="https://www.climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au/impacts-climate-change/built-environment/urban-heat#:%7E:text=and%20rural%20environments.-,In%20large%20cities%2C%20average%20temperatures%20can%20be%201%C2%B0C,parts%20experiencing%20even%20higher%20temperatures.">significantly higher in cities</a> than in <a href="https://greenly.earth/en-us/blog/ecology-news/6-key-things-to-know-about-urban-heat-islands">surrounding or rural areas</a>. Trees and greenspace can <a href="https://wwf.org.au/blogs/trees-lower-temperatures-in-a-sydney-street-by-20-degrees/">drive down urban temperatures</a> – but they must be able to draw water from the soil to achieve these massive cooling effects. In other words, it can sometimes be helpful to water your trees during a heatwave. <h2>How trees keep us cool (and no, it’s not just about shade)</h2> Trees reduce urban temperatures in two significant ways. One is by the shade they provides and the other is through their cooling effect – and no, they’re not the same thing. Water is taken up via a plant’s roots, moves through the stems or trunks and is then misted into the air from the leaves through little holes called stomata. This is called transpiration, and it helps cool the air around leaves. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/640861/original/file-20250107-15-dfepgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/640861/original/file-20250107-15-dfepgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/640861/original/file-20250107-15-dfepgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=615&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/640861/original/file-20250107-15-dfepgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=615&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/640861/original/file-20250107-15-dfepgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=615&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/640861/original/file-20250107-15-dfepgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=772&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/640861/original/file-20250107-15-dfepgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=772&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/640861/original/file-20250107-15-dfepgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=772&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A diagram shows how transpiration happens." /></a><figcaption>Transpiration helps cools the air around a plant’s leaves. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/transpiration-stages-plants-roots-absorb-water-1856372440">grayjay/Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> Water can also evaporate from soil and other surfaces. The combined loss of water from plants and soil is called evapotranspiration. The cooling effects of evapotranspiration vary but are up to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095311913605432#:%7E:text=Our%20literature%20review%20suggests%20that,ways%20of%20reducing%20urban%20temperatures">4°C</a>, depending on other environmental factors. <h2>Watering your trees</h2> If heatwaves occur in generally hot, dry weather, then trees will provide shade – but some may struggle with transpiration if the soil is too dry. This can reduce the cooling effect of trees. Keeping soil moist and plants irrigated, however, can change that. The best time to irrigate is early in the morning, as the water is less likely to evaporate quickly before transpiration can occur. You don’t need to do a deep water; most absorbing roots are close to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/here-are-5-practical-ways-trees-can-help-us-survive-climate-change-129753">surface</a>, so a bit of brief irrigation will often do the trick. You could also recycle water from your shower. Using mulch helps trap the water in the soil, giving the roots time to absorb it before it evaporates. All transpiring plants have a cooling effect on the air surrounding them, so you might wonder if trees have anything special to offer in terms of the urban heat island effect and heatwaves. Their great size means that they provide much larger areas of shade than other plants and if they are transpiring then there are greater cooling effects. The surface area of tree leaves, which is crucial to the evaporative cooling that takes place on their surfaces, is also much greater than many other plants. Another advantage is that trees can be very long lived. They <a href="https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/using-trees-and-vegetation-reduce-heat-islands">provide shade, cooling and other benefits</a> over a very long time and at relatively low cost. <h2>Not all trees</h2> All that said, I don’t want to overstate the role of urban trees in heatwaves when soils are dry. Some trees cease transpiring early as soils dry, but <a href="https://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/39/3/109">others will persist</a> until they wilt. Careful tree selection can help <a href="https://treenet.org/resource/it-isnt-rocket-science-street-trees-can-make-a-difference-in-climate-change/">maximise the cooling effects</a> of the urban forest. Trees that suit the local soil and can cope with some drying while maintaining transpiration can provide greater cooling And, of course, it is important to follow any <a href="https://www.water.vic.gov.au/for-households/water-restrictions-and-rules/permanent-water-saving-rules">water restriction</a> <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/environment-land-and-water/drought/water-restrictions">rules</a> or <a href="https://www.sydneywater.com.au/water-the-environment/what-we-are-doing/water-wise-guidelines.html">guidelines</a> that may be operating in your area at the time. <h2>Trees keep us cool</h2> Despite the clear benefits trees can provide in curbing heat, tree numbers and canopy cover are declining annually in many Australian cities and towns. Housing development still occurs without proper consideration of how trees and greenspace improve residents’ quality of life. It is not an either/or argument. With proper planning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/adelaide-is-losing-75-000-trees-a-year-tree-removal-laws-must-be-tightened-if-we-want-our-cities-to-be-liveable-and-green-216990">you can have both</a> new housing and good tree canopy cover. We should also be cautious of <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/trees-butchered-by-power-company-highlight-common-problem-its-sad-012952515.html?guccounter=1">over-pruning</a> urban trees. Trees cannot eliminate the effects of a heatwave but can mitigate some of them. Anything that we can do to mitigate the urban heat island effect and keep our cities and towns cooler will reduce heat-related illness and associated medical costs.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/246486/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gregory-moore-1779">Gregory Moore</a>, Senior Research Associate, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-keep-your-cool-in-a-heatwave-it-may-help-to-water-your-trees-246486">original article</a>. </div>

Home & Garden

Beloved Man About the House actor passes away

English actor Brian Murphy best known for his role as George Roper in Man About the House and its spinoff series George and Mildred has died aged 92. The star's agent confirmed he died on Sunday at his home in Kent, with his wife and actress, Linda Regan, by his side. "It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to announce the death of our client actor Brian Murphy," the actor's agent, Thomas Bowington, said in a statement to Deadline. "It is almost impossible to describe the depth of his talent and humanity. A truly joyful and profoundly good hearted man." Regan has since paid tribute to the actor, who she was married to for over 30 years, with an emotional message. "My love for you will never die. RIP sweetheart," she wrote to X, alongside a photo of them kissing. "I will love you forever darling, and all your wishes will be carried out as you wanted. My soulmate," she continued in a follow-up tweet. "I know we will meet again, until then I'll hold on to the love we shared for 35 years." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I will love you forever darling, and all your wishes will be carried out as you wanted. My soulmate. I know we will meet again, until then I’ll hold on to the love we shared for 35 years <a href="https://t.co/i8nNIkZYTc">https://t.co/i8nNIkZYTc</a> — Linda Regan (@Linda_Regan) <a href="https://twitter.com/Linda_Regan/status/1886769269150560670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2025</a></blockquote> 'Allo 'Allo! star Vicki Michelle also paid tribute to the actor, saying she was "so so sad" to hear of his death. "Great actor and Gorgeous friend, always fun. My heart goes out to Linda and family. Such a Wonderful couple." Murphy started out acting in theatre and tv in the '60s before being cast in the sitcom, Man About the House, in 1973. He rose to fame shortly after, starring alongside Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett in the sitcom which ran for six seasons. Murphy continued playing his character George in the spinoff series, George and Mildred, which ran for five seasons. He was also in films including The Booze Cruise, Sparrows Can't Sing and The Boy Friend. Image: Paul Grover/ Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Electrolyte beverages can help your body stay balanced − but may worsen symptoms if you’re sick

