Senior Citizen Health & Medicine at SeniorJournal.com

Health News Archives

Death or rehospitalization rates for Medicare beneficiaries with acute stroke didn’t improve from 2003 to 2006

Dec. 20, 2010 – Although the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the number of deaths caused by strokes has dropped from third to fourth place among causes of U.S. deaths, a new study finds nearly two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries -primarily senior citizens - discharged from hospitals after ischemic stroke die or are readmitted within one year. Read more...

FDA Takes Action to Stop Use of Avastin for Breast Cancer: Not Proven Safe, Effective

No studies showed patients receiving Avastin lived longer, but some did experience a significant increase in serious side effects

Dec. 16, 2010 - The Food and Drug Administration announced today that the agency is recommending removing the breast cancer indication from the label for Avastin (bevacizumab) because the drug has not been shown to be safe and effective for that use. In July, after reviewing all available data an independent advisory committee, composed primarily of oncologists, voted 12-1 to remove the breast cancer indication from Avastin’s label. Read more...

Substantial Improvement in Prostate Cancer PSA Testing Discovered by Genetics Firm

Better results will prevent unnecessary biopsies, catch more cancers, says deCODE

Dec. 16, 2010 – PSA (prostate specific antigen) testing is the best tool available for prostate cancer screening but is far from a perfect detective. A high reading often prompts a biopsy, which too often was not needed, because no cancer is found. Many of these biopsies may be avoided with a new discovery by deCODE genetics that improves the accuracy of PSA tests. Read more...

Biological Diversity Found in Ovarian Cancer Complicates Quest for Effective Screening

Ovarian cancer has been regarded as a single disease: now studies show two distinct subtypes, a slow-growing and a more aggressive variety

Dec. 13, 2010 – The frustration with the lack of solid, meaningful way to screen women for ovarian cancer will apparently continue. New research confirms annual screening is likely to result in only a modest reduction in mortality from the disease and one of the reasons for the lack of success is the conclusion that there are two subtypes of this cancer – one much more aggressive than the other. Read more...

Just a Few Steps Could Lead to Big Gains for Hospitalized Senior Citizens

"...mobility is linked to older people's quality of life, independence, maintenance of healthy muscle mass"

New study says active elderly patients leave the hospital faster than those who are not

Dec. 10, 2010 - "You'll be back on your feet in no time" is a phrase familiar to anyone who's ever had to spend time in a hospital. Now, a new study has shown that hospitalized elderly patients who literally "get back on their feet" by taking even short walks around a hospital unit tend to leave the hospital sooner than their more sedentary peers. Read more...

Senior Women are Least Likely to Get Annual Mammogram Although Covered by Medicare

Majority of women in the ages targeted by breast cancer not getting preventive exams

Dec. 10, 2010 - Only half of eligible women in the U.S. – and even less than half of senior citizens - are getting their annual mammograms, even if they have Medicare or other insurance to pay for the procedure, according to data presented at the 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Researchers are puzzled why participation is so low. Read more...

Researchers Jump-Start Nerve Fibers to Significantly Reverse Stroke Damage

Dramatic results of anti-Nogo therapy in rats that had medically induced strokes: findings "of great clinical importance”

Dec. 7, 2010 - A new technique that jump-starts the growth of nerve fibers could reverse much of the damage caused by strokes, researchers report in the Jan. 7, 2011, issue of the journal Stroke. Read more...

Deaths from Many Common Cancers Reduced Significantly by Daily Low-Dose Aspirin

A daily low-dose aspirin known to fight heart disease, now proven as a powerful weapon against cancer in Oxford study

Dec. 7, 2010 – Results from a study at Oxford University is published today showing that researchers found a 20 percent drop in cancer deaths among patients taking a low-dose aspirin daily. It adds new fuel to the debate about whether healthy older people should consider taking a low dose of aspirin each day. In the U.S. it is recommended with caution for those age 80 and older. Read more...

Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis Appears to Cause Big Jump in Heart Attack Risk

Average age at diagnosis was just under 57 and 71% of the patients with RA were women

Dec. 6, 2010 - The risk of having a heart attack is 60 percent higher just a year after a patient has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a large research project published in the December issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine. Read more...

Drop in Breast Cancer Rates in Older Women Directly Tied to Reduced Hormone Therapy

Women 50 to 69 had the highest hormone use and the biggest reduction in breast cancer when they stopped; women over 70 had parallel drop in cancer

Nov. 30, 2010 – In a massive study of over 2 million mammograms performed on almost 700,000 U.S. women, scientists found a direct link between reduced hormone therapy and declines in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) as well as invasive breast cancer. The researchers saw such a striking decrease they believe they also have uncovered indirect evidence that hormones promote breast tumor growth. Read more...

Clinical stage was assigned incorrectly in 35.4% of 3,875 men in a multi-institutional national disease registry

Nov. 22, 2010 - A new study challenges the current staging system that determines the extent or severity of prostate cancer that has not metastasized. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study found that there is no link between localized prostate cancer's clinical stage and a patient's risk of cancer recurrence after having his prostate removed. Read more...

