A new study of intentional drug overdose deaths, or suicides by an overdose of a medication or drug, found an overall decline in recent years in the United States, but an increase in young people aged 15-24, older people aged 75-84, and non-Hispanic Black women, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study… Continue reading Drug-Overdose Suicides Increasing Among Older People
Tag: older people
Pain Rising Among Some Younger Americans
Younger Americans with less than a bachelor’s degree reported higher levels of pain than today’s older adults did at their age. Continued increases in pain as generations age may challenge a healthcare system already struggling to treat chronic pain. The study examined trends in pain, both nationwide and internationally, across adults of different ages. Pain… Continue reading Pain Rising Among Some Younger Americans
Heat-Related Dangers in Older Adults: What You Need to Know
As we age, our ability to adequately respond to summer heat can become a serious problem. Older people are at significant increased risk of heat-related illnesses, known collectively as hyperthermia, during the summer months. Hyperthermia can include heat stroke, heat edema (swelling in your ankles and feet when you get hot), heat syncope (sudden dizziness… Continue reading Heat-Related Dangers in Older Adults: What You Need to Know
A Personal Treatment for Depression
An innovative psychological treatment can help older people who are suffering from lower-severity depression and prevent more severe depression, say researchers at the University of York, in the UK. Depression is common amongst older people, with one in seven meeting the criteria for full-blown depression. Older people at the greatest risk of depression are those… Continue reading A Personal Treatment for Depression
Why Depression in Later Life is Often Overlooked
Depression can occur at any age, but it’s often overlooked in adults 65 and older—a population that is expected to soar to 72 million by the year 2030. In her new book Depression in Later Life: An Essential Guide, Dr. Deborah Serani says depression affects an estimated 15 percent of Americans aged 65 and older,… Continue reading Why Depression in Later Life is Often Overlooked
Study Links Physical Activity to Better Memory Among Older Adults
Just in case you need one more reason to get up off the couch or the desk chair, a study done in November 2015 at the Boston University Medical Center has found that older adults who take more steps either by walking or jogging perform better on memory tasks than those who are more sedentary.… Continue reading Study Links Physical Activity to Better Memory Among Older Adults
Post-Concussion Symptoms More Serious in Older People
Older patients recover from concussion more slowly than younger ones, according to new research. Functional MR imaging (fMRI) showed different activation patterns during working memory (WM) performance tasks in younger and older patients, confirming the importance of age in the activation, modulation and allocation of WM processing resources after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), according… Continue reading Post-Concussion Symptoms More Serious in Older People
Too Many Pills for Seniors?
Although older Americans get mental-health medications at more than twice the rate of younger adults, they are much less likely to see a psychiatrist, according to new research. That raises questions about whether they could be at risk of problems caused by a collision of multiple medications – and about whether primary care doctors may… Continue reading Too Many Pills for Seniors?