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A new study shows that sleep medications increase the risk of dementia for people who are white. But the type and quantity of the medication may be factors in explaining the higher risk. Approximately 3,000 older adults without dementia were followed over an average duration of nine years. During the study, 20% developed dementia. White participants who "often" or "almost always" took sleep medications had a 79% higher chance of developing dementia compared to those who "never" or "rarely" used them. Among Black participants—whose consumption of sleep aids was markedly lower—frequent users had a likelihood of developing dementia similar to...

Democratic presidential front-runner Howard Dean offered more details this week on psychological counseling he underwent for anxiety attacks suffered in the 1980's - and revealed that he had a panic attack the day he took over as governor of Vermont 13 years ago. Reacting to news of Gov. Richard Snelling's death in August 1991, Dean told People Magazine, "I hyperventilated and I started hyperventilating and I thought, You better stop that or you won't be much good to anybody," The panic attack was understandable, Dean said. "To suddenly get told that you have responsibility for 600,000 people — it provokes...