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bryn-beeder-2260643">Bryn Beeder</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/miami-university-1934">Miami University</a> For generations, <a href="https://performancepartner.gatorade.com/products">Gatorade</a> and similar electrolyte beverages have been helpful tools for athletes seeking a competitive edge. In 1965, <a href="https://explore.research.ufl.edu/historical-markers/gatorades-birthplace/">Dr. Robert Cade and a team of scientists</a> at the University of Florida College of Medicine created Gatorade to help their football players combat heat exhaustion and muscle cramps during long practices in extreme temperatures. The drink’s winning formula of water, sodium, potassium and sugar works effectively with the human body to keep users hydrated, refueling them with energy and optimizing muscle function. While I don’t work for or receive funding from Gatorade, <a href="https://miamioh.edu/profiles/ehs/bryn-beeder.html">as a registered dietitian and nutrition instructor</a>, I’ve watched how specific electrolyte beverages can be handpicked to boost hydration in hospitalized patients, student athletes and even myself. And while Gatorade was one of the first electrolyte beverages heavily marketed to consumers, its ingredient combination has paved the way for the creation of even more sport and electrolyte beverages on the grocery store shelves today. If you’re looking to gain a specific nutritional edge from a sports drink, you can seek out a registered dietitian for an individualized plan. Otherwise, if you’ve ever wondered what makes these colorful beverages a nutrition attraction, here’s a closer look at some key ingredients. <h2>The importance of hydration</h2> Whether people are athletes or not, the human body is constantly losing water through normal human functions such as sweating, urinating and even breathing. When water is lost, the body also excretes key electrolytes such as <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/salt/sodium-potassium-health/index.html">potassium and sodium</a>. These electrolytes are crucial for everything from heart function to muscle contractions. <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/21790-electrolytes">Electrolytes</a> get their “electro” name from having an electrical charge when dissolved in water. This charge allows them to work throughout the body in chemical reactions that maintain normal brain functioning, balance fluids inside and outside of body cells and even balance how acidic or alkaline your blood is. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l3VWb0mUS7Y?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Electrolytes can help you rehydrate after a workout by balancing fluids in our cells.</figcaption></figure> Major stress on the body can accelerate the <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9013-dehydration">dehydration process</a> – whether it’s intentional, like running a 5K, or unintentional, like getting a nasty stomach bug. If left unchecked, dehydration can cause more serious complications, such as fainting and irregular heartbeats. To prevent these complications, you need to replenish the fluids and electrolytes you’re losing. Stressful scenarios such as exercise and sickness are a perfect time to consider an electrolyte replacement drink. <h2>A closer look at Gatorade’s ingredients</h2> Water, the main ingredient in most sports drinks, <a href="https://www.eatright.org/health/essential-nutrients/water/how-much-water-do-you-need">hydrates you</a>. The human body is made up of <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body">approximately 60% water</a>, so to stay hydrated, it is important to listen to your body and drink water regularly. When the body’s water volume is decreased, it sends thirst signals to the brain. However, these signals often lag behind your hydration status. So, once you feel thirsty, your body is likely already slightly dehydrated. For a more accurate hydration assessment, check the <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-urine-color-means">color of your urine</a>. Darker yellow or golden urine? Grab some water. Pale yellow or clear urine? Keep up the good hydration. <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/21790-electrolytes">Sodium, another ingredient in Gatorade, attracts water</a>. When you are dehydrated, the body’s blood is more concentrated because less water is circulating overall. When you have a lower blood volume, your blood vessels don’t expand as much as they normally would – ultimately lowering blood pressure. If blood pressure drops too quickly due to dehydration, you might feel dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea or weakness. The good news is that sodium actively pulls water into the bloodstream. So during an intense workout or while dealing with a dehydrating illness, consuming a salty snack or sports beverage can help. <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/potassium">The potassium in Gatorade regulates muscle contractions</a>. This electrolyte is especially critical for regulating your heartbeat, and it also aids in normal skeletal muscle contractions. If the body lacks enough potassium, painful muscle cramps or dizziness can disrupt your workout or day. <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15416-carbohydrates">Sugar provides quick energy</a> and nutrient absorption power. A traditional Gatorade beverage contains glucose and dextrose, which are both known as simple sugars. A simple sugar is one that the body can quickly digest and absorb, with the goal of quickly increasing blood sugar. Strenuous aerobic exercise or strength training for longer than 60 minutes, performing activities in very hot or humid climates, or the physical strain of an unwelcome illness can all rev the body’s metabolism and quickly deplete <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/bloodglucose.html">blood glucose</a>. When glucose levels drop, you may experience fatigue, weakness, lightheadedness, nausea or difficulty concentrating. The nutrient combination found in Gatorade was designed with athletes in mind, but it is also sometimes discussed as a remedy to consider during an unpleasant bout of gastrointestinal illness. <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4108-diarrhea">Diarrhea</a> and <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/8106-nausea--vomiting">vomiting</a> are easy routes for electrolytes such as sodium and potassium to escape. Energy drinks’ combination of simple sugars, water and electrolytes may be one strategy to maintain hydration during a time when food and fluids are difficult to stomach. However, be cautious – many traditional sports drinks have a high sugar content aimed at refueling lost energy during a workout. When that same sugar content is introduced to an upset gastrointestinal tract, it can pull in extra water, leading to more diarrhea. If you find yourself in this situation, here are some other options to consider. Opt for a lower-sugar electrolyte beverage. Beverages to consider include Pedialyte or even a broth-based soup. Both will hydrate with minimal added sugar content. The human body is incredibly efficient at managing nutrients in the blood. In most cases, balanced meals and water consumption are enough to meet your daily nutrient needs. During intense physical exercise or an unexpected illness, however, the body may struggle to maintain its usual balance. If you notice unusual symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue or persistent thirst, your body will need attention. In specific cases of dehydration from exercise or illness, a sports drink like Gatorade can be a simple tool to help you bounce back to your best self.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243763/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bryn-beeder-2260643">Bryn Beeder</a>, Visiting Instructor in Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/miami-university-1934">Miami University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/electrolyte-beverages-can-help-your-body-stay-balanced-but-may-worsen-symptoms-if-youre-sick-243763">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Queen guitarist Brian May recovering from health scare

Sir Brian May's wife, Anita Dobson, has given an update on his health, following his minor stroke last September. The Queen guitarist, revealed that he had lost control over his arm after the minor stroke, with his wife saying that the health scare had reminded her that "life is precious". “Brian is stable now”, she told The Sun newspaper. “The start of the year has been up and down. We both had the flu but we took the kids to Lapland, 15 of them," the actress, who has been married to the musician for almost 25 years, added. She also said that he had "never been happier" since they had moved from London to the countryside. “To see what it has done to Brian... he loves it. He loves the birds and the animals”, she said. “He feeds all the birds and the badgers, foxes and pheasants. It’s like running a pub for animals.” In another social media post, Sir Brian had previously said the health scare had been “a little scary” but praised the “fantastic care” he received from Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. At the time he was "grounded" after being advised not to drive, fly or do any activity which would send his heart rate too high. Sir Brian and his family have since been “spending time at home” and “taking each day as it comes”. “It makes you realise that at any minute it could be you. You don’t have to necessarily be old, it could be anyone”, Dobson said. “You think you are fit; you see these people who run marathons and then at a young age they are gone. “You have to live every day as if it was your last. It’s not easy to do that. “You forget and think ‘I’ve got another week’ and it’s all booked up. "You have to be aware that life is precious, and with life changing so fast we are all on a bit of a thin thread, if you like.” Image: Maureen McLean/ Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Been drinking and your heart’s fluttering? You may have ‘holiday heart’

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/caleb-ferguson-72">Caleb Ferguson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sabine-allida-2236436">Sabine Allida</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> It’s the time of year for workplace Christmas parties, and gatherings with family and friends. Maybe you’ll drink a lot in one go. Then you feel your heart beating fast or irregularly. Maybe there’s a flutter in your chest or neck. Maybe you feel dizzy or short of breath. You may feel so concerned you go to the emergency department. After a few tests, you’re told you have “alcohol-induced atrial arrhythmia”. In plain English, that’s an irregular heartbeat brought on by excessive, or binge drinking. The condition is common at this time of year. That’s why it’s also called “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/000287037890296X">holiday heart</a>”. <h2>What is holiday heart?</h2> Every festive season, emergency departments see more people with <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/prehospital-and-disaster-medicine/article/impact-of-alcoholrelated-presentations-to-emergency-departments-on-days-with-a-public-holiday-or-sporting-event-a-retrospective-cohort-study/174603C0385FE6FCEBBAEA1A10DB25BD">alcohol-related issues</a> and <a href="https://www.heartlungcirc.org/article/S1443-9506(16)30583-2/pdf">irregular heart rhythms</a>. People often present with a fast or irregular heartbeats associated with binge drinking, overeating, dehydration and increased stress over the silly season – all contributing factors. We’ve known about holiday heart (or holiday heart syndrome) for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/000287037890296X">almost 50 years</a>. Back in the 1970s, it was described as an abnormal heart rhythm (or arrythmia) in healthy people without heart disease after binge drinking alcohol. Doctors often saw this after weekends and public holidays, including the festive season. But an abnormal heart rhythm related to alcohol <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405500X22009379#bib2">isn’t limited</a> to the holidays and weekends. We also see it in people who binge drink at any time of year, or in people who drink heavily over many years. <h2>What causes it? How is it diagnosed?</h2> Alcohol affects your <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5513687/">heart, blood vessels, blood</a> and nervous system in many ways. For instance, when alcohol disrupts your nervous system, it can lead to dehydration and inflammation. In turn, this can cause disruption to the heart’s electrical system, which can lead to an <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28867013/">irregular heartbeat</a>. People may go to hospital with heart flutters, chest pain, fainting or passing out (syncope) and shortness of breath (dyspnoea). But an irregular heartbeat can also occur without symptoms, and may only be discovered when investigating other health issues. If you have symptoms, go to your emergency department or GP. Health professionals will likely run some tests to diagnose heart-related rhythm problems. These include monitoring the heart’s rhythm using an ECG or electrocardiogram. This simple and non-invasive test involves attaching some electrodes to your chest, arms and legs to produce a graph of electrical signals from the heart. Clinicians are often interested in the “p wave”, which represents the electrical activation of the upper chambers of the heart. You may also have a blood test to look at your electrolyte levels (essential minerals in your blood). A blood test may also test for markers of clotting and inflammation, as well as kidney and liver function. <h2>Why are we concerned about it?</h2> The vast majority of people diagnosed with holiday heart will recover, especially if treated early or if they stop or limit drinking alcohol. However, some people will be diagnosed with <a href="https://theconversation.com/getting-to-the-heart-of-the-matter-on-stroke-7180">atrial fibrillation</a> – the <a href="https://www.heartlungcirc.org/article/S1443-9506(18)31778-5/fulltext">most common</a> heart rhythm disorder in Australian adults, affecting <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1443950617304845">1.4-5.5%</a> of the population. If so, this may require medicines to restore a regular heartbeat (known as <a href="https://www.svhhearthealth.com.au/procedures/procedures-treatments/cardioversion">cardioversion</a>), electrical cardioversion (using a defibrillator to apply an electric shock to the heart) or a procedure called <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/arrhythmia/prevention--treatment-of-arrhythmia/ablation-for-arrhythmias">cardiac ablation</a>. If atrial fibrillation is left untreated, there’s an increased risk of blood clots, stroke and a heart attack. <h2>How can you prevent it?</h2> There is no definitive number of drinks known to trigger holiday heart. So our best advice to prevent it is to avoid binge drinking. Australian <a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/health-advice/alcohol">guidelines</a> recommend women and men limit alcohol to no more than ten standard drinks a week and no more than four standard drinks on any one day. We’d also recommend drinking water between alcoholic drinks. This can help reduce the dehydrating effects of alcohol and reduce the risk of alcohol-induced heart rhythm complications. Then do your best to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2156587214543143">reduce stress</a>, keep up with exercise and eat a diet that’s <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/healthy-living/healthy-eating/heart-healthy-eating-pattern">good for your heart</a> – all general advice for looking after your heart, whether or not you’re drinking alcohol. Taking these steps will help reduce your risk of holiday heart and keep your heart healthy this festive season. <hr /> Information about alcohol and the heart is available from the <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/blog/alcohol-and-heart-health">Heart Foundation</a>. If your GP is closed over the holidays and you need health advice, call <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/">healthdirect</a> on 1800 022 222, <a href="https://www.health.vic.gov.au/primary-care/nurse-on-call">NURSE-ON-CALL</a> in Victoria on 1300 60 60 24 or <a href="https://www.qld.gov.au/health/contacts/advice/13health">13HEALTH</a> in Queensland on 13 43 25 84. In an emergency in Australia, call 000.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/241469/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/caleb-ferguson-72">Caleb Ferguson</a>, Professor of Nursing and Director of Health Innovations, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sabine-allida-2236436">Sabine Allida</a>, Research Fellow (Implementation Science), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/been-drinking-and-your-hearts-fluttering-you-may-have-holiday-heart-241469">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Hunt for shooter after healthcare executive fatally shot

