Everyone likes when their hard work pays off. Years of service is usually awarded by foreign trips or retiring abroad. This is the life when you transition to a life of non-work activities, whether it is travelling, diving into personal projects or even learning or new language. However, while all these plans to do all this in an affordable country seem like a great warm experience, it may have its downside: loneliness.

A latest study published in Psychology and Aging, titled Trouble In Paradise? Emotional and Social Loneliness Among International Retirement Migrants, suggests that retirees who move abroad often experience a greater social isolation than those who say in their home state.

How Was The Research Conducted?

The researchers compared nearly 5,000 Dutch retirees living abroad to more than 1,300 who stayed in Netherlands. The study found that retirees who moved overseas were socially isolated and even though they were also often healthier and wealthier than the ones who stayed back.

The lead author of the study, Esma Betül Savaş, who is also a doctoral researcher at the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographics Institute said in a news release, "although these retirement migrants generally report being happy, they may still face struggles adapting to a new country."

How Does Social Loneliness Occur?

This happens when you have a lack of broad circle of friends, whereas emotional loneliness is tied to lack of close friends and partners. You may have tons of friends, but no one to share deep thoughts with.

However, those who stayed back stayed connected with their friends and family back home, in fact, some of them were able to strengthen their relationships after retirement. However, there was also another group of retirees, those who built strong relationships in their new country and felt less isolated.

Researchers also found that those who engaged with their neighbors and felt a sense of belonging in their new home had lower levels of social loneliness. “Older adults may face double jeopardy in retiring to a new country as they are vulnerable to both age-related and migration-related risk factors for loneliness, and loneliness is itself a risk factor for adverse health outcomes,” Savaş said.

“It’s important for people considering retirement migration to think about how they can maintain their social ties in their origin country and make new ones in their destination country,” she concluded.

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What Can Social Loneliness Do At An Older Age?

As per the National Institute on Aging, social isolation and loneliness may be bad for brain health. These have been linked to poorer cognitive function and higher risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, little social activity and being alone also makes it more difficult to perform everyday tasks such as driving, paying bills, taking medicines, and cooking.

It could lead to:

• Loss of mobility
• Vision or hearing problems
• Psychological or cognitive challenges
• Feeling a lack of purpose
• Financial struggles
• Living alone
• Lack of transportation
• Inability to leave home without help

A powerful animal tranquilizer is increasingly being found in Canadian street drugs, raising serious public health concerns. Medetomidine, a sedative approved only for veterinary use, was first detected in the illicit drug market by Health Canada in 2022 in Brantford, Ontario. By 2023, Health Canada had identified 158 cases involving medetomidine. However, the number surged dramatically to 1,227 occurrences last year, according to an email statement from Health Canada to CTV News.

Before the holiday season, the RCMP issued a warning after medetomidine was found mixed with fentanyl in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, labeling it as “an extremely lethal combination.” As Saskatoon faces a fentanyl overdose crisis, Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR), the city’s safe consumption site, is on high alert. “They call it ‘the zombie drug,’” said PHR Executive Director Kayla DeMong. “It creates an extra level of overdose response because it doesn’t respond to naloxone.”

Saskatoon Police Chief Cam McBride has also observed naloxone’s reduced effectiveness when fentanyl is mixed with sedatives like benzodiazepines. “We’re administering naloxone in large doses, and it’s just not having the results we would normally see with a purer fentanyl product,” McBride said.

Why Are Tranquilizers Being Added to Fentanyl?

Dr Alexander Caudarella, CEO of the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, suggests that sedatives are combined with fentanyl due to a perception that they enhance the high. However, he warned that this practice leads to more deaths and health complications. “These chemicals used in drug-making are, unfortunately, quite easy to obtain,” Caudarella told CTV News.

Why Would Drug Suppliers Risk Killing Their Clients?

Caudarella noted that illicit drug manufacturers lack expertise. “They don’t know what they’re doing. It’s very easy to accidentally make one percent fentanyl or three percent, even if it’s not intentional,” he explained.

McBride added that drug suppliers are motivated by profit rather than public safety. “They do not care. It’s quick money… it’s all about the money, they do not care about people whatsoever,” he said.

Rise of Brightly Colored Fentanyl

Recent police seizures indicate that fentanyl is now appearing in bright colors. In St. John’s, the medetomidine-fentanyl mixture was a blue powder. Last month, Regina police confiscated 7.5 kilograms of fentanyl in pink, blue, yellow, and green slabs.

