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Health: United States
Archives
- 2003
Poll:
Americans Waver on New Medicare Law (December 27, 2003)
The new Medicare law makes US citizens uneasy and undecided about
the legislation and its value to older persons. An Annenberg survey done
from December 8 to 23, 2003, shows this uncertainty. As both political
parties engage in vigorous debate over 2004, opinions will become firmer.
Global Action on Aging will keep you abreast of these developments during
2004.
A Room Comes Alive With Color and Sounds
(December 23, 2003)
A long term care center in Salisbury, Connecticut, uses a machine
calls Snoezelen, to treat seniors with dementia or children with
disabilities. This invention is said to stimulate the senses, thanks to
music, light and fragrances. Then the anxieties are pushed away and people
relax. They feel better and can act as everyone else. They no longer have
aggression or stress. Created in the seventies and coming from the
Netherlands, the Snoezelen was refused by the U.S. for years. In fact the
studies on the effects weren’t as accurate as they should have been.
It’s now used in the U.S. at the Beth Israel Medical Center in
Manhattan. Dr. Jason Staal, a behavioral psychologist, has conducted small
studies on cardiac and dementia patients. He uses the Snoezelen and
classic therapies.
Nursing Homes Cautious During Flu Season (December
23, 2003)
In Nebraska, many nursing
homes have taken precautions in order to fight the flu. Most residents
received flu shots; even the staff got it. At the Maple Crest Care
Center, people that have flu-like symptoms are prevented from entering.
Observing hygienic rules are
the best way to prevent getting the flu. Washing hands and being careful
in everyday action, such as keeping away from ill people, are the first
rules the nursing homes directors’ require.
Tax-Free Health Care
Accounts Begin Jan. (December 23, 2003)
The Bush Administration announced the creation of health saving
accounts following on the Medicare legislation.
These tax free accounts will be available in January 2004. The
system seems simple: every year, the unspent money stays in the account
and gives a benefit to the owner. Every account will be earned by one
person, with benefits transferable to a spouse in case of death.
However, critics point to the fact that the accounts will benefit
the wealthy the most. The
accounts will cost the US Treasury some $6.4 billion dollars over the
decade and will skim the healthiest, most affluent into such policies. The poor will have to pay more. . . .assuming that they
can even purchase health care. The
income disparity in the US between rich and poor has now reached the level
of 1929—totally wiping out the progress made over the last 75 years.
Seniors Find New Medicare Law Confusing (December 22, 2003)
There is a general
feeling about the new Medicare law: it’s too confusing. Many seniors
don’t get it. The reform is a big mess, and they don’t really know
what will happen with their health insurance coverage. Even the people who
support the law agree with the opponents saying it’s a very complicated
measure. According to the Congressional Budget Office, 2.7 million people
will lose the drug benefits they receive from former employers.
Tooth study won't
prompt smiles in Appalachia (December 19, 2003)
With data at 42 percent and 41.9 percent, Kentucky and West
Virginia are the two U.S. states with the highest percentage of elderly
missing their natural teeth. The government surveyed the inequalities
among U.S. states. It seems that economic, cultural and medical factors
are responsible for this situation. However, the global situation has
improved over the past 50 years. Advancements in dental care and oral
hygiene measures contributed to progress.
Illinois to Seek Exemption to Buy Drugs From Canada (December 22, 2003)
The Illinois Governor, Mr. Blagojevich, wants his State to be allowed
to import drugs from Canada. Such
imports will yield savings of $90.7
million a year for the medical drugs that the State buys for its current
and retired workers. He asked the Secretary of Health to make it a test
state. The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) is opposed to the
importation, because, mimicking US Drug Giants’claims, such as Canadian
drugs may not be reliable. Let’s
hope Illinois wins out . . .and maybe the Governor will ask why sick
elderly – and others – must support the million dollar salaries of
pharmaceutical bosses and the high profits of their big stockholders.
Let there be a “fair” profit instead of the immoral price
gouging that goes on at present.
Kennedy
Endorses Drug Importation (December 19,
2003)
Edward Kennedy, Senior Senator of Massachusetts, supports the
importation of drugs from Canada. In fact, he says the new Medicare law
allows state regulators to choose the way to get drugs.
For years, he agreed with the Food and Drug Administration and
opposed drug imports because he thought they might not be safe.
However, he now sees FDA opposition to the importation linked to
the financial and drugs companies’ greed for high profits rather than
health considerations. He will propose a bill to allow importing drugs
from licensed Canadian pharmacies.
States to Help Residents Import Drugs From Canada (December 18, 2003)
Some U.S. states, such as Illinois , Minnesota , New Hampshire and
West Carolina , have decided to import cheap drugs from Canada , even if
the Food and Drug Administration considers it illegal. Providing cheaper
medicine for people who need them is a popular issue. The Minnesota and
New Hampshire State Governments have created web sites for the
importation, linking the state official web sites with Canadian
pharmacies. The trade is well-controlled, in order to provide safe
medication to U.S citizens. The Food and Drug Administration, on its part,
wants state officials to help develop more generic drugs in order to
shrink the costs.
More to
Come From the Flu This Season, Experts Say
(December 17, 2003)
The worst news with influenza is lack of information. We don’t know
where it will hit, nor are we aware of its strength.
US Health and Human Services Secretary, Mr. Tommy G. Thompson,
said, “We are hoping that we have got the worst behind us because it
started early.” Mr. Thompson asked Congress for an additional 100
million dollars for next year to improve and to create better approaches
to vaccine production. In fact
this year vaccines are not effective in all the cases: the
Fujian
A virus strain that is hitting most people cannot be stopped by the
vaccine currently available.
Medicare
Law
Stunts
Hospital
Rival (
December 16, 2003
)
The new Medicare law has to deal with the fight between community
hospitals and specialty hospitals. Specialty hospitals, partly owned by
doctors, specialize in one service: hand surgery, eye repair, etc.. The
community hospitals officials worried about the emerging specialty
hospitals that skim the healthiest and richest patients and leave the
others to the community hospitals. The fight is beginning and it’s
difficult to know which direction it will go.
We can safely say that the entrepreneur/specialist doctor will make
more money -- surely the “capitalist way.”
Whether the health of the population is served is another issue.
New Medicare Law Boosts Chronic Care (December 15,
2003)
With the new Medicare law, and all the cost cuts it wants to make, the
disease management programs should increase in costs. In these programs,
patients with chronic diseases can send information about their health
status to a nurse that may be thousands of miles away. The development of
these programs will change the Medicare traditional aim, which was
treating illnesses, not preventing them. These programs will be developed
in 10
U.S.
states. They seem interesting since the costs are low, but people may need
a human presence. Also, the
private companies must be paid from saved monies from hospitalization.
Will this assure good care? A
dead patient costs nothing.
The Big Bad Flu, or Just the Usual? (December 14,
2003)
This year, the flu can be seen as a mystery. Health officials
do not know if the early cases are the announcement of an epidemic or
nothing. The lack of information for the citizens had increased the
anxiety. Not enough shots were created, and even the shots available may
not be efficient against the
Fujian
flu. In fact, making a flu shot is a long and expensive process that takes
months and takes time the researchers did not have. This is a real
problem, since in case of epidemic lack of vaccines must be dramatic.
According to Dr. Barry R. Bloom, dean of the Harvard School of Public
Health, “That is unlikely to change without government intervention.”
U.S. Considers Importing Influenza Vaccine (December 10, 2003)
The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plan to ask
European companies for flu vaccines. In fact, there won’t be enough
shots for all the demand.185 million
U.S.
citizens are eligible to receive the shot, but the number of vaccines
available is only 83 million. The private drug companies decide on their
own how many vaccines they will produce. Due to over production in 2002,
the drug companies chose this year to reduce the numbers of vaccine doses
available: down from 95 million created in 2002, they just made 83 million
this year. Producing new vaccines now will take too long. Asking
Europe
is probably the last option, but the number of shots available from
Europe
won’t be enough. In order to prevent the situation from happening again,
the government will likely have to finance the shot production in the
US
. A good example of why supply and demand does not work well in the health
sector. Hopefully, the government can negotiate a good price from the drug
companies.
Anxiety, Depression Linked to Alzheimer's
(December 9, 2003)
Anxiety and depression increase the risk of Alzheimer’s
disease, according to a study by the Rush University Medical Center in
Chicago. The lead author of the study, Robert Wilson, explains that
chronic stress is associated with changes in the hippocampal area of the
brain, where problems with learning and memory also develop. However,
researchers are unclear whether emotional distress is simply an early
sign, rather than a risk factor, of the disease.
