Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Scientists See Potential of Alzheimer’s Magic Bullet
in TSPO Ligands
Diseased mice respond to new drug
- most severe
older mice see signs of disease improve rapidly
By
Jonathan Riggs
May 21, 2013 – Gerontology researchers think they
have discovered what may lead to a drug to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s
disease. Working with a class of drugs called TSPO ligands and they were
able to reduce AD pathology and improve memory in mice. They were most
surprised in their success with old mice, where they saw the
potential for a treatment of the disease.
Read more...
Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors
Scientists Say Apigenin Compound Found in Foods Takes
Away Power of Cancer Cells to Survive
Abundant in Mediterranean diet that makes cancer
cells mortal
May 21, 2013 - New research suggests that a
compound called apigenin, abundant in the Mediterranean diet, takes away
the "superpower" of cancer cells to escape death. By altering a very
specific step in gene regulation, this compound essentially re-educates
cancer cells into normal cells that die as scheduled.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Latest Prostatectomy Radiation Treatment – IMRT –
Not More Effective for Senior Citizens
New technologies adopted quickly as many believe
newer treatments are better, but often there is a lack of studies to
actually compare patient outcomes
May 21, 2013 -
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy has become the most commonly used
type of radiation in prostate cancer, but new research suggests that the therapy may not be more effective
than older, less expensive forms of radiation therapy in patients who
have had a prostatectomy and were seniors age 66 or older.
Read more...
EurekAlert - Health
Delayed transfer to the ICU increases risk of death in hospital patients
Using early warning score such as CART would help decrease
in-hospital deaths associated with transfer of ward patients
May 21, 2013 - Delayed transfer of hospital ward patients
to the intensive care unit significantly increases the risk of dying, according
to a study lead by Matthew Churpek, MD, University of Chicago Medical Center. It
found that each one hour increase in transfer delay was associated with a 7%
increase in the odds of dying in the ICU. The chance of dying jumps to 52% if
delay is 18-24 hours after reaching the critical CART value…
EurekAlert 5/21/13
American Heart Association News
Most With Implantable Defibrillators Can
Participate In Vigorous Sports
Study challenges some current recommendations opposing
vigorous competitive sports
May 21, 2013 — Many people with implantable defibrillators
can safely participate in vigorous sports according to new research in the
American Heart Association journal Circulation, although those in the test were
younger than 61. The ICD’s deliver shocks to restore normal heart rhythm. The
rate of shocks was similar to those in previous studies for less active people
with implantable defibrillators - 77 people of 372 studied received 121… at
American Heart Association, 5/20/13
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Physical, Emotional Impairments Common, Often
Untreated in People with Cancer
‘prehabilitation,’ precursor to rehabilitation, is
recommended at time of diagnosis up until treatment begins; rebab cost
effective; critical
May
20, 2013 - A majority of cancer survivors will have significant physical
and psychological impairments as a result of treatments and these often
go undetected and/or untreated, resulting in disability, according to a
new review. It finds cancer survivors suffer a diverse and complex set
of impairments, affecting virtually every organ system.
Read more...
Medicare & Medicaid News
Ideas on Cutting Cost of Medicare Released by
Medicare Rights Center
Medicare advocate also unveils updated fact sheets on
Medicare deficit reduction proposals
May 20, 2013 - The Medicare Rights Center, New
York, recently released its latest fact sheet in a series on ways to
reduce the Medicare deficit. The latest resource, “Build
on What Works: Medicare Cost Savers,” outlines proposals to
eliminate wasteful spending in Medicare and promote the delivery of high
value, affordable health care.
Read
more...
Yahoo News
Note: Drug tested separately on senior citizens -
65 plus - and younger adults
May 20, 2013, By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - Merck & Co's experimental insomnia drug suvorexant
appears generally effective, according to reviewers at the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration, but they questioned the company's
proposed dosing levels. The reviewers posted their comments on
the FDA's website on Monday, two days ahead of a meeting of
outside medical experts which will advise the agency on whether
or not it should approve the drug. Merck's shares fell 1.1
percent to $45.49 in midday trading...
