What We're Reading: Type of Dementia Matters; Eggs and Heart Health; Abortion Bill in Maine

Families Need Correct Dementia Diagnosis to Plan Care

Older people with dementia are usually told they have Alzheimer disease, but other brain diseases are similar. While most of these diseases cannot be stopped, it's important that families get the right diagnosis in order to get the best care and plan for the future, scientists heard last week at a summit on dementias at the National Institutes of Health, according to NPR. The other conditions include strokes, a form of Parkinson disease called Lewy body disease, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration, which damages brain areas that regulate emotion and behavior.

Cholesterol from Eggs Linked to Heart Disease, Early Mortality

Daily consumption of eggs has been found to slightly increase the risk of heart disease and early mortality, according to the Associated Press. Individuals who reported eating 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day, the equivalent of 1.5 eggs, were 17% more likely to develop heart disease than those who stated they didn’t eat eggs. Researchers at Northwestern University and elsewhere pooled results from 6 previous studies, analyzing data on almost 30,000 US adults.

Maine Governor Submits Bill to Allow Nonphysicians to Perform Abortions

Maine Governor Janet Mills submitted a bill to allow abortions to be performed by advanced practice registered nurses, certified nurse-midwives, physician assistants, and other medical professionals, The Hill reported. Current state law allows only physicians to perform abortions. If the bill becomes a law, Maine would become the ninth state to allow abortions to be perfomed by medical professionals other than physicians, and the number of health centers in the state where procedures could be performed would increase from 3 to 18.