Few Options Available to
Treat Influenza (December 8, 2003)
The flu is back, and this year’s epidemic came earlier and is
hitting harder than in previous years. On average, 36,000 Americans die
every year due to the virus, and experts expect a higher toll this year.
High demand for the flu vaccine has resulted in some shortages, but the
more expensive inhaled version of the vaccine is still widely available.
Doctors strongly recommend the vaccine, since few options exist to treat
the virus once infected.
Bush Signs Medicare
Bill; Democrats Vow to Fight (December 8, 2003)
President Bush signed into law the $400 billion plan to overhaul
Medicare, but Democrats still vow to fight it. The plan provides new drug
benefits, but gives private insurers a much larger role in Medicare, which
some Democrats say amounts to privatization of the system.
Republicans hope the new plan will add up to more votes from
US
seniors in the elections.
Health
Officials Say Flu Shots Should Go to Most Vulnerable (December 7, 2003)
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the supply of
flu vaccine shots may not meet demand, which soared due to an early flu
season, warnings of a severe outbreak, and SARS-related fears. Experts say
people with health risks, such as older people, children or pregnant
women, have first priority to receive the shot. Manufacturers use an
estimate of how many people will want the shot to decide how much to
produce each year. But according to Michael Decker, vice president of
scientific and medical affairs for Aventis Pasteur U.S, “Erratic rather
than consistent demand makes it impossible.”
Lost in the Fine Print: Ten
Overlooked Policies That Harm Medicare and Its Beneficiaries (
December
5, 2003
)
A number of persons have called GAA asking for a summary of
"What's wrong with the New Medicare Law." Here is a good
summary from the Center for American Progress.
Analysis:
Medicare to Be Election Issue (
December 1, 2003
)
The new Medicare bill will turn into law as soon as President Bush
signs it, but both Republicans and Democrats already have their eyes on
the polls. Republicans claim a major political victory, wresting away an
issue Democrats have long used to their advantage. House Democratic leader
Nancy Pelosi, who successfully rallied House Democrats to vote against the
bill, sees a different angle. “This bill is wrong,” says Pelosi,
“And when the public sees what's in this bill, I think it's going to be
a negative to have voted for it.”
More Medicine Is Not Better Medicine
(December 1, 2003)
Few people are satisfied with the newly passed Medicare bill, but most
agree it hurts the plan’s long-term financial stability, writes
Professor Elliott S. Fisher of Dartmouth in this op-ed. Prof.
Fisher argues that increased Medicare costs often stem from the false
assumption that more care is better care. His study finds that regions
with higher health care spending often provide lower quality care, due to
unnecessary procedures, misleading information from drug companies, and
lack of communication among multiple doctors. Patients need better access
to information to choose the most efficient, safe, and low-cost health care.
Democrats Criticize New Medicare Measure (
November 29, 2003
)
Congressional Democrats are ratcheting up their criticism of the newly
passed Medicare bill. Democratic Rep. John Tanner of
Montana
says the plan “fails to deliver a meaningful guaranteed drug benefit in
Medicare and starts toward privatizing the program." Democrats have
already proposed new legislation to repeal the most controversial parts of
the bill and to lift the ban on importing cheaper Canadian and European
drugs.
Bill Adds Drug Benefit; Vote Is Victory for President Bush (November 25,
2003)
Unfortunately, the Senate passed the Bush-backed Medicare Bill. The
Democrats’ attempts to filibuster and maintain the budget-restriction
requirements weren’t sufficient to stop it. Now, President Bush just has
to sign the Bill in order it to make it law. The Republicans consider this
“reform” as a great victory and a help in upcoming elections.
As the Democrat Minority Leader said, the law is not good: “I
predict that we will be back within the next 12 months. Seniors will
demand that we respond to the many deficiencies of this bill, and they
will not rest until we address them.”
On Closing the Debate (November 24, 2003)
As the Senate of this great democracy was voting to close off debate,
the question arose: Why the rush? The same question arose when Congress
let Bush hurl the bombs on
Iraq
. Why the rush? The main reason, I think, is that they're lying, and every
day, the truth dawns on more people.
Medicare Debate Turns to Pricing of
Drug Benefits (November 24, 2003)
The House voted the Medicare Bill on November 23 and the Senate
vote will likely come before Thanksgiving. For the senators, there is
still a controversial point in the Bill: the bill prevents the government
from negotiating lower drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries. According
to supporters of the Bill, the provision will protect innovation in the
pharmaceutical industry. Many Democrats, such as Mr. Kerry, are opposed
since it will protect “moneyed interests.”
But Democrats lack sufficient numbers for a filibuster.
Medicare Overhaul "Eyelash Away"
(November 24, 2003)
After the House agreement on Medicare Bill, Democrat senators wonder how
to prevent the Senate from adopting it. The Democratic leader Tom Daschle
hopes it could happen with a filibuster, but it will be difficult to
obtain the 60 votes needed, since 9 democrats among 48 support the bill.
Frist Confident About Medicare Bill (November
24, 2003)
The House voted on November 22 in favor of the Medicare Bill. And the
Republican senate leader Bill Frist expects the Senate to agree on
November 24. Hopefully, the Democrat leaders Sens. John Kerry and Edward
Kennedy will fight against a privatization “reform” that destroys the
spirit of Medicare. In fact, Medicare, created in 1965, aims at
guaranteeing an equal health program for every senior citizen.
Double Whammy (November 24, 2003)
Some people amalgamate “crazyism” and ageism and don’t
understand that it’s not normal to feel depressed if one is old. Elderly
depressed people must receive appropriate care. The federal Center for
Mental Health Services tries to reach older people and help them
understanding the message. But the more important change has to come from
Medicare: creating parity treatment between mental and physical illness.
Food for Holiday Thought: Eat Less,
Live to 140? (November 23, 2003)
“Fewer calories for a longer life.” According to the Calories
Restriction Society, eating less helps improve length of life. Their
assertion is based on a studies led in the 30’s by a Cornell University
nutrition professor who discovered that dieting rats tend to live 30
percent longer. Some humans are trying this
approach. Time will tell!
Lawmakers Fear Another
Senior Citizens' Revolt Against Medicare Bill (November 23, 2003)
Asthey weigh their votes on a massive
Medicare prescription drug bill, a lot of nervous lawmakers keep seeing
the ghosts of a senior citizens' revolt 14 years ago. Then as now,
Congress was on the verge of expanding Medicare coverage. Critics were
warning seniors they were getting a raw deal. And lawmakers back in 1989
were equally eager to convince Americans that their new Medicare benefits
were a wonderful idea. "The backlash will be bigger," this time,
Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access
California
, a consumer health advocacy group, predicted
last week. For one thing, the current Medicare changes are bigger than
1989's. They're also hard to explain, passed by a partisan vote, and will
adversely affect some seniors.
Can a Pill Keep You Young? (November
18, 2003)
Even if you're not on a quest to turn back time, you've probably noticed
Internet ads for dietary supplements that claim to fight
aging. Among the
most popular are pills, patches and sprays that supposedly boost levels of
human growth hormone, or HGH. While research shows that
prescription-strength injections of HGH may decrease body fat and increase
lean mass, bone density and skin thickness, most doctors don't recommend
the hormone as an anti-aging remedy. And even proponents of HGH agree that
supplements aren't an effective way to raise levels.
Cancer
'Clocks' May Be Therapy Target (
November 18, 2003
)
In a new study, scientists have found tumor growth is highly
dependent on time of day, and that the timing of the gene activity in
tumor cells is at least partly off kilter. In another study, researchers
found mice missing a key gene that regulates circadian rhythm --
biological cycles that follow the solar day -- become highly prone to
cancer. Results of each study were presented Nov. 18 at a meeting of the
International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in
Boston
. Scientists have identified at least eight genes that regulate circadian
timing at the cellular level. These genes govern everything from when
cells multiply to when they decide it's time to self-destruct, framed by a
roughly 24-hour day.
AARP's Conflit of Interest in the
Medicare Drug (November 19, 2003)
Why did AARP decide to support the Medicare Bill? The answer is evident:
financial gain. Its insurance business is really important to the
organization’s income. If the Bill becomes law, it would lead people
into using new coverage. And then AARP may have access to 10% of the drug
coverage market. AARP’s could win $1.56 billion in profits. This
“advocacy” organization decided to make money instead of protecting
seniors’ interests.
