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Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens at
Senior Journal
Monday, January 05, 2009
Today's Health News and
Information for Senior Citizens & Baby Boomers
More Senior Citizen Health News
and Information Than Any Other Source - SeniorJournal.com
Health Videos for Senior Citizens - click
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Heart Attacks Appear to Decline Rapidly After
Smoke-Free Policy Enacted in Colorado City
 Eight other studies show making indoor workplaces and
public places smoke-free results in sizable, rapid reductions in
hospital admissions for heart attack
Dec.
31, 2008 - Heart attack hospitalizations in the city of Pueblo, Colorado
fell sharply by more than 40 percent after the implementation of a
municipal law making workplaces and public places smoke-free, and this
decrease was sustained over a three-year period, according to a report
in this week′s
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Read more...
One Hour Additional Sleep Lowers Calcification in
Coronary Arteries
New study looked at people under 50 but results will
interest senior citizens
 Dec. 29, 2008 – Although a new study involved only
adults under 50 years of age, its finding that adding one more hour of
sleep per night significantly lowers the risk of coronary artery
calcification, which is thought to be a predictor of future heart
disease, according to a study in the December 24/31 issue of the Journal
of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Read more...
Drug Interaction Risk Increases as Medication Use by
Senior Citizens Grows
Older adults are commonly using prescription and
over-the-counter medications together
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Seniors Using More Medications - video |
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Dec. 29, 2008 – It has long been well established
that senior citizens are the leading pill poppers in the U.S. A new
study, however, finds the dangers for adverse drug reactions is
increasing as the use of prescription and over-the-counter medications,
along with dietary supplements, is increasing rapidly among the oldest
age groups.
Read more...
Senior Citizens Can Expect New Diabetes Drugs to Not
Increase Heart Attack Risk
FDA announces new recommendations on evaluating
cardiovascular risk in drugs to treat type 2 diabetes
Dec. 17, 2008 – For senior citizens – the age group
most threatened by diabetes and cardiovascular problems – the
announcement today by the Food and Drug Administration was good news.
The FDA says manufacturers developing new drugs and biologics to treat
type 2 diabetes need to provide evidence that the therapy will not
increase the risk of such cardiovascular events as a heart attack.
Read more...
Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke Death Rates Take
Significant 30 Percent Drop from 1999
Cholesterol down for older people, progress lags in
fighting obesity, diabetes, physical inactivity
Dec. 17, 2008 – Death rates for coronary disease
and stroke have dropped about 30 percent since 1999, although obesity,
diabetes and physical inactivity are still growing risk factors,
according to Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2009 Update by the
American Heart Association. A major risk that has been in the spotlight
in recent years - total cholesterol levels – has declined for women 60
and older and men over 39.
Read
more...
Cancer Deaths, Cases Showing Big Rate Declines in US
Despite Surge Worldwide
Annual report by leaders in cancer war shows historic
declines but trends vary in areas of US
Dec. 11, 2008 – The bad news this week that cancer
is increasing so rapidly around the world that it will pass heart
disease as the number one killer, drew a lot more attention that a
report published this month that was good news about the battle against
cancer in the U.S. It shows the rates for both cancer deaths and cancer
occurrences have decreased for the first time since the annual report
began in ten years ago.
Read more...
Actos, Avandia Increase Risk of Fractures in Women
Treated for Diabetes
If used by elderly women with type 2 diabetes for
one year, one additional fracture would occur among every 21 women
Dec. 10, 2008 – The use of thiazolidinediones, a
popular class of oral diabetic drugs, for more than one year by women
with type 2 diabetes significantly reduces bone density, resulting in
the risk of fractures being doubled. The two currently available drugs
in this class are rosiglitazone, marketed as AvandiaTM by
GlaxoSmithKline, and pioglitazone, marketed as ActosTM by Takeda
Pharmaceuticals.
Read more...
Crisis Looms in Care for Cancer Survivors as Baby
Boomers Fuel Ranks of Senior Citizens
Researchers point out issues to be faced by
oncologists, geriatricians, care providers that provide post-treatment
care to elderly cancer survivors
Dec. 10, 2008 – On the heels of yesterday’s
projection that cancer will replace heart disease as the world’s number
one killer by 2010, comes a report that the U.S. faces a crisis in being
able to handle the rapid growth in cancer survivors that is expected
among senior citizens. More than 6 or every 10 cancers are found in an
American age 65 or older.
Read more...