Police are on the hunt for a gunman after one of America's top CEOs was fatally shot in New York. The shooter was lying in wait for Brian Thompson, who was shot in the back outside a hotel in Manhattan. Thompson was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare: part of America’s largest insurance company and the country’s fourth-largest company as ranked by revenue. The shooting happened on Wednesday morning when the company's annual investor conference was underway. The gunman fled the scene on foot before taking off on an electric bike through Central Park, with police still searching for the suspect. Thompson was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. “This does not appear to be a random act of violence,” New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. “Every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack.” UnitedHealth Group paid tribute to Thompson, saying he was a highly regarded friend and colleague. “We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time,” it said. “Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.” UnitedHealthcare is the largest US health insurer, providing benefits to tens of millions of people, who pay more for healthcare than in any other country. Image credits: United Health Group

Caring

New study suggests weight loss drugs like Ozempic could help with knee pain. Here’s why there may be a link

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/giovanni-e-ferreira-1030477">Giovanni E. Ferreira</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christina-abdel-shaheed-425241">Christina Abdel Shaheed</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> The drug semaglutide, commonly known by the brand names Ozempic or Wegovy, was <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-rise-of-ozempic-how-surprise-discoveries-and-lizard-venom-led-to-a-new-class-of-weight-loss-drugs-219721">originally developed</a> to help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. However, researchers have discovered it may help with other health issues, too. Clinical trials show semaglutide can be effective for <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183">weight loss</a>, and hundreds of thousands of people around the world are using it <a href="https://theconversation.com/considering-taking-a-weight-loss-drug-like-ozempic-here-are-some-potential-risks-and-benefits-219312">for this purpose</a>. Evidence has also shown the drug can help manage <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2306963">heart failure</a> and <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2403347">chronic kidney disease</a> in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Now, a study published in the <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2403664">New England Journal of Medicine</a> has suggested semaglutide can improve knee pain in people with obesity and osteoarthritis. So what did this study find, and how could semaglutide and osteoarthritis pain be linked? <h2>Osteoarthritis and obesity</h2> Osteoarthritis is a common joint disease, affecting <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-musculoskeletal-conditions/osteoarthritis">2.1 million Australians</a>. Most people with osteoarthritis <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-you-have-knee-pain-from-osteoarthritis-you-might-not-need-surgery-heres-what-to-try-instead-236779">have pain</a> and find it difficult to perform common daily activities such as walking. The knee is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37675071/">the joint most commonly affected</a> by osteoarthritis. Being overweight or obese is a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25447976/">major risk factor</a> for osteoarthritis in the knee. The link between the two conditions <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26821091/">is complex</a>. It involves a combination of increased load on the knee, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41413-023-00301-9">metabolic factors</a> such as high cholesterol and high blood sugar, and inflammation. For example, elevated blood sugar levels increase the production of inflammatory molecules in the body, which can damage the cartilage in the knee, and lead to the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30712918/">development of osteoarthritis</a>. Weight loss is strongly recommended to reduce the pain of knee osteoarthritis in people who are overweight or obese. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31908149/">International</a> and <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-08/osteoarthritis-knee-clinical-care-standard-2024.pdf">Australian guidelines</a> suggest losing as little as 5% of body weight can help. But losing weight with just diet and exercise can be difficult for many people. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26180980/">One study</a> from the United Kingdom found the annual probability of people with obesity losing 5% or more of their body weight was less than one in ten. Semaglutide has recently entered the market as a potential alternative route to weight loss. It comes from a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists and works by increasing a person’s sense of fullness. <h2>Semaglutide for osteoarthritis?</h2> The rationale for the <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2403664">recent study</a> was that while we know weight loss alleviates symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, the effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists was yet to be explored. So the researchers set out to understand what effect semaglutide might have on knee osteoarthritis pain, alongside body weight. They randomly allocated 407 people with obesity and moderate osteoarthritis into one of two groups. One group received semaglutide once a week, while the other group received a placebo. Both groups were treated for 68 weeks and received counselling on diet and physical activity. At the end of the treatment phase, researchers measured changes in knee pain, function, and body weight. As expected, those taking semaglutide lost more weight than those in the placebo group. People on semaglutide lost around 13% of their body weight on average, while those taking the placebo lost around 3% on average. More than 70% of people in the semaglutide group lost at least 10% of their body weight compared to just over 9% of people in the placebo group. The study found semaglutide reduced knee pain significantly more than the placebo. Participants who took semaglutide reported an additional 14-point reduction in pain on a 0–100 scale compared to the placebo group. This is much greater than the pain reduction in another <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36511925/">recent study</a> among people with obesity and knee osteoarthritis. This study investigated the effects of a diet and exercise program compared to an attention control (where participants are provided with information about nutrition and physical activity). The results here saw only a 3-point difference between the intervention group and the control group on the same scale. The amount of pain relief reported in the semaglutide trial is also larger than that reported with commonly used pain medicines such as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35442752/">anti-inflammatories</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35137418/">opioids</a> and <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.m4825">antidepressants</a>. Semaglutide also improved knee function compared to the placebo. For example, people who took semaglutide could walk about 42 meters further than those on the placebo in a six-minute walking test. <h2>How could semaglutide reduce knee pain?</h2> It’s not fully clear how semaglutide helps with knee pain from osteoarthritis. One explanation may be that when a person loses weight, there’s less stress on the joints, which reduces pain. But recent studies have also suggested semaglutide and other GLP-1 receptor agonists might have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661822002651">anti-inflammatory</a> properties, and could even protect against <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6731440/">cartilage wear and tear</a>. While the results of this new study are promising, it’s too soon to regard semaglutide as a “miracle drug” for knee osteoarthritis. And as this study was funded by the drug company that makes semaglutide, it will be important to have independent studies in the future, to confirm the findings, or not. The study also had strict criteria, excluding some groups, such as those taking opioids for knee pain. One in seven Australians seeing a GP for their knee osteoarthritis <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34527976/">are prescribed opioids</a>. Most participants in the trial were white (61%) and women (82%). This means the study may not fully represent the average person with knee osteoarthritis and obesity. It’s also important to consider semaglutide can have a range of <a href="https://theconversation.com/considering-taking-a-weight-loss-drug-like-ozempic-here-are-some-potential-risks-and-benefits-219312">side effects</a>, including gastrointestinal symptoms and fatigue. There are some concerns that semaglutide could reduce <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/experts-are-concerned-drugs-like-ozempic-may-cause-muscle-loss">muscle mass</a> and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/ozempic-muscle-mass-loss">bone density</a>, though we’re still learning more about this. Further, it can be difficult to access. <h2>I have knee osteoarthritis, what should I do?</h2> Osteoarthritis is a disease caused by multiple factors, and it’s important to take <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/standards/clinical-care-standards/osteoarthritis-knee-clinical-care-standard/information-consumers-osteoarthritis-knee-clinical-care-standard">a multifaceted approach</a> to managing it. Weight loss is an important component for those who are overweight or obese, but so are other aspects of <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-you-have-knee-pain-from-osteoarthritis-you-might-not-need-surgery-heres-what-to-try-instead-236779">self-management</a>. This might include physical activity, pacing strategies, and other positive lifestyle changes such as improving sleep, healthy eating, and so on.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243159/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/giovanni-e-ferreira-1030477">Giovanni E. Ferreira</a>, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christina-abdel-shaheed-425241">Christina Abdel Shaheed</a>, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Image credits: Shutterstocl This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-study-suggests-weight-loss-drugs-like-ozempic-could-help-with-knee-pain-heres-why-there-may-be-a-link-243159">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Having the ‘right’ friends may hold the secret to building wealth, according to new study on socioeconomic ties

