Substantial Regional Differences Exist In The Treatment For End-Stage Kidney Disease In Older Adults

There is substantial regional variation in treatment practices for care of older adults with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), including receipt of hospice care and discontinuation of dialysis before death, according to a study in the July 14 issue of JAMA. "Patients aged 75 years or older currently represent one of the fastest growing groups within the ESRD population...

More Aged Care Beds Welcome, But Medical Care For Older Australians Ignored

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said that the AMA welcomes the Coalition's commitment to provide incentives to free up more beds for residential aged care, but is disappointed that the medical care needs of older Australians have been ignored in the policy announcement...

Illinois Quickly Begins Implementing New Law To End Violence In Nursing Homes; N.J. Reverses Cuts In AIDS Drug Program

Chicago Tribune: Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn Thursday signed a law establishing new nursing home safety measures "aimed at ending chronic violence in the facilities. Work already has begun on hiring dozens of additional nursing home inspectors, as well as writing rules that will increase licensing fees and nursing staff levels in the homes...

Today’s OpEds: Medicare At 45; The Politics Of Entitlement Spending; Deciding Health Care’s Value

Securing Medicare's Future Yahoo Forty-five years ago today, the creation of Medicare transformed our health-care system and our nation. It helped to make us a stronger and more prosperous country by freeing older Americans from the fear that sickness or injury would cost them their lifetime savings and security. ...

Aged Care Policies Must Include Medical Care, Australia

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the AMA was pleased to hear Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, announce this morning that the Coalition's aged care policy would be released 'in the next few days'. Dr Pesce said that aged care has so far been ignored in this election campaign. "The AMA looks forward to the Coalition starting a bidding war on aged care policy," Dr Pesce said...

Funding For Electronic Medical Records Expected As Early As May, Already Stimulating Business

Modern Healthcare: Funding to help doctors and hospitals buy electronic medical records could begin to flow through the Medicare program as early as May 2011, a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services official said Wednesday. But, the final shape of the program remains unclear as CMS works to implement 800 pages of new regulations...

Republicans Take On Cost-Cutting Panel Backed By Budget Chief Orszag

Several Senate Republican leaders are now pushing a new, partial health-overhaul repeal bill that targets a Medicare cost-cutting panel, The Hill reports. The panel, the Independent Payment Advisory Board, would make cost-cutting recommendations whenever spending exceeds set benchmarks. Congress would have to adopt them, or come up with its own plan. "The Republican critics - Sens...

Poll: Opposition To Health Reform Declines; Seniors View New Law More Negatively Than Adults Overall

The Washington Post: "Opposition to the landmark health care overhaul declined over the past month, to 35 percent from 41 percent, according to the latest results of a tracking poll, reported Thursday...

Child Abuse Education, Elderly Care, Nursing Students To Benefit From Grants

Texas-based Scott & White Healthcare has received three grants that provide education support to working nursing students, set up a senior health research center, and establish systems for treating child abuse and educating those who treat it. The three grants, totaling nearly $2 million, include: Nursing education...

Anti-Fraud Efforts Backed By AARP; Seniors Cautioned About Rebate Cons

AARP on Tuesday "threw its influence" behind a number of plans to reduce Medicare fraud, including the bipartisan Medicare Fraud Enforcement and Prevention Act, which would increase penalties on nabbed fraudsters and supply more claims data to enforcers, The Hill reports...

Senate Subcommittee Approves HHS Funding Bill, Other Health Care Bills Readied

CongressDaily: The Senate Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee approved a draft funding bill Tuesday for HHS, "moving a bill that would provide $170 billion in discretionary spending to related federal agencies, nearly $1 billion under the president's request...

States Continue Push For Extension Of Extra Medicaid Funds

News outlets report on state budget gaps and lobbying for extra Medicaid funds from the federal government. Bloomberg: "U.S. state governments project revenue will climb in the current fiscal year after they raised taxes and cut spending to close budget gaps of $84 billion, a report from the National Conference of State Legislatures found...

Mouse Model Shows Aging And Longevity Tied To Specific Brain Region

Researchers watched two groups of mice, both nearing the end of a two-day fast. One group was quietly huddled together, but the other group was active and alert. The difference? The second set of mice had been engineered so their brains produced more SIRT1, a protein known to play a role in aging and longevity...

Study: Weight Issues Move Up Need For Walkers, Canes, Other Devices

Obese older adults are more likely to use walkers, canes and other mobility devices at a younger age, and may run the risk of using them incorrectly, according to new research from Purdue University. "Baby Boomers are coming of age and obesity is an epidemic for this population as well," said Karis Pressler, a doctoral student in sociology and gerontology and the project's lead author...

Abbott’s Enhanced ARCHITECTPLUS Systems Helps Labs Manage Surging Testing Demand Due To Aging Population

As hospital and clinical laboratories endure increasingly intense pressures to do more with less, they now face another challenge - rising demand for medical tests driven by an aging U.S. population that is expected to swell to more than 70 million in the next 20 years, an increase of more than 80 percent from today...

Seniors Demand World Class Care, Financial Security, Equality In Work And An End To Ageism, Australia

Older Australians are demanding commitments to world class care, financial security, support for mature age workers and an end to ageism from both sides of politics in the lead up to the federal election...

Seniors Understand Very Little About The Health Overhaul Law, Poll Finds

The Hill: "The majority of the nation's seniors have little understanding of what the Democrats' newly enacted healthcare law actually does, according to poll results released Monday...

Low Social Interaction Harms Lifespan on a Par with Obesity, Smoking, Inactivity

A new study from the US suggests that social interaction should be considered an important factor for extending lifespan, on a par with other health and lifestyle factors, to the extent that low social interaction harms longevity as much as alcoholism and smoking, has more impact than lack of exercise, and is twice as harmful as obesity...

Link Between Obesity Rise And Disability Increase Among Elderly In Latin America And The Caribbean

Thanks to rising obesity rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, elderly people there are becoming more likely to suffer from disabilities, according to a paper recently published by University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers in the American Journal of Epidemiology...

Today’s OpEds: Health Reform And Long-Term Care; Health Care Incentives; Reasons For Optimism Or Repeal And Replace?

Reform Eases Long-Term Health Care Woes The San Francisco Chronicle Our system of long-term care does not provide adequate or coordinated human services and medical treatment for our growing aging population. ... Thanks to a provision of the new health care law known as the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program, tomorrow's continuum of care does not have to be so unforgiving...

Today’s OpEds: Health Reform And Long-Term Care; Health Care Incentives; Reasons For Optimism Or Repeal And Replace?

Reform Eases Long-Term Health Care Woes The San Francisco Chronicle Our system of long-term care does not provide adequate or coordinated human services and medical treatment for our growing aging population. ... Thanks to a provision of the new health care law known as the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program, tomorrow's continuum of care does not have to be so unforgiving...

Health Care Industry And Professionals Respond To Seniors’ Growing Health Needs

USA Today: "The explosive growth of the USA's older population is fueling a grass-roots 'village' movement in neighborhoods across the country to help people age in their own homes. More than 50 villages in a neighbor-helping-neighbor system have sprouted in the past decade from California and Colorado to Nebraska and Massachusetts...

Health Care Industry And Professionals Respond To Seniors’ Growing Health Needs

USA Today: "The explosive growth of the USA's older population is fueling a grass-roots 'village' movement in neighborhoods across the country to help people age in their own homes. More than 50 villages in a neighbor-helping-neighbor system have sprouted in the past decade from California and Colorado to Nebraska and Massachusetts...

Study Compares How Well Parents And Adult Children Get Along In Six Developed Nations, Finds More Conflict In US

Tolstoy wrote that every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way, and a new study in the August 2010 issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family finds significant national differences in the degree of conflict between older parents and their adult children...

