HEALTHY AGING

Woman Petitions Health Insurer After Company Approves — Then Rejects — Her Infusions

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES Woman Petitions Health Insurer After Company Approves — Then Rejects — Her Infusions Even people with good insurance aren't guaranteed affordable care, as this KFF Health News follow-up to one patient’s saga shows. (Lauren Sausser, 1/4 ) Doctors Are as Vulnerable to Addiction as Anyone. California Grapples With a Response. The Medical Board of California, which licenses MDs, is developing a program to evaluate, treat, and monitor doctors with alcohol and drug problems. But there...

‘I Am Just Waiting to Die’: Social Security Clawbacks Drive Some Into Homelessness

KFF HEALTH NEWS – More than a year after the federal government first cut off her disability benefits, Denise Woods drives nightly to strip malls, truck stops, and parking lots around Savannah, Georgia, looking for a safe place to sleep in her Chevy. Woods, 51, said she had rented a three-bedroom house she shared with her adult son and grandson until March 2022, when the government terminated her disability payments without notice. According to letters sent...

8 Best Dog Breeds for Seniors

Owning a dog has been shown to improve quality of life, increase social interactions, and improve health.

Bolstering our sense of smell may reduce the risk of dementia

THE GUARDIAN – Whether it is the waft of clove-studded oranges or the crisp fragrance of a fir tree, the festive season is filled with aromas that conjure Christmases past. Now researchers say our sense of smell, and its connection to our memory, could be used to help fight dementia. Our senses can worsen as a result of disease and old age. But while impairment to hearing or vision is quickly apparent, a decline in our...

What’s Your ‘Biological Age’?

THE NEW YORK TIMES – If you’ve ever been to a high school reunion, you know that some people seem to age faster than others. Twenty-five years after graduation, one classmate can appear a decade younger than the rest, another a decade older. “People know that intuitively,” said Dr. Nir Barzilai, director of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, “but they don’t understand that it’s a biology that we’re...

UVA Health has potential Alzheimer’s breakthrough

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Alzheimer’s researchers at the University of Virginia have found that a specific type of protein can damage brain cells and eventually compromise brain function. The theory is if they can isolate that protein, they can help protect the brain. This discovery puts them closer than ever to finding a treatment for Alzheimer's ... Alzheimer’s Discovery Reveals Dire Effect of Toxic Tau Protein December 18, 2023, University of Virginia George Bloom, PhD, researches Alzheimer's disease...

Social Security Clawbacks Hit a Million More People Than Agency Chief Told Congress

KFF HEALTH NEWS – The Social Security Administration has demanded money back from more than 2 million people a year — more than twice as many people as the head of the agency disclosed at an October congressional hearing. That’s according to a document KFF Health News and Cox Media Group obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration Kilolo Kijakazi read aloud from the document during the hearing...

Calculate Your Brain Care Score; Why It Matters

Key Takeaways Investigators have developed a Brain Care Score composed of physical, lifestyle, and social-emotional components, with a higher score indicating better brain care In a recent study, adults with a higher Brain Care Score had a lower risk of developing dementia and stroke as they aged. BOSTON – Individuals can improve their brain care and reduce their risk of developing brain diseases such as dementia and stroke by focusing on a list of 12...

Walking faster linked to ‘significantly lower risk’ of developing type 2 diabetes

Walking speed is an important indicator of overall health and a key indicator of functional capacity.

Cutting a teaspoon of salt is comparable to taking blood pressure medication

NPR – A new study published Monday in the journal JAMA found that cutting one teaspoon of salt a day results in a decline in blood pressure comparable to taking blood pressure medication. In this latest study, participants who cut out their daily salt intake by one teaspoon had lower blood pressure in just one week. This was even true for people already on blood pressure medication. But how much sodium is in one teaspoon of...

U.S. men die nearly six years before women, reflecting largest gap since 1996

The pandemic, which took a disproportionate toll on men, was the biggest contributor to the widening gap from 2019-2021, followed by unintentional injuries and poisonings (mostly drug overdoses), accidents, and suicide.

Who Will Care for Older Adults? We’ve Plenty of Know-How but Too Few Specialists

KFF HEALTH NEWS – Thirty-five years ago, Jerry Gurwitz was among the first physicians in the United States to be credentialed as a geriatrician — a doctor who specializes in the care of older adults. “I understood the demographic imperative and the issues facing older patients,” Gurwitz, 67 and chief of geriatric medicine at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, told me. “I felt this field presented tremendous opportunities.” But today, Gurwitz fears geriatric medicine...

Peanuts: The Snack That Safeguards the Heart and Helps Prevent Strokes

Delicious and fun to eat, a handful of peanuts a day can help enhance cognitive function, aid in slowing the aging process, and much more.

10 Things Medicare Doesn’t Cover

AARP – Medicare covers the majority of older Americans’ health care needs, from hospital care and doctor visits to lab tests and prescription drugs. Here are some needs that aren’t part of the program — and how you might pay for them. 1. Opticians and eye exams While original Medicare covers ophthalmologic expenses such as cataract surgery, it doesn’t cover routine eye exams, glasses or contact lenses. Nor do any Medigap plans, the supplemental insurance that...

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