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brad-cannon-2216202">Brad Cannon</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/binghamton-university-state-university-of-new-york-2252">Binghamton University, State University of New York</a> Having wealthy people in your social network significantly boosts the likelihood that you’ll participate in stock markets and savings plans, according to a new working paper I co-authored. My colleagues and I <a href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w32186/w32186.pdf">recently conducted research</a> on social finance to understand the ways in which social networks affect stock market participation and savings behavior. This is important because a substantial fraction of households in the U.S., particularly <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/18/percentage-americans-own-stock-market-investing">lower-income families, do not own stocks</a>. Given that the total return to the U.S. stock market from 1980 through September 2024 has been over 12,000% – for example, US$1,000 <a href="https://ofdollarsanddata.com/sp500-calculator/">invested in the S&P 500</a> in 1980 would be worth $121,350 today – this creates a disparity in wealth for those who participate relative to those who do not. Understanding why some people invest and others don’t is important for addressing social concerns such as rising inequality. In our study, we looked at <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ej/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ej/ueae074/7720537">social capital</a>, which is a measure of the value that comes from being in a group or having dense social networks. Researchers have found that social capital can have positive impacts on individuals and communities, spurring innovation, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04996-4">economic prosperity</a> and better health outcomes. We used friendship data from Facebook to measure different aspects of social networks by county in the U.S. We combined this data with tax information from the Internal Revenue Service about investments and savings. We found that in counties where friendships with prosperous individuals are more common, investment and savings tend to be higher. Moreover, we found that having these friendships with wealthy individuals plays a more important role in shaping financial behaviors than two other aspects of social capital we looked at in our study: having a tight group of friends and living in a community with strong civic engagement. Of course, making wealthy friends alone does not guarantee you’ll invest or save more. But perhaps knowing people who invest makes it less daunting and fraught, particularly if those friends can serve as a resource and sounding board. “Friends with Benefits: Social Capital and Household Financial Behavior” was co-authored by <a href="https://www.marshall.usc.edu/personnel/david-hirshleifer">David Hirshleifer</a> and <a href="https://hankamer.baylor.edu/person/joshua-thornton">Joshua Thornton</a>.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/239370/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brad-cannon-2216202">Brad Cannon</a>, Assistant Professor of Finance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/binghamton-university-state-university-of-new-york-2252">Binghamton University, State University of New York</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/having-the-right-friends-may-hold-the-secret-to-building-wealth-according-to-new-study-on-socioeconomic-ties-239370">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

Humans evolved to share beds – how your sleeping companions may affect you now

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/goffredina-spano-2240566">Goffredina Spanò</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/kingston-university-949">Kingston University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gina-mason-2240569">Gina Mason</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/brown-university-1276">Brown University</a> <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(24)00176-9">Recent research</a> on animal sleep behaviour has revealed that sleep is influenced by the animals around them. Olive baboons, for instance, sleep less as group sizes increase, while mice can synchronise their rapid eye movement (REM) cycles. In western society, many people expect to sleep alone, if not with a romantic partner. But as with other group-living animals, human co-sleeping is common, despite some <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945710000377">cultural</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721820303053?via%3Dihub">age-related variation</a>. And in many cultures, bedsharing with a relative is considered typical. Apart from <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945710000377">western countries</a>, caregiver-infant co-sleeping is common, with rates as high as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079216000265">60-100%</a> in parts of South America, Asia and Africa. Despite its prevalence, infant co-sleeping is controversial. Some western perspectives, that value self-reliance, argue that sleeping alone promotes self-soothing when the baby wakes in the night. But <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00221325.2021.1905599">evolutionary scientists argue</a> that co-sleeping has been important to help keep infants warm and safe throughout human existence. <a href="https://www.sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-7218(22)00077-8/abstract">Many cultures</a> do not expect babies to self-soothe when they wake in the night and see night wakings as a normal part of breastfeeding <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945713002220?via%3Dihub">and development</a>. Concerns about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Sids) have often led paediatricians to discourage bed-sharing. However, when studies control for <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0107799">other Sids risk factors</a> including unsafe sleeping surfaces, Sids risk does not seem to differ statistically between co-sleeping and solitary sleeping infants. This may be one reason why agencies such as the <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/1/e2022057990/188304/Sleep-Related-Infant-Deaths-Updated-2022?autologincheck=redirected">American Academy of Pediatrics</a>, the <a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs37/chapter/Quality-statement-5-Safer-practices-for-bed-sharing">National Institute for Health and Care Excellence</a> and the <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/reduce-the-risk-of-sudden-infant-death-syndrome/">NHS</a> either <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/1/e2022057990/188304/Sleep-Related-Infant-Deaths-Updated-2022">recommend that</a> infants “sleep in the parents’ room, close to the parents’ bed, but on a separate surface,” or, if bedsharing, to make sure that the infant <a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs37/chapter/Quality-statement-5-Safer-practices-for-bed-sharing">“sleeps on a firm, flat mattress”</a> without pillows and duvets, rather than discouraging co-sleeping altogether. Researchers don’t yet know whether co-sleeping causes differences in sleep or, whether co-sleeping happens because of these differences. However, experiments in the 1990s suggested that co-sleeping can <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.20736">encourage more sustained and frequent bouts of breastfeeding</a>. Using sensors to measure brain activity, this research also suggested that infants’ and caregivers’ sleep may be lighter during co-sleeping. But researchers speculated that this lighter sleep may actually <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00221325.2021.1905599">help protect against Sids</a> by providing infants more opportunities to rouse from sleep and develop better control over their respiratory system. Other advocates believe that co-sleeping <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163638319301237">benefits infants’ emotional and mental health</a> by promoting parent-child bonding and aiding infants’ <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/10253890.2012.742057">stress hormone regulation</a>. However, current data is inconclusive, with most studies showing <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163638319301249?via%3Dihub">mixed findings</a> or <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14616734.2024.2380427">no differences</a> between co-sleepers and solitary sleepers with respect to short and long-term mental health. <h2>Co-sleeping in childhood</h2> Childhood co-sleeping past infancy is also fairly common according to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945713011076?via%3Dihub">worldwide surveys</a>. A <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/126/5/e1119/65347/Relationship-Between-Bed-Sharing-and-Breastfeeding">2010 survey</a> of over 7,000 UK families found 6% of children were constant bedsharers up to at least four years old. Some families adopt co-sleeping <a href="https://capmh.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13034-023-00607-w">in response to</a> their child having trouble sleeping. But child-parent bedsharing in many countries, including some western countries <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1471-6712.2005.00358.x">like Sweden</a> where children often co-sleep with parents until school age, is viewed culturally as part of a nurturing environment. It is also common for siblings to share a room or even a bed. A <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00221325.2021.1916732">2021 US study</a> found that over 36% of young children aged three to five years bedshared in some form overnight, whether with caregivers, siblings, pets or some combination. Co-sleeping decreases but is still present among older children, with up to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/fare.12955">13.8% of co-sleeping parents</a> in Australia, the UK and other countries reporting that their child was between five and 12 years old when they engaged in co-sleeping. Two recent US studies using wrist-worn actigraphs (motion sensors) to track sleep indicated that kids who bedshare may have <a href="https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.11352">shorter sleep durations</a> than children who sleep alone. But this shorter sleep duration <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00221325.2021.1916732">is not explained by</a> greater disruption during sleep. Instead, bedsharing children may lose sleep by <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00221325.2021.1916732">going to bed later than</a> solitary sleepers. The benefits and downsides of co-sleeping may also differ in children with conditions such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945717303842">autism spectrum disorder</a>, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10802-017-0387-1">mental health disorders</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dmcn.13300">chronic illnesses</a>. These children may experience heightened anxiety, sensory sensitivities and physical discomfort that make falling and staying asleep difficult. For them, co-sleeping can provide <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11325-018-1710-y">reassurance</a>. <h2>Adults sharing beds</h2> According to <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/NSF_Bedroom_Poll_Report_1.pdf">a 2018 survey</a> from the US National Sleep Foundation, 80-89% of adults who live with their significant other share a bed with them. Adult bedsharing has shifted over time from pre-industrial <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article-abstract/106/2/343/64370?redirectedFrom=fulltext">communal arrangements</a>, including whole families and other household guests, to <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jdh/article-abstract/23/3/275/359439?redirectedFrom=fulltext">solo sleeping</a> in response to hygiene concerns as germ theory became accepted. Many couples find that bedsharing boosts their <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1978364/">sense of closeness</a>. Research shows that bedsharing with your partner can lead to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2017/8140672">longer sleep times</a> and a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article-abstract/17/4/308/2753131">feeling of better sleep</a> overall. Bedsharing couples also often <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00583/full">get into sync</a> with each other’s sleep stages, which can enhance that feeling of intimacy. However, it’s not all rosy. Some studies indicate that females in heterosexual relationships may struggle more with sleep quality when bedsharing, as they can be <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00320.x">more easily disturbed</a> by their male partner’s movements. Also, bedsharers can have less <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27624285/">deep sleep</a> than when sleeping alone, even though they feel like their sleep is better together. Many questions about co-sleeping remain unanswered. For instance, we don’t fully understand the developmental effects of co-sleeping on children, or the benefits of co-sleeping for adults beyond female-male romantic partners. But, some work suggests that co-sleeping can <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11325-018-1710-y">comfort us</a>, similar to other <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsr.14174">forms of social contact</a>, and help to enhance <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.20736">physical synchrony</a> between parents and children. Co-sleeping doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all answer. But remember that western norms aren’t necessarily the ones we have evolved with. So consider factors such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945716301265">sleep disorders</a>, health and age in your decision to co-sleep, rather than what everyone else is doing.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/241803/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/goffredina-spano-2240566">Goffredina Spanò</a>, Lecturer in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/kingston-university-949">Kingston University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gina-mason-2240569">Gina Mason</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Psychiatry and Human Behaviour, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/brown-university-1276">Brown University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/humans-evolved-to-share-beds-how-your-sleeping-companions-may-affect-you-now-241803">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Mick Jagger welcomes new grandchild