Yahoo News
|
Yahoo News
Greying China taps rural elderly to care for those even older
May 19, 2013, By Li Hui and Maxim Duncan
QIANTUN, China (Reuters) - Two years short of 70, Zhang Guosheng
spends his days caring for an 81-year-old fellow villager -
washing his clothes, bringing meals to his bed, and keeping him
company - a routine he'll keep up until he himself needs the
type of care he is now giving. "Living here is better than
staying at home alone. We help each other and have a common
language," said the spritely Zhang, an enthusiastic dancer. "We
are very happy here. ...Yahoo
News
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Social Security Q&A
Should You Take Social Security Retirement Early?
Here's Answer From IRS Specialist
Q&A also looks at what happens if you take early
retirement and then earn more income than is allowed
May 20, 2013 – One of the questions most asked by
those nearing Social Security retirement age is about the decision to
retire early or wait until reaching full retirement age. It all depends,
according to the Q&A by Oscar Garcia of SSA. He also answers a couple of
key questions by seniors who took early retirement or disability
retirement.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Saving A Life After Heart Attack: There Is An iPhone
App for That
Inexpensive smartphone app could help save lives by
faster diagnosis, treatment for deadliest heart attacks
May 17, 2013 ― An experimental, inexpensive iPhone
application transmitted diagnostic heart images faster and more reliably
than emailing photo images, according to a research study presented at
the American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research
Scientific Sessions 2013.
Read more...
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Other Health News for Senior Citizens
Older Stroke Patients Respond Similarly To After-Stroke Care,
Despite Age Difference
May 17, 2013 - Age has little to do with how patients should be
treated after suffering a stroke, according to new research from the
University of Georgia. Two-thirds of all strokes occur in patients
over the age of 65 but blood pressure goals typically are lower for
stroke patients under age 64 when compared to those 75 to 84. The
study suggests after-stroke care, like blood pressure management, be
applied across all age groups.
More at U of
G…
|
American Heart
Association
May 17, 2013 ―
Control of heart disease risk
factors varies widely among
outpatient practices, according to a
study presented at the American
Heart Association’s Quality of Care
and Outcomes Research Scientific
Sessions 2013. An example is among
people with hypertension under
control, which ranged from 58.7 to
75.1 percent. More at American Heart
Association…
|
American Heart
Association
Depression linked to almost
doubled stroke risk in middle-aged women
May 17, 2013 - Depression among women 47-52
years old is associated with an almost doubled risk of stroke.
Researchers call for greater awareness of depression as a
preventable risk factor for stroke among younger middle-aged
women, according to research published in
Stroke: Journal of
the American Heart Association.
More at AHA… |
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Depressed Cancer Survivors Twice as Likely to Die
Prematurely
Prevalence of cancer rising as are number cured or
living with it as a chronic disease… due partially to aging population,
more effective treatments
May 16, 2013 - Depressed cancer survivors are twice
as likely to die prematurely than those who do not suffer from
depression, irrespective of the cancer site. That's according to a new
study,
by Floortje Mols and colleagues, from Tilburg University in The
Netherlands.
Read
more...
Exercise & Fitness for Senior Citizens
Statins Block Benefits of Exercise in Study of Obese
Adults at University of Missouri
If patients start exercising and taking simvastatin
at same time, it seems the statins block the ability of exercise to improve
their fitness levels
By Kate McIntyre
May 16, 2013 – Statins, the most widely prescribed
drugs worldwide, are often suggested to lower cholesterol and prevent
heart disease in individuals with obesity, diabetes and metabolic
syndrome, which is a combination of medical disorders including excess
body fat and/or high levels of blood pressure, blood sugar and/or
cholesterol. However, University of Missouri researchers found that
simvastatin, a generic type of statin previously sold under the brand
name “Zocor,” hindered the positive effects of exercise for obese and
overweight adults.