Gerontological Society Hears That Parental Divorce in Childhood Doubles Risk of Stroke

Adjusting for age, race and gender, odds of stroke were 2.2 times higher for those who had experienced parental divorce

Nov. 22, 2010 – Having experienced the divorce of your parents when you were a child appears to more than double the odds that you will suffer a stroke at sometime in your life, according to new research presented in New Orleans today at The Gerontological Society of America’s (GSA) 63rd Annual Scientific Meeting. Read more...

Senior Citizens at Risk of Heart Attack Gain New Hope from Powerful Anti-Cholesterol Drug

‘Anacetrapib has a knock-your-socks-off effect on HDL and a jaw-dropping effect on LDL’ - Dr. Christopher P. Cannon, senior investigator

Nov. 18, 2010 – Exciting new hope for senior citizens at risk of a heart attack was introduced yesterday. The experimental drug more than doubles the level of good cholesterol and cuts the bad kind nearly in half, without the blood pressure increase linked to another agent in its class, according to late-breaking clinical trial results presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2010. Read more...

New Therapy Beats Implanted Defibrillator in Extending Life for Heart Failure Patients

Large study in New England Journal of Medicine says cardiac resynchronization therapy can boost a fading heart beat - new hope for many senior citizens

Nov. 14, 2010 – One of the largest worldwide studies into heart failure offers the promise of life-saving treatment for patients with symptoms of mild to moderate heart failure – an increasingly common condition among an aging population that can lead to sudden cardiac death. Read more...

Too Many Patients Having Heart Attacks Still Wait More than Two Hours to Go to the Hospital

Long delays between developing heart attack symptoms and going to hospital are common - learn about heart attack warnings below this news report.

Nov. 8, 2010 - Long delays between developing symptoms and going to the hospital are common among patients with a certain type of heart attack, and this lag time – deadly in some cases - has not improved in years, according to a report in the November 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read more...

Chances Much Improved for Elderly to Receive a Life-Extending Kidney Transplant

Elderly patients rarely receive a transplant, but they were twice as likely to get one in 2006 as in 1995

Oct. 28, 2010 – Although almost half of those suffering from kidney failure are 60 years of age or older it has not been easy for these older people go get a kidney transplant. A new study, however, finds things are changing and chances are better than ever for seniors to receive this life-extending treatment. Read more...

Senior Citizens That Survive Sepsis Are Three Times More Likely to Have Cognitive Issues

First large-scale study shows older patients with severe sepsis face years of cognitive, physical decline, according to U-M research published in JAMA - watch video

Oct. 26, 2010 - Older adults who survive severe sepsis are at higher risk for long-term cognitive impairment and physical limitations than those hospitalized for other reasons, according to researchers from the University of Michigan Health System. Read more, watch video...

Aspirin Cuts Death Risk in Half for Prostate Cancer Victims Using Radiation or Surgery

Prior studies have shown anticoagulants like aspirin hinder cancer growth,spread

Oct. 25, 2010 - Men with prostate cancer who take anticoagulants, like aspirin, in addition to radiation therapy or surgery may be able to cut their risk of dying of the disease by more than half, according to a large study presented on November 3, 2010, at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in San Diego. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Shrinks Enlarged Prostates in Hamsters: Hope for Older Men

Even more effective when combined with drugs approved for treating BPH - watch videos

Oct. 22, 2010 – A cholesterol-lowering drug reduced enlarged prostates (benign prostatic hyperplasia), commonly referred to as BPH, in hamsters to the same extent as a drug commonly used to treat BPH. Together, the drugs worked even better, the researchers say in the October issue of Journal of Urology. Read more, watch videos...

Even Senior Citizens Can Reduce Cancer Risk with Plant-Based Diet, Exercise Says New Study

‘It’s Never Too Late to Lower Your Risk’ is new campaign by American Institute for Cancer Research (see video)

Oct. 21, 2010 - Citing projections that by 2030, America’s senior population will reach 20 percent of the population – 78 million people – and new survey information showing that Americans feel increasingly helpless about their personal cancer risk as they grow older, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) today highlighted the emerging research showing that even in later life, many cancers can be delayed or prevented through regular physical activity and a plant-based diet. Read more, watch video...

Postmenopausal Women Treated with Hormone Therapy Suffer More Deadly Breast Cancers

JAMA editorial says, ‘the available data dictate caution in the current approach to use of hormone therapy’

Oct. 20, 2010 - Follow-up of about 11 years of participants in the Women's Health Initiative finds that among postmenopausal women, use of estrogen plus progestin is associated with an increased incidence of breast cancers that are more advanced, and with a higher risk of deaths attributable to breast cancer, according to a study in the October 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Read more...

Screening for Skin Cancer Needs Better Guidelines, More Emphasis on Senior Men

Screening without regard for risk factors can be low-yield - only 1.5 per 1,000 people screened in a national program had melanoma

Oct. 20, 2010 – Older men, the group most at risk of developing deadly melanoma skin cancer, may only seek screening by a dermatologist after a skin cancer has been discovered, a new study has found. Women, however, are more likely to seek screening because of a skin lesion, a family history of skin cancer, or concern about sun exposure. Read more...