Mick Jagger has become a grandpa again as his 32-year-old daughter, Georgia May, welcomed her first baby with boyfriend Cambryan Sedlick. "Our Son Dean Lee Jagger Sedlick was born September 30th," she announced on Instagram with a series of polaroid photos of the pair and their bub. "We are so in Love and happy and can't stop staring at him." Georgia first announced she was pregnant in June, sharing photos of her baby bump to Instagram. She also thanked her boyfriend for "being so incredible through everything and taking such good care of us". The photo was flooded with congratulatory messages from fellow celebrities including from Daisy Jones & The Six actress Suki Waterhouse and Meadow Walker, daughter of the late Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DA8YB_MiiJ-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DA8YB_MiiJ-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Georgia May Jagger (@georgiamayjagger)</a> </div> </blockquote> "Cutest parents ever ❤️" Suki wrote. In one of the photos, Jerry Hall had her arms around her daughter as she smiled for the photo with her new grandchild. Jerry and Mick were together from 1977 to 1999 and share four children together, Elizabeth, 40, Georgia May, James, 39, and Gabriel, 26. The Rolling Stones frontman is also father to daughter Karis, 53, whom he welcomed with ex Marsha Hunt, daughter Jade, 53, whom he shares with ex-wife Bianca Jagger, son Lucas, 25, whom he welcomed with ex Luciana Gimenez. He also shares a seven-year-old son with his current partner Melanie Hamrick. Images: Instagram

Family & Pets

High-speed rail plans may finally end Australia’s 40-year wait to get on board

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/philip-laird-3503">Philip Laird</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> Australia has debated and studied high-speed rail for four decades. The High Speed Rail Authority has begun <a href="https://www.hsra.gov.au/project">work on a project</a> that could finally deliver some high-speed rail in the 2030s. The Albanese government set up the authority in 2022. It also committed A$500 million to plan and protect a high-speed rail corridor between Sydney and Newcastle. This corridor was prioritised due to significant capacity constraints on the existing line, among other reasons. The ultimate plan is for a high-speed rail network to connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities across the east coast. The network would help Australia in its urgent task to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport. These <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/towards-net-zero-transport-and-infrastructure">continue to increase</a> even as emissions from other sectors fall. The authority has now publicly outlined plans for the first stage of this east coast network. After a history of failed proposals dating back to 1984, the new plans provide some cause for optimism that Australia could have some high-speed rail by 2037. <h2>What is high-speed rail and why do we need it?</h2> The International Rail Union of Railways <a href="https://uic.org/passenger/highspeed">defines high-speed rail</a> as new lines designed for speeds of 250km/h or more and upgraded lines for speeds of at least 200km/h. High-speed rail could greatly reduce transport emissions by replacing <a href="https://theconversation.com/wondering-how-to-get-from-brisbane-to-melbourne-without-wrecking-the-climate-our-transport-choices-make-a-huge-difference-237396">air travel in particular</a>. For example, the <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/domestic_airline_activity-monthly_publications">7.92 million passengers</a> flying between Melbourne and Sydney in 2023-24 produced about 1.5 million tonnes of emissions. Including <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-air-travellers-can-cut-their-door-to-door-emissions-right-now-by-as-much-as-13-on-the-sydney-melbourne-route-211099">travel to and from airports</a> and other flight routes along the corridor (Sydney or Melbourne to Canberra, Albury etc), this adds up to about 2% of <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/strategies/annual-climate-change-statement-2023">annual domestic transport emissions</a>. A Sydney–Melbourne high-speed rail link could cut emissions to a fraction of those from <a href="https://theconversation.com/wondering-how-to-get-from-brisbane-to-melbourne-without-wrecking-the-climate-our-transport-choices-make-a-huge-difference-237396">air</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-compared-land-transport-options-for-getting-to-net-zero-hands-down-electric-rail-is-the-best-234092">road</a> transport. If Australia is to achieve <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/emissions-reduction/net-zero">net zero by 2050</a>, a <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-compared-land-transport-options-for-getting-to-net-zero-hands-down-electric-rail-is-the-best-234092">shift to rail will be essential</a>. High-speed city-to-city rail services will be needed to become an attractive alternative to air travel. <h2>What is the authority working on?</h2> Early this year the High Speed Rail Authority gained a new CEO, Tim Parker, with extensive experience in delivering mega-projects. In late August, the authority outlined its plans at an industry briefing in Newcastle. The authority has commissioned eight studies, including a business case for a Sydney–Newcastle line. Significantly, it will include the cost of future highway upgrades if high-speed rail does not proceed. This study, along with a report on how high-speed rail will proceed along Australia’s east coast, is due by the end of this year. Also under way is a <a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/media-release/all-aboard-high-speed-rail-accelerates-first-investigation-works">geotechnical study</a> that includes drilling 27 boreholes. It will help determine the proposed depths of two long rail tunnels and guide decisions on crossing the Hawkesbury River and the route to the Central Coast and on to Newcastle. All going well, including land acquisition and agreements with the New South Wales government (which could include funding), work could <a href="https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/8743698/newcastle-high-speed-rail-possible-by-2037-as-tunnel-plan-emerges">start in 2027 and be completed by 2037</a>. <h2>Many questions remain</h2> Given the time and money required to deliver a Sydney–Newcastle line, bipartisan support will be needed. However, the federal opposition is yet to make a clear commitment to high-speed rail. There are other uncertainties too. Will the trains be operated by the public or private sector? The latter was the intention for projects that were scrapped decades ago, such as the CSIRO-proposed Very Fast Train (<a href="http://www.repositoryofideas.com/VFT_information.html">VFT</a>) linking Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, and the Sydney–Canberra <a href="https://trid.trb.org/View/1203853">Speedrail</a>. And how will the engineering projects be delivered? The new authority must learn from the project management <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/media/news/independent-review-inland-rail-released">problems in delivering the Inland Rail</a> freight line. The project is running late and costs have blown out. Some major federally funded government projects have worked well. These include upgrades of the national highway system (by state road authorities and contractors) and the new <a href="https://www.westernsydneyairport.gov.au/">Western Sydney International Airport</a>, which is nearing completion. <h2>And what about a full Sydney–Melbourne line?</h2> The big question is when work will start on a Sydney–Melbourne high-speed rail service. In 2019, International High-Speed Rail Association chairman <a href="https://ara.net.au/media-release/ausrailplus-2019-conference-exhibition-3-5-december-2019-in-sydney/">Masafumi Shukuri estimated</a> building this line could take 20 years. The present line is 60km longer than it should be as the route dates back to the steam age. It also has far too many tight curves. This means train travel on this line is slower than cars and trucks. As former NSW State Rail chief Len Harper <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-ever-its-time-to-upgrade-the-sydney-melbourne-railway-187169">said</a> in 1995, this railway was already “inadequate for current and future needs” even back then. When the VFT was proposed in 1984, questions were raised as to whether our population was big enough for such a project. Now, more than 15.5 million people live in NSW, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory. Melbourne–Sydney is the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/travel-news/the-world-s-busiest-flight-routes-and-airports-revealed-20231222-p5et7n.html">world’s fifth-busiest flight route</a>. Advocacy group Fastrack Australia <a href="https://www.fastrackaustralia.net/hsr-implementation-plan">has called</a> for a Sydney–Melbourne track built to high-speed standards and able to carry freight. The estimated travel time is four hours. This group and the <a href="https://www.railfutures.org.au/category/submissions/%20July%202024%20reducing%20emissions%20in%20freight">Rail Futures Institute</a> propose the line be built in stages, with priority given to the section from near Macarthur to Mittagong in NSW. This would reduce the current line’s length by about 18km and allow for better Sydney–Canberra train services. Urgent action is needed to protect the rail corridor from encroaching urban development. <h2>Australia needs to catch up</h2> In June 2023, when the new authority started work, I <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-the-new-high-speed-rail-authority-deliver-after-4-decades-of-costly-studies-206287">observed</a> that Australia must surely hold the world record for studies into high-speed rail with no construction. In stark contrast, this October marks the 60th anniversary of the world’s first dedicated high-speed rail line, the Tokaido Shinkansen in Japan linking Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. The network has since grown in stages to about 3,000km of lines. Today, high-speed rail <a href="https://uic.org/passenger/highspeed/article/high-speed-data-and-atlas">operates in 21 countries</a> over about 60,000km of lines – China has about 40,000km. Indonesia’s high-speed rail service between Jakarta and Bandung started running last year. India and Thailand are in the advanced stages of delivering high-speed rail. It’s also under construction in another 11 countries. Australia could finally join them in the next few years if it starts building the Sydney–Newcastle line.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/238232/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/philip-laird-3503">Philip Laird</a>, Honorary Principal Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/high-speed-rail-plans-may-finally-end-australias-40-year-wait-to-get-on-board-238232">original article</a>. </div>

