Senior Health – Page 6

5 Places You Frequent That Could Be Damaging Your Hearing

Everyone knows rock concerts are loud. That is part of the experience. I don’t go to too many concerts anymore, because of my hearing loss. But when I do, I use strong protections against the noise — I mute my hearing aids and using noise-cancelling headphones. Believe it or not, I can usually still hear… Continue reading 5 Places You Frequent That Could Be Damaging Your Hearing

What Is a Geriatric Specialist and Who Needs One?

We are living longer. The dramatic increase in life expectancy is one of the most notable achievements of the 20th century, with a ten-fold increase in the number of Americans over the age of 65. By 2060, people over 65 will number about 98 million, more than twice the number today, and will represent almost 22%… Continue reading What Is a Geriatric Specialist and Who Needs One?

No Association Between “Bad Cholesterol” and Elderly Deaths

A University of South Florida professor and an international team of experts have found that older people with high levels of a certain type of cholesterol, known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), live as long, and often longer, than their peers with low levels of this same cholesterol. The findings, which came after analyzing past studies… Continue reading No Association Between “Bad Cholesterol” and Elderly Deaths

Why Older Adults Must Wear Helmets: Head Injuries Are Serious Trouble

Here’s a dirty little secret about safety: People know they should wear helmets when riding bikes, skiing or snowboarding—but many ignore warnings and don’t don helmets. Yet they’re aware of known and suspected consequences of head trauma, especially for older adults. Head injuries are a serious matter and there is growing awareness of this menace… Continue reading Why Older Adults Must Wear Helmets: Head Injuries Are Serious Trouble

The Other Dementias

Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—and behavioral abilities to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. Dementia ranges in severity from the mildest stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning, to the most severe stage, when the person must depend completely… Continue reading The Other Dementias

If You Fall

For seniors, falling is a frightening prospect. Depending on the severity of the fall, it can cause anything from a broken wrist to a traumatic brain injury, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. Here, from the experts at SeniorHealth, a division of the National Institutes of Health, is what you can do if… Continue reading If You Fall

Parks Are Seldom Used by Older People

Neighborhood parks across the United States are geared primarily toward younger people, limiting their use by adults and seniors, but surprisingly attract fewer female youth as well, according to a RAND Corporation study that offers the first national examination of parks, what they offer, who uses them and how they are used. The study was… Continue reading Parks Are Seldom Used by Older People

Rewriting Dementia: Poetry and Alzheimer’s Patients

By Molly Middleton Meyer It’s difficult to imagine that out of grief could come something so beautiful, that out of pain could come healing, but that’s exactly what happened. In 2008, my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. My then 79-year-old mother bore most of the emotional and physical turmoil. I could use the excuse… Continue reading Rewriting Dementia: Poetry and Alzheimer’s Patients

Why Getting a Hearing Test is a Must-Do in your Sixties

Depending on the life stage you’re entering on your next milestone birthday, your personal physician will present a set of tests they want you to undergo to maintain optimal health. Unfortunately, one important test recommendation some neglect to mention is for your hearing. While you should have your hearing tested regardless of age if you’re… Continue reading Why Getting a Hearing Test is a Must-Do in your Sixties

Older Adults Need Better Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Control

The leading cause of death in the elderly, the fastest growing segment of the population, is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Prevention of cardiovascular events in elderly patients presents a therapeutic challenge because this age group is generally underrepresented in clinical trials, and doctors often assume that it is too late to initiate preventive therapy in the… Continue reading Older Adults Need Better Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Control

In Older Adults, Frailty and Depression Can Affect Spouses

Frailty, a condition that affects 10 percent of people aged 65 and older, can make older adults more prone to disability, falls, hospitalization, and a shorter lifespan. In April 2016, research published online in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society examined the effects of frailty and depression on married couples. A research summary released… Continue reading In Older Adults, Frailty and Depression Can Affect Spouses

“Emotional Memory” in Older Adults

In a study exploring the relationship between memory for specific past experiences and recovery from strong negative emotions, researchers say that episodic memory be more important in helping midlife and older adults recover from a negative event than it is for younger adults. Rebecca Ready, associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University… Continue reading “Emotional Memory” in Older Adults

Age and Mobility Predict Death Better Than One’s “Molecular Clock”

Advances in technology allow scientists to measure intricate details about the human body that greatly enhance understanding of health, disease and aging. Yet, when it comes to predicting death, more rudimentary measures—like a person’s age or a person’s ability to climb stairs or walk a short distance—are much more powerful predictors of survival than certain… Continue reading Age and Mobility Predict Death Better Than One’s “Molecular Clock”

AFib May Affect Walking and Strength in Older Adults

When older people develop atrial fibrillation — the most common type of irregular heartbeat – the condition accelerates age-related declines in walking speed, strength, balance, and other aspects of physical performance. That is the finding of research published in April 2016 in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, an American Heart Association journal. A release from the… Continue reading AFib May Affect Walking and Strength in Older Adults

Clinicians Should Avoid Prescribing Compounded Hormones

A new Scientific Statement issued on April 1st 2016 by the Endocrine Society in Boston advises clinicians to avoid using compounded hormone medications to treat menopausal symptoms, female sexual dysfunction, and other hormone conditions. The state was published in the Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. According to a release from the society, these… Continue reading Clinicians Should Avoid Prescribing Compounded Hormones

Tooth Loss Increases Risk of Reduced Cognitive Function

Best to do everything you can to keep the choppers if you want to stay lucid as you age! The International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) published an article in March 2016 titled “Tooth Loss Increases the Risk of Diminished Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” The study appeared in the OnlineFirst… Continue reading Tooth Loss Increases Risk of Reduced Cognitive Function

Exercise May Slow Brain Aging by 10 Years for Older People

Exercise in older people is associated with a slower rate of decline in thinking skills that occurs with aging. People who reported light to no exercise experienced a decline equal to 10 more years of aging as compared to people who reported moderate to intense exercise, according to a population-based observational study published in the… Continue reading Exercise May Slow Brain Aging by 10 Years for Older People

Lack of Computer Use Linked to Cognitive Decline

Researchers say that infrequent home computer use could be linked to cognitive decline. The finding was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. The researchers, from the Oregon Health & Science University, have found a significant correlation between infrequent daily computer use and brain imaging signs commonly seen in early-stage Alzheimer’s patients. Using an MRI… Continue reading Lack of Computer Use Linked to Cognitive Decline