Prostate Cancer Victims Should Be Especially Watchful for Precancerous Colon Polyps

Study is first to show that men with prostate cancer are at increased risk of colon cancer – two most common cancers for older men

Oct. 20, 2010 - Men with prostate cancer should be especially diligent about having routine screening colonoscopies, according to results from a new study by gastroenterologists at the University at Buffalo, which shows a link between prostate and colon cancer. Read more...

Senior Citizen Alert

FDA Warns of Possible Increased Risk of Thigh Bone Fracture Using Bisphosphonates

Bisphosphonates for osteoporosis, include (oral) Fosamax, Fosamax Plus D, Actonel, Actonel with Calcium, Boniva, Atelvia, and their generics, as well as (injectable) Reclast and Boniva

Oct. 14, 2010 – Senior citizens – the predominant age group battling osteoporosis – are being alerted to a warning by the Food and Drug Administration of a possible risk of atypical thigh bone (femoral) fracture in patients who take bisphospoonates, a class of drugs used for preventing and treating osteoporosis. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

'Virtual bone biopsies' may help identify men at risk for fractures after androgen deprivation therapy

Oct. 8, 2010 - Using novel technology that allows "virtual bone biopsies," researchers have found that a common treatment for prostate cancer called androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is associated with structural decay of cortical and trabecular bone. Read more...

Senior Citizen Alerts

Chest Compression-Only CPR by Laypersons Saves More Cardiac Arrest Victims

Compression-only CPR (COCPR) associated with about 60% improved survival compared with no bystander CPR or conventional CPR

Oct. 5, 2010 – The evidence is becoming overwhelming that CPR administered only by chest compression – no mouth-to-mouth breathing help – is effective in savings lives. And, maybe its best - a new study finds cardiac arrest victims were more likely to survive when given compression-only CPR rather than conventional CPR or no CPR by laypersons. Read more..watch video.

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

More Senior Citizens Joining NIH Trial to Test if Lower Blood Pressure Reduces Disease Risks

Will lower blood pressure in senior citizens cut their risk of cognitive decline, dementia, stroke, heart problems and kidney disease?

Oct. 4, 2010 – In what could be a ground-breaking clinical trial, the National Institutes of Health announced today it will add about 1,750 senior citizens over the age of 75 to its upcoming Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). The goal is to determine if a lower blood pressure range in older adults will reduce cardiovascular and kidney diseases, age-related cognitive decline, and dementia. Read more...

Many Male Partners of Breast Cancer Patients Heading to Hospitals with Mood Disorders

Study leader suggests screening of men for depressive symptoms might be important

Sept. 27, 2010 - A new analysis finds that men whose partners have breast cancer are at increased risk of developing mood disorders that are so severe that they warrant hospitalization. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that clinicians should address the mental health of cancer patients' loved ones. Read more...

New Studies Show Stress Beneficial to Cancer: Accelerating its Spread, Protecting from Therapy

Stress, even from physical exercise, helps cancer survive chemo and radiation

Sept. 21, 2010 – Two new studies seem to have found firm evidence that stress is a friend of cancer. Previous studies have indicated stress fuels cancer growth, but this new research seems to nail it down. One study found chronic stress acts as fertilizer to feed breast cancer and the other says stress helps cancer survive treatment therapy. Read more...

Growing Trend of Mastectomy and Immediate Reconstruction Attracts New Risk Research

Radiation therapy appears to lead to a return to the operating room

Sept. 20, 2010 - About half of women who require radiation therapy after they have had a mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction develop complications that necessitate a return to the operating room. New research, however, shows that using chemotherapy before or after the mastectomy does not appear to create the need for additional procedures, according to two reports in the September issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read more...

Cholesterol Drug Crestor May Have Critical Role in Treating Prostate Cancer

Rosuvastatin suppressed human cancer cells transplanted to mice

Sept. 20, 2010 – Rosuvastatin - a statin drug sold as Crestor – commonly prescribed for people with high cholesterol may also be effective in treating prostate cancer. New research reports it suppressed the growth of transplanted human prostate cancer cells in mice. Read more...

Call for Changes after Bisphosphonate Drugs Linked to Fractures in Osteoporosis Patients

Bisphosphonates include the drugs Aclasta, Actonel, Aredia, Bondronat, Boniva, Didronel, Fosamax, Fosavance, Reclast, Skelid, and Zometa

Sept. 14, 2010 - A widely prescribed class of drugs is highly effective in reducing common bone fractures in people with osteoporosis, but an expert panel announced today that these same drugs – when used long term – may be related to unusual but serious fractures of the thigh bone. Ten million people in U.S. have osteoporosis, mostly senior women. One out of two women and one in four men over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Read more...

Senior Citizens Lead Nation in at Least One Important Health Statistic – Not Smoking

Seniors much less likely to smoke than younger people; smoking decline stalled; half of children exposed to secondhand smoke

Sept. 13, 2010 – Too often the health statistics have senior citizens leading all age groups with the worst statistics, but that is not so in the latest report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seniors – U.S. citizens age 65 and older – are much less likely to be cigarette smokers than are younger people. Read more...