Elder Care Puts Strain On Adult Parent-Child Relationship

Relationships between elder and younger members of a family can be strained and positive and negative in nature, even when affection is shared. A new study from the Journal of Marriage and Family finds that long-term caretaking duties puts further strain on adult parent-child relationships...

Cells That Retain Their Waste Disposal Proteins Appear To Live Longer

US researchers studying yeast cells found that ageing cells able to retain a group of proteins that ferry compounds across cellular membranes and get rid of toxic waste have a longer lifespan in that they can produce more copies of themselves compared with cells that lose their waste disposal proteins; they also hope their finding may help us better understand stem cells and cancer cells...

Text And Email Alerts Welcomed By Older Patients – British Psychological Society

Text and email alerts could help older patients remember appointments and medication instructions, ultimately reducing NHS costs and potentially improving their own recovery...

More Homeowners Modify Houses To “Age In Place”

The Seattle Times/The Orlando Sentinel: "The new catch phrase among homeowners is 'aging in place.' Instead of selling their homes and moving into retirement villages or assisted-living quarters, a growing number of older Americans are modifying their homes to make them more user-friendly as they age...

Six Key Tips For Caregivers Navigating The System On Behalf Of Their Parents, Grandparents And Others

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, more than 65 million people in the United States serve as informal caregivers, typically for family members, which equates to more than one out of every four people serving as unpaid caregivers. A caregiver is someone who provides assistance to another person who is ill, disabled or needs help with daily activities...

Shortness Of Breath: Old Age Or Asthma?

Mistaken for illnesses like bronchitis and emphysema, exacerbated by medications like aspirin, and overlooked by patients and doctors alike, asthma is a common and highly treatable condition in older adults. And while allergies tend to decrease with age, they also are frequently disregarded as a potential cause of misery for the elderly...

Severe State Budget Shortfalls Trigger Medicaid Program Cuts

The New York Times: "As states face severe budget shortfalls, many have cut home-care services for the elderly or the disabled, programs that have been shown to save states money in the long run because they keep people out of nursing homes...

Medicare Drug Benefit Appears To Help More Seniors With Heart Failure

Reuters: "The Medicare drug benefit may be helping more older Americans with heart failure get the medications recommended for controlling the disease, a new study finds...

Senate Panel To Focus On Problems At Continuing Care Retirement Communities With Large Fees

The Wall Street Journal: A Senate Committee will hold hearings Wednesday about "continuing-care retirement communities," which charge large up-front fees to care for seniors for life. "CCRCs offer a range of care - from independent-living apartments to skilled nursing facilities - that allows seniors to 'age in place...

Researchers Identify Factors That Lead To “Successful Aging”

What, exactly, does "successful aging" mean? For more than a half century, researchers and gerontologists have argued whether successful aging is better defined subjectively (how older adults view their own state of aging) or objectively (physical disease-related disability or mental decline). Answering this question is more than an academic exercise...

Aging Brains In Rats Benefit From Natural Substance NT-020, USF Study Finds

A combination of nutrients called NT-020 promoted adult neural stem cell proliferation in aged rats and boosted their memory performance, reported University of South Florida researchers studying natural therapeutic approaches to promoting the health of neurons in the aging brain...

Company Creates Cottages For Aging, Disabled Relatives; Report Examines Rising Costs For Elderly Health Care

The Washington Post: "On Monday, N2Care, a company formed by a Methodist minister in Salem, Va., showed off its first MedCottage, a 12-by-24-foot prototype filled with biometric technology that would allow a family and health-care providers to monitor the condition of an aging or disabled relative. ...

Levindale Doubles Behavioral Health Care Beds To Meet Community Need

Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, has officially opened its expanded Behavioral Health Unit. Doubling its capacity from 20 to 40 beds, the unit provides comprehensive care for geriatric patients who have both medical and behavioral health challenges that require 24-hour supervision...

Guided Care Improves Physician Satisfaction With Patient/Family Communications And Knowledge Of Patient Conditions

Physicians who provided Guided Care, a primary care enhancement program for patients with multiple chronic conditions, reported higher levels of satisfaction with their patient/family communications and their knowledge of their patients' clinical characteristics, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health...

Case Western Reserve Awarded Nearly $500,000 From Susan G. Komen To Study Breast Cancer In Older Women

Cynthia Owusu, MD, associate professor at Case Western Reserve University and geriatric-oncologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, the School's primary affiliate, has received nearly $500,000 from Susan G. Komen For the Cure to fund a novel three-year study aimed at improving outcomes for older women with newly-diagnosed breast cancer...

International Health News: German Hospitals Worry Over End Of Compulsory Military Service; Britain Tops Study On End-Of-Life Care

The Wall Street Journal: German hospitals are worried that the end of compulsory military service could hurt their workforce as most young German men end up fulfilling their duties there and in other public-service venues. "Increasingly ... conscription's main impact has little to do with military training at all...

Responding To Access-To-Care Challenges: Ideas From A Rural Doctor, A Washington, D.C. Hospital

Evansville (Ind.) Courier & Press reports on the struggles rural physicians face in providing care by focusing on Dr. Lloyd "Pat" McGinnis, a family medicine and geriatrics specialist who was "one of only five doctors in Spencer County, a rural area of Southwestern Indiana. ...

Loss Of Function Of The Aging Brain May Be The Result Of ‘Runaway’ Development

The brain undergoes rapid growth and development in the early years of life and then degenerates as we progress into old age, yet little is known about the biological processes that distinguish brain development and aging...

Kapahi To Receive GSA’s 2010 Nathan Shock New Investigator Award

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) - the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging - has chosen Pankaj Kapahi, PhD, of the Buck Institute for Age Research as the 2010 recipient of the Nathan Shock New Investigator Award. The distinguished honor is given for outstanding contributions to new knowledge about aging through basic biological research...

Independent Living Systems Partners With The National Council On Aging, Expands Benefits Screening Service To Thousands Of Seniors

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) today announced the addition of Independent Living Systems (ILS) as the newest partner to sponsor a Private Label version of BenefitsCheckUp, NCOA's online screening service for senior benefits...

Pillemer Wins Gerontological Society Of America’s 2010 M. Powell Lawton Award

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) - the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging - has chosen Karl Pillemer, PhD, of Cornell University as the 2010 recipient of the M. Powell Lawton Award...

Physicists Find Clues To The Origin And Evolution Of Wrinkles

As a sign of aging or in a suit, wrinkles are almost never welcome, but two papers in the current issue of Physical Review Letters offer some perspective on what determines their size and shape in soft materials. Jiangshui Huang and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst explore how wrinkles in a sheet adapt to an edge that prefers to be flat...

Heat Wave Mortality Differs Between Countries

Heat waves may cause increased mortality but, until now, there has been no single scientific definition for the occasional bursts of hot weather that can strike during the summer months...

Why A Low Calorie Diet Can Extend Lifespan — Even If Adopted Later In Life

New research being presented this week is giving scientists new insight into why a restricted diet can lead to a longer lifespan and reduced incidence of age-related diseases for a wide variety of animals...

AHRQ News And Numbers: Use Of Physical Restraint In Nursing Homes Cut By Half In 8 Years

The number of residents at nursing homes who were kept physically restrained dropped by more than half from 1999 to 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. According to the federal agency, the percentage of nursing home residents who were kept physically restrained declined from 11 percent in 1999 to 5 percent in 2007...

Can A Minimal Psychological Intervention Help Chronically Ill Elderly Patients?

This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led minimal psychological intervention (MPI) in chronically ill elderly persons with minor depression or mild-to-moderate major depression, and type II diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease...