The Rush to Kill Medicare
(November 19, 2003)
The White House presents its Medicare reform as a step forward with
drug coverage and choice of insurance. In reality, the Medicare bill will
destroy universal coverage of Medicare in favor private insurance. Elderly
people will pay more for less coverage. There
is strong opposition to this bill from most Democrats and some moderate
Republicans who may constitute enough for a filibuster to prevent its
passage.
6 Democratic Candidates Attack Medicare
Measure (November 19, 2003)
Six Democrats attacked the Medicare Bill during a forum organized by
the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). They say that the bill
privatizes Medicare, with dangerous consequences for elderly.
And they say that it serves only the interests of the insurance and
drug companies. Clearly
this debate will continue in the 2004 Presidential campaign.
Medicare Bill Supporters Confident of
Passage (November 19, 2003)
The Bush administration is trying to pass his Medicare Bill; and
expects that 35% of
seniors will go into private health plans by 2007, if the Bill
becomes law. Despite the support of the AARP, and even if Republican
leaders are confident in the Bill, they have to please both Conservative
and Moderate Republicans.
Medicare Monstrosity (November 18, 2003)
The Medicare Bill is an error, and first, in its form. In fact, it’s
only a combination of diverse political opinions, in order to prevent
opposition from various quarters. The
lobbying money that has poured in to legislators means that votes are for
sale. Moreover, it’s a mean
of privatizing the health insurance system. If passed, many old people
will have too little income to buy adequate health coverage. There must be
a national debate on the issue since this “reform” will touch many
citizens.
Medicare Plan Covering Drugs Backed by AARP
(November 18, 2003)
AARP, the largest and most powerful older persons association in the
United States, announced its support for the Republican Medicare bill. The
endorsement gives Republicans a powerful boost, but Democrats expressed
concern that AARP had made a decision to “cozy up” to the Republican
administration. Senator Tom Daschle of
South Dakota
, the Senate Democratic leader, said, "When seniors see the details
of the Republican plan, the AARP leadership will regret this ill-advised
decision."
Democrats Reject GOP Medicare Drug Plan
(November 17, 2003)
Republican leaders, with the strong support of President Bush, are
trying to sell their new Medicare prescription drug plan, but Democrats
aren’t buying. Senator Tom Daschle of
South Dakota
argues the plan “keeps drug prices high, causes
two to three
million retirees to lose drug coverage and coerces seniors into HMOs.”
Other Democrats consider the bill effectively a gift to the pharmaceutical
industry.
Republican Medicare Plan Faces
Challenges (November 17, 2003)
New prescription drugbenefits represent only a small fraction of the
Republican Medicare bill. The bill would also encourage seniors to sign up
for private health insurance programs as an alternative to Medicare, and
it would charge higher-income seniors higher premiums for the first time.
Some people fear that the sweeping reforms will leave seniors with
inadequate health coverage. Ron Pollack, executive director of the health
care lobby Families USA, says the proposal "does too much to destroy
Medicare and too little to help the seniors who can least afford their
medicines."
Drug Shows Some Promise Against Vision Loss
(November 16, 2003)
Initial trialson a new drug called Macugen offered some hope to the
hundreds of thousands of older people diagnosed with the wet form of
age-related macular degeneration each year. However, while the drug did
slow the pace of degeneration in large-scale tests, it failed to improve
vision for most patients.
Medicare Fraud Cost
$11.6B Last Year (November 14, 2003)
Fraud and billing errors in the Medicare program cost the government
an estimated $11.6 billion last year, a slight improvement over previous
years, the agency that runs the program said Friday, November 14. The
error rate -claims that were medically unnecessary, inadequately
documented or improperly coded -was 5.8 percent, down from 6.3 percent the
year before, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said. The
error rate was as high as 13.8 percent in 1996.
The Trojan Horse (November 14,
2003)
The US Congress is working on a final version of the Medicare “reform”
legislation. Columbia University Professor Paul Krugman says that the
roughshod dealings on Capitol Hill now involve a “bait and switch”
strategy, with older persons standing to lose a lot. If you agree with his
analysis, contact your US Senator and Representative immediately to tell
them to drop this legislation. Better yet, jump on a bus for Washington on
Wednesday, Nov. 19, to protest this legislation that puts profits before
people.
Urgent! Stand up for Medicare! (November 14, 2003)
New Yorkers urge members of Congress not to Privatize Medicare! Tell them
not to settle for inadequate and risky drug plans! Join the Bus trip from
New York City to Washington DC. Find all the information with this link.
Prescription Drugs for Elderly Closer (November 12, 2003)
The US Senate is close to reaching a compromise on a bill to provide new
prescription drug benefits for Medicare recipients, but one stumbling
block remains. A Republican-controlled House bill would allow private
insurance companies to compete directly with Medicare, with the idea that
competition would drive down costs. Senate Democrats strongly oppose the
bill, arguing that seniors on Medicare would be left with higher premiums.
Vitamin C May Ward Off Stroke (November 11, 2003)
People who eat a diet rich in vitamin C may be at lower risk of suffering
strokes, and smokers who do so may benefit the most. A new Dutch study
finds people with the lowest amount of vitamin C in their diets were 30
percent more likely to have a stroke than people with the highest amount
of it.
Stakes high to help those with chronic diseases
(November 11, 2003)
A few seniors today get the coordinated care required to control chronic
diseases, which primarily afflict the elderly — and consume 75 percent
of the national health-care budget. "We have a health-care system
that's pretty good if you have an acute problem, like a broken arm or
pneumonia," Wagner said. "But it's not set up to deal with these
lifelong illnesses." More than half of the people who suffer from
chronic diseases are not getting the tests and treatments that are
considered state-of-the-art medical care, he said. A 70-year-old with
multiple health problems may bounce between four or five specialists, who
never confer with each other. The patient is left with a bewildering array
of drugs, conflicting advice and little real guidance.
Diet May Improve Cognition, Slow Aging, And Help
Protect Against Cosmic Radiation (November 11, 2003)
Eating certain foods can help protect you from heart disease, some types
of cancers and other illnesses. But can your diet also help protect your
brain if you should suffer a stroke or accidental head injury? Or keep
your thinking and memory skills strong as you age? Some scientists believe
it might. They even think eating the "right" foods
--specifically, those high in antioxidants -- may help defend astronauts
from brain-damaging cosmic rays on future manned missions to Mars.
Arkansas: Nursing Homes in State short of Federal
Mark (November 11, 2003)
According to a federal review of recent nursing home inspections, 90% of
Arkansas nursing homes violate federal health guidelines. State inspectors
found inadequate care for senior residents’ well-being and a lack of
qualified caregivers. Arkansas nursing home representatives dismissed the
review, arguing that they are doing their best despite heavy financial
costs. The Arkansas study reflects nation-wide problems with poor quality
of care for seniors in nursing homes.
Mind, body and soul (November 11, 2003)
Tai Chi, the ancient Chinese exercise, consists of a series of slow
movements, called forms, that promote relaxation and a stronger connection
of energy between the body, mind and soul, says Pizzuco. The exercise is
particularly good for seniors, because it promotes better balance, agility
and strength, improves breathing and blood circulation, and even boosts
the immune system, according to recent studies, including one supported by
the U.S. National Institutes of Health at the University of California in
Los Angeles. "One doesn't need to be in great shape or even in
perfect health to begin tai chi. People can advance at their own pace with
little risk of injury and start right away to reap the benefits,"
says Jianye Jiang, of the Capital District Tai Chi and Kung Fu Association
who has many students older than 60.
Maintaining ties to roots lengthens lives of
Japanese Americans (November 10, 2003)
Two-thirds of Seattle-area Japanese-American seniors took part in an
eleven-year study on aging called the “Seattle Kame Project,” derived
from the Japanese word for “turtle,” a symbol of longevity. A group of
University of Washington scientists studied the lives of 2000 older
Japanese-Americans and found that strong ties to ethnic heritage, combined
with the “move it or lose it” dictum, increased longevity and quality
of life in old age. The study adds to a growing body of research on ethnic
studies and health.