Older Men with Low Baseline PSA Do Not Benefit from Early Prostate Cancer Detection

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy and the third leading cause of death from cancer in men in Western countries

Sept. 13, 2010 - Men aged 55 to 74 years who have low baseline blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) are not likely to benefit from further screening and treatment. That is the conclusion of a new study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study also concluded that the PSA level before diagnosis is a strong predictor of the risk of dying from prostate cancer. Read more...

Senior Citizen Alerts

Chest Compression First in Cardiac Arrest Just as Effective as Immediate Defibrillation

In cases of long emergency response time, chest compressions first may be best approach

by Shantell M. Kirkendoll, University of Michigan

Sept. 10, 2010 – Chest compressions before defibrillation in patients with sudden cardiac arrest is equally successful as immediate treatment with an electrical defibrillator, according to a new study by the University of Michigan Health System. Read more...

Coronary Risk Score Given to Millions of Senior Citizens by Their Doctor May be Misleading

Simplified Framingham model could be leading to the wrong treatment options

Sept. 10, 2010 – Multitudes of senior citizens have watched their cardiologists tally their current health statistics and mark down a percentage that represents their chance of a major coronary event in the next 10 years. It is based on the simplified version of the Framingham model, but researchers have found this method may over or underestimate the risk for millions of Americans. Read more...

Ovary Removal, Mastectomy Lower Cancer Risk for Women with BRCA1/2 Gene Mutations

Removing ovaries lowers risk of ovarian cancer, breast cancer, all-cause mortality and death from breast or ovarian cancer

Aug. 31, 2010 – Women that have inherited mutations of the BRACA1 or BRCA2 genes have a very high risk of breast and ovarian cancer but a new study provides hope for these victims. Those who had prophylactic mastectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries) had an associated decreased risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Read more...Watch Video...

As inflation went negative, retail drug prices jumped 8.3%; similar climb in manufacturer prices

Aug. 25, 2010 - AARP’s first-ever analysis of retail price trends of prescription drugs finds prices for widely used brand name drugs skyrocketed in 2009, climbing more than eight percent even as general inflation remained negative. The AARP Rx Price Watch report findings align with the Association’s earlier Rx Watchdog reports, which found similarly large increases in manufacturer prices for brand name drugs. Read more...

New Study Finds Diabetes Drugs Avandia, Actos with Equal Risks for Heart Problems

4% of patients taking either drug – rosiglitazone or pioglitazone - suffered a heart attack, heart failure, both or died

Aug. 24, 2010 – For countless senior citizens and others taking the diabetes drugs Avandia (rosiglitazone) or Actos (pioglitazone) the risks are about the same for a heart attack, heart failure (or both) or death – about four percent. These results conflict with earlier reports showing greater risk from Avandia. The study is published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Read more...

Fat Distribution Plays Key Role in Weight Loss Success in Patients at Risk of Diabetes

‘Abdominal and liver fat are the two most important factors in predicting whether a lifestyle intervention will be successful’

Aug. 24, 2010 - Another research project has confirmed that all fat is not the same, when in comes to people trying the shed it. Why is it that some people lose weight and body fat when they exercise and eat less and others don't? German researches used MRI and magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy to provide the answer - and help predict who will benefit from lifestyle changes. Read more...

Exercise & Fitness for Senior Citizens

Clinical Trial of Older People Confirms Success of Simple, Cheap Appetite Control Method

Over 12 weeks, they lost about 15.5 pounds, while others lost about 11 pounds.

Aug. 23, 2010 – Senior citizens in a clinical trial ate as much as 90 calories less per meal after consuming an appetite-control agent that requires no prescription, has no common side effects and costs almost nothing. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

An Old Antibiotic Appears to Reduce Stroke Risk, Injury for Diabetics

Almost 70% of Americans dying with diabetes found to show a major vascular event such as a stroke or heart attack as a cause of death

Aug. 23, 2010 – Diabetics are at very high risk of strokes but there is excitement building at the Medical College of Georgia, where researchers find a daily dose of an old antibiotic may help diabetics avoid a stroke or at least minimize its damage. More than 25 percent of senior citizens are estimated to have diabetes. Read more...

Most Likely to See Basal Cell Carcinoma Return with Red Hair, More Education, Early First One

Senior citizen men are most likely victims of these skin cancers but if first is after age 75, less likely to get another

Aug. 16, 2010 – Senior citizens are the favorite targets of skin cancers but there is new research that may provide a warning for the victims of basal cell carcinoma about their chances of developing more of these cancers as they age. Those who got their first at a young age, as well as those with red hair, a higher socioeconomic status and a cancerous lesion on their upper extremities appear to be at higher risk of developing multiple cancers and require closer follow-up. Read more...

Persistent High Heart Rate Linked to Significant Risk of Death; Seniors Should Track Over Time

Every 10 beats per minute higher than normal resting pulse was associated with 25% greater risk of all-cause death

Aug. 13, 2010 - An elevated resting heart rate that develops or persists during follow-up is associated with a significantly increased risk of death, whether from heart disease or other causes, according to recent research. Read more...

New Substance Highlights Melanoma Skin Cancers for Early Detection by Hybrid Scanner

Could save thousands of senior citizens by detecting melanoma in its most curable stage

Aug. 11, 2010 - A new discovery may lead to a very early detection of melanomas, the most serious of skin cancers that kills thousands of male senior citizens every year. Scientists claim development of a substance to enhance the visibility of skin cancer cells during scans with an advanced medical imaging system that combines ultrasound and light. Read more...