Can Salsa Solve ‘Activity Gap’ In Elderly Latinos?

Can elderly Latinos who have limited mobility and face elevated risks of disability dance their way to better health? A University of Illinois at Chicago researcher wants to find out. David Xavier Marquez, assistant professor of kinesiology and nutrition, recruited 13 Latinos, all 55 or older and who have done little or no exercise the past year, into a 12-week dance class...

Scientists Urge Global Investment And Action Plan To Avert Impending Aging Crisis

Now that scientists have learned so much about aging through laboratory studies, it's time to translate those findings into medicines that can benefit our aging population. That was the message delivered by a panel of 10 preeminent aging experts that included Jan Vijg, Ph.D...

Long Term Cognitive Impairment Of Aging Brain Caused By Medications

Drugs commonly taken for a variety of common medical conditions including insomnia, allergies, or incontinence negatively affect the brain causing long term cognitive impairment in older African-Americans, according to a study appearing in the July 13, 2010 print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology...

Stanford Nephrologist Says Regional Variations In Kidney Care Raise Questions About Spending

The type and intensity of treatment older Americans receive for kidney failure depends on the region where they receive care rather than on evidence-based practice guidelines and patient preferences, according to a study to be published in the July 14 Journal of the American Medical Association...

Older Patients Are Less Likely To Receive Home Treatment As New Study Reveals Significant Quality Of Life Benefits, UK

Older patients who need kidney dialysis are less likely to receive home treatment that could substantially improve their quality of life compared with hospital dialysis, according to the findings of a UK study1...

Tart Cherry Juice May Be A Natural Solution For Insomnia

Drinking tart cherry juice daily could help reduce the severity of insomnia and time spent awake after going to sleep, according to a new study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food1. A team of University of Pennsylvania, University of Rochester and VA Center of Canandaigua researchers conducted a pilot study on the sleep habits of 15 older adults...

Seniors Face Unexpected Medical Bills Amid Disputes Between Hospitals And Medicare Auditors

Bloomberg Businessweek: "Elderly patients caught between U.S. hospitals and Medicare auditors pushing to cut costs are increasingly facing tens of thousands of dollars in unexpected medical bills. ...

Being Obese, Weight Gain During And After Middle Age Associated With Increased Risk Of Diabetes Among Older Adults

For individuals 65 years of age and older, obesity, excess body fat around the waist and gaining weight after the age of 50 are associated with an increased risk of diabetes, according to a study in the June 23/30 issue of JAMA. "Incidence of diabetes in the United States has doubled in the past 15 years, and is highest among adults 65 to 79 years of age. Approximately 70 percent of U.S...

News Roundup: NYC Program To Help Poor, Elderly With Insurance Gets Cut; Colo. Promotes Wellness Programs For Small Businesses

The New York Times: "A program that for a decade helped New York City's poor and elderly navigate their way through insurance problems - and that became a model for a similar federal program - has become a casualty of city budget cuts, an administrator of the program said on Thursday. The $4 million program sent ombudsmen to 25 social service agencies across the city. ...

Growing Length Of Hospice Stays In Nursing Homes Linked To Medicare Policy

Researchers at Brown University have found that the length of an average Medicare-certified hospice stay in a nursing home has doubled during the last 10 years. The study, which will appear in the August issue of The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, evaluated hospice use in U.S. nursing homes between 1999 and 2006. It found the typical treatment time has increased from 46 to 93 days...

GOP Questions Berwick’s Ties To Industry

The Hill reports that Republicans are charging the Obama administration with evading questions on Dr. Donald Berwick's ties to the health care industry. President Barack Obama used a recess appointment this week to install Berwick as head of the agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid after key Republicans had raised concerns about Berwick's views. "The memo from a staffer for Sen...

Second Round Of Checks To Close Medicare Doughnut Hole Sent Out

The New York Times Prescriptions Blog: "The Obama administration is sending $250 checks to more than 300,000 older Americans who paid higher drug costs in the Medicare coverage gap known as the 'doughnut hole,' officials announced Thursday. The one-time, tax-free checks are the first tangible benefit of the health care package that became law this year...

Potential Alzheimer’s Treatment: A Chemical To Make Brain Cells Grow

Scientists have identified a chemical that makes new neurons grow. The substance works specifically in a part of the brain that is integral to learning and memory...

Fibrocell Science, Inc. Completes Enrollment And First Treatment Visits For Histology Study Of Azficel-T

Fibrocell Science, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: FCSC), a biotechnology company focused on the development of autologous cell therapies for aesthetic, medical and scientific applications, announced the completion of enrollment of and first treatment visits for participants in its histology study (IT-H-001) of azficel-T. An autologous cell therapy, azficel-T is currently under review by the U.S...

Electronic Health Records Prime Clinicians To Provide Progressive Care To Older Adults

In 20 years, approximately 72 million older adults will reside in the United States, almost double the current number, according to the U.S. Administration on Aging. Potential issues are compounded by the projected shortage of health care workers needed to provide elder care...

Gerontologist Robert Butler Dead At 83

News outlets remember Pulitzer-prize winning gerontologist Dr. Robert N. Butler, who died Sunday at the age of 83. Butler was "a psychiatrist whose painful youthful realization that death is inevitable prompted him to challenge and ultimately reform the treatment of the elderly through research, public policy and a Pulitzer Prize-winning book," The New York Times reports...

Weight Loss From Higher-Protein Diets Effective But May Lower Bone Density In Postmenopausal Women

Overweight and moderately obese postmenopausal women using diets based on higher protein intake also need to be aware of potential bone loss, according to new research from Purdue University...

New Clue Into Cellular Aging Identified By Biologists

The ability to combat some age-related diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, may rest with scientists unlocking clues about the molecular and cellular processes governing aging. The underlying theory is that if the healthy portion of an individual's life span can be extended, it may delay the onset of certain age-related diseases...

Risk Of Alzheimer’s Reduced By High Blood Levels Of Vitamin E

High levels of several vitamin E components in the blood are associated with a decreased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in advanced age, suggesting that vitamin E may help prevent cognitive deterioration in elderly people. This is the conclusion reached in a Swedish study published in the July 2010 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease...

Your Genes May Be More Important Than Antioxidants In Slowing The Body’s Aging Process

Don't put down the red wine and vitamins just yet, but if you're taking antioxidants because you hope to live longer, consider this: a new study published in the June 2010 issue of the journal Genetics casts doubt on the theory that oxidative stress to our tissues shortens lifespan...

Can Aspirin Prolong A Healthy Life?

In an effort to extend the length of a disability-free life for older adults, researchers from Rush University Medical Center are partnering with colleagues from across the U.S. and Australia in the largest international trial ever sponsored by the National Institute on Aging...

Please Don’t Squeeze The Handles: Newly Patented Electronic Braking System Prevents Slips On Walkers

Rolling walkers - which help senior citizens maintain mobility and an active lifestyle - have just become safer and easier to use. Cornell University biomedical engineering students working with Weill Cornell Medical College affiliated psychiatrist Dr...

Potential Applications For Gait Analysis Technology

People recovering from injuries, the elderly and even athletes could one day benefit from a gait analysis technology being developed by a team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The patented system uses electrical signature analysis to measure, interpret and record the current drawn by a treadmill as a patient walks...

USPSTF To Update Osteoporosis Guidelines With Recos For Screening Men And Women At Low Risk For Fracture

In 2002, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended bone density screening for women 65 years or older and women aged 60 to 64 at increased risk for osteoporotic fractures. At the time, the Task Force made no recommendations for or against screening men or women in other patient populations...