Read more...
Medicare & Medicaid News
Marilyn Tavenner Confirmed to Head Medicare,
Medicaid After Six Years of Senate Inaction
Jennifer Haberkorn of Politico Pro discusses the
confirmation and the future for the CMS chief in interview with Kaiser
Health News
May 16, 2013 – It only took about six and a half
years but the Senate has confirmed a chief administrator for the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Marilyn B. Tavenner, the Obama
nominee, got the Senate nod yesterday on a 91-to-7 vote. She has been
acting head for two years after serving as Virginia’s health secretary
and as a hospital executive.
Read more...
Medicare & Medicaid News
New Round of Health Care Innovation Awards Follows
Year of Slower Growth in Medicare Costs
Program by Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
seeks more ideas
for better health care at lower cost
May 15, 2013 – On the heels of news that healthcare
spending by Medicare per beneficiary increased by just 0.4 percent last
year – far below historical averages – the Obama administration today
announced the second round of Health Care Innovation Awards as part of
the effort to deliver better healthcare at a lower cost.
Read
more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Salt Intake Restrictions for Seniors, Others
Questioned by Institute of Medicine
Potential harm from too little salt? Lack of evidence
to support current guidelines
May 15, 2013 – Senior citizens have been well
warned by the American Heart Association and a number of other
authoritative sources that they should not consume more than 1,500 mg
per day of sodium. Now, the prestigious Institute of Medicine is
questioning this restriction and even the restriction for younger people
of 2,300 mg per day.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
CDC Urges Seniors, Others with Arthritis to Take Action
in May to Relieve
Symptoms
Arthritis Awareness
Month sees 50 million in U.S. living with the pain; walking offers
relief; ten ways to get started
May
15, 2013 – About 12.4 million senior citizens - 33.6 percent of those
age 65 and older - in the U.S. suffer with osteoarthritis, the most
common form of arthritis among older people. And, 50 million Americans
live with some form of arthritis. In recognition of Arthritis Awareness
Month (May) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are urging
patients to take actions to reduce the symptoms and live well.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Test of Biomarkers Proves Alzheimer’s Can Be
Predicted Years Before Symptoms Appear
Older people, men, African Americans more likely to
become cognitively impaired than those younger, female and Caucasian
May 14, 2013 – Testing of several biomarkers
previously shown to predict which patients will develop Alzheimer’s
disease later in life has found they all work years before symptoms
develop and with about the same degree of certainty. Scientists at
Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who helped
identify many of the biomarkers, studied spinal fluid samples and health
data from 201 research participants in the study.
Read
more...
Social Security News
Senior Citizens Warned of Fake Emails Urging
Enrollment in ‘my Social Security’
Popular new personal accounts available at Social
Security now attracting crooks to try ‘phishing’
May 14, 2013 – As a sure sign of the popularity of
the new “my Social Security” account, the criminals are using "phishing"
E-mails encouraging senior citizens to create an account. Rest assured,
any email promoting this are not coming from the agency, according to
information from the Social Security Administration.
Read
more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Being Proactive Critical in Battle Against Cancer
But Study Questions Guidance Provided to Patients
With a focus on shared decision-making between
doctors and patients, more studies needed to determine how decision aids
help guide choices for cancer screening
May 13, 2013 - When it comes to a cancer diagnosis,
timing can be everything – the sooner it’s found, the more treatable it
is. But when and how often should someone get screened? Are physicians
doing their part to help patients make wise decisions?
Read more...
Social Security News
Social Security Enters New World of Smartphones and
Social Media for Senior Audience
Q&A column also suggests your lowered benefit from
early retirement may get a future boost
May
13, 2013 – There is a new incentive to move senior citizens into the age
of smartphones: Social Security has a new version of its website
designed for mobile devices and is in the social swirl, according to
Oscar Garcia, Public Affairs Specialist with SSA in this week’s Q&A.