Large Waist Linked to Greater Death Risk for Older Americans, Regardless of Weight

Very large waists (47 inches up in men, and 42 inches up in women) were indication of higher risk of death

Aug. 9, 2010 – A large study of older men and women – average age of 69 for men, and for 67 for women – has found that those with large waist circumference had a much greater risk of dying from any cause over a nine-year period. The report was published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read more...

Obesity Report Shows Weight of Americans Peaks Just Before Becoming Senior Citizens

Obesity continues to increase in U.S.: CDC report says no state has met 2010 national goal of 15% adult obesity

Aug. 4, 2010 – Obesity is continuing to increase in the U.S., according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that focuses on obesity in each state. There is an interesting curve in this report of self-declarations of obesity that indicates Americans tend to peak in weight somewhere in their early 60s, just before they become senior citizens at age 65. It is then a rather rapid decline in weight as we move into old age. Read more...

Low-Carb Diet Beats Low-Fat for Best HDL-Cholesterol Improvement After Two Years

Both groups had lost a clinically significant amount of weight (about 7% of body weight) in the two years

Aug. 3, 2010 – Millions of senior citizens battling obesity and the associated health detriments have considered the dieting choices – low-carb or low-fat. The effectiveness of each for weight loss has been frequently debated. An answers comes from a new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine: both diets produce identical weight loss when coupled with comprehensive behavior treatment, but a low-carbohydrate diet may help improve cardiovascular risk factors. Read more...Watch Video...

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Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors

Your Risk of a Stroke Doubles for an Hour After Drinking Any Alcoholic Drink

Moderate alcohol consumption (less than two drinks a day) appears to be protective over the long-term - may outweigh this temporary immediate risk

July 28, 2010 - Call it the not-so-happy hour. And, many senior citizens who enjoy an evening drink will certainly call it bad news. The risk of stroke appears to double in the hour after consuming just one drink — be it wine, beer or hard liquor — according to a small multi-center study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Read more...

Most Men With Just Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Receive Aggressive Treatment

Over 90% of prostate cancers diagnosed before they spread and the 5-year survival rate for these is almost 100%

July 27, 2010 - Most men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer appear to under undergo aggressive therapy, even if they have a low prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level and low-risk disease, according to a report in the July 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read more...

Older People in General Surgery at High Risk for Sepsis, Deadly Sepsis Shock

Sepsis is infection that usually results from bacteria in the bloodstream, can result in failure of multiple organ systems

July 19, 2010 - Sepsis and septic shock appear to be more common than heart attacks or pulmonary blood clots among patients having general surgery, and the death rate for patients with septic shock is approximately 34 percent within 30 days of operation, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Risk factors for sepsis and septic shock included age older than 60, the need for emergency surgery and the presence of any co-occurring illness. Read more...

Thousands in U.S. Died Last Year Because They Were Not Screened for Colon, Breast Cancer

Vast majority are being screened for these deadly cancers but CDC finds millions failing to get tested; senior citizens to see expanded Medicare screening on Jan. 1

July 7, 2010 - More adults in the United States have been getting recommended breast and colorectal cancer screenings – two of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the U.S. - but millions of people still have not had recommended screening, according to data released Tuesday in the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) monthly report, CDC Vital Signs. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Senior Citizens Increase Risk of Death Taking Avandia (Rosiglitazone) for Type 2 Diabetes

Compared to Actos (pioglitazone), rosiglitazone increases risk of stroke and heart failure for seniors

June 28, 2010 - A new study published online today by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that among senior patients age 65 years and older, Avandia (rosiglitazone), a medication for treating Type 2 diabetes, is associated with an increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and all-cause mortality (death) when compared with Actos (pioglitazone), another medication for diabetes. The research included Medicare records on more than one-quarter million elderly. Read more...

New Study of Clinical Trials Links Diabetes Drug Avandia with Heart Attack Risk

JAMA publications release two reports on dangers of Avandia (rosiglitazone) prior to FDA review

June 28, 2010 - Eleven years after the introduction of the diabetes drug Avandia (rosiglitazone), data from available clinical trials show an increased risk for heart attack associated with its use and suggest an unfavorable benefit-to-risk ratio, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the July 26 print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read more...

Getting Fat After Age 50 Greatly Increases Diabetes Risk that Already Escalates for Seniors

‘Participants with a greater than 4 inch increase in waist size from baseline to the third follow-up visit had a 70 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes…’

June 22, 2010 – For senior citizens – those age 65 or older – obesity, excess body fat around the waist and gaining weight after the age of 50 have been found to increase the risk of diabetes. Diabetes has doubled in the U.S. in the last 15 years and is highest among seniors age 65 to 79. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Unique Cancers of Skin Appendages on the Increase; Senior Citizens Favored Targets of Some

Cancer of sweat glands 100 times more likely to hit the elderly; cancer of eyelid glands up over 200%