New Study Shows Impact Of Program Allowing Patients To Document Wishes For End-of-Life Treatment

A new study has found that nursing home patients participating in a program enabling them to record their wishes for end-of-life treatment are far less likely to receive unwanted hospitalization and medical interventions than are other patients...

Spanish Health Survey Finds Women Live Longer But In Worse Condition

Although women have a longer life expectancy, they experience a much greater prevalence of disability in old age than men do. This is the main conclusion of the study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Women's Health. "We focused on a socioeconomic position factor such as educational level and health factors such as limitations to daily activity...

Seniors And People With Disabilities Will Pay Steep Price For Medicare’s “Competitive” Bidding Program For Home Medical Equipment

Seniors and people with disabilities who rely on home medical equipment and services will pay a steep price under Medicare's controversial and mislabeled "competitive" bidding program for durable medical equipment. The U.S...

Childhood Malnutrition Could Weaken Brain Function In Elderly

Malnutrition early in life appears to diminish brain function in older adulthood, according to a study led by a Michigan State University researcher that has implications for many poor, developing nations...

The Potential Of Nutrition To Save Sight

While 20/20 vision is a symbol of visual acuity, between now and the year 2020, more and more people will experience some extent of vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other sight-robbing diseases...

Brain Stem Cells Need Their Rest, Too

Stem cells in the brain remain dormant until called upon to divide and make more neurons. However, little has been known about the molecular guards that keep them quiet...

Eisai Announces Results Of Phase III Study Of Dacogen(R) (Decitabine) For Injection In Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

Eisai Inc. announced preliminary results from a randomized Phase III clinical trial of Dacogen® (decitabine) for Injection versus either a low-dose chemotherapy agent or supportive care in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a life-threatening cancer of the blood that generally occurs in older adults. The primary endpoint of this study was overall survival...

AMA Puts The Case To Productivity Commission For Better Access To Medical Services In Aged Care, Australia

An AMA delegation of geriatricians, psychiatrists, general practitioners, and rehabilitation and palliative care specialists will today make a presentation to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Caring for Older Australians in Canberra...

Genes Predict Exceptional Longevity

US scientists studying the genes of a large group of centenarians found 150 unique DNA sequences predicted exceptional longevity with 77 per cent accuracy, and showed that 19 clusters of the sequences or "genetic signatures" had strong links with different age-related diseases: but perhaps most remarkably they found that these genetic signatures predicted longevity mo...

Higher Testosterone May Raise Risk Of Heart Disease In Elderly Men

A large U.S. multicenter study shows that older men with higher testosterone levels are more likely to have a heart attack or other cardiovascular disease in the future. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 92nd Annual Meeting in San Diego...

Low Vitamin D Linked To The Metabolic Syndrome In Elderly People

A new study adds to the mounting evidence that older adults commonly have low vitamin D levels and that vitamin D inadequacy may be a risk factor for the metabolic syndrome, a condition that affects one in four adults. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 92nd Annual Meeting in San Diego...

Lawmakers Urge Swifter Launch Of Home Health Care Demo

Democratic lawmakers are pushing the Obama administration to launch a Medicare home health demonstration project as soon as possible. "The so-called Independence at Home (IAH) program, included as part of the Democrats' new health reform law, is scheduled to take effect no later than Jan. 1, 2012, but Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass...

Health Reform’s Early Retiree Reinsurance Program Accepting Applications; Other Overhaul Initiatives Get Attention

The Hill: HHS announced Tuesday that it "has begun accepting applications for the early retiree reinsurance program created by the new health law. The law sets aside $5 billion that businesses, unions and state and local governments can use to cover the healthcare costs of their retirees - and their spouses and dependents -who are older than 55 but don't yet qualify for Medicare...

Testosterone Gel Increases Risk Of Heart Attacks And High Blood Pressure In Older Men – Treatment Phase Of Clinical Trial Stopped

According to a trial in older men using testosterone gel treatment, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, using testosterone gel results in a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and high blood pressure (hypertension) compared to a placebo. The trial was stopped because of these adverse events...

Study Shows Age Doesn’t Necessarily Affect Decisions

Many people believe that getting older means losing a mental edge, leading to poor decision-making. But a new study from North Carolina State University shows that when it comes to making intuitive decisions - using your "gut instincts" - older adults fare as well as their juniors...

Geriatric Population Soars While NIH Devotes Modest Resources To Aging Research

The New York Times: "With a nudge from the new health care law and pressure from Medicare, hospitals, doctors and nurses are struggling to prepare for explosive growth in the numbers of high-risk elderly patients. More than 40 percent of adult patients in acute care hospital beds are 65 or older. Seventy million Americans will have turned 65 by 2030...

Ovarian Transplantation Restores Fertility To Old Mice And Also Lengthens Their Lives

Scientists have discovered that when they transplant ovaries from young mice into aging female mice, not only does the procedure make the mice fertile again, but also it rejuvenates their behaviour and increases their lifespan...

WHO Launches Global Network Of Age-friendly Cities

WHO launches the Global Network of Age-friendly Cities as part of a broader response to the rapid ageing of populations. Populations in almost every corner of the world are growing older. The greatest changes are occurring in less-developed countries. By 2050, it is estimated that 80% of the expected 2 billion people aged 60 years or over will live in low or middle income countries...

Tray Bleaching To Improve The Oral Health Of The Elderly, Special-Needs Patients

A tooth-bleaching agent may improve the oral health of elderly and special-needs patients, say dentists at the Medical College of Georgia and Western University of Health Sciences. Standard oral hygiene, such as brushing and flossing, can be difficult or impossible for patients with mental challenges or impaired manual dexterity...

Minister Brady Launches Open Week ‘Keeping Active And Enjoying Life’ Organised By The National Rehabilitation Hospital, Ireland

Aine Brady, T.D., Minister for Older People and Health Promotion, yesterday officially launched an Open Week entitled 'Keeping Active and Enjoying Life' organised by the National Rehabilitation Hospital, in partnership with Ability Matters in Waterford...

People Are Spending More Of Their Final Days In Hospitals; Milwaukee Hospital Reports Success With Treatment Guidelines

The Associated Press: "Americans increasingly are treated to death, spending more time in hospitals in their final days, trying last-ditch treatments that often buy only weeks of time, and racking up bills that have made medical care a leading cause of bankruptcies...

Older Adults Watch More TV Than Younger People, Enjoy It Less

We usually scold our children and teenagers for watching too much TV. It turns out that their grandmas and grandpas spend even more of their time watching TV, and it is not good for them either, according to researchers at the Stein Institute for Research on Aging and Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine...

Getting Better With Age: Friendships, Family Relationships

Part of what makes those relationships so golden during the golden years is that people of all ages are more likely to forgive and respect one's elders, according to research from Purdue University...

Fung Wins GSA’s 2010 Baltes Foundation Award

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) - the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging - has chosen Helene Fung, PhD, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong as the 2010 recipient of the Margret M. and Paul B. Baltes Foundation Award in Behavioral and Social Gerontology...

Link Between Vitamin D And Mental Agility In Elders

At a time when consumer interest in health-enhancing foods is high, Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists have contributed to a limited but growing body of evidence of a link between vitamin D and cognitive function. Cognitive function is measured by the level at which the brain is able to manage and use available information for activities of daily life...

Iron Overload Linked To Macular Degeneration – Donating Blood Could Save Your Sight

The most common - and under-diagnosed - genetic disease in humans just may be a cause of the worst form of macular degeneration, Medical College of Georgia researchers report. They are pursuing a link between hemochromatosis, which results in iron overload, and the wet form of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people 60 and older...