And, there is more good news: when you take early retirement in Social
Security your benefit may still get a boost in future years.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Reason for Fuzzy Memories for Seniors Taking Statins
May Be Explained
Memory loss that is reversible sometimes caused by
cholesterol-lowering drugs, one of most widely prescribed medications
for senior citizens in the world.
May 10, 2013 - A University of Arizona research
team has made a novel discovery in brain cells being treated with statin
drugs: unusual swellings within neurons, which the team has termed the
"beads-on-a-string" effect. It may explain the continued documentation
that some patients experience fuzzy thinking and memory loss while
taking statins, a class of global top-selling cholesterol-lowering drugs
used primarily by older people.
Read
more...
Aging News & Information
Slant of Your Backbone May Indicate If You Are
Headed for Nursing Home
Seniors with greatest
angle of spinal inclination, were 3.47 times more likely to become
disabled
May 9, 2013 –
The inclination of your
backbone may predict if you are going to end up in a nursing home or
at least need home healthcare in your old age, according to report
published online in the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological
Sciences and Medical Sciences.
Read
more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
New Prostate Cancer Test Better at Determining
Candidates for Surveillance
UC San Francisco tool billed as better at
determining risk; could save many at low-risk from treatment that is now
common
May 8, 2013 - A new genomic test for prostate
cancer, which most often targets older men, can help predict whether men
are more likely to harbor an aggressive form of the disease, according
to a new UC San Francisco study. The test, which improves risk
assessment when patients are first diagnosed, can also aid in
determining which men are suitable for active surveillance – a way of
managing the disease without direct treatment.
Read
more...
Medicare News
Wide Variance in What Hospitals Charge Exposed in
Data Release by Obama Administration
Consumers don’t know what hospitals charge them or
their insurance company; info aimed at helping them make smart choices
May 8, 2013 – The cost of healthcare just became a
lot more transparent with the release of information by Health and Human
Services on what hospitals charge for common inpatient services. The
information shows an extreme variance across the country and even within
communities.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Senior Citizen Memory Lapses Linked to Problems
Processing Everyday Events
Older adults who showed atrophy in medial temporal
lobe weren’t as good at remembering the everyday activities
May 7, 2013 - Some memory problems common to older
adults may stem from an inability to segment daily life into discrete
experiences and this may be associated with atrophy in a part of the
brain, according to a new study.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Doctors' Diagnostic Errors Are Often Not Mentioned
But Can Take A Serious Toll
‘Diagnoses that are missed, incorrect or delayed are
believed to affect
10 to 20 percent
of cases, far exceeding drug errors and surgery on the wrong patient or
body part…’
By Sandra G. Boodman, Kaiser Health News
May, 7, 2013 - Until it happened to him, Itzhak
Brook, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Georgetown
University School of Medicine, didn't think much about the problem of
misdiagnosis. That was before doctors at a Maryland hospital repeatedly
told Brook his throat pain was the result of acid reflux, not cancer.
Read
more...
Features for Senior Citizens
Senior Citizens Who Regularly Drive with Dog in Car
Double Their Risk of Crash
Over half the elderly pet owners say they take
their pet with them in car at least occasionally
May 6, 2013 – Senior citizens who habitually put
their dog in the car whenever they drive are increasing their risk for
being involved in a vehicle collision, say
University of Alabama at Birmingham
(UAB) researchers. They say both overall and at-fault crash rates for
drivers 70 years of age or older were higher for those whose pet
habitually rode with them.
Read
more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Omega-3, Antioxidants Ruled Out in Treating AMD,
Leading Cause of Blindness in Elderly
Study clarifies role of supplements, including lutein,
zeaxanthin, in preventing advanced AMD: incurable disease that is
leading cause of blindness in senior citizens
May 6, 2013 - Adding omega-3 fatty acids did not
improve a combination of nutritional supplements commonly recommended
for treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of
vision loss among older Americans, according to a study from the
National Institutes of Health (NIH). The plant-derived antioxidants lutein and
zeaxanthin also had no overall effect on AMD.
Read more...