Domestic Travel

Offering end of life support as part of home care is important – but may face some challenges

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-tieman-378102">Jennifer Tieman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> Earlier this month, the government announced <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-has-a-new-plan-for-residential-aged-care-heres-whats-changing-238765">major changes</a> to aged care in Australia, including a A$4.3 billion <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-governments-home-care-changes-mean-for-ageing-australians-238890">investment in home care</a>. Alongside a shake up of home care packages, the Support at Home program will include an important addition – an <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/support-at-home-fact-sheet.pdf">end of life pathway</a> for older Australians. This pathway will allow access to a <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/support-at-home/features">higher level</a> of in-home aged care services to help Australians stay at home as they come to the end of their life. Specifically, it will provide an extra A$25,000 for palliative support when a person has three months or less left to live. This is a positive change. But there may be some challenges to implementing it. <h2>Why is this important?</h2> Older people have made clear their preference to remain in their homes as they age. For <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0269216313487940">most people</a>, home is where they would like to be during their last months of life. The space is personal, familiar and comforting. However, data from the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/research/classifying-place-death-australian-mortality-statistics">Australian Bureau of Statistics</a> shows most people who die between the ages of 65 and 84 die in hospital, while most people aged 85 and older die in residential aged care. This apparent gap may reflect a lack of appropriate services. Both palliative care services and GPs have an important role in providing medical care to people living at home with a terminal illness. However, being able to <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/815-dying-well.pdf">die at home</a> relies on the availability of ongoing support including hands-on care and assistance with daily living. Family members and friends often provide this support, but this is not always possible. Even when it is, carers may <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38533612/">lack confidence and skills</a> to provide the necessary care, and may not have enough support for and respite from their carer role. The palliative care funding offered within Support at Home should help an older person to remain at home and die at home, if that is their preference. Unless someone dies suddenly, care needs are likely to increase at the end of a person’s life. Supports at home may involve help with showering and toileting, assessing and addressing symptoms, developing care plans, managing medications, wound dressing, domestic tasks, preparing meals, and communicating with the person’s family. Occupational therapists and physiotherapists can assist with equipment requirements and suggest home modifications. End of life supports may also involve clarifying goals of care, contacting services such as pharmacists for medications or equipment, liaising with organisations about financial matters, respite care or funeral planning, as well as acknowledging grief and offering spiritual care. But we don’t know yet exactly what services the $25,000 will go towards. <h2>What do we know about the scheme so far?</h2> The Support at Home program, including the end of life pathway, is scheduled to start from <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/support-at-home-fact-sheet.pdf">July 1 2025</a>. We know the funding is linked to a prognosis of three months or less to live, which will be determined <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-15/new-payment-aims-to-make-it-easier-for-people-to-die-at-home/104347984">by a doctor</a>. Further information has indicated that an older person can be referred to a <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/support-at-home/features">high-priority assessment</a> to access the end of life pathway. We don’t know yet what this means, however they don’t need to be an existing Support at Home participant to be eligible. The pathway will allow 16 weeks to use the funds, possibly to provide some leeway around the three-month timeline. Although more details are coming to light, there are still some things which remain unclear. Home care providers will be looking for details on what can be covered by this funding and how they will work alongside primary care providers and health-care services. Older people and their families will want to know the processes to apply for this funding and how long applications will take to be reviewed. Everyone will want to know what happens if the person doesn’t die within three months. <h2>Some challenges</h2> Ready availability of appropriate supports and services will be crucial for older people accessing this pathway. Home care providers will therefore need to assess how an end of life pathway fits into their operational activities and how they can build the necessary skills and capacity. Demand for nurses with palliative care skills and allied health professionals is likely to increase. Providing end of life care can be <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33096682/">especially taxing</a> so strategies will be needed to prevent staff burnout and encourage self-care. How pathways are implemented in rural and remote areas and in different cultural and community groups will need to be monitored to ensure all older people benefit. Effective coordination and communication between home care, primary care and specialist palliative providers care will be key. Digital health systems that connect the sectors could be helpful. Family engagement will also be very important. Escalation pathways and referral pathways should be established to enable appropriate responses to emergencies, unexpected deterioration, and family distress. Finally, <a href="https://bmcpalliatcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12904-023-01155-y">accurately determining</a> when someone will die can be difficult. Knowing when the last three months of life starts may not be easy, particularly where frailty, cognitive issues and multiple health concerns may be present. This might mean some people are not seen as being ready for this pathway. Others may not be willing to accept this prognosis. An older person may also be expected to live with a terminal illness for many months or years. Their palliative care needs would not be met under this pathway. Despite these challenges, the announcement of an end of life pathway within the home care program is timely and welcome. As a population we are living longer and dying older. More details will help us be better prepared to implement this scheme.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/239296/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-tieman-378102">Jennifer Tieman</a>, Matthew Flinders Professor and Director of the Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/offering-end-of-life-support-as-part-of-home-care-is-important-but-may-face-some-challenges-239296">original article</a>. </div>

Retirement Life

"This is horrific": Queen icon calls out convincing scam

Brian May has spoken out after becoming the target of a dangerous scam, urging people to be careful online. The guitarist of iconic rock band Queen was made aware of the scam by a fan, who sent him the TikTok of what seems to be May himself offering concert tickets at a discount. The video, which is actually AI-generated and has nothing to do with May or with Queen, shows the rockstar offering music fans the chance to see a concert from backstage. “I hope you’re all well out there,” says the fake Brian May in the video. “Some good news. Backstage tickets for my next show in your cities are now going for only $800, which were previously $2000. I’m only selecting 10 people in the comments, so if you’re ready to make payment, comment, ‘ready’.” May responded to the post publicly, sharing his horror and anger with fans over the “creepy” video, saying, “My God. This is horrific.” “I suppose this is now so easy to do – and there are always people who will sink to any depths to try to make a quick buck. Disgusting.” He continued, “Thanks for the alert dear (TikTok username) stereojazz. I’ve alerted our team and hopefully we can squash this.” Fans were quick to comment that they had almost been fooled by the convincing video. “That they abuse your beautiful personality for this scam hurts even more and is really scary. I hate it,” commented one. “It is insanely terrifying what AI can do these days,” wrote another. Image credits: TikTok