Minister Brady At Age Action Ireland’s Annual General Meeting, 25th June 2010, Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin

Aine Brady, T.D., Minister for Older People and Health Promotion, today (25th June 2010) spoke at the Annual General Meeting of Age Action Ireland. Age Action Ireland is the national independent organisation on ageing and older people. It acts as a network of organisations and individuals including older people and carers of older people...

Efforts To Make Medicine Cheaper, More Efficient Underway

The Minneapolis Star Tribune: "One of Minnesota's largest providers of supportive housing for seniors will begin testing telemedicine and sensor technology to help frail seniors stay healthier and delay institutional care under an $8 million grant announced Wednesday. It will be the largest project of its kind in the nation, involving about 1,600 clients in 40 rural cities...

Why The Wise Man Takes Up Juggling In Old Age

The elderly may be not be as good at playing football or remembering where they put the car keys. But they make up for loss of physical prowess and memory skills by developing greater wisdom - and that's official, a leading researcher on elderly cognition told the Royal College of Psychiatrists' International Congress in Edinburgh...

Going Barefoot In Home May Contribute To Elderly Falls According To Institute For Aging Research Study

As summer rolls around, elderly people may want to think twice about taking their shoes off when they get home. Going barefoot in the home, or wearing slippers or socks with no shoes, may contribute to falls among the elderly, according to a new study from the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife...

Caring For An Elderly, Sick Spouse Sometimes Has Positive Elements

Although long-term care of sick or disabled loved ones is widely recognized as a threat to the caregiver's health and quality of life, a new study led by University at Buffalo psychologist Michael Poulin, PhD, finds that in some contexts, helping valued loved ones may promote the well being of helpers...

Today’s OpEds: Eliminating Health Care Waste, Empowering Consumers To Save Money, Trouble Finding A Medicare Doctor, The Dangers Of Overtreatment

Making The Health Care Reform Law Work Roll Call When Congress passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act this March, it took a health insurance system that was locked in a decades-long spiral of rising costs and shrinking security and set it on a new course...

Mass. Weighs Overhaul’s Effects; Conn. First State To Add Adults To Medicaid Under New Health Law

The Boston Globe: "In most states, the passage of the sprawling federal health care overhaul legislation means the poorest will have a better shot at affording health insurance. But in Massachusetts, the law might have the opposite effect. Senator John. F...

Fuzzy Logic Predicts Cell Aging

The process of aging disturbs a broad range of cellular mechanisms in a complex fashion and is not well understood. Computer models using fuzzy logic might help to unravel these complexities and predict how aging progresses in cells and organisms, according to a study from Drexel University in Philadelphia and Children's Hospital Boston...

Lack Of Tracking Of Medical Devices’ Performance Raises Questions About Safety And Efficacy

The New York Times reports on a dispute between a surgeon and the medical device company he once worked for and promoted. "For years, Dr. Richard A. Berger designed surgical tools and artificial joints for Zimmer Holdings, trained hundreds of doctors to use its products and talked it up wherever he went. In return, Zimmer, an orthopedic implant maker, helped enrich Dr...

Health Reform Implementation: Risk Pool Nears Enrollment Date; Seniors Anxious About Medicare Changes; Benefits Reportable

The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union: As high-risk insurance pools are preparing to enroll the chronically ill July 1, officials should heed the Florida experience. "Plagued by exorbitant medical costs and skimpy revenue, the Florida Comprehensive Health Association, by order of the Legislature, stopped accepting new enrollees in 1991, eight years after it was created...

The Elderly Left Without Carers Are A Serious Casualty Of The African AIDS Epidemic

The rise in AIDS death rates in sub-Saharan Africa has led to a burgeoning new category of neglected individuals - nearly a million orphaned elderly, or older adults living alone without the benefit of any caregivers, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have found...

WSJ: Study On Eye Medicine Reveals Possible Savings For Medicare

The Wall Street Journal reports that Medicare could save $500 million a year by switching from one type of eye medicine to another, both made by Genentech, "according to a draft study by federal officials and a University of Miami eye doctor...

Sun-Sensitizing Medications, Sun Exposure Associated With Common Type Of Cataract

The use of medications that increase sensitivity to the sun, combined with exposure to sunlight, appears to be associated with the risk of age-related cataract, according to a report posted online that will appear in the August print issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals...

Early Stages Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Associated With Smoking, Cholesterol Levels

Early-stage age-related macular degeneration appears to be related to modifiable risk factors, including smoking and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good" cholesterol), according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The condition appears uncommon before age 55 but the risk increases with age thereafter...

10 Top Tips For Aging Well With The AGS Foundation For Health In Aging New Health Guide

Aging well doesn't mean simply living longer-it means staying healthy and active so that you can continue doing what you love for as long as possible. Now, a growing body of research suggests that the key to healthy aging is in our hands, and tells us that it's never too late to make the vital lifestyle changes that will help ensure a longer, more vibrant life...

Race Is On For Money For Early Retirees; Insurers Prepare For Health Law’s New Customers

Consultants are pushing big companies to apply quickly for money from a $5 billion fund to help cover retiree health costs as part of the new health law, The Wall Street Journal reports. "Big employers shaped the health overhaul bill to tap a $5 billion fund to offset the cost of health benefits for early retirees. Now, some companies worry the early-retiree fund will be exhausted quickly...

Proteins That Modulate Life Span In Worms Identified By Stanford Study

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a new group of proteins involved in determining the life span of laboratory roundworms. Blocking the expression of one member of the group can extend the worm's life span by up to 30 percent...

Researchers Identify Symptoms Of Male Menopause

European researchers have for the first time identified the symptoms of late-onset hypogonadism, also termed "male menopause", a condition that follows reductions in the male hormone testosterone in older men, and suggest that unlike the female menopause it is quite rare. You can read about these findings in the 16 June online issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM...

Dramatic Rise In The Proportion Of Older Americans Admitted For Substance Abuse Treatment From 1992 To 2008

A new study reveals that between 1992 and 2008 the proportion of substance abuse treatment admissions involving older Americans (aged 50 and older) nearly doubled -- from 6.6 percent of all admissions in 1992 to 12.2 percent in 2008...

Transcatheter Valve-In-Valve Implantation Provides Option For High-Risk Elderly Patients

Doctors at the University Heart Center in Hamburg, Germany successfully used transcatheter valve-in-valve implantation in elderly patients with degenerated bioprostheses in aortic and mitral position. This minimally invasive procedure was used as an alternative treatment option for patients who were at high surgical risk...

New Oral Solution Formulation Of Antiepileptic Drug Vimpat (Lacosamide) (C-V)

UCB has announced the availability of an oral solution formulation of Vimpat® (lacosamide) C-V, an antiepileptic drug (AED) for add-on treatment of partial-onset seizures in people with epilepsy age 17 years and older. Vimpat 10 mg/mL solution is now available in U.S. pharmacies...

Texas Prepares For Health Reform’s Changes Despite Opposition To New Law; Other States Brace For Federal Funding Cuts

Stateline.org: "When Congress approved the sweeping federal health care overhaul in March, Texas Governor Rick Perry was one of the loudest critics. He blasted the initiative as unconstitutional, a government takeover of health care and an unfunded federal mandate on the states. ...

Radiation Scans Cause Increased Scrutiny

The Associated Press: "Americans get the most medical radiation in the world, even more than folks in other rich countries. The U.S. accounts for half of the most advanced procedures that use radiation, and the average American's dose has grown sixfold over the last couple of decades. Too much radiation raises the risk of cancer...

Health Overhaul Skirmishes Simmer Over Government Fliers, Drug Benefits

Republicans are complaining that, while the IRS sent out 4 million fliers to publicize $40 billion in tax credits for small businesses, the agency did not make a similar effort to inform tanning salons and their customers about a new 10 percent tax on their services, Politico reports...