June 21, 2010 – If senior citizens didn’t have enough to worry about. Now researchers are warning us that a unique group of cancers that include cancer of the hair and finger nail are increasing in the U.S. One of these special breeds of skin cancer – cancer of the sweat glands – is 100 times more likely to strike a senior age 80 or older than a person in their twenties. But it is not increasing as rapidly as cancers of glands in the eyelid, which increased 217 percent during the period studied. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Finding A Drug's Real Expiration Date: NPR Program Finds the Answers

There may be more than one expiration date on your pill bottle

By Joanne Silberner, National Public Radio

June 21, 2010 - It's a relatively common occurrence: You open the medicine cabinet only to find the expiration date on your prescription drugs has passed. But that doesn't necessarily mean the medication has gone bad, says drug expert Joe Graedon — who has a consumer call-in show on public radio. Read more... listen to audio

More Action Needed to Prevent Stomach Problems from NSAIDs, All Seniors at High Risk

Study suggests three-quarters of seniors citizens are not receiving adequate protection from the side effects of NSAIDs (list below news story)

June 17, 2010 - Four out of ten high-risk patients prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) also received appropriate measures to prevent upper-gastrointestinal (UGI) problems, but the remainder did not receive adequate protection, according to a study in the June issue of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Senior citizens, persons age 65 and older, are considered high-risk patients in this study. Read more...

Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors

Aging Women Lower Their Risk of Cataracts with Healthy Diet: More Vitamins, Minerals

Adherence to U.S. dietary guidelines more strongly related to the lower occurrence of nuclear cataracts than any other modifiable risk factor

June 14, 2010 – Cataracts, the visual impairment that becomes more common as people age, could be less prevalent among women if aging women ate more foods rich in vitamins and minerals, says a new study reported in the June issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. By age 80, half of all Americans – male and female – have experienced a cataract. Read more...

FDA Approves Prolia for Osteoporosis Treatment for Postmenopausal Women

Targets older women with history of osteoporotic fractures; injections every six months

June 11, 2010 - The Food and Drug Administration has approved Prolia (denosumab), an treatment for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who are at high risk for fractures. The treatment requires an injection every six month to be administered by a health care professional. Read more...

Medicare News

Infection Control Practices Found Lacking at Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Centers

‘This risk is not acceptable and must be corrected immediately and definitively,’ declares JAMA editorial. HHS Sec responds (below study report)

June 8, 2010 - An assessment of nearly 70 ambulatory surgical centers serving Medicare patients in three states found that lapses in infection control were common, including for practices such as hand hygiene, injection and medication safety and equipment reprocessing, according to a study in the June 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Advanced Melanoma Appears Cured in Some Patients by New Ipilimumab Drug Therapy

Large Phase III clinical trial finds 67% increase in survival for this drug treatment

June 7, 2010 – It was reported this weekend that a new therapy with the drug ipilimumab that multiplies the effect of a natural disease-fighting antibody has extended the lives of patients with metastatic melanoma in a large, international clinical trial. It is the first success in advancing survival for advanced melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer that is most often found in senior citizens. Read more...watch video...

Exercise & Fitness for Senior Citizens

New Guidelines Stressing Need for Exercise by Cancer Patients May Not Apply to Senior Citizens

Compelling body of evidence says exercise during and after treatment is safe and beneficial for cancer patients, but effects on senior citizens needs more study

June 1, 2010 – Most senior citizens know the drills – after a heart attack or heart surgery you exercise, after cancer treatment you rest. Not anymore, maybe. New national guidelines say cancer patients – even those told to rest and avoid exercise – should find ways to be physically active, both during and after the treatment. But, the researchers say, the new guidelines may not apply to senior citizens. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Chances of Surviving Cardiac Arrest Depends on Your Neighborhood’s Income and Education

Nine out of 10 die from a cardiac arrest, rate unchanged for 30 years; study reveals strategy for reversing stagnant survival rates

June 1, 2010 - The odds of surviving cardiac arrest may depend on which part of town you call home and whether anyone in the neighborhood comes to your rescue by attempting to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), according to a first-of-its-kind study in the June issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more...National CPR Week

UK Scientists Get Green Light to Test Vaccine for Melanoma Cancers

Hope it will reverse, and even cure malignant melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer

May 26, 2010 - Millions of senior citizens, primary targets for skin cancer, will cheer the news that University of Nottingham scientists have been given the green light to test a vaccine which they hope could reverse, and even cure malignant melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer. Read more...

Control of High Blood Pressure Improving in U.S., But Rate of Hypertension Not Decreasing

‘As the population ages, hypertension prevalence will increase further unless effective measures are taken to diminish the age-associated increase in BP.’

May 25, 2010 - About 50 percent of patients with hypertension have adequate control of their blood pressure, meeting a goal of Healthy People 2010, but the rate of hypertension in the U.S. has not decreased in recent years, according to a study in the May 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Read more...

Increasing “Good” Cholesterol is Not Always Good for Your Health

HDL cholesterol can transform from good to bad actor in heart disease process

May 25, 2010 - We’ve all heard about the importance of raising HDL, or the so-called “good” cholesterol, and lowering LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, to improve heart health. While we’ve come to assume HDL cholesterol is an inherently good thing, a new study shows that for a certain group of patients, this is not always the case. Read more....