Cancer to Replace Heart Disease as Leading Killer in
World by 2010, Says International Study
US cancer organizations unite to push action plan
for Obama Administration
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Number
U.S. deaths 2005 for leading causes of death
● Heart disease: 652,091
● Cancer:
559,312
More in news
report...
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Dec. 9, 2008 – Cancer may soon replace heart
disease as the leading cause of death in the world according to a
report today from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
This news that cancer is projected to become the leading cause of death
in the year 2010 has moved the nation's leading cancer organizations to
join an event called Conquering Cancer: A Global Effort, to focus
attention on the growing global cancer burden and discuss efforts needed
to address the problem.
Read
more...
Two Studies Say Senior Citizens Can Take Acute
Myeloid Leukemia Treatments
Chemotherapy and blood stem cell transplants okay
for treating elderly with common leukemia
Dec. 9, 2008 – Although acute myeloid leukemia
usually strikes when people are about age 65, these senior citizens have
often been offered only supportive care because they are believed to be
too weak to withstand treatment. Two studies presented yesterday say
these elderly AML victims are not too old for chemotherapy or blood stem
cell transplants.
Read more...
Researchers Continue Search for Drug to Treat
Seniors for Emerging Form of Heart Failure
Blood pressure drug AvaproTM fails against common
problem for older people, particularly women - diastolic heart failure
Dec. 4, 2008 – A medication used for high blood
pressure – AvaproTM - does not improve a common form of heart failure,
diastolic heart failure, according to new results from a large, international study. The findings
are disappointing, according to the researchers, who continue to search
for a successful treatment for the condition, which predominantly
affects older people, particularly women.
Read more...
’80 Ain’t Old’ Makes Number Two in Top Ten Health
Stories of 2008 by Harvard Health Letter
Others of high importance to senior citizens –
advances with adult stem cells, generic drugs now the norm, how low for
blood sugar in seniors
Dec. 4, 2008 - The top 10 health stories of 2008
may not be as funny as David Letterman's nightly countdown, but they can
actually make a difference for long-term health. And, there is no age
group that appreciates advances in health maintenance more than senior
citizens – for the obvious reasons.
Read more...
Small Study Indicates Stroke Rehabilitation Possible
Six Months After Stroke
Robotic technology with aid of functional MRI
improves stroke rehabilitation
Dec. 3, 2008 – Although the study was very small
the results could point to something big – the rehabilitation of stroke
victims even months after the stroke. Scientists using a novel,
hand-operated robotic device and functional MRI (fMRI) have found that
chronic stroke patients can be rehabilitated, according to a study
presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of
North America (RSNA).
Read more...
JAMA Study Say Generic Drugs Match Brand-Names for
Treating Cardiovascular Disease
Many senior citizens perplexed: scientific analysis
favors generics, commentaries lean toward brand names
Dec. 2, 2008 – The surge of generic drugs to hit
the market in the last few years and the plunge in prices led by Walmart
has attracted many senior citizens to these prescription drugs. Yet, for
many, there has been a nagging doubt of their potency – how could a drug
that costs only $4 per month do the same thing as the one that was
costing $80 a month.
Read more...
Senior Women Risk More Breast Cancers, Death if
Radiation Therapy Delayed
One in 5 older women with early breast cancer
experience delayed or incomplete radiation treatment
Dec. 2, 2008 - A new analysis of the National
Cancer Institute's cancer registry has found that as many as one in five
older women – senior citizens age 65 or older - experience delayed or
incomplete radiation treatment following breast-conserving surgery, and
that this suboptimal care can lead to additional cancer and increased
risk of death.
Read more...
HDL Not Always the Good Cholesterol We Think Says
University of Chicago Study
Researchers urge asking your doctor if your HDL is
the good or bad kind – does it reduce inflammation
Dec. 1, 2008 – Most senior citizens have learned
that a cholesterol reading with high HDL is “good,” while high LDL is
“bad.” HDL is the good one; LDL is the bad one. A new study from the
University of Chicago is now challenging what we have learned. These
researchers say the good cholesterol, HDL, has varying degrees of
quality and that poor quality HDL is actually bad for you.
Read more...
Women with Implants See Better Results in
Breast Cancer Treatment with Brachytherapy
Better cosmetic outcomes, avoid risk of the implant
hardening compared to whole-breast radiation therapy
Dec. 1, 2008 - Women with early-stage breast cancer
who have undergone breast augmentation may be treated successfully with
a partial-breast radiation treatment called brachytherapy, according to
a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological
Society of North America (RSNA).