Heart-Failure Patients Need Better Prompts From
Doctors (November 9, 2003)
Doctors and nurses need checklists and other tools to jog their memories
so they will remember to give heart-failure patients potentially
life-saving drugs and information when discharged from the hospital,
according to a new study. When heart failure patients leave the U.S.'s
hospitals, they should be armed with diet information, blood pressure
lowering drugs and anti-smoking counseling. However, a new study found
that only two-thirds of heart failure sufferers are getting those key
items when they are discharged.
A New Way to Unclog the Arteries (November 9, 2003)
This New York Times editorial spotlights how the motivation for profits
can delay medical advances for years-in this case-a decade. An accidental
discovery in the 1990’s showed that raising HDL levels could control
formation of plaque in the arteries. However, the widely available
substance had no “unique” qualities that could be patented. So drug
company scientists focused on finding a mutant version that they could
patent. How many lives were lost because drug companies pursued profits
instead of health? Why should citizens allow this to happen?
Aging baby boomers confront cost, effects of
Alzheimer's (November 9, 2003)
4.5 million people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S., a number
that will rise to 6 million by 2020. Alzheimer’s disease takes a toll on
the national economy, as absenteeism, insurance, and lack of productivity
related to the disease cost employers $61 million a year. But
Alzheimer’s and other degenerative neurological diseases also shatter
families. John Durand, a 58-year-old victim of frontal lobe dementia,
struggles with depression and failing capacity, while his wife figures out
how to pay the bills on one income.
Among Elderly, Depression More Prevalent in
Hispanics and Blacks (November 5, 2003)
Elderly Hispanics and African Americans have higher rates of depression
than their white counterparts, due largely to greater health burdens and
lack of health insurance, a Northwestern University study has found. The
study, published in the November online issue of the American Journal of
Public Health, showed that major depression was most prevalent among
Hispanics -- 10.8 percent -- followed by almost 9 percent in African
Americans and approximately 8 percent in whites in this age group.
Seniors seek vitality in growth hormone but
questions remain about safety, efficacy (November 4, 2003)
Thousands of seniors have begun to take growth hormones, recently
approved by the FDA for limited use, in the hope it will help them live
longer, healthier, and more energetically. However, after a decade of
trials, scientists still don't know whether the potential benefits of
growth hormones for older people outweigh the reported side effects and
potential long-term risks like cancer. Christine Cassel, president of the
American Board of Internal Medicine, says, "People are looking for a
magic bullet," but "the key to vigorous old age is activity -
physical, mental, and social."
White House Backs Limits on Spending for
Medicare (November 4, 2003)
The Bush administration has joined ranks with House Republicans to
impose a cost-control mechanism on Medicare that would force Congress to
vote on cutbacks if costs grow faster than expected. Democrats and
advocates for the elderly oppose the measure, arguing that it undermines
Medicare's protection of older people. The Leadership Council of Aging
Organizations says, “Requiring Congressional action if and when Medicare
spending exceeds an estimated target would bring fear and uncertainty to
millions of Americans at a time in their lives when they need security.”
Health system fails seniors half the time. Care for
elderly ailments ignored (November 4, 2003)
According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, only half of all elderly people receive
the medical care they need. The percentage of older people receiving
adequate care for age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia
drops down to only 31 percent. The American Medical Association cautions
that the study looked at too small a sample to draw definite conclusions
about the country's health care system.
Health agencies' ratings go
public (November 4, 2003)
The six largestMedicare home health agencies in
Amarillo
performed worse than
the national average and about equal to the
Texas
average, according to
a new federal quality-of-care database. The information on
Medicare-certified agencies that provide help with essential daily
activities to older and disabled Americans became available Monday,
November 3, on the government's Medicare Web site - www.medicare.gov - or
through the Medicare telephone help line, (800) Medicare.
Concerns rise
as more men use hormone therapy (November 3, 2003)
Many men, as they move into middle age, yearn
for the same muscular strength, sexual energy and sense of well-being they
had in their youth. That's why millions of American males are asking their
doctors for testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, to treat a
collection of symptoms that some doctors and drug companies have dubbed
andropause, or male menopause. The popularity of TRT is creating concern
among scientists, who can't agree on whether andropause is a real
phenomenon or not. Some believe that the complaints of older men, such as
decreased libido, depression and fatigue, are more likely explained by
poor habits in diet, sleep and exercise.
Fitness pays even for older
adults (November 3, 2003)
It's difficult to ignore the persistent messages
about the importance of getting fit, but one demographic seems to be left
out of the loop - men and women older than 50. They often suffer
from stereotypes (including their own) about exercise; they aren't
targeted in fitness-related marketing campaigns; and many are afraid to
start an exercise program because of the perceived risk of injury or
death, according to reports on older people and physical activity
published in this month's American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The
issue contains essays and original research on promoting exercise and the
benefits of movement.
Health plan payments
to increase (November 2, 2003)
Michigan
’s St. Clair County decided to switch
non-union country retirees’ health plans to a company with higher
co-pays for services and prescription drugs, leaving many retirees
outraged.
County
Administrator
Troy
Feltman argues, “For the long-term
health of the county as an organization, a new strategy for providing
affordable, quality health care must be developed and implemented."
Babysitting
May Be Hazardous To Grandmother's Health (
October 31, 2003
)
In
a study that raises potentially troubling questions about the burden of
child care on grandparents,
Harvard
University
researchers
found a 55% greater risk of heart disease among grandmothers who care for
their grandchildren. Although the study didn't pin down a reason,
researchers believe it may be as simple as the added wear and tear that
child care puts on an elderly body. The
study found heightened risks from as little as nine hours each week spent
looking after a child. Earlier studies have shown a higher incidence of
depression in grandparents caring for grandchildren, and also a tendency
to rate their own health status lower. But this is the first time anyone
has demonstrated a risk of heart disease, the most common cause of death
among women.
Medicare Bill Won't Include a Co-Payment for
Home Care (October 30, 2003)
Congress decided not to impose a co-payment on home care service for
the elderly, after opponents argued successfully that it would hurt the
frailest and poorest older people. Instead, Congress will tax home care
providers by reducing the annual update on their Medicare payments. In
addition, Congress is considering legislation that would make it more
difficult for brand-name pharmaceutical companies to delay federal
approval of competing generic products.
President's
Council On Bioethics: Against life-extension technology.
The chapter “Ageless Bodies” from the President’s Council on
Bioethics report “Beyond Therapy: Biotechnology and the Pursuit of
Happiness” explores new scientific possibilities for extending human
longevity. More importantly, the chapter calls into question the potential
human and ethical implications of defying the aging process, and analyzes
the underlying human desire for “ageless bodies.”
Pregnancy after age 50 poses fetal risks
(October 31, 2003)
Childbearing beyond maternal age 50 is associated with significantly
increased risks for the fetus, suggest results of a study published Friday
in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. Women in the 50+ age range who
are thinking of becoming pregnant should receive "special counseling
both before and after conception so that they become informed of the
increased risks involved," Dr. Hamisu M. Salihu and colleagues from
the University of Alabama at Birmingham write.
Injectable
gel may replace aging or ailing lens in eye. Treatment could cure
cataracts, presbyopia (October 30, 2003)
Gel-like material may one day replace diseased or aging lenses in the
human eyes for people who have cataracts or presbyopia, a problem that
requires bifocals. Researchers are developing this new material, which
could be injected into the human eye and function like a healthy lens. The
normal functioning human lenses, through their flattening or thickening,
help people see both distant and close objects. The new material would be
flexed by the ciliary muscles of the eye to provide adjustments needed to
see objects near and far.
Get
Those Tests --Medicare Helps Pay (
October 28, 2003
)
Medicare
pays for a lot of preventive health-care measures that people aren't
using. About 30% of Medicare patients didn't get a flu shot in 2000. And
37% had never been vaccinated against pneumonia, even though both shots
are among the most basic preventive measures for older people -- and both
are covered by Medicare . Those were among the findings released this
month by the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress.
The numbers are significant, considering that about 36,000 people die in
the
U.S.
every
year from flu and 114,000 are hospitalized -- with an estimated 90% of
both categories age 65 or older, according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention in
Atlanta
.
Graduated Premiums Are Being
Considered For Medicare Program (October 28, 2003)
The
US
Congress is working on a plan for Medicare that would use a graduated
premium structure to charge seniors differently according to their income
levels. The reform concerns the Part B of Medicare insurance for physician
services and outpatient procedures. However, Congress isn’t expected to
make changes in Part B until after the administration’s popular
prescription drug benefits go into effect in 2006.