New Hope for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer with CA-125 Protein Monitoring Over Time

Blood test currently approved to find recurrence full of new possibility; invasive, high-grade disease uncovered at curable stage

May 21, 2010 - Evaluating its change over time, CA-125, the protein long-recognized for predicting ovarian cancer recurrence, now shows promise as a screening tool to discover the disease in an early, more treatable stage, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Almost half of the women stricken with this cancer are senior citizens and most are over 50, according to the American Cancer Society. Read more...Hear Podcast by Researchers..

Transplanted Adult Stem Cells Provide Lasting Help to Injured Hearts

Novel imaging techniques document improvement after heart attack in mouse model

May 21, 2010 – Human adult stem cells injected around the damage caused by a heart attack survived in the heart and improved its pumping efficiency for a year in a mouse model, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online in Circulation Research. Read more...

New Study Finds Gene Fusions May be ‘Smoking Gun’ in Prostate Cancer Development

Gene fusion – not the androgen receptor – is the more specific “bad actor” in prostate cancer

May 21, 2010 - Prostate cancer treatments that target the hormone androgen and its receptor may be going after the wrong source, according to a new study. Researchers have found that when two genes fuse together to cause prostate cancer, it blocks the receptor for the hormone androgen, preventing prostate cells from developing normally. Read more...

New Threat Found from Cholesterol Crystals Creating Inflammation in Coronary Arteries

Once cholesterol crystals form in arterial wall, they activate a biomarker called NLRP3 that induces inflammation

May 18, 2010 – Virtually all senior citizens know cholesterol is bad and can lead to heart attacks and strokes. There is a new discovery of another life-threatening problem from the cholesterol buildup in your arteries. Cholesterol crystals that build up on artery walls cause cells to send out danger signals that can lead to the inflammation and hardening of arteries. Read more...

Cochlear Implants Help Senior Citizens Hear But Help Younger Patients Slightly More

Seniors performed more poorly than younger patients on some speech perception tests at the one-year follow-up

May 17, 2010 – A study of senior citizens concludes that older adults appear to benefit significantly from cochlear implants, but not as much as younger patients who had similar levels of hearing impairment before surgery, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read more...

New Genetic Testing Kits Available at Walgreens May Attract Senior Citizens

UPDATE - Due to a request from the FDA, there is a delay in these becoming available at Walgreens.

Pathway Genomics says it is revolutionizing the way people access information about their genetics…making it easier, more affordable to get personalized genetic report - links below story to info about gene therapy

May 11, 2010 – Almost daily some research lab announces the discovery of a link between a certain gene and a dreaded disease, but, the information has been of little use to the general public that mostly has not information on their genetic traits. Starting this month, however, senior citizens who want more insight to make health decisions can buy a kit from Pathway Genomics at Walgreens and mail it to the company for analysis. Read more...

Studies Document Risks Associated With Hot Selling Acid-Suppressing Medications

Reports on proton pump inhibitors, like Nexium, are part of a new series in Archives of Internal Medicine examining health care overuse

May 10, 2010 - Proton pump inhibitors, medications used heavily by senior citizens to suppress acid in the stomach, appear to be associated with fractures in postmenopausal women and bacterial infections in many patients, and higher doses do not appear any more beneficial for treating bleeding ulcers, according to a series of reports in the May 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read more...

Medicare News

Growing Use of Imaging Diagnostics for Medicare Patients with Cancer Drives Up Costs

Cancer-related expenditures are expected to increase faster than any other area of health care

April 30, 2010 - From 1999 through 2006 the use of diagnostic imaging for Medicare patients with cancer increased, with the use of positron emission tomography (PET) leading the parade, according to a study in the April 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Imaging costs for these patients also increased, outpacing the rate of increase in total costs among Medicare beneficiaries with cancer. Read more...

Provenge Approved as Vaccine for Advanced Prostate Cancer; Activates Immune System

Survival for Provenge patients was 25.8 months, compared to 21.7 months for those receiving placebo

By SeniorJournal.com staff

April 30, 2010 – Yesterday the Food and Drug Administration approved the prostate cancer vaccine Provenge (sipuleucel-T) as the first vaccine approved to fight cancer by enhancing the body’s immune system response. Provenge is for certain men with advanced prostate cancer. Read more...

Use of Alternative Medicine for Pain Relief Increases With Age and Wealth

Elderly and whites seek therapies such as acupuncture most often; as people age, there is greater chance they will deal with chronic pain

By Tara Hasouris

April 29, 2010 - In a University of Michigan Health System study, 1 out of 3 patients with chronic pain reported using complementary and alternative medicine therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic visits for pain relief. Read more...

Sigmoidoscopy Exam of Boomers Age 55 to 64 Could Reduce Colorectal Cancer Deaths by 43%

Two-thirds of cancers and growths are in the rectum and lower colon, which can be examined by flexible sigmoidoscopy

April 28, 2010 - A single examination of the lower colon and rectum using sigmoidoscopy, between the ages of 55 and 64 years, reduced colorectal cancer mortality by 43% in those screened, and incidence by one third. These are findings of a very large long-term UK study reported in an Article Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet. Read more, about sigmoidoscopy, about colorectal cancer...