Gillian Kolla, a public health researcher, first noticed the trend in 2017 in Toronto. “It’s a way for sellers to differentiate fentanyl from other white-powder drugs,” said Kolla, an assistant professor at Newfoundland’s Memorial University.

Caudarella added that the coloring could be a branding strategy to distinguish different fentanyl compounds and their potency. Meanwhile, McBride suggested that specific colors might signify particular suppliers or groups.

How Is Illicit Fentanyl Entering Canada?

Kolla highlighted a shift from plant-based drugs to synthetic drugs, noting that fentanyl is easier to smuggle than heroin, which requires large-scale farming. Caudarella pointed out that while some drugs are manufactured abroad, local production is also on the rise.

“When you don’t need a lot of experience and can make it cheaply, production moves closer to where the drugs are being sold,” he said.

In the fall, the RCMP uncovered a “super lab” in Langley, British Columbia, capable of producing multiple kilograms of fentanyl per week.

Tracking Drug Trends in Canada

Kolla said tracking drug movement is difficult due to the illicit nature of the trade. “People moving these substances around don’t generally like to talk,” she said.

DeMong maintains communication with other safe consumption sites across provinces, noting patterns in drug flow. “We often see a flow through Edmonton to here, while Regina tends to see a flow through Calgary,” she said. “Typically, whatever happens out west, we follow later.”

What Happens to Seized Fentanyl?

According to McBride, confiscated drugs are tested and then destroyed. “Most of it is burned,” he said. Health Canada’s Drug Analysis Service operates multiple labs across the country, analyzing substances seized by law enforcement and public health partners.

Your nose could potentially provide the clue to identifying early signs of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers indicate that an easy scratch-and-sniff test may be able to pinpoint those at risk of developing cognitive decline years before memory symptoms appear.

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer's, did more poorly on a test identifying scents than did people with normal cognition. Scientists think this simple, non-invasive test may be an early-warning system, as it can spot at-risk people years before they show significant mental symptoms.

Dr. Mark Albers, a Massachusetts General Hospital neurologist, headed the study, which highlighted the significance of early detection. "Our aim has been to create and validate a low-cost, non-invasive test that can be done at home, setting the stage for the advancement of research and treatment for Alzheimer's," Albers said.

The test itself is simple: the subjects smell labels of a card and try to recognize the scents from a multiple-choice option. They afterward measure the degree of their confidence in making a correct decision. Researchers have found that even as the sense of smell would decrease naturally with age, the decline was a good deal steeper among subjects who had MCI.

This research included 127 cognitively healthy subjects and 19 individuals with mild cognitive impairment. The latter group scored consistently lower in their capacity to identify and remember odors. Surprisingly, results were similar for English and Spanish speakers, and participants were able to complete the test successfully without support.

Why Smell Matters in Cognitive Health?

The relationship between smell and brain activity isn't new. The olfactory bulb, the part of the brain that handles smells, is among the first areas to be affected by Alzheimer's disease. Injury to this area can occur in the form of a lost sense of smell, which can happen years earlier than memory impairment is detected.

Olfactory dysfunction has been linked by various studies before to neurodegenerative illnesses. The recent study further adds weight to scent-based measures as an early detection tool. Alzheimer's tends to be diagnosed late in the illness, so having the ability to identify potential instances early could turn the treatment and intervention game on its head.

How is Alzheimer's Diagnosed?

Though the smell test is promising, it is not used as an independent diagnostic test for Alzheimer's or dementia. Doctors apply a combination of techniques, such as:

• Neurological tests
• Cognitive and functional tests
• Brain scans (MRI, CT, PET scans)
• Blood and cerebrospinal fluid tests

Doctors also assess a patient's psychiatric background, mental and behavioral shifts, and history of dementia in their family. These checks help develop a better picture of a patient's brain function.

Stages of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease generally advances through three broad stages:

Early Stage (Mild Alzheimer's): Small memory slips, word-finding difficulty, and minor mood or personality changes.

Middle Stage (Moderate Alzheimer's): Apparent memory loss, disorientation in time and space, problem-solving difficulty, and personality changes.

Late Stage (Severe Alzheimer's): Major cognitive impairment, inability to effectively communicate, and complete reliance on caregivers for activities of daily living.

As Alzheimer's progresses differently in each person, passing through these phases is unique to every individual.

Why Early Detection Is Important?

Early detection of Alzheimer's is important. If you observe any of the 10 signs of Alzheimer's – including memory loss, struggling to complete familiar tasks, or mood changes – consulting a doctor is important. Early diagnosis has a number of advantages, including:

Access to therapeutic regimens: Though there is no cure, it is possible through medications and behavioral interventions to hinder disease progression as well as increase quality of life.