California: Nearly one-third of
elderly in state, Bay Area in poor or fair shape (October 28, 2003)
The first wide-ranging survey of the health of
California
's 3.6 million seniors finds serious maladies marring the golden years of
many in the state, most notably Latinos and people who speak little
English. Nearly 30 percent of seniors in the Bay Area and around the state
report being in poor or only fair health, compared with 26 percent of
seniors nationwide, according to the study conducted by researchers at the
University of California-Los Angeles. About 46 percent of seniors who
speak little English and 45 percent of Latinos reported similarly
diminished health -- in part because they report lower rates of preventive
care such as flu shots, dental work and colon cancer screenings.
For Aging Runners, a Formula Makes Time Stand
Still (October 28, 2003)
For hundreds of runners, the New York Marathon on Sunday will bring
the same dispiriting experience. Setting out to beat a personal best
established when their legs were years younger, they will fall short and
become convinced that they simply did not run a good enough race. Dr. Ray
C. Fair knows the agony, and he has a soothing explanation.
Daily aspirin use linked with pancreatic
cancer (October 27, 2003)
Women who take an aspirin a day, which millions do to prevent
heart attack and stroke as well as to treat headaches, may raise their
risk of pancreatic cancer,
U.S.
researchers said on Monday, October 27. The surprising finding worried
doctors, who say women will now have to talk seriously with their
physicians about the risk of taking a daily aspirin. Pancreatic cancer
affects only 31,000 Americans a year, and kills virtually all its victims
within three years.
Strong heart key to good health in old
age (October 27, 2003)
Want to enjoy good health in your golden years? Take good care of your
heart, according to the findings of a new study. Researchers report that
healthy elderly people who had low risk factors for cardiovascular disease
continued to enjoy good health longer than people with more risk factors.
"Our study is a picture of what the future of older people could be
like--the ideal golden years--if they keep heart disease risk factors in
check," the study¹s lead author Dr. Anne B. Newman of the
University
of
Pittsburgh
said in a press release.
Generous Medicare Payments Spur Specialty
Hospital Boom (October 26, 2003)
The hospitals here — hospitals across the
United States
, for that matter — covet patients like Robert E. Wilson. Mr. Wilson,
79, has had two open-heart operations, five angioplasties, three cardiac
catheterizations and an implanted defibrillator. Just last month, he
checked into the Heart Center of Indiana to get his first stent, a tiny
bit of wire scaffolding that helps keep arteries open. Mr. Wilson's
primary health insurance is Medicare, and Medicare pays generously for
cardiac care — so generously that hospitals and doctors scramble after
the business.
Negative emotions may mean trouble for heart
(October 24, 2003)
Adding to evidence that depression, anxiety and hostility can be
hard on the heart, new research links negative emotions to a higher risk
of coronary heart disease in men. Among nearly 500 older men followed for
three years, higher scores on a standard measure of negative emotions were
tied to a higher risk of developing heart disease. The test gauged
psychological factors like depressed mood, anxiousness, pessimism and
distorted thought processes such as concentration problems. For each
one-point increase in these scores, heart disease risk climbed 6 percent,
according to findings published in the American Journal of Cardiology.
Scientists
Extend Life Span Of
Worms
by Altering Genes (
October 24, 2003
)
Worms
often are seen as symbols of death and decay, rather than longevity. But
not in a biochemistry lab by this city's bay shore, where scientists are
altering an important gene to make mutant worms that far outlive their
normal cousins. Friday, Cynthia Kenyon and colleagues at the
University
of
California
at
San
Francisco
will report that they extended the
lifespan of the worm, C. elegans, to six times its normal length,
or 120 days. It's the longest life extension ever achieved in any animal,
she says, and it has implications for human health. "In human terms,
these animals would correspond to healthy, active 500-year-olds," Dr.
Kenyon and her co-authors Nuno Arantes-Oliveira and Jennifer Berman write
in Friday's issue of Science.
Aging and Cancer
(October 21, 2003)
According to Daniel Gottschling, researcher at the
Fred
Hutchinson
Cancer
Research
Center
, and his colleague Michael McMurray, the
cause of cancer may simply be growing old. The two researchers studied how
yeast cells divided over time, in an accelerated simulation of the aging
process. They discovered that the older the yeast cells get, the more
chromosomal instability they have, which mirrors the development of cancer
in old age. The discovery could lead to new cancer treatments.
Ohio:
Valley woman becomes the nation's oldest person (October 9, 2003)
Charlotte Benkner is now the nation's oldest person and the world's
third-oldest, according to a research group. Charlotte Benkner is now the
nation's oldest person and the world's third-oldest, according to a
research group. The German-born woman will turn 114 on Nov. 16. The local
resident has hinted the secret to her longevity is in her genes.
Researchers Isolate
Degenerative Eye Gene (October 22, 2003)
Scientists in Oregon have isolated a gene that may be responsible for a
degenerative eye disease called age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
AMD affects the sensitive area of the retina in older people, sometimes
causing blindness. This discovery is the first solid evidence of a genetic
cause for the age-related form of macular degeneration, researchers said.
However, many diverse factors may act to cause AMD, including smoking.
Proposed
Medicare cuts may limit chemotherapy (October 21, 2003)
Potentially significant cuts to federal reimbursements for chemotherapy
drugs have some cancer doctors threatening to stop administering the
life-saving medicines in their offices. Proposals in House and Senate
versions of pending Medicare drug legislation are targeting the
reimbursements Medicare pays doctors for close to 100 chemotherapy drugs.
The legislation could cut up to $16 billion of Medicare funding for cancer
care over the next 10 years, according to Congressional Budget Office
estimates.
Aging
Well: Weight loss aside, eating less may yield hefty benefits (October 21,
2003)
At research
centers in Louisiana, Massachusetts and Missouri, pilot experiments have
started this year in which human guinea pigs are cutting back on how much
they eat by as much as 30%. The participants in the studies are all normal
weight to slightly overweight, not obese. The researchers recruiting them
stress that weight loss is not the overall goal. Any weight loss is simply
a side effect as scientists study whether so-called calorie-restriction
programs can help people stave off chronic diseases that increase with
aging -- such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease -- or even help them
live longer.
The
Real Drug Problem: Forgetting to Take Them (October 21, 2003)
It has become one of the most perplexing problems in medicine: Only about
half of the people on prescription drugs
actually take them. Much of the national debate focuses on how to help
more people afford costly medicines, but that in many ways has masked the
increasingly urgent problem of getting patients to take medicine once they
get it. The consequences of non-adherence, as many doctors refer to it,
are significant. Failure to take prescribed drugs
contributes to everything from avoidable emergency-room admissions to AIDS
deaths; it can also undermine efforts to manage chronic conditions, such
as asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression.
The Case for Hormone Therapy (October 21, 2003)
Last summer, millions of middle-aged and older women woke up to some
shocking news: The daily menopause hormones they had come to depend on to
even their mood and body temperature, to help them sleep, improve their
sex lives, protect their bones and possibly prevent heart disease and
Alzheimer's, seemed to have turned against them. Doctors conducting a
major study of the popular estrogen-progestin combination known as Prempro
had suddenly halted the research, citing higher rates of breast cancer and
heart problems among Prempro users. In the months that followed, millions
of women threw away their hormone pills as an unrelenting barrage of
"new" studies warned about the dangers of hormone therapy in
general. But lost amid the headlines and the hysteria was something
crucial: the facts.
Depression in the elderly doesn't have to be a
given (October 20, 2003)
Going gray doesn't have to mean getting the blues. But in too many cases,
depression in seniors goes ignored or untreated. According to the National
Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in 10 Americans suffers from
depression in any given year. Among the 35 million Americans over the age
of 65, an estimated 2 million suffer from a clinical form of depression
and another 5 million report depressive symptoms. Depression can have a
significant impact on health. Though seniors make up 13 percent of the
U.S. population, they represent 18 percent of suicides. Studies also have
found that depressed seniors recover more slowly from major illnesses such
as pneumonia and have health care costs that are 50 percent higher.
Delirium
takes a toll in the ICU (October 20, 2003)
The confusion and paranoia that arise during a hospital stay can have
long-term effects. And scientists are just discovering how pervasive it
is. For many years, when patients were admitted to hospital intensive-care
units, doctors struggled just to keep them alive. Lines and tubes pumped
them full of oxygen and medication, and machines monitored their vital
signs — but no one paid much attention to their brains. Then, as more
people survived their intensive-care stays, doctors began recognizing
patterns in these terribly weakened patients. Many became
uncharacteristically quiet and withdrawn. Others developed hyperactivity
and confusion. Even after their bodies recovered enough to leave the ICU,
some didn't bounce back mentally, or their physical recuperation lagged.
