Silence is golden

…and noise (according to Boston University researchers) might increase your risk of dementia.

[A] new study co-led by a School of Public Health researcher finds that 10 decibels more daytime neighborhood noise is associated with 36 percent higher odds of mild cognitive impairment and 30 percent higher odds of Alzheimer’s disease.

The usual caveat: “We remain in early stages in researching noise and dementia.”

The best-laid plans

President-elect Biden released an updated plan for tackling Covid-19 that includes expanded contact tracing, more rive-through testing sites, unambiguous messaging, mask mandates, greater PPE production, and money to ensure quick vaccine distribution.

It also includes reinstating the Obama-era pandemic preparedness council* and and financial aid for businesses and schools.

Downside: There’s still 10 weeks before any of it can be put into effect, and the U.S. continues to set records — more than 59,000 people are currently hospitalized, and Monday was the sixth consecutive day with more than 100,000 new cases.

The country has passed the 10 million case mark, with more than 237,600 deaths.

* The White House National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense — WHNSCDGHSB, pronounced “pandemic task force.”

Vaccine notes

Several vaccines are in the works; Pfizer’s is getting the most attention. Interestingly, it’s the only one that’s not part of the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed.

Some of the other vaccines, which are part of the program, target the same spike protein as Pfizer’s — that’s good news.

Any next step will come after next week, when new safety data will be available.

Business Insider has a great overview of timing and logistics. (Spoiler: 25 million people worldwide could get it this year.)

Region meetings — 2020 style!

Mark Your Calendars: It’s the fall (virtual!) Region Presidents’ Briefing — Tuesday, November 17, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Don’t miss this important membership meeting (and the 1 hour of CE you get for attending). We’ll be talking about:

• Our important wins in the 2020 Assembly and how they affect pharmacy in Georgia
• Our direction for the 2021 assembly
• A GPhA membership update
• An update on testing and immunization in Georgia
• 15-minute Q&A coffee talk after the meeting is over

That’s right! In addition to all this great information (and a chance to check out everyone’s Zoom setup), you’ll receive one hour of CPE credit for attending.

The meeting will be conducted via Zoom. Click here to register.

See you there!

A damn smart thing in the Balkans

You don’t hear a lot out of Lithuania, but researchers there have developed a computer system that can diagnose skin tumors and identify melanoma more than 90 percent of the time.

Get this: Physicians deciding whether to operate are only 65 percent accurate.

The Lithuanian system uses a database of tumors collected by a variety of techniques — including optical spectrophotometry and ultrasound — to differentiate melanoma from benign moles or birthmarks.

I don’t know about you, but if someone is gonna be taking chunks of skin out of me, I would prefer they be 90 percent sure.

Get smart; get iodized

Got vegetarian or vegan patients? They might know to keep an eye on their vitamin B12, but German researchers found that low iodine levels might be a bigger issue.

The deficiency was significantly more pronounced among vegans — in one third of them, the level was below 20 micrograms per litre (μg/L), the limit defined by the World Health Organization; anything below this represents a serious shortage.

How important is iodine? When it was added to salt in 1924, it literally raised Americans’ IQs.

Here’s the next thing to worry about

A new species of Rickettsia bacteria “that may cause significant disease in dogs and humans.” It was found by researchers at North Carolina State University and published in the CDC’s *Emerging Infectious Diseases (which is not a journal you want to read if you tend to stress a lot).

This headline isn’t sensational at all

“Chemicals in your living room cause diabetes.” Reality check: Mice exposed to common flame retardants (PBDEs) had babies with “glucose intolerance, high fasting glucose levels, insulin insensitivity, and low blood insulin levels.”

But what about humans? “We need to know if human babies exposed to PBDEs both before and after birth go on to become diabetic children and adults.”