Associations of Coffee and Tea Consumption With Survival to Age 90 Years Among Older Women.

BACKGROUND: Coffee and tea are two of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide and have been associated with reduced risk of mortality in some studies. However, it is unknown whether consumption of these beverages is associated with survival to an advanced age. OBJECTIVE: To examine associations of coffee and tea consumption with survival to age 90 years. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study among participants from the Women's Health Initiative, recruited during 1993 to 1998 and followed up until March 31, 2018. SETTING: The setting included 40 US clinical centers. PARTICIPANTS: A racially and ethnically diverse cohort of 27,480 older women, aged 65 to 81 years at baseline. MEASUREMENTS: Women were classified as having either survived to age 90 years or died before this age. Consumption of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and caffeinated tea was assessed at baseline and categorized as 0, 1, 2 to 3, or 4 or more cups/day. Associations of coffee and tea consumption with survival to age 90 years were examined using logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, dietary quality, and chronic disease history. RESULTS: A total of 14,659 (53.3%) women survived to age 90 years during follow-up. Caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee, or caffeinated tea consumption was not significantly associated with survival to age 90 years after adjusting for confounders. Findings did not significantly vary by smoking, body mass index, or race/ethnicity. CONCLUSION: No amount of coffee or tea consumption was associated with late-age survival among older women. These findings may be reassuring to older women who consume coffee and tea as part of their daily diets but do not support drinking these beverages to achieve longevity.

The survival advantage: Underlying mechanisms and extant limitations.

Recently, researchers have begun to investigate the function of memory in our evolutionary history. According to Nairne and colleagues (e.g., Nairne, Pandeirada, and Thompson, 2008; Nairne, Thompson, and Pandeirada, 2007), the best mnemonic strategy for learning lists of unrelated words may be one that addresses the same problems that our Pleistocene ancestors faced: fitness-relevant problems including securing food and water, as well as protecting themselves from predators. Survival processing has been shown to promote better recall and recognition memory than many well-known mnemonic strategies (e.g., pleasantness ratings, imagery, generation, etc.). However, the survival advantage does not extend to all types of stimuli and tasks. The current review presents research that has replicated Nairne et al.'s (2007) original findings, in addition to the research designs that fail to replicate the survival advantage. In other words, there are specific manipulations in which survival processing does not appear to benefit memory any more than other strategies. Potential mechanisms for the survival advantage are described, with an emphasis on those that are the most plausible. These proximate mechanisms outline the memory processes that may contribute to the advantage, although the ultimate mechanism may be the congruity between the survival scenario and Pleistocene problem-solving.

Sense of control in late life: health and survival implications.

Believing that one can influence outcomes presumably fosters a psychological sense of control. So too, however, might adaptive ways of thinking known as secondary control (SC) processes that operate when outcomes are believed to be unattainable. Using a 5-year prospective design and a representative sample of adults (ages 79-98), folk beliefs (e.g., "negative experiences can be a blessing in disguise") were used to assess SC processes. The authors expected SC Folk Beliefs would predict Sense of Control (Hypothesis 1) which, in turn, would predict self-rated health, hospital admissions, and survival (Hypothesis 2). An indirect relationship was hypothesized: SC Folk Beliefs were expected to predict outcomes through the Sense of Control (Hypothesis 3). Support was found for all hypotheses providing insights into the antecedents and consequences of a sense of control and about how SC beliefs and a sense of control function in the context of health.

Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation during stressful military training: a randomized, controlled, double-blind field study.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA sulfate (DHEAS) are anabolic prehormones involved in the synthesis of testosterone. Both have been shown to exert neuroprotective effects during stress. In this randomized, controlled, double-blind field study, we examined the effects of a 12-day DHEA regimen on stress indices in military men undergoing survival training. Forty-eight men were randomized to either a DHEA treatment group or placebo control group. The treatment group received 50 mg of oral DHEA supplementation daily for 5 days during classroom training followed by 7 days of 75 mg during stressful field operations. Control subjects received identical placebo pills. Salivary assays (DHEA[S], testosterone, and cortisol) were conducted at four time points: distal pre-stress (T1), proximal pre-stress (T2), mock-captivity stress (T3), and 24 h recovery (T4). Subjective distress was also assessed at T1, T3, and T4. As expected, DHEA treatment resulted in higher salivary concentrations of DHEA and DHEAS during daily living, mock-captivity stress, and recovery. Similar patterns were observed for salivary markers of anabolic balance: DHEA/cortisol, DHEAS/cortisol, and testosterone/cortisol concentration ratios. Despite notable time effects, no group differences emerged for subjective distress. A brief, low dose DHEA regimen yielded large increases in salivary DHEA(S) concentrations and enhanced anabolic balance throughout sustained military stress. These physiological changes did not extrapolate to subjective distress.