Future planning: With the early diagnosis comes the ability to make intelligent care, legal, and financial care decisions.

Engagement in research studies: People diagnosed early could be offered research studies where their participation can become part of emerging treatments.

What to Ask Your Doctor?

If you or a family member is being tested for cognitive impairment, here are some questions to ask your physician:

1. Why do you think this diagnosis is Alzheimer's or another type of dementia?
2. What phase is the disease at, and how will it continue to progress?
3. What are the treatment or management choices?
4. Who will be responsible for ongoing care, and what resources are there for support?

Whereas the smell test marks a thrilling beginning towards earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's, it must be subjected to more investigations that can attest its efficacy on varying populations and platforms. Researchers look forward to being able to harness olfactory testing in unison with other methodologies as an effort towards achieving easier and better cognitive decline screening.

For now, the best approach is to stay proactive. Regular check-ups, cognitive screenings, and awareness of early symptoms can help ensure timely intervention. If you suspect cognitive changes in yourself or a loved one, don’t wait—schedule an evaluation with a healthcare provider today.

Alzheimer's and dementia continue to be some of the toughest medical ailments across the globe. But breakthroughs such as the smell test give hope for more timely detection and treatment. With continued advancements, easy home tests could one day be a regular weapon in the battle against declining mental acuity. In the meantime, knowledge, early detection, and preventative health care continue to be the best defense against these crippling afflictions.

Menopause policies in workplaces are increasing, reflecting the growing number of women in the workforce experiencing this life stage. Women approaching or reaching the end of their reproductive years now make up about 20% of the U.S. labor force. Many of these workers face significant challenges, including hot flashes, difficulty concentrating, and other disruptive symptoms caused by hormonal changes.

However, the economic impact of menopause has remained largely overlooked—until now.

A recent study by Petra Persson, a faculty fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), sheds light on the financial burden associated with menopause. The findings indicate a considerable decline in earnings among menopausal women. Those seeking medical help for menopause-related symptoms earn 10% less four years later, often due to reduced work hours or leaving the workforce entirely.

'Menopause Penalty'

The economic effects are particularly pronounced among women without college degrees and those in manual or routine-intensive jobs. Additionally, employees in smaller private-sector firms face greater financial strain due to the "menopause penalty."

“The economic losses for working women during menopause are substantial,” says Persson, also an assistant professor of economics at Stanford. While much research has focused on the "motherhood penalty," the financial consequences of menopause have been largely ignored until now.

Persson’s study underscores the need for supportive workplace policies. About 85% of women experience menopausal symptoms, which typically begin between the ages of 45 and 55 and may persist for over a decade. With 60% of U.S. women aged 55 to 64 still in the workforce, the study highlights the importance of employer and government intervention.

“Just as we have parental leave and accommodations for health-related productivity dips, it makes sense to implement policies that assist women navigating menopause,” Persson explains.

Her research suggests that workplace policies supporting women with severe menopausal symptoms could yield significant economic benefits. Providing accurate information about menopause and expanding access to menopause-related health care, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), could help mitigate financial losses. Persson’s study indicates that increased awareness and medical support can help women—especially those without college degrees—maintain stable employment and earnings.

The study also reveals a link between menopause and early retirement. An increase in disability insurance claims suggests that many women exit the workforce permanently due to menopause-related health issues.

Due to the lack of comprehensive U.S. data on menopause and its economic effects, Persson and her collaborators—Gabriella Conti (University College London), Rita Ginja (University of Bergen), and Barton Willage (University of Delaware)—analyzed publicly available data from Sweden and Norway. While the findings may not directly translate to the U.S., they align with existing research. A Mayo Clinic study, for example, estimates that menopause symptoms result in $1.8 billion in lost work time annually in the U.S.

Public awareness of menopause is growing, partly due to high-profile discussions by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Naomi Watts. The issue has also gained political attention; the British Parliament recently held hearings on menopause in the workplace, and a bipartisan U.S. bill introduced in 2023 calls for increased federal funding for menopause-related research.

Some Fortune 500 companies have begun implementing flexible work arrangements and mental health services for menopausal employees, but such initiatives remain rare. Persson emphasizes that governments and employers must take further action to raise awareness and establish workplace protections.

"Women facing menopause-related challenges need support just like any other employees managing health conditions," Persson says. "Our study suggests that expanding access to menopause-related care and workplace accommodations could offer significant economic benefits"