Study Pinpoints Atrial Fibrillation Risk at 40 Percent for Those with Diabetes, Maybe Higher

Nearly nine in 100 people over age 80 - have atrial fibrillation; risk rises by 3% for each additional year patients have diabetes – watch video

April 23, 2010 - As the U.S. population keeps aging and gaining weight, diabetes is becoming increasingly common. Research has associated diabetes with many additional ailments, including the most common type of irregular heartbeat – atrial fibrillation, which if a problem for millions of senior citizens. This heart problem can increase the risk of stroke and death. A new study pinpoints this risk at 40 percent, and even higher with lesser blood sugar control. Read more, Watch video...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Vitamin K May Protect Against Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Strikes Mostly Senior Citizens

Findings add to data supporting a diet that includes plenty of green leafy vegetables in order to prevent many cancers as well as other diseases

April 20, 2010 - Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system and most common hematologic malignancy in the U.S., is primarily is diagnosed in senior citizens. New research from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota has found that people with higher intakes of vitamin K from their diet have a lower risk of developing this cancer. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

New Blood Test Identifies People at Risk for Heart Attack That Other Tests Miss

Gamma-prime fibrinogen test may be used in conjunction with cholesterol test to better predict who is most likely to suffer from a heart attack

April 19, 2010 - A simple blood test can identify people who are at risk for a heart attack, including thousands who don't have high cholesterol, according to researchers at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. The new test measures gamma-prime fibrinogen, a component of the blood's clotting mechanism. Read more...

Study Finds Most Primary Physicians Use Less Accurate Method for Colorectal Cancer Screen

Current screening methods for Fecal Occult Blood Tests are often not appropriate says CDC

April 15, 2010 - More than 75 percent of primary care physicians in the United States, who order or perform the fecal occult blood test (FOBT) as a screening option for colorectal cancer, perform an in-office test rather than relying on the home-based test, even though the home-based test is more accurate, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found. Read more...

Considering Type 2 Diabetes Treatment, Experts Say 1 Size Does Not Fit All

International group recommends individualized therapies; Almost one of every four senior citizens has diabetes

April 5, 2010 (Chevy Chase, MD) - Patients with type 2 diabetes, a leading chronic disease among senior citizens, are generally treated similarly despite the fact that they may have underlying differences that could affect their therapeutic response. Seeking to address this “critical health issue,” an international multidisciplinary group of experts just issued recommendations for individualized treatment. Read more...

Life-Saving Benefits of Radiation Not Used Often After Mastectomy

Breast cancer patients who have mastectomy and need radiation less likely to receive it than those who have lumpectomy

March 30, 2010 - While radiation therapy is common after breast conserving surgery, it’s much less frequent after mastectomy, even among women for whom it would have clear life-saving benefit. This is according to a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Read more...

Senior Citizen Alerts

Heart Association Still Wants You to Take Statins, But Acknowledges Side Effects

Says persons having myopathy with a statin should discuss other alternatives with their physician

March 24, 2010 – The American Heart Association, while sticking to its guns in recommending the use of statin drugs to prevent coronary heart disease, acknowledged this week that myopathy - muscle pain or weakness - a side effect sometimes experienced by those taking these drugs, “can be a reason to discontinue or reduce the dose.” Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Magazines, Newspapers Appear to Put Sugar Coating on Killing Realities of Cancer

Few articles discuss death and dying but half of all patients diagnosed with cancer will not survive

March 22, 2010 – The media – at least newspapers and magazines – appear to put the best face possible on cancer. A new study finds them more likely to discuss aggressive treatment and survival than death, treatment failure or adverse events, and almost none mention end-of-life palliative or hospice care. Read more...

Deadly Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterium, Clostridium Difficile, Passes MRSA Infections

Infectious disease experts issue new guidelines to meet new threat of CDI

March 22, 2010 - Senior citizens, the most frequent users of hospital services and nursing home care, were just enjoying the news that MRSA infections seem to be slacking off, and now a new threat has emerged. A deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium, Clostridium difficile, a new superbug is on the rise, according to research from the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network. Read more...

Senior Citizens Better Than Assumed at Enduring Chemo After Colon Cancer Surgery

Study finds very few seniors given this option and when they do it is for a less toxic treatment - see video. Second report looks at cost of colon cancer care.

March 16, 2010 – The walls that have held back aggressive medical treatment for senior citizens, due to fear that they lack the strength to withstand such treatment due to their advanced age, continues to crumble. This week we learn that very few senior citizens with colon cancer receive chemotherapy after surgery, but, if among the lucky few who do, they do very well…thank you. Read more...watch video

Senior Citizens major targets of skin cancer; bout one in five 70-year-olds have had non-melanoma skin cancers, and most who were affected have had more than one

March 15, 2010 – Non-melanoma skin cancer already affects more people than all other cancers combined but there is new evidence that its growth rate is increasing. One reason is the increase in senior citizens, the primary targets of skin cancers. Treatments for skin cancer in the Medicare population increased 76.9 percent from 1992 to 2006, when they reached 2 million. A series of new studies published this week expose the magnitude of the skin cancer problem – melanoma and non-melanoma - among seniors in particular. A final article says skin cancer should be declared a chronic disease. Read more...