Legal

Boeing Starliner astronauts: what six months stuck in space may do to their perception of time

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ruth-ogden-1182467">Ruth Ogden</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/liverpool-john-moores-university-1319">Liverpool John Moores University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-eduardo-vigo-1631723">Daniel Eduardo Vigo</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/pontificia-universidad-catolica-de-argentina-5531">Pontificia Universidad Católica de Argentina</a> Two astronauts marooned in space may sound like the plot of a Hollywood blockbuster, but for two <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">Nasa</a> crew members, it is now a reality. Commander Barry Wilmore and pilot Sunita Williams are currently in limbo on the International Space Station (ISS). They arrived in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft – the first test of the spaceship with astronauts. Wilmore and Williams were supposed to stay on the ISS for around eight days and return on the same spacecraft. But there is now debate about the safety of Starliner after it experienced <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6pp29gdwe6o">helium leaks and thruster problems</a> on its way to the ISS. In coming days, Nasa and Boeing may decide to clear Starliner to carry the astronauts back to Earth. This means their stay might not last too much longer. But if officials decide against Starliner, the astronauts face waiting an <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/update-nasa-boeing-to-stream-flight-test-mission-briefing-on-nasa/">additional six months in orbit</a> before returning. So how do astronauts cope with a potential six-month wait for a lift home? <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0022249685900203">Waiting for things is difficult</a> at the best of times. Under normal circumstances, it is <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2043808718778982">frustrating, stressful and anxiety-provoking</a>. But in extreme situations, with high stakes, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2011.05638.x?casa_token=jC_hT4wqbuIAAAAA%3AGTrJPmd496aDTdirdwYi7CvLK8Q1g_oR-Em2E3EpDP0AwRCs2ko13Jpqui15BlkPiAx7MMRqA0MC">waiting can be purgatory</a>. Part of the reason that waiting is difficult is that it distorts our sense of time. Think of last time you were waiting for a delayed train, test results or a text from a potential new partner. Did it fly by or drag? For most people, time spent waiting crawls at a glacial pace. As a result, delays and periods of anticipation often feel much longer than they actually are. Waiting slows our perception of time, because it changes the amount of time that we spend <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/23324610?casa_token=KmtJWWmtHwQAAAAA%3AN_CUdtNakK46j4ItZaH_f__QcIGOjMnasX1NeMTRFH5YPpcmYx1JpigTfTb1bPYi5Fcus-IhtzDX0Jsz3xpqZRMDUxg0RWYhSr87V-zXz_pqS0zM&seq=2">thinking about time</a>. During normal daily life we often ignore time; our brains have a limited capacity. If time isn’t important, we simply don’t think about it, and this helps it to pass quickly. When we are waiting, our desire to know when the wait is over increases how much we think about time. This “clock watching” can make the minutes and hours feel like they are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-2626(90)90026-K">passing at a snail’s pace</a>. Stress, discomfort and pain exacerbate this effect, meaning that waiting in difficult situations <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.2211">can seem even longer</a>. Waiting also slows our perception of time because it what we do and how we feel. Normal life is busy and full of ever-changing activities and interactions. The sudden need to wait halts the flow of life, often leaving us with nothing else to do, thus increasing levels of boredom and frustration. In general, time filled with activity <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-2626(90)90026-K">passes more quickly</a>. We all got a taste of this during <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235871">COVID lockdowns</a>. When we were stuck inside unable to see friends and engage in normal daily activities, the loss of routine and distractions caused time to drag for many. For the astronauts stuck on the ISS, anxiety about when they will return, limited opportunities for activities and fewer opportunities to contact friends and families combine to make their wait to return home feel significantly longer than six months – if it should come to that. However, as academics who research the effects of time on human psychology and biology, our ongoing work with crew members at research stations in Antarctica aims to shed light on whether waiting in extreme environments is different to waiting during normal daily life. <h2>A year in Antarctica</h2> While being stuck for six months on the ISS may sound like many people’s worst nightmare, it is not uncommon for scientists to spend long periods isolated and confined in extreme environments. Every year, organisations such as the Instituto Antártico Argentino (which uses the Belgrano II Antarctic station), the French Polar Institute and the Italian Antarctic Programme, in cooperation with the European Space Agency (which all use Antarctica’s Concordia station), send crews of people for up to 16 months to conduct research on the frozen continent. During the March to October <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">polar winter</a>, teams spend six months in near darkness – and from May to August, in complete darkness – facing outside temperatures of up to -60C, wind speeds of 160 km/h (100 mph) and storms which prevent almost all outdoor activity. Limited internet coverage can also prevent constant communication with the outside world. For the last year, we have researched how life in Antarctica influences people’s experience of time. Each month, we asked crew members how time felt like it was passing in comparison to before their mission. Trapped on base, with limited contact with the outside world, you might expect time to drag. However, our results suggest the opposite may be true. Analysis of crew members’ experiences indicated that being constantly busy with complex tasks such as scientific research helped time to pass swiftly, according to 80% of crew responses. Only 3% of responses indicated that time actually dragged, and these reports occurred when nights were long and there was little to do. These experiences may provide hope for those stuck on the ISS. Like life on an Antarctic station, these Nasa astronauts have a busy and mentally demanding existence. These factors may help time to pass quickly. However, a key factor of their wait may be their ability to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2043808718778982">tolerate the uncertainty</a> of when they will return. Wilmore and Williams will spend their time in a space equivalent to the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-facts-and-figures/">inside a Boeing 747</a> plane. But better information about “when” things will happen and “why” delays are being incurred can help people to tolerate waiting and reduce its impact on their wellbeing.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/236546/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ruth-ogden-1182467">Ruth Ogden</a>, Professor of the Psychology of Time, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/liverpool-john-moores-university-1319">Liverpool John Moores University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-eduardo-vigo-1631723">Daniel Eduardo Vigo</a>, Senior Researcher in Chronobiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/pontificia-universidad-catolica-de-argentina-5531">Pontificia Universidad Católica de Argentina</a> Image credits: NASA This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/boeing-starliner-astronauts-what-six-months-stuck-in-space-may-do-to-their-perception-of-time-236546">original article</a>. </div>

Mind

It’s hard to reach out to old friends, but doing so may help alleviate loneliness

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lara-b-aknin-1365501">Lara B Aknin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/simon-fraser-university-1282">Simon Fraser University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gillian-sandstrom-1283157">Gillian Sandstrom</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sussex-1218">University of Sussex</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kristina-castaneto-1548733">Kristina Castaneto</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/simon-fraser-university-1282">Simon Fraser University</a> Millions of <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=4510004801">Canadians are lonely</a>. This is worrisome because loneliness, defined by the World Health Organization as “<a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/15-11-2023-who-launches-commission-to-foster-social-connection">the social pain of not feeling connected</a>,” predicts both lower mental and physical health. Research shows that lacking a sense of social connection can pose an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614568352">equivalent health risk to smoking 15 cigarettes per day</a>. To combat loneliness, people are commonly advised to seek out social connection. For many, this guidance brings to mind spending time with loved ones, such as close friends, family and romantic partners. But are there other people we can reach out to? In our research, recently published in Communications Psychology, we examined whether people have “old friends” — individuals that they care about but with whom they have lost touch — and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00075-8">how easily these relationships can be rekindled</a>. We found that certain strategies can help people reconnect — and, in new research, we are getting a sense that certain values and personality traits may make it easier for people to stay in touch far into the future. <h2>Reconnecting with old friends</h2> Across a series of seven studies, we found the majority of people reported having an old friend. Yet, when we asked over 400 participants how willing they would be to reach out to an old friend right now, most said they were neutral or unwilling. In fact, in one study, people reported being no more willing to reach out to an old friend than they were to talk to a stranger or pick up trash. This reluctance was observable in behaviour too. We conducted two experiments in which more than 1,000 people were given several minutes to draft and send a message to an old friend. Only 30 per cent sent the message to their old friend. Given that reaching out to an old friend could boost <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2018/08/19/the-power-and-joy-of-reconnecting-with-old-friends/">feelings of social connection and happiness</a>, we tried designing interventions to encourage reaching out. For instance, we reminded participants that reaching out to an old friend was an act of kindness and that the recipient would appreciate it more than they realize. We also tried telling participants not to overthink it — to just send their message. Unfortunately, neither prompt was effective at encouraging more people to reach out. <h2>Reluctance to reconnect</h2> Why are people reluctant to reach out to old friends? There may be a number of reasons, including the possibility that old friends feel like strangers after time has passed. In one study with over 500 participants we asked people to list between three to five old friends, and tell us how close each one felt to them right now. The more unfamiliar an old friend felt, the less willing people were to reach out. Research has found that when people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2022.104356">practise talking to strangers for a week</a>, they become less anxious about it. If old friends can feel like strangers, might a similar strategy encourage people to reach out to old friends? To find out, we conducted an experiment in which we randomly assigned some people to complete a three-minute warm-up activity in which they messaged current family or friends. Other participants were randomly assigned to a control condition in which they simply browsed social media for three minutes instead. Afterward, all participants were given an opportunity to write and send a message to an old friend. While only 30 per cent of participants sent their message in the control condition, over 50 per cent did so after warming-up, suggesting that practising the behaviour that underlies reaching out may make this act easier. <h2>Personality traits</h2> We are extending this research in a number of new directions. For instance, in some newly conducted and unpublished research, we are examining whether people with certain personality traits or beliefs are more likely to send a message to an old friend. Responses from over 300 people suggest that people who are open to new experiences — <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/basics/big-5-personality-traits">one of the five key personality traits studied by psychologists</a> — say they are willing to reach out to an old friend. Despite this inclination, our research found that highly open people do not necessarily communicate with old friends when given the chance. On the other hand, people’s values and beliefs may be important determinants of whether they stay in touch. Our preliminary work shows that people who see friendship as a bond that does not easily break may be more likely to reach out than others. We hope this work helps normalize the fact that friendships can fade and be hard to rekindle. That said, with some practice, people can overcome this reluctance and hit “send” to potentially open a path to connection and less loneliness.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/234895/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lara-b-aknin-1365501">Lara B Aknin</a>, Distinguished Professor of Social Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/simon-fraser-university-1282">Simon Fraser University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gillian-sandstrom-1283157">Gillian Sandstrom</a>, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sussex-1218">University of Sussex</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kristina-castaneto-1548733">Kristina Castaneto</a>, Master's Student, Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/simon-fraser-university-1282">Simon Fraser University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-hard-to-reach-out-to-old-friends-but-doing-so-may-help-alleviate-loneliness-234895">original article</a>. </div>

