The national water company has enrolled 2,000 Vigilantes del Agua to report leaks and to encourage reducing use of water at their schools.

The students came from 50 schools. Their job is to return to the schools and share what they learned in the seminars with the Instituto Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillados.

The water company noted that a single school, Escuela Miguel Obregón en Tibás, reduced water use nearly 200,000 liters a month. The Ministerio de Educación Pública also sponsors the program.


Traffic police will attempt
to avoid holiday fatality spike


Traffic police will try to stop the season spike in accidents that takes place each December. They said much of the reason is holiday alcohol use.

The Policía de Tránsito said there will be 650 officers on duty throughout the country. The metro area will be a priority until Christmas when the emphasis will switch to the beaches  and other recreational areas, they said.

Officers plan at least 165 control points to catch speeders and 73 directed at drunk drivers.

Usually December sees at least 30 fatalities with the exception of last year when just 27 died. By comparison no other month of the year has that many deaths, said police.

Police also said they will be cracking down on improperly parked vehicles.

The traffic police also are involved in the many holiday activities that take place in the metro area. Among these are the Festival de la Luz parade, which is Dec. 14 this year.

There also is the illumination of the facade of the Museo de los Niños, which is Wednesday and involves closing off several main city streets to create a safe route for pedestrians going to the museum.

Alzheimer's and dementia said
to be less prevalent today


People are less likely to experience dementia and Alzheimer's disease today than they were 20 years ago, and those who do may be developing it later in life. That is what a new perspective article that examines the positive trends in dementia says in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Authors examined five recent studies that suggest a decrease in the prevalence of dementia, crediting the positive trend to improvements in education levels, health care and lifestyle.

“We’re very encouraged to see a growing number of studies from around the world that suggest that the risk of dementia may be falling due to rising levels of education and better prevention and treatment of key cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol,” says co-author Kenneth Langa, a professor at the University of Michigan Medical School.

“Our findings suggest that, even if we don't find a cure for Alzheimer's disease and dementia, there are social and lifestyle factors we can address to decrease our risk.”

Authors point to two key factors that may explain the decreased risk of dementia over the last few decades: People are completing more years of school, which helps the brain fight off dementia; and there’s more awareness and focus on preventing heart disease, another big risk factor for Alzheimer’s.

“The growing number of older adults in the U.S. and around the world means we will undoubtedly see a significant growth in the number of people with dementia, however the good news is they appear to be living longer without experiencing it,” says Langa.

“We are seeing a positive trend that suggests that improving our physical and mental health go hand in hand with fighting off this devastating condition.”

In 2008, Langa and a colleague reported one of the first studies suggesting a decline in U.S. dementia rates, using information from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study. They found that decline tracked with education and improvements in health care and lifestyle. Since then, several studies in Europe have confirmed this trend — and the reasons behind it.

Other research has also shown that other factors decreasing risk include early and ongoing education, physical activity, retiring later, educated parents especially an educated mother, maintaining social activities and getting treatment for depression.