Minister Brady Launches “Open Your Eyes” The Health Service Executive’s Elder Abuse Media And Public Awareness Campaign, Ireland

Ms Aine Brady TD, Minister for Older People today (Wednesday, 15th June) launched "Open Your Eyes" - the Health Service Executive's Elder Abuse Media and Public Awareness Campaign. Marking World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Minister urged people to follow up on any concerns they may have in relation to abuse of older people...

Retiring Health Care Professionals May Strain An Overburdened System

News outlets report on challenges and opportunities within the health care workforce. The Washington Post: "Since the passage of the health-care law in March, much has been said about the coming swarm of millions of retiring baby boomers and the strain they will put on the nation's health-care system. That's only half the problem...

HHS Secretary Sebelius Urges Vermont Governor Douglas To Maintain Current Benefits For Vermont’s Seniors

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius urged Vermont Governor Jim Douglas to reconsider plans to reduce state benefits to seniors who are enrolled in the state's VPharm supplemental prescription assistance program, in response to the new Medicare Part D rebate checks...

Scammers Use Promise Of Medicare Rebate Checks To Steal Personal Info

The Illinois Attorney General is warning that scammers are trying to trick Medicare-eligible seniors into revealing personal information in order to get a rebate check, The Associated Press reports. "The first $250 rebate checks are being mailed this week to seniors in Medicare's drug coverage gap, known as the 'doughnut hole...

Dems To Seniors: The Medicare Checks Are In The Mail

The Obama administration began mailing $250 checks Thursday to seniors who hit the Medicare prescription drug doughnut hole - a notorious gap in coverage - as part of the health overhaul, The Columbus Dispatch reports...

Study Into Telomere Length May Improve Understanding Of The Development Of Disease

A new study at the University of Leicester is examining a sequence of DNA- known as telomeres - that varies in length between individuals. This follows evidence that these structures shrink in length over an individual's lifetime and that this may contribute to several diseases including those commonly associated with ageing and, perhaps most importantly, the development of cancer...

Two New Studies Reveal Well-Being Over A Lifetime And The Well-Being Challenges Faced By Caregivers

Studies published by Healthways Center for Health Research (CHR) in its May 2010 publication of Outcomes & Insights provide new knowledge of the impact of age on well-being, and the effect of caregiving on the well-being of the 52 million Americans providing care for an adult who is ill or disabled...

Study Links Long Sleep Duration To An Increased Risk Of Metabolic Syndrome In Older Adults

Long sleep duration is associated with an elevated prevalence of metabolic syndrome in older adults, according to a research abstract presented Tuesday, June 8, 2010, in San Antonio, Texas, at SLEEP 2010, the 24th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC...

Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP) Reduces Rates Of Heart Disease And Stroke In Communities

A community-based health promotion program delivered by over 500 peer volunteers significantly reduces heart disease and stroke in seniors, Canadian Stroke Network researcher Dr. Janusz Kaczorowski told the Canadian Stroke Congress...

HHS, CMS And The Administration On Aging Launch Fraud Prevention Education Campaign

As eligible seniors who have entered the Medicare Part D donut hole this year begin to receive their tax-free, one time rebate check for $250 starting this Thursday, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and senior officials from the Administration on Aging and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched a national education effort to ensure that...

States To Curb Retiree Benefits In Search Of Savings

States are seeking savings in public employee retiree benefits to close sprawling budget gaps, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. "New Jersey and 20 other states are urging early retirements, cutting benefits and demanding employees contribute more in the face of what the Pew Center on the States says is a $1 trillion gap between available assets and what's owed workers." States had only $2...

Obama Sets Town Hall Meeting With Seniors To Tout Medicare Rebate Checks

The New York Times Blog: President Barack Obama has scheduled a televised town hall meeting Tuesday in Wheaton, Md., "to trumpet one of the most popular provisions of his landmark health care bill: a $250 rebate to help Medicare beneficiaries pay for prescription drugs. ...

Minister For Older People And Health Promotion, Aine Brady TD, Emphasises Need For Vigilance In Relation To Elder Abuse, Ireland

Ms Aine Brady TD, Minister for Older People and Health Promotion, said that people must be alert to the risk of elder abuse and to take the necessary action if they have suspicions. The Minister was commenting on the launch of the HSE Elder Abuse Service Report 2009...

Keep Aging Relatives Cancer-Free

Family members can help reduce an aging relative's risk of cancer by encouraging healthy lifestyle changes, according to experts at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "Thanks to modern medicine, more people are living longer," said Therese B. Bevers, M.D., medical director of MD Anderson's Cancer Prevention Center. "But a longer life doesn't always equal a healthier one...

Medicare Advantage Is Reducing Preventable Hospital Readmissions For Seniors

A new analysis of federal and state government data provides further evidence that seniors in Medicare Advantage have lower risk-adjusted hospital readmission rates than patients in Medicare's traditional fee-for-service (FFS) program, according to a report released by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)...

Gene Related To Aging Plays Role In Stem Cell Differentiation

A gene shown to play a role in the aging process appears to play a role in the regulation of the differentiation of embryonic stem cells, according to researchers from the Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and the Department of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University...

Study Gauges Seniors’ Calorie Burn Playing Active Video Games

While video games take heat for contributing to a generation of sedentary youth, some types of games may help older adults become more physically active, according to a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine's 57th Annual Meeting in Baltimore. Researchers found that playing Nintendo's Wii can help healthy, overweight seniors burn calories...

Palliative Care Research To Improve Care Of Seriously Ill Patients To Benefit From $1.8 Million Award

The American Cancer Society and the National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC) are awarding $1.8 million in research grants to researchers at 12 institutions for studies aimed at reducing suffering for seriously ill patients and their family caregivers. The studies will be conducted over the next two years...

Major Canada-US Differences In People In Middle Age Highlighted At Congress Of The Humanities And Social Sciences

Middle-aged Canadians are much less worried about the future than their American counterparts, some of whom are close to panic, says an Alberta researcher who has just finished a survey in both countries. And she says the differing attitudes today may foreshadow growing differences between the two countries as that cohort move into old age...

Cognitive Ability, Not Age, Predicts Risky Decisions

Just because your mother has turned 85, you shouldn't assume you'll have to take over her financial matters. She may be just as good or better than you at making quick, sound, money-making decisions, according to researchers at Duke University. "It's not age, it's cognition that makes the difference in decision-making," said Scott Huettel, Ph.D...

Firms Chase Opportunities In Online Medicine

General Electric Co. chief executive Jeffrey Immelt urged Japan, at a conference in Tokyo Monday, to use health information technology to improve home-based health care as a hedge against the strains of an aging population, The Wall Street Journal reports. Japan's over-65 population is growing, and could top 30 percent by 2030...

With Congress On Recess, Health Reform Politics Emerge On Homefront

The Associated Press: While Americans remain divided over the new health reform law, "they aren't clamoring for its repeal. ... Instead, the public seems willing to listen to candidates who would give the overhaul a chance and fix or improve it as needed. That's the signal from some surveys and a congressional race in a bellwether Pennsylvania district...

Minister Moloney At Laying Of Foundation Stone In 100 Bed Unit In St Mary’s Care Centre, Mullingar, Ireland

Mr. John Moloney, T.D, Minister for State with responsibility for Disability and Mental Health was in Mullingar for the Laying of the Foundation Stone Ceremony in St Mary's Care Centre. The development comprises 52 beds for older persons which will replace the beds in St. Mary's, and 48 beds for the Psychiatry of Old Age, to replace those beds in St. Loman's...