Elderly in line to get bone drug subsidy (October 20,
2003)
Thousands more elderly people could
qualify for subsidised drugs to treat the bone-thinning disorder
osteoporosis under a new push. Advocacy group Osteoporosis Australia wants
drugs subsidised for preventing fractures. At present, drugs such as
Fosamax and Evista are subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
(PBS) only to people who have had a fracture attributed to osteoporosis.
The group's chief executive, Judy Stenmark, said the drugs would be most
beneficial before a person sustained such an injury, which could have
long-term effects on their mobility and health. Ms Stenmark said all men
and women aged over 65 should be able to have a Medicare-funded test to
establish their bone mineral density if their doctor recommended them for
such a test.
Utah: Another View: Creativity needed to recruit
nursing students (October 20, 2003)
As Weber State University's nursing program prepares to celebrate its 50th
anniversary Friday, the program faces -- and continues to address --
challenges similar to those that prompted its creation a half-century ago.
The occasion is an opportunity to consider how WSU and the entire nursing
education system will produce enough nurses to care for a growing number
of elderly.
Altruistic Actions May Result In Better
Mental Health (October 20, 2003)
People who offer love, listening and help to others may be rewarded
with better mental health themselves, according to a new study of
churchgoers in the September/October issue of Psychosomatic Medicine. The
study is one of the first to track the positive health benefits of
altruistic behavior, say Carolyn Schwartz, Sc.D., of the University of
Massachusetts Medical School and colleagues.
Bigger could be better: Study
reveals ripe, old age linked to larger cholesterol particles (October 19,
2003)
According to a study from the Institute for Aging Research, large
cholesterol particles in the blood may lead to long life by preventing
heart attacks. Researchers aren’t sure what causes the larger particles,
but Dr. Anna McCormick of the National Institute on Aging says
"exceptional longevity may depend, at least in part, on inheriting
good genes." Evidence also indicates that exercise may increase the
size of cholesterol particles, and researchers are working on a
cholesterol-lowering drug that also makes the particles bigger.
FDA Approves Alzheimer's
Drug, Mix of old and new medicines helps even severe cases (October 18,
2003)
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug called
Memantine, which slows the pace of cell degeneration in Alzheimer victims.
Doctors say Memantine, when combined with older drugs, significantly helps
the battle against Alzheimer’s disease, but the drug only slows, not
cures, the disease.
Wealthy May Have to Pay
More for Medicare (October 16, 2003)
Congress is working on a bill that would require higher income seniors to
pay more for Medicare benefits than seniors with low incomes, representing
a major shift in a program that has always provided benefits to all
seniors at a standard price. Some members of Congress say they are
reaching a consensus for “means testing” to increase payments for
wealthier people, but prominent Democrats maintain that the move would
begin to dismantle the precept of subsidized health care is an equal and
fundamental right for all seniors.
Unusual form of memory loss
often confused for Alzheimer's disease (October 16, 2003)
Alzheimer's disease is the single most common cause of dementia, a
chronically progressive brain condition that impairs intellect and
behavior to the point where customary activities of daily living become
compromised. Over 4 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. Its high
prevalence may lead people to believe that dementia is always due to
Alzheimer's disease and that memory loss is a feature of all dementias.
However, an article by Alzheimer's disease expert M.-Marsel Mesulam, M.D.,
in the Oct. 16 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine reports that
nearly a quarter of all dementias, especially those of presenile onset,
may be caused by diseases other than Alzheimer's disease and that some of
these so-called atypical dementias involve cognitive abnormalities in
areas other than memory.
Flu shot rates seen too low
in U.S. (October 16, 2003)
Despite recent US guidelines recommending influenza vaccination
for adults age 50 to 64, in addition to those 65 and older, only about a
third of individuals in this age group were vaccinated in 2002. Even among
older adults, coverage was inadequate, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) report. Respondents were asked, "During the past 12
months, have you had a flu shot?" Among those age 65 and older, 66
percent had been vaccinated against influenza. In contrast, only 36
percent of those ages 50 to 64 received flu shots.
Living Longer and
Larger: It's in the Size of Cholesterol-Carrying Molecules (
October 15, 2003
)
Scientists
trying to figure out why just 1 person in 10,000 lives to be 100 have
found an important clue in the blood. Centenarians, a new study shows,
tend to have larger than average cholesterol-carrying molecules.
"Large particle size seems to give people an extra 20 years of life,
with very little disability to go along with it," said Dr. Nir
Barzilai, who directed the study at the Albert Einstein College of
Medicine in the
Bronx
. Dr.
Barzilai also traced large lipoproteins to a specific gene that influences
lipoprotein size.
Elderly
Dental
Care
Falls
Through Gaps (October 14, 2003
)
More Americans are keeping their teeth into old age, but that can mean a
mouthful of problems that doctors say contribute to heart disease,
pneumonia and diabetes complications. Mouth infections can delay
transplants and other surgical procedures. Many seniors lose or drop
costly dental insurance at retirement and go without routine care,
according to dentists with geriatrics experience. With Medicare and
Medicaid in the spotlight for other reasons, Congress is just beginning to
chew on the dental problem.
Might Dancing Delay
Dementia? Experts Can't Say, but Enthusiasts Like the Beat (October 14,
2003)
In
a recent study of nearly 500 people by the Albert Einstein Center in the
Bronx, N.Y., dancing was the only regular physical activity associated
with a significant decrease in the incidence of dementia, including
Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's, which slowly degrades brain and memory
function, affects 4 million Americans over the age of 60. Dementia, a
broader category of diminished mental ability, affects between 6 million
and 7 million. "Dance is not purely physical in many ways, it also
requires a lot of mental effort," said Joseph Verghese, the lead
researcher of the study, published in June in the New England Journal of
Medicine. Though many studies have explored the relationship between
activity and dementia, he said, "if you review them, the [activities]
that are purely physical do not seem to have any effect reducing
dementia."
Promoting Flu Shots for
All (October 14, 2003)
Health
officials across the country, concerned that the public has become
complacent about the potentially serious complications of influenza, have
mounted an aggressive campaign to persuade as many people as possible to
be vaccinated this fall. "We've had three relatively mild flu
seasons, and I think people have short memories and may forget how ill
they can get from influenza," said Dr. Carolyn Bridges, a medical
epidemiologist and flu specialist at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. The agency recommends vaccination most strongly for
demographic groups with the highest risk for developing serious illness,
among them people at least 6 months old who suffers from asthma, diabetes,
heart disease and some other chronic disorders; women more than three
months pregnant; and everyone 50 and older.
The
Aging Addict: When Golden Years are tarnished (October 14, 2003)
In the last twenty years, the number of seniors addicted to alcohol
or medicine has almost tripled, but awareness and acknowledgement of the
problem is still lacking. The state of
Florida
has the oldest average population in the country, but only a
few programs in the state specifically target older adults with substance
abuse.
Where
are the Geriatricians? (October 13, 2003)
Today, only about 9,000 geriatricians – doctors who specialize in the
special needs of older people – practice in the
United
States
,
representing only one percent of all doctors. Given that the number of
seniors will grow from 35 million today to 70 million in 2030, the need
for geriatric specialists will become more and more important. However,
few medical schools require geriatric coursework, and many hospitals and
HMOs are reluctant to spend money to provide specialized care for older
people.
Alzheimer's
Association Cautious About New Alzheimer Treatment Research with
Antibiotics (October 9, 2003)
A
study presented at the Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society
of America (IDSA) indicates that antibiotic use may slow the deterioration
associated with Alzheimer’s disease. However, the Alzheimer's
Association urges caution, arguing that the initial study was too small to
produce definitive answers.William Thies, Ph.D., vice president of the
Medical and Scientific Affairs for the Alzheimer's Association, commented,
"The Alzheimer's Association is looking for large, well-controlled
clinical trials before we can make any recommendation one way or the other
about the potential of these two antibiotics as treatments for Alzheimer's
disease."
Experts
issue fresh HRT advice (
October 8, 2003
)
For years, many women have used Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to
mitigate the symptoms of menopause. However, the massive “Million Women
Study” of women taking the therapy discovered that HRT nearly doubles
the risk of breast cancer. While women may wish to continue to use HRT for
its benefits, including decreased risk of osteoporosis, they should be
informed and aware of its risks as well.
