The Mindfulness Podcast with Dr. David Black

Episode 39: Lifestyle interventions to safeguard brain health and reduce dementia risks
Mar 2024

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I am joined by Ryan Mace, PhD, a clinical health psychologist and an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Health Outcomes and Interdisciplinary Research. His research combines mindfulness, lifestyle modifications, and digital health tools to promote brain health and reduce dementia risk factors in diverse aging populations. Supported by an NIA K23 Career Development Award, he is refining and testing a novel group mindfulness-based lifestyle program for older adults with early dementia risk factors (“My Healthy Brain”). His research aims to redefine brain health such that promoting healthy lifestyles and well-being to reduce dementia becomes a priority earlier in the lifespan. 

Materials discussed:

Mace, R. A., Stauder, M. J., Hopkins, S. W., Cohen, J. E., Pietrzykowski, M. O., Philpotts, L. L., ... & Vranceanu, A. M. (2024). Mindfulness-Based Interventions Targeting Modifiable Lifestyle Behaviors Associated With Brain Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

Mace, R. My Healthy Brain: a mindfulness-based lifestyle intervention to modify early risk of dementia in older adults. NIA grant 1K23AG075257-01.  

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I am joined by Timothy M. Pawlik, MD, PhD, MPH, MTS, MBA, FACS, FSSO, FRACS (Hon.), who serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the Urban Meyer III and Shelley Meyer Chair for Cancer Research. He also holds the position of Surgeon in Chief at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Additionally, Maryanna Klatt, PhD, from Ohio State and Director of their Integrative Medicine program, joins me for a second time (see episode 20). We engage in an excellent discussion concerning their review of mindfulness trainings for patients before, during, and after surgery. Moreover, we explore the potential promise of mindfulness training for surgeons in the operating room to enhance awareness in the present moment, possibly leading to improved precision in care and better patient outcomes.

Materials discussed:

Palmer Kelly, E., McGee, J., Klatt, M., Beckers, G., & Pawlik, T. M. (2024). The Use of Brief Mindfulness Interventions in the Context of Perioperative Care. The American Surgeon.

Lam, C. N., Silke, O., Itamura, J., Salem, G., & Black, D. S. (2020). Mindfulness training by telephone before and after orthopedic surgery: a feasibility study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

Episode 37: Adherence to the DASH hypertensive diet
Jan 2024

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I am joined by Eric Loucks, PhD, Professor of Public Health and Director of the Mindfulness Center at Brown University. His research focuses on human aging and health, with an emphasis on adapting and testing the efficacy of mindfulness programs. He wrote a book called The Mindful College Student, released in 2022. We discuss his recent clinical trial that tests an adapted mindfulness program to support adherence to the DASH diet for hypertension management.

Materials discussed:

Loucks, E. B., Kronish, I. M., Saadeh, F. B., Scarpaci, M. M., Proulx, J. A., Gutman, R., ... & Schuman-Olivier, Z. (2023). Adapted Mindfulness Training for Interoception and Adherence to the DASH Diet: A Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open.

Loucks, E. B., Schuman‐Olivier, Z., Saadeh, F. B., Scarpaci, M. M., Nardi, W. R., Proulx, J. A., ... & Kronish, I. M. (2023). Effect of Adapted Mindfulness Training in Participants With Elevated Office Blood Pressure: The MB‐BP Study: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of the American Heart Association.