More Support Needed For Doctors Working In Aged Care, Australia

The AMA today called for more Government support for doctors to provide medical care to frail, elderly residents in aged care facilities. AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said that he is not surprised by the alarming reports of poor care being delivered in some residential aged care facilities and that our senior citizens deserve better...

Let Nurses Fix Aged Care – Australian Nursing Federation

The Australian Nursing Federation Assistant Secretary Lee Thomas said newly emerged claims of nursing home neglect highlighted the importance of continued government reform in the aged care sector. "Reform has begun, but these disturbing allegations are a harsh reminder that it is imperative Australia acts quickly to protect its most vulnerable citizens," Ms Thomas said...

Medicare ‘Doughnut Hole’ Rebate Checks Are In Mail, Obama Administration Announces

The Los Angeles Times: "Senior citizens who hit the so-called doughnut hole in Medicare's drug benefit will begin getting $250 rebate checks in two weeks, the Obama administration announced Thursday - providing one of the first tangible benefits of the recently enacted healthcare law...

Planned Parenthood President Responds To New York Times Column On Global Family Planning

Nicholas Kristof's recent New York Times column on challenges to family planning in developing nations "rightly prescribes more than just dispensing birth control pills in helping women make informed reproductive choices," Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards writes in a letter to the editor...

Minister Brady Consults With Older People In The Midlands, Ireland

The Minister for Older People and Health Promotion Aine Brady TD met with over 130 older people, service providers and personnel from voluntary and community bodies working with older people in the Midlands...

Statement By Minister Harney – Strategy For A Stable, Community Rated Health Insurance Market, Ireland

The Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, T.D., today gave further details about the set of strategic actions approved by the Government to ensure the effective operation of community rating in health insurance market so as to protect older and sicker customers...

Chilled To Death: Heart And Stroke Deaths Peak In Winter

Rates of cardiovascular disease increase dramatically in Australian winters because many people don't know how to rug up against the cold, a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) seasonal researcher has found...

Study Reveals The Way Capillaries Spit To Clear Blockages And How Process Slows In Aging Brain

Spitting can be a good thing when it comes to blood vessels. Scientists at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have discovered capillaries have a unique method of expelling debris, such as blood clots, cholesterol or calcium plaque, that blocks the flow of essential nutrients to brain cells...

Pelosi, ‘We Passed Health Reform To Improve Medicare And Ensure Seniors Can Count On It Now And For Generations’

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Barbara Kennelly of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and Dr. Ben Williamowsky of Silver Spring, Md., a Medicare recipient, held a news conference to discuss benefits of and misconceptions about the Affordable Care Act and Medicare...

High-Strain Tendons Repair Less Frequently

In a discovery that seems counterintuitive, a study appearing in the May 21st Journal of Biological Chemistry has found that tendons in high-stress and strain areas, like the Achilles tendon, actually repair themselves less frequently than low-stress tendons. This study sheds some light on the increased susceptibility of certain tendons to injury during aging...

Hospital Stays For Pneumonia Patients Cut By Hands-On Osteopathic Treatment

Older patients battling pneumonia spent less time in the hospital when treated using osteopathic manipulative medicine - a drug-free form of hands-on medical care focusing on increasing muscle motion - in addition to conventional care, recently published research shows...

Today’s OpEds: States Must Take On Public Health Challenges; Placing Blame For High Health Costs

Out With Rationing, In With Price Controls The Wall Street Journal Britain's 'reform' will do little to improve access to life-extending drugs (5/25)...

Older Active People Fall Less Often With Single Lens Distance Glasses

Older individuals who wear multifocal glasses and who regularly take part in outdoor activities are less likely to suffer falls if they are provided with single lens distance glasses, say Australian researchers. However, the authors of a report which appeared in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) today warn that this strategy may not be appropriate for frailer people who spend more time indoors...

HHS ‘Special Mailing’ On Health Law’s Immediate Medicare Benefits Sparks GOP Grumbles

CQ HealthBeat: "Education or propaganda? Or 'beyond propaganda?' The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Monday that it will soon send Medicare beneficiaries a special mailing on 'the immediate benefits they may see' from the health care overhaul law...

‘Obese’ BMI Does Not Harm Current Health Of Young Adults

A study examining the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and illness suggests that a BMI of 30 or above, a signal of obesity according to federal health standards, does not translate into current illness among adults under age 40...

Minister Brady Launches The Older Persons Strategy Of The Respond! Housing Association, Waterford, Ireland

Aine Brady, T.D., Minister for Older People, launched the Older Persons Strategy of the Respond! Housing Association...

‘Stress’ Protein Could Halt Aging Process, Say Scientists

HSP10 (Heat Shock Protein), helps monitor and organise protein interactions in the body, and responds to environmental stresses, such as exercise and infection, by increasing its production inside cells...

As Stroke Journal Turns 40 World Leaders Focus On Stroke Prevention, Care

On the 40th anniversary of the journal Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, stroke leaders from around the world celebrated stroke research accomplishments and set an agenda for the future, according to a special report in the journal. "The past 40 years have seen more advances in stroke than the previous four millennia," said Vladimir Hachinski, M.D...

Changes To Residential Care System Needed To Give Older People A ‘home For Life’

Researchers from the University of the West England, Bristol and the University of Warwick are calling for changes to the UK residential home care system to ensure older people have a 'home for life' and are not pushed out to hospitals or nursing homes unnecessarily...

Alzheimer’s Society Welcomes Appointment Of New Minister For Social Care, UK

Alzheimer's Society comment on the appointment of Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow as Minister for Care Services. Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow will oversee social care policy in his new role as Minister for Care Services...

Despite Known Health Risks Long-Term Use Of Anti-Anxiety Drugs Continues In B.C.

Drugs to treat anxiety and sleep disorders are still being prescribed for extended periods to British Columbian patients - and increasingly so for baby boomers - despite warnings against long-term use, according to a University of British Columbia study...

Ariz. Tax Hike Only A Band-Aid, And Other State Tales Of Budget Woes

The Wall Street Journal: States are being squeezed by "shrinking state budgets and rising health-care costs" and often vulnerable residents are paying the price. Barbara Hickey, 67 of Florence, S.C., is one of them. She is confined to a motorized wheelchair, lives alone and "relies on certified nurse's assistants to get her in and out of bed, bathed, clothed and fed...

Cochlear Implants Slightly Less Beneficial In Older Patients

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...

At The End Of Life Living Wills Are Poor Predictors Of Actual Treatment Preferences

Living wills often do not represent a patient's actual treatment preferences when faced with real end-of-life circumstances and should be redesigned to guide more realistic advance decision-making, according to a study published in Journal of Palliative Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc...

Link Between Muscle Loss In Elderly And Blood Vessels’ Failure To Dilate

Why do people become physically weaker as they age? And is there any way to slow, stop, or even reverse this process, breaking the link between increasing age and frailty? In a paper published online this Wednesday in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers present evidence that answers to both those qu...

Irregular Medication Use Puts Seniors At Risk For Falling

Older adults increase their chances of falling by not taking their medications as directed, according to an article in the latest edition of the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological and Medical Sciences (Volume 65A, Number 5)...

Mass. Senate Approves Health Costs Bill To Help Small Biz Pay Health Costs And Other State News

The Associated Press: The Massachusetts Senate Tuesday approved a bill that would make wealthy hospitals pay $100 million in a one-time contribution to help small businesses ease insurance premiums. "The bill would let businesses with 50 or fewer workers form cooperatives to purchase insurance at a lower cost...

Big Belly In Middle Age Linked To Higher Risk Of Dementia

In a new study, US researchers confirmed the known link between obesity and lower total brain volume and also found that abdominal fat in otherwise healthy middle aged people is associated with lower total brain volume, suggesting a greater risk of dementia and Alzheimer's later on in life...