Senior Center programs
dispel myths of aging (October 7, 2003)
The Senior Citizens Center of Saratoga Springs (SCCSS), founded in 1959
with the enactment of the Aging Americans Act, is a non-profit
organization devoted to dispelling the myth that the lives of senior
citizens are necessarily boring or lonely. Participants at the center work
on activities, keep up on current issues, and build community, promoting
the idea that “getting older is getting better.”
Study: Vibrating Insoles May
Help Elderly (
October 3, 2003
)
New technology may help seniors keep their balance.
Scientists from
Boston
University
and
Harvard
Medical
School
have discovered that small vibrations in the insoles may prevent people
from falling when the nerve signals between the brain and the feet do not
function properly, due to illness or age. The discovery could become
useful for older people, but more studies will test if vibrations work
when people are moving.
Medicare Agrees to Pay for
Heart Device (
October 2, 2003
)
In an important decision for thousands of heart disease patients,
federal regulators ruled that Medicare and Medicaid insurance will cover
part of the cost of HeartMate, a battery powered pump for patients with
chronic heart failure. However, many problems remain: federal financial
support does not cover the full expense of the device, and patients will
receive reimbursement only when the procedure is done in one of sixty
designated centers
New
Drugs Offer Hope in Breast Cancer Fight (October 10, 2003)
A new class of drugs will change the way breast cancer is treated,
significantly reducing the disease's recurrence in post-menopausal women
who have completed the normal regimen of surgery and chemotherapy, an
international team reported Thursday.The new drugs, called aromatase
inhibitors, could improve the survival chances of as many as half of the
213,000 American women who contract breast cancer each year.
Exercise for
elders: It's never too late (
October 8, 2003
)
Older Americans need more motivation to exercise regularly, say a
series of studies published in the American Journal of Preventive
Medicine. Already, 98 percent of Americans over 50 say that "getting
exercise is important to staying healthy," according to an AARP
survey. But just knowing what's good for them isn't enough. "Messages
must move beyond conveying basic health benefits to focus on encouraging
and inspiring audience members to get moving, while being careful not to
alienate or turn them off," say Marcia Ory, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the
Texas A&M University System School of Rural Public Health and
colleagues.
Georgia: When drugs collide (October 7, 2003)
Older Atlantans may think their only drug problem is how to pay for
their prescriptions, but a growing number of seniors are finding that just
what the doctor ordered may be unnecessary or even harmful. At a series of
recent screenings in
Atlanta
, 54 of 420 seniors were found to have some kind of medication problem,
ranging from unnecessary medicines to expired drugs. The
Atlanta
screenings -- where seniors over 60 can spill their pills and discuss
their ills with pharmacists and other counselors -- are part of the Vial
of Life program, which is sponsored by the Atlanta Regional Commission,
Senior Connections and CVS Pharmacy.
Keeping Balance, With a
Jiggle (
October 7, 2003
)
A
little jiggle in the shoes may help keep older people upright, a new study
involving vibrating insoles suggests. The study, published on Saturday in
The Lancet, took advantage of a paradoxical phenomenon that Dr. James C.
Collins of
Boston
University
, the
lead researcher, said is widely found throughout nature. While too much
noise — random information — can make it hard for signals to be
detected, a little noise can sometimes make it easier for weak signals to
be picked up.
Study
Recommends Not Using Hormone Therapy for Bone Loss (October 1, 2003)
Hormone replacement therapy should no longer be prescribed
solely to prevent or treat the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis,
researchers said in a study being published today, disputing the policy of
the Food and Drug Administration. Even though hormones do prevent broken
bones in postmenopausal women, the researchers say the benefit is not
worth the risks: increased rates of heart disease, breast cancer, strokes
and blood clots in the lungs.
Minnesota
: State is less generous with health care for childless adults (
October 1, 2003
)
The state of
Minnesota
is becoming far stingier with the health
insurance it provides to low-income adults who don't have children. The
poorest will face new co-payments, many will pay more for less coverage
and thousands will lose state-sponsored insurance entirely. According to
the state's projections, changes that take effect Wednesday will mean
5,585 people will lose coverage in this fiscal year and nearly as many
will lose coverage in the next. They count among some 38,000 people
expected to go without state-sponsored health insurance by 2007 as a
result of various policy changes enacted this year.
Clean Living and Spirituality
Contribute to Long Life (
September 30, 2003
)
Better medicine, an emphasis on clean living and spirituality are all
contributing to making older Americans the healthiest humans at their age
in the history of the world, argue two
University
of
California
,
Davis
, human-development scholars in a new book.
"What jumps out at you, after reviewing all the studies, is that
people who watch their nutrition, avoid toxins like cigarettes or alcohol
in excess, and who exercise are living long, healthy lives," says
Carolyn Aldwin, co-author of "Health, Illness and Optimal Aging:
Biological and Psychosocial Perspectives," which was published in
July.
Could new surgery
be balm for aging eyes? Cornea-shaping operation appears safe (September
30, 2003)
Cheryl McConnell finally got so fed up with reading glasses last January
that she had a brand-new procedure to correct her aging eyes. Now the
59-year-old from
New Orleans
brags that she can read just about anything. Many more Americans probably
will follow suit if studies on the procedure, conductive keratoplasty, or
CK, continue to go well. CK already is approved for a condition called
hyperopia, or farsightedness, in people over 40. Refractec Inc., which
developed the procedure, announced today that it has asked the Food and
Drug Administration to approve the procedure for people with presbyopia,
or aging eyes.
HHS Secretary Urges Congress to
Approve Uninsured Package (September 30, 2003)
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said the release of today's uninsured
numbers show that while the number of Americans with health insurance
continued to rise, the nation must do more to increase access to health
care. Secretary Thompson also urged Congress to approve President Bush's
comprehensive plan to reduce the number of uninsured in
America
. A Census Bureau report released today showed
that the number of Americans with health insurance increased by 1.5
million between 2001 and 2002. The overall percentage of uninsured in the
United States
rose to 15.2 percent in 2002, although the
percentage of children with health insurance held steady at 88.4 percent
-- indicating that innovative policies to provide health coverage helped
blunt the impact of the economic slowdown.
Pumping
iron a key to healthful aging (September 30, 2003)
One of the revelations inspired by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur
Foundation research — which led to the classic book "Successful
Aging" — is that lifting weights is as important as cardiovascular
training for the health of older people. A MacArthur researcher examined a
group of frail people, as old as 98, who lived in a nursing home. Three
times a week for eight weeks, each of them did 10 weight machines, working
all the major muscle groups. "The results were astounding,"
according to "Successful Aging" authors Dr. John Rowe and Dr.
Robert Kahn. "Muscle strength increased 174 percent on average, and
the walking speed of individuals increased by 50 percent."
Researchers found that decreasing muscle size triggered brain activity
associated with the aging process. Enlarging atrophied muscles delayed the
effect and, in some cases, reversed it.
New findings in
yeast may reveal why growing older is the greatest carcinogen in humans (
September 24, 2003
)
Scientists at
Fred
Hutchinson
Cancer
Research
Center
have made a landmark discovery in yeast that may hold the key to revealing
why growing older is the greatest cancer-risk factor in humans. Their
findings appear in the Sept. 26 issue of Science. Senior author
Daniel Gottschling, Ph.D., a member of Fred Hutchinson's Basic Sciences
Division, and first author Michael McMurray, a graduate student in
Gottschling's laboratory, have found striking similarities between humans
and simple baker's yeast with regard to the changes their genes undergo as
they age. "While yeast don't get cancer,
they do have one of the major hallmarks of malignancy, which is genetic
instability," Gottschling said. "We found a similar thing in
yeast that has been seen in humans: genetic instability shoots up
dramatically in the middle to late stage of life."
Panic
attacks common among older women (September 23, 2002)
Nearly 18% of women who've passed menopause experience panic
attacks and their occurrence seems to be tied to stressful life events and
coexisting medical problems, new research suggests. Although panic attacks
are known to affect women more often than men, the rate and predictors of
this psychiatric problem after menopause are unclear. To investigate, Dr.
Jordan W. Smoller, from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and
colleagues analyzed data from 3369 older women. Specifically, the subjects
were surveyed regarding the occurrence of panic attacks in the previous 6
months.