Relationships

How old’s too old to be a doctor? Why GPs and surgeons over 70 may need a health check to practise

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-rudge-108366">Christopher Rudge</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> A growing number of complaints against older doctors has prompted the Medical Board of Australia to <a href="https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/News/2024-08-07-Medical-Board-consults-on-new-approach-to-keep-late-career-doctors-in-safe-practice.aspx">announce</a> today that it’s reviewing how doctors aged 70 or older are regulated. Two new options are on the table. The first would require doctors over 70 to undergo a detailed health assessment to determine their current and future “fitness to practise” in their particular area of medicine. The second would require only general health checks for doctors over 70. A third option acknowledges existing rules requiring doctors to maintain their health and competence. As part of their <a href="https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Policies/Code-of-conduct.aspx">professional code of conduct</a>, doctors must seek independent medical and psychological care to prevent harming themselves and their patients. So, this third option would maintain the status quo. <h2>Haven’t we moved on from set retirement ages?</h2> It might be surprising that stricter oversight of older doctors’ performance is proposed now. Critics of mandatory retirement ages in other fields – for judges, for instance – have long questioned whether these rules are “<a href="https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/2061019/02-Blackham.pdf">still valid in a modern society</a>”. However, unlike judges, doctors are already <a href="https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration/Registration-Renewal.aspx">required to renew their registration</a> annually to practise. This allows the Medical Board of Australia not only to access sound data about the prevalence and activity of older practitioners, but to assess their eligibility regularly and to conduct <a href="https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications/Further-information/Guides-and-fact-sheets/Performance-assessments.aspx">performance assessments</a> if and when they are needed. <h2>What has prompted these proposals?</h2> This latest <a href="https://www.ahpra.gov.au/documents/default.aspx?record=WD24%2f33840&dbid=AP&chksum=vCEdxXaBs0%2bMeMZFxSb7SQ%3d%3d&_gl=1*3ol06k*_ga*MzU1NjAzMTc1LjE3MjMwMDA1Nzc.*_ga_F1G6LRCHZB*MTcyMzAwMDU3Ny4xLjEuMTcyMzAwMDU4My4wLjAuMA..">proposal</a> identifies several emerging concerns about older doctors. These are grounded in external research about the effect of age on doctors’ competence as well as the regulator’s internal data showing surges of complaints about older doctors in recent years. Studies of medical competence in ageing doctors show <a href="https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/29/2/113">variable results</a>. However, the Medical Board of Australia’s consultation document emphasises studies of neurocognitive loss. It explains how physical and cognitive impairment can lead to poor record-keeping, improper prescribing, as well as disruptive behaviour. The other issue is the number of patient complaints against older doctors. These “notifications” have surged in recent years, as have the number of disciplinary actions against older doctors. In 2022–2023, the Medical Board of Australia took disciplinary action against older doctors about 1.7 times more often than for doctors under 70. In 2023, notifications against doctors over 70 were 81% higher than for the under 70s. In that year, patients sent 485 notifications to the Medical Board of Australia about older doctors – up from 189 in 2015. While older doctors make up only about 5.3% of the doctor workforce in Australia (less than 1% over 80), this only makes the high numbers of complaints more starkly disproportionate. It’s for these reasons that the Medical Board of Australia has determined it should take further regulatory action to safeguard the health of patients. <h2>So what distinguishes the two new proposed options?</h2> The “fitness to practise” assessment option would entail a rigorous assessment of doctors over 70 based on their specialisation. It would be required every three years after the age of 70 and every year after 80. Surgeons, for example, would be assessed by an independent occupational physician for dexterity, sight and the ability to give clinical instructions. Importantly, the results of these assessments would usually be confidential between the assessor and the doctor. Only doctors who were found to pose a substantial risk to the public, which was not being managed, would be obliged to report their health condition to the Medical Board of Australia. The second option would be a more general health check not linked to the doctor’s specific role. It would occur at the same intervals as the “fitness to practise” assessment. However, its purpose would be merely to promote good health-care decision-making among health practitioners. There would be no general obligation on a doctor to report the results to the Medical Board of Australia. In practice, both of these proposals appear to allow doctors to manage their own general health confidentially. <h2>The law tends to prioritise patient safety</h2> All state versions of the legal regime regulating doctors, known as the National Accreditation and Registration Scheme, include a “paramountcy” provision. <a href="https://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/act/consol_act/hprnl428/s3a.html">That provision</a> basically says patient safety is paramount and trumps all other considerations. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><figcaption></figcaption></figure> As with legal <a href="https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2010-104a#sec.3">regimes regulating childcare</a>, health practitioner regulation prioritises the health and safety of the person receiving the care over the rights of the licensed professional. Complicating this further, is the fact that a longstanding principle of health practitioner regulation has been that doctors should not be “<a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3383892">punished</a>” for errors in practice. All of this means that reforms of this nature can be difficult to introduce and that the balance between patient safety and professional entitlements must be handled with care. <h2>Could these proposals amount to age discrimination?</h2> It is premature to analyse the legal implications of these proposals. So it’s difficult to say how these proposals interact with Commonwealth age- and other anti-discrimination laws. For instance, one complication is that the federal age discrimination statute includes an exemption to allow “qualifying bodies” such as the Medical Board of Australia to discriminate against older professionals <a href="https://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ada2004174/s22.html?context=1;query=inherent;mask_path=au/legis/cth/consol_act/ada2004174">who are</a> “unable to carry out the inherent requirements of the profession, trade or occupation because of his or her age”. In broader terms, a licence to practise medicine is often compared to a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6797044/">licence to drive</a> or <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10236877/">pilot an aircraft</a>. Despite <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/mandatory-test-older-drivers-facing-discrimination-says-pensioner-group-20170607-gwm45u.html">claims of discrimination</a>, New South Wales law requires older drivers to undergo a medical assessment <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/driver-and-rider-licences/older-drivers-and-riders/assessments">every year</a>; and similar requirements affect older <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.casa.gov.au/guidelines-medical-assessment-aviation&ved=2ahUKEwil-9GXlOKHAxUdslYBHdN_EboQFnoECBkQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0SgpoCCKjNriMN20fs16rq">pilots and air traffic controllers</a>. <h2>Where to from here?</h2> When changes are proposed to health practitioner regulation, there is typically much media attention followed by a consultation and behind-the-scenes negotiation process. This issue is no different. How will doctors respond to the proposed changes? It’s too soon to say. If the proposals are implemented, it’s possible some older doctors might retire rather than undergo these mandatory health assessments. Some may argue that encouraging more older doctors to retire is precisely the point of these proposals. However, <a href="https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/ahpra-eyes-mandatory-health-checks-for-older-gps">others have suggested</a> this would only exacerbate shortages in the health-care workforce. The proposals are open for <a href="https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/News/Current-Consultations.aspx">public comment</a> until October 4.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/236305/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-rudge-108366">Christopher Rudge</a>, Law lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-olds-too-old-to-be-a-doctor-why-gps-and-surgeons-over-70-may-need-a-health-check-to-practise-236305">original article</a>. </div>

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