A Provocative Proposal For How America’s Health-Care System Can Better Address Dementia, Alzheimer’s And Cognitive Disorders

As the Baby Boomer generation moves into the ranks of the elderly in the next decade or two, the number of Alzheimer cases expected to develop will be staggering. Without a current cure, and with effective treatment at least ten years away, there is a pressing need for novel solutions to address the multifaceted issues surrounding this disease...

Discovery Of Body’s Own Molecular Protection Against Arthritis

An international team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute in California and the National Research Institute for Child Health and Development in Japan has discovered that a natural molecule in the body counters the progression of osteoarthritis. The findings could one day lead to new therapies for some common diseases of aging...

E-health Will Talk For The Unconscious And Elderly, Australia

The Australian Nursing Federation are disappointed that the shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, at his Press Club address, failed to discuss Coalition health policy while also dismissing the benefits of e-Health. Ged Kearney, ANF federal secretary, said the initiative could save many lives each year because hospital nurses would have instant access to the health details of new patients...

Ways To Extend Longevity May Affect Memory Differently

Researchers in the US who explored two ways of extending longevity, dietary restriction and reduced Insulin/IGF-1 signalling, found they had very different effects on memory, and suggest their findings offer scientists a new model, based on the nematode C. elegans, for exploring ways to treat age-related memory decline...

Euthanasia And The Use Of End-Of-Life Drugs Without Explicit Request

Despite fears to the contrary, the use of drugs to end life without patient request has not increased since euthanasia was legalized in Belgium, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)). Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are controversial issues in the medical world...

Minister Brady Consults With Older People In Dublin

The Minister for Older People and Health Promotion Aine Brady TD today met with over 200 older people, service providers and personnel from voluntary and community bodies working with older people...

Community Programme Halves Fall Rate Among Older People, UK

A community based falls prevention service reduced the rate of falls among older people by 55%, finds a study published on http://www.bmj.com today. The service also led to increased levels of activities of daily living and reduced fear of falling. Falls are a common and serious problem in older people...

Combining Resistance Exercise And Blood Flow Restriction In Elderly Boosts Muscle Mass

For years, researchers have known that resistance exercise training - such as weightlifting, in which muscles work against gravity or another force - can be one of the most effective ways to fight the debilitating muscle loss caused by aging...

Single Annual High-Dose Vitamin D Associated With Increased Risk Of Falls, Fractures Among Older Women

Women age 70 years or older who received a single annual high dose of vitamin D had a higher rate of falls and fractures compared to women who received placebo, according to a study in the May 12 issue of JAMA...

The Fear Of Falling In People Over 70

One in four people over the age of 70 suffers from gait disturbance. To prevent falls, specific treatment should be given. In the current issue of Deutsches Arzteblatt International, Klaus Jahn and colleagues describe methods of differential diagnosis and therapy (Dtsch Arztebl Int 107[17]: 306-16)...

Medical Attention Following A Fall Critical To Senior Health

Falling down is hazardous to a senior citizen's health, yet fewer than half of all seniors see a doctor after a fall...

New Clues To The Process Involved In Dietary Choices Opens The Door For Future Treatments For Metabolic And Eating Disorders

When given a choice, organisms will choose a diet that maintains a nutritional balance in tune with their needs. That choice, studied in fruit flies for the first time, is regulated by activity in a molecular pathway involved in aging, cancer and diabetes...

Healthy Retirees Pay More For Health Care Over The Long Term

A new study from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College found that people "who enter retirement in good health are likely to pay more for medical expenses throughout the rest of their life than those who retire after developing a chronic condition," writes U.S. News & World Report...

Cheese Found To Improve The Immune Response Of The Elderly

Cheese acting as 'carrier' for probiotic bacteria can help to restore immune system Scientists in Finland have discovered that cheese can help preserve and enhance the immune system of the elderly by acting as a carrier for probiotic bacteria...

Level Of Frailty Predicts Surgical Outcomes In Older Patients

A simple, 10-minute "frailty" test administered to older patients before they undergo surgery can predict with great certainty their risk for complications, how long they will stay in the hospital and - most strikingly - whether they are likely to end up in a nursing home afterward, new research from Johns Hopkins suggests...

R.I. Overhauls Medicaid Payments For Elderly, Disabled; Medicaid Delays Reported In Kansas

Stateline.org: Rhode Island received a waiver from the Bush administration to revamp its Medicaid program for the elderly and disabled, despite concerns from "community health activists [who] feared that it would push some of the neediest onto waiting lists or worse - throw some poor people off the Medicaid rolls altogether. But it hasn't worked out that way. ...

Cities Struggle To Pay For Health Benefits For Active, Retired Workers

The Sacramento Bee reports that 12 of 13 school districts in Sacramento County don't have enough money to pay for their retirees' health benefits "and are not setting aside money to pay for them, according to a grand jury report released Monday." The districts have $1 billion in unfunded health benefits for retirees, and are effectively ignoring the growing debt, the report says...

Aged Care Workers And Residents Big Winners In Budget 2010, Australia

Ged Kearney, Federal Secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) said today that Budget 2010 had delivered a huge win for aged care nurses, care staff and the residents they care for. "The $132 million aged care workforce package announced by the Treasurer in Budget 2010 ensures nurses will remain front and centre in the delivery of aged care in Australia...

New Position Statement On Vitamin D For Older Adults

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) has released a new position statement on Vitamin D for older adults which makes important recommendations for vitamin D nutrition from an evidence-based perspective. Vitamin D is important for bone and muscle development, function and preservation...

Minn. Negotiators Seek Compromise To Expand Medicaid While A Nursing Home Tax And Cuts To A Screening Program Grab Headlines In Other States

The (Minneapolis) Star Tribune: Members of a legislative conference committee in Minnesota "agreed Sunday that expanding Medicaid should be part of the eventual compromise they will take to the House and Senate as early as Monday in a package of health and human service measures to cut the state's budget deficit. Gov...

Overhaul Will Bring Changes, Improve Quality For Medicare Advantage Plans

The Wall Street Journal: "Over the next 10 years, the new health-care law will divert some $132 billion from Medicare Advantage, according to a recent report by George Washington University's Department of Health Policy. This has sparked concern that these plans may reduce benefits, raise premiums, or both. But the impact is likely to vary from plan to plan...

NCOA Encourages Seniors To Age Strong! Live Strong! During National Older Americans Month By Tapping Into Available Benefits

In recognition of Older Americans Month, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) invites seniors nationwide to take advantage of free online screenings for benefits programs through its BenefitsCheckUp program. BenefitsCheckUp is the nation's most comprehensive Web-based service to screen seniors with limited income and resources for benefits programs. By visiting http://www.benefitscheckup...

Budget 2010: It’s Time To Deliver For Aged Care, Australia

Ged Kearney, Federal Secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation has called on the Federal Government to begin addressing the chronic workforce issues facing the aged care sector in the Federal Budget to be released tomorrow (May 11)...

Video Discuss 50th Anniversary Of Birth Control Pill, History Of EMILY’s List, Other Topics

The following summarizes selected women's health related videos. 50 Years of the Pill: In the first of a two-part series on the birth control pill's 50th anniversary, NBC News' Nancy Snyderman discussed its significance with Ms...

Identification Of A New Protein Involved In Longevity

Researchers in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Thomas Jefferson University have found that the level of a single protein in the tiny roundworm C. elegans determines how long it lives. Worms born without this protein, called arrestin, lived about one-third longer than normal, while worms that had triple the amount of arrestin lived one-third less...

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