Features for Senior Citizens
Seniors May Want to Take a Closer Look at How
Smartphone Apps are Changing Healthcare
The field is growing so fast it has spurned a
million-person study and an online magazine to medical professional
aware of the latest apps
By Tucker Sutherland, editor
May 4, 2013 - Even senior citizens, not
often the most interested in new ways of doing things, have probably
heard "There's an app for that!" It refers to the
applications available for smart phones.
Seniors should pay close attention to the new wave of
sophisticated apps offering stunning medical help - like an EKG to check
your heart, and apps that check blood pressure and heart rate. Among the
most amazing is one that helps people with artificial hands determine
the grip they want to use.
Read more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
New Guidelines Urge Older Men Discuss Benefits,
Harms of Prostate Cancer Screening with Doctor
American Urological Association changes position to
slow wide-spread screening for men 55 to 69; opposes routine screening
of men 40 to 50, no screening if 70+
May 3, 2013 - Men ages 55 to 69 who are considering prostate cancer screening
should talk with their doctors about the benefits and harms of
testing and proceed based on their personal values and preferences,
according to a new clinical practice guideline released today by the
American Urological Association (AUA). The guidelines also say screening in men under 40
or 70 and over is
not recommended, nor is routine screening of men 40 to 50 with
"average risk".
Read
more...
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Medicare & Medicaid News
Elderly patient shocked to learn two
days of hospital stay were considered 'observation care'
and kept her from nursing home coverage
By
Susan Jaffe, Kaiser Health News
 May 3, 2013 - After Lois
Frarie, a 93-year-old retired teacher from
Monterey, Calif., spent four days at a local
hospital while being treated for a broken elbow
and pelvis, she went to a nearby nursing home to
build up her strength. But her family was
stunned to find out that they would have to pay
thousands of dollars up front since two of the
days she spent in the hospital were considered
"observation care."
Read more...
Statement issued by CMS is
below this news story; now elderly must spend
three days as hospital patient before being
eligible for nursing home care
By Susan
Jaffe, Kaiser Health News
May 3, 2013 -
Medicare officials have proposed changes in
hospital admission rules that they say will curb
the rising number of beneficiaries who are
placed in observation care but are not admitted,
making them ineligible for nursing home
coverage.
Read more...
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Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Men Who Take Statins Less Likely to Die from
Prostate Cancer
Statins prescribed as drugs to control cholesterol
but may work against number one cancer killer of men
May
2, 2013 - Men with prostate cancer who take cholesterol-lowering drugs
called statins are significantly less likely to die from their cancer
than men who don’t take such medication, according to study led by
researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Read
more...
Exercise & Fitness for Senior Citizens
Exercise Fails to Help Depressed Elderly in London
Care Homes
Popular with residents but it had no effect on
depression or general quality of life
May 2, 2013 – Exercise often seems to be an
automatic recommendation for anything that ails a senior citizen. New
research indicates, however, that this common solution for better mental
and physical health has met its match in trying to help elderly living
in nursing homes and assisted living facilities escape from depression.
Read more...
Aging News & Information
Aging Slowed, Longevity Increased by Controlling
Signals to Brain’s Hypothalamus
Einstein med school scientists may have found the
body's ‘fountain of aging’ - at least in lab mice
May
1, 2013 – A new discovery that the brain region known as the
hypothalamus controls aging has enabled scientists to slow down the
aging process and increase longevity - at least in lab mice - by
altering signals to this area of the brain.
Read more...
May 23, 2013 - Health care services by retail
clinics can be a safe option for older adults for occasional, minor
health problems, but should not take the place of an individual’s
primary care provider, according to a newly
May 22, 2013 –
The bi-partisan leadership of the Senate Special Committee on Aging has
requested an investigation of pricing and coverage details presented by
sponsors of Medicare prescription drug programs on Medicare’s online
Part D. prescription drug plan finder. The committee will also hold its
own hearing today on the Medicare drug program, which is nearing its
tenth anniversary.