Enhancing quality of life for survivors of stroke through phenomenology.

Kaufman argued for the need to implement a phenomenological approach to explore the boundaries of authority and responsibility associated with modern Western medicine. Twenty-two years later, survivors of stroke and their families continue to experience a poor quality of life (QOL) due to unmet health care expectations. Therefore, the need to establish a phenomenological approach to examine the issues impacting the QOL of survivors of stroke is as important as ever. This article will examine 3 issues germane to the QOL of survivors of stroke that can be addressed through phenomenological methodology: (1) comprehensive-holistic treatment; (2) active, problem-based coping strategies; and (3) education for the general public and health care personnel. Existential responses from survivors of stroke and recent findings from narrative-based research will help to highlight these important issues.

Breast cancer survivors' perspectives of care practices in Western and alternative medicine.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To explore perspectives of breast cancer survivors about their care with Western medicine and alternative medicine. RESEARCH APPROACH: Qualitative, ethnonursing. SETTING: Cancer center in the midwestern region of the United States. PARTICIPANTS: 9 breast cancer survivors who had experienced health care involving Western medicine and alternative medicine. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: Semistructured interviews were conducted to elicit each participant's perspective about care practices. Data were analyzed with an ethnonursing qualitative data analysis method. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Care practices in Western medicine and care practices in alternative medicine. FINDINGS: Western medicine was seen as traditional or mainstream treatment, whereas alternative medicine was seen as anything not involving hospitals and doctors or as complementary. Perceived outcomes from alternative therapies were coping with disease and treatment, holistic care, and emotional support, whereas perceived outcomes from Western medicine were negative things that they had to go through and as an instrument of God. Kinship, social, economical, educational, and belief factors influenced care practices. CONCLUSIONS: Care practices from alternative medicine or Western medicine vary for breast cancer survivors. Many factors influence their selection decisions about care practices. INTERPRETATION: Nurses should be concerned about what care practices mean to breast cancer survivors. Further research should be considered to evaluate the potential contribution of each factor to breast cancer survivors' decision making about care practices.

Linking human systems: strengthening individuals, families, and communities in the wake of mass trauma.

This article presents an overview of the philosophy and practical principles underlying the Linking Human Systems Approach based on the theory of resilience in individuals, families, and communities facing crisis, trauma, and disaster. The Link Approach focuses on tapping into the inherent strength of individuals and their families and emphasizes resilience rather than vulnerability. It has been successfully used in combating critical public health problems, such as addiction, HIV/AIDS, and recovery from major trauma or disaster. Also, three specific models of Link intervention aimed at the individual, family, and community levels are discussed, with special emphasis on the family-level intervention. These interventions are directed toward mobilizing resources for long-term physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual healing.

Traumatic loss and major disasters: strengthening family and community resilience.

This article presents the core principles and value of a family and community resilience-oriented approach to recovery from traumatic loss when catastrophic events occur. In contrast to individually based, symptom-focused approaches to trauma recovery, this multisystemic practice approach contextualizes the distress in the traumatic experience and taps strengths and resources in relational networks to foster healing and posttraumatic growth. The intertwining of trauma and traumatic losses is discussed. Key family and social processes in risk and resilience in traumatic loss situations are outlined. Case illustrations, model programs, and intervention guidelines are described in situations of community violence and major disasters to suggest ways to foster family and community resilience.

The biology of trauma: implications for treatment.

During the past 20 years, the development of brain imaging techniques and new biochemical approaches has led to increased understanding of the biological effects of psychological trauma. New hypotheses have been generated about brain development and the roots of antisocial behavior. We now understand that psychological trauma disrupts homeostasis and can cause both short and long-term effects on many organs and systems of the body. Our expanding knowledge of the effects of trauma on the body has inspired new approaches to treating trauma survivors. Biologically informed therapy addresses the physiological effects of trauma, as well as cognitive distortions and maladaptive behaviors. The authors suggest that the most effective therapeutic innovation during the past 20 years for treating trauma survivors has been Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a therapeutic approach that focuses on resolving trauma using a combination of top-down (cognitive) and bottom-up (affect/body) processing.