Pennsylvania:
Local senior population getting pretty good care, survey finds (September
23, 2003)
The
good news in perhaps the most extensive survey ever of Allegheny County's
older adults is that they reported plenty of good health care. Among the
findings in "The State of Aging and Health in Pittsburgh and
Allegheny County" were that 88 percent of the local elderly
population had health insurance that supplements Medicare; 95 percent
reported no difficulty getting medical care; and 70 percent received flu
shots in the prior year. Health researchers and practitioners said those
and other findings from interviews with 5,094 individuals 65 and over in
2001 and 2002 suggested that local seniors both had relatively good access
to health care and took advantage of it.
Mental Abilities: Of Menopause
and Memory (September 23, 2003)
Several years ago, Dr. Peter M. Meyer and his colleagues asked
a large group of menopausal women how many of them were bothered by
forgetfulness. "Every hand in the room went up," he recalled.
But tests conducted over several years turned up no evidence to support
the idea that menopause actually interfered with memory, according to an
article released yesterday (September 22). The study, which was published
in the journal Neurology, involved 803 women who had not yet reached
menopause or were in early stages when the research began. Once a year,
the women were tested on their ability to repeat long strings of numbers
backward and to identify pairs of symbols and digits quickly.
Dental
Care for Elderly Lacking (September 22, 2003)
The elderly receive inadequate oral health care, leaving them
susceptible to more serious diseases, a health advocacy group said in a
report released Monday. The report from Oral Health America graded states
on the extent older Americans are covered by both private insurers and
Medicaid, giving the nation an overall "D" for the lack of
benefits available while failing fourteen states and the District of
Columbia.
Bone
density strategy dealt setback (September 22, 2003)
Combining two useful drugs doesn't make a
more potent mix, one study shows, while another casts an eye on effects of
cola. New
medications can clearly help people with osteoporosis. And because they
work in different ways, scientists had hoped to combine them using a
double-barreled approach to fighting the debilitating bone condition. A
study reported last week at the annual meeting of the American Society for
Bone and Mineral Research found that using two popular drugs together,
alendronate and parathyroid hormone, are no better than either drug alone.
"The thought was that both would work better," says Dr. Bess
Dawson-Hughes, a professor of medicine at Tufts University and president
of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. "It's disappointing that
they don't. It's going to change the way doctors prescribe these
drugs."
Who's Afraid of This Little Fellow?
(September 22, 2003)
Remember those fears that once loomed so large but now seem
like overblown relics? Killer bees . . . flesh-eating bacteria . . . that
Y2K thing . . . West Nile virus. All right, fear of West Nile is no misty
memory to the people reeling from it in the Plains states. They see more
new cases each week than New York has had in four years. Still, in our
metropolitan area, where the West Nile form of mosquito-borne encephalitis
first made the leap from Old World to New in the summer of 1999, it has
come to feel ho-hum — quite a change from the great attention and
anxiety it drew back when. So were we overwrought then? Too complacent
now? Maybe a little of both? Even the public health officials disagree, or
are not sure.
Tai
chi chih boosts shingles immunity in older adults (September 22, 2003)
Fifteen weeks of tai chi chih practice may have helped a small group of
older adults increase the levels of immune cells that help protect their
body against the shingles virus, according to a new study. The report in
the September issue of Psychosomatic Medicine is the first study to show
that a behavioral intervention can influence the virus-specific immune
response, say Michael R. Irwin, M.D., of the Cousins Center for
Psychoneuroimmunology at the University of Los Angeles, California and
colleagues.
Body
Maintenance: A 'Mature' Guide (September 22, 2003)
To understand your middle-aged body and its capacity for abuse,
picture a rubber band that has been sitting around in a drawer. It is not
as supple as a new one, may even be brittle in places, and it is certainly
more prone to snap. But before you curl up in a drawer yourself, utterly
deflated, remember, there are ways you can stay strong and limber. Just as
steady, gentle use can prolong the life of a rubber band, regular exercise
and taking time to warm up can help you avoid injury and stay active. It
is folly to go on a ski trip or sign up for the club tennis tournament
without some preparation, experts advise. Be realistic and pace yourself,
they say.
Flu
shots: safer, but less effective for older people (September 22, 2003)
Researchers are working on vaccines to better protect patients most
vulnerable to disease.Flu
season is just around the corner and, once again, doctors and health
officials are urging people older than 50 to get a flu shot. That advice
makes sense — influenza can take more of a toll as people age. But
because the vaccine is less effective in older people, it can fail to
protect those who need it most. "The flu vaccine is better than
nothing, but its efficacy isn't that good," says Laura Haynes, an
immunologist at the Trudeau Institute, explaining that the vaccine can be
up to 60% less effective in older people.
Elderly in crisis turn to alcohol, drugs
to cope (September 19, 2003)
Where do you turn when your partner in life is gone, your
children are busy with their own families, and there is no job to get you
up and out the door each morning? For an increasing number of America's
senior citizens, the answer is drugs and alcohol. Experts estimate about
10 percent of the 30 million senior citizens in the country abuse alcohol,
while up to 20 percent abuse illegal or prescription drugs. The substance
abuse often begins at an age when many are most vulnerable.
Significance and Management of Atrial
Fibrillation in Elderly Patients (September 19, 2003)
Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common sustained arrhythmia clinically
encountered, and its associated morbidity and mortality, increases with
each decade of life, according to experts in a recently published
overview. Patients with AF may be asymptomatic, or exhibit symptoms
ranging from palpitations, angina, heart failure, or stroke. Approximately
50% of AF-associated strokes occur in patients above 75 years of age.
Furthermore, AF is the most frequent cause of disabling stroke in elderly
women. Learn more!
Billionaire
provides $100M to help map brain genes Treating Alzheimer's disease a
primary goal (September 16, 2003)
Billionaire Paul Allen, who along with boyhood friend Bill
Gates created Microsoft, launches a $100 million scientific effort today
to map the genes that drive the brain. The donation is seed money for
brain research and the creation of the Allen Institute for Brain Science
in Seattle. The goal: To identify every gene's role in the human brain so
medical researchers can find new drugs and treatments for disorders such
as Alzheimer's and schizophrenia. The venture comes at a time when brain
disorders are looming larger on the horizon.
California:
Health Plans Begin Drive for Generic Drugs (September 15, 2003)
Four insurers serving 15 million Californians seek to convert their
members from costlier brand-name medicines. Seeking to rein in
soaring prescription drug costs, four of California's biggest health plans
will use financial incentives in a campaign to convert members from
expensive brand-name medicines to generic equivalents. The program, to be
launched this week for 15 million members of Blue Cross of
California,
Blue Shield of California, Health
Net of California and PacifiCare Health Systems,
will essentially waive the first co-payment for patients willing to
try generic versions of certain heavily prescribed drugs.
Older Women Now Surpass
Young Men in Admissions (September 15, 2003)
Reversing a decades-old pattern, older women have replaced young men
as the group most likely to wind up in a hospital bed after accidental
injury, according to a recent study. The shift reflects the growth in the
number of frail elderly people and changes in emergency room treatment
that have sharply reduced the need to hospitalize younger patients, said
the researchers from the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, who
published their findings last week in the journal Injury Prevention.
Illinois Considers
Buying Drugs in Canada (September 15, 2003)
Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois is considering whether his state
should begin buying prescription drugs from Canada for its employees, a
decision that he says could save tens of millions of dollars, but could
also put him at odds with the Food and Drug Administration over the issue.
"It doesn't matter where you go in our state, you meet people who are
struggling with the cost of prescription drugs," Mr. Blagojevich, a
Democrat, said in an interview this afternoon. "If you can buy the
same drug made by the same company, and it is safe and it costs less, then
that makes sense."
Men
at greater risk of developing prostate cancer when a brother has the
disease (September 12, 2003)
It has been well-established that the risk of prostate cancer
is increased among men who have a first-degree relative (father, son,
brother) with the disease, but new research shows the risk is greatly
increased for men who have a brother with prostate cancer. The
meta-analysis research led by Deborah Watkins Bruner, Ph.D., at Fox Chase
Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pa., was published online Friday, Sept. 12,
2003, in the International Journal of Cancer. "This study is the
first to report a statistically higher risk associated with having a
brother with prostate cancer than having an affected father," said
Bruner.
First
year of widowhood most harmful to mental health, according to study
involving 70,000 women (September 12, 2003) |