Assessing the long-term effects of EMDR: results from an 18-month follow-up study with adult female survivors of CSA.

This 18-month follow-up study builds on the findings of a randomized experimental evaluation that found qualified support for the short-term effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in reducing trauma symptoms among adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The current study provides preliminary evidence that the therapeutic benefits of EMDR for adult female survivors of CSA can be maintained over an 18-month period. Furthermore, there is some support for the suggestion that EMDR did so more efficiently and provided a greater sense of trauma resolution than did routine individual therapy.

Substance dependency among homeless American Indians.

Extensive qualitative research in the San Francisco Bay Area in California and in Tucson, Arizona, indicates strong associations between substance abuse and homelessness among American Indians. This article takes a comparative approach to describe and analyze precipitating factors and survival patterns of those who are both homeless and who suffer from substance dependency. Possible precipitating factors presented through case studies consider the complex interaction of childhood fostering or adoption into non-Native families, different types of involuntary institutionalization during youth, and the personal impact of accident, trauma and loss. Coping strategies and keys to survival are examined, including the role of the extended family and close friendships, American Indian and mainstream organizations that offer formal and informal services, the existence of anchor or key households, the helping relationships and sobriety groups among homeless individuals, spirituality, and cultural resiliency.

An empirical evaluation of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) with survivors of a natural disaster.

Controlled studies of treatments effective with victims of natural disasters are almost nonexistent. This is a small study conducted under difficult conditions to test the effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in treating trauma related reactions following Hurricane Andrew. The results were positive in that EMDR produced significant improvement over wait list controls in perceived posttraumatic avoidance behaviors and thoughts as measured by changes in the Impact of Event Scale and significant improvement in subjective aversive reactions to representative experiences of the hurricane. These results suggest and support other studies that EMDR can be an effective therapeutic intervention for trauma reactions.

Self-hypnosis training and captivity survival.

In February and March, 1973, 566 U.S. military prisoners (POWs) were released from North Vietnam. These men had been POWs for a period of time between 2 months and 9 years, with a mean incarceration of 4.44 years. They had faced physical and psychological stress similar to that experienced by POWs from previous wars: starvation, disease, inadequate shelter, lack of medical care, interrogations and torture (Deaton, Burge, Richlin & Latrownik, 1977; Mitchell, 1991). By definition, such prison conditions constituted a traumatic experience (Deaton et al., 1977). However, a unique stress for our POWs in North Vietnam was the additional trauma of solitary confinement. This paper reviews the coping and "time killing" activities of U.S. Navy Vietnam POWs who experienced solitary confinement and tortuous interrogation. This paper also reports the physical and psychological adjustment of our POWs following their release from captivity. Suggestions are made regarding the revision of the curriculum for captivity survival training programs such as Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) school.

Effects of subcortical lesion site on human emotional behavior.

This is the first quantitative group study of recognition, expression, and other social-emotional behaviors after third ventricle damage in humans. Hypothalamic damage often induced appetitive disorders without affecting other emotional functions. In contrast, lesions in several hemispheric sites, especially right medial temporal, impaired emotional recognition; frontal and basal ganglia damage impoverished facial emotional expressions, this deficit being dissociated from general facial-motor impairment. These functional dissociations indicate that social-emotional behavior is regulated by multiple neural circuits, many of which by-pass hypothalamic nuclei. This conclusion is shown to be consistent with (a) the considerable animal evidence linking appetitive-survival behaviors with hypothalamic activity and (b) the accumulating human data on the specific contributions of hemispheric cortical-subcortical systems in the regulation of emotional recognition and expression.

The World Trade Center disaster. Healing the unseen wounds.

1. After the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York on February 26, 1993, hospitals were flooded with individuals who manifested not only medical problems, but also psychological trauma. 2. Various coping mechanisms were used by the disaster survivors. Some people were hysterical, while others were very quiet, almost catatonic, with blank affect and fixated posture. Some individuals, who remained strong during the ordeal, collapsed when they reached the hospital. 3. In attending the victims, nurses talked with them about the traumatic incident, the fear, and the angst--a cathartic process that helps people get better sooner. Such therapy is the key to healing unseen wounds.