Read
more...
Extra Medical Cost for People with Diabetes Hits
$4,100 a Year, Reports New Study
Most of the increase attributed to the cost of
diabetes-related complications, such as heart and kidney disease
Nov.
25, 2008 - People diagnosed with diabetes – a group dominated by senior
citizens - spend over $4,100 more each year on medical costs than people
who don't have diabetes, a gap that increases substantially each year
following the initial diagnosis, according to a study published online
today in the journal Diabetes Care.
Read more...
Senior
Citizens at Greater Risk of Heart Failure, Death Taking Avandia Than
Actos for Diabetes
Rosiglitazone (Avandia) and pioglitazone (Actos) already
carry black box warnings for seniors with heart trouble
Nov.
24, 2008 – Two ever popular drugs for senior citizens to use in treating
diabetes are in the news again, but this time one stands alone as the
culprit. The new study finds seniors taking rosiglitazone (Avandia) appear
to have a higher risk of death and heart failure than those taking the
related medication pioglitazone (Actos), according to a report in the
November 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives
journals. Read
more...
Mammograms Leading to Treatment of Breast Cancers
that May Have Disappeared Later
Study find women screened most often have the most
cancer detections, regardless of age
Nov. 24, 2008 – Some breast cancers just disappear.
At least that is the conclusion used to explain recent discoveries that
women screened by mammography every six years had lower rates of breast
cancer than those screened every two years. Some of the cancers detected
by mammography may have spontaneously regressed had they not been
discovered and treated in the Norwegian women.
Read more...
Senior Citizens Should Consider More than Just Flu
Immunization Say Medical Groups
Many adults are unaware of the potential risks of
vaccine-preventable diseases, the need for booster doses, and
availability of newer vaccines
Nov. 19, 2008 – The American College of Physicians
(ACP) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) have
released a joint statement on the importance of adult vaccination
against an increasing number of vaccine-preventable diseases. The
statement, which makes five recommendations, has been endorsed by 17 other medical societies representing a
range of practice areas.
Read
more...
New Compounds Kill Ovarian, Testicular, Head and
Neck Cancer Cells with Less Toxicity
Platinum-phosphate compounds may be more efficient,
more targeted, have fewer side effects
Nov. 19, 2008 - A new class of compounds called
phosphaplatins can effectively kill ovarian, testicular, head and neck
cancer cells with potentially less toxicity than conventional drugs,
according to a new study published this week in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Read more...
Consumer Reports Medical Adviser Says ‘Not So Fast’
on Statins for Everyone
Consumer Reports' chief medical adviser blogs
about recent study showing a cholesterol lowering drug - Crestor - cut
the risk of heart attack and stroke, even in people with normal
cholesterol.
By Dr. Marvin Lipman,
Consumer Reports
Nov. 18, 2008 - I started getting phone calls from
my patients almost as soon as the headlines starting appearing last
week. All the media were trumpeting the results of a new study showing
that rosuvastatin (Crestor), a powerful cholesterol-lowering statin
drug, slashed the risk of heart attack and stroke even in people with
normal—that’s right, normal— cholesterol levels who also had high blood
levels of a substance called C-reactive protein. CRP rises when the
arteries are inflamed, and, as we’ve previously reported, growing
research has linked such inflammation with an increased risk of heart
attack. All of those callers wanted to know the same thing: Should they
start taking the drug?
Read more...
Lung Cancer Devastating for Senior Citizens but
Steady Decline in Diagnoses 1995 to 2006
Hospital admissions in 2006 for lung cancer – 150,000
– about the same as 1995
Nov.
13, 2008 - Hospital admissions for lung cancer remained
relatively stable – at roughly 150,000 a year between 1995 and 2006 –
despite a steady decline in the number of Americans diagnosed with the
disease, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality. Still, the American Cancer Society says
it will be the biggest cancer killer in 2008.
Read
more...
A Beating Heart May Produce Energy to Power
Pacemaker or Defibrillator
Microgenerator captured enough surplus heart energy
to provide 17% of power needed to run implantable
pacemaker
Nov. 11, 2008 - Surplus energy generated by the
heart may one day help power pacemakers and defibrillators implanted in
cardiac patients, according to research presented at the American Heart
Association’s Scientific Sessions 2008. In a trailblazing experiment, a
microgenerator powered by heartbeats produced almost 17 percent of the
electricity needed to run an artificial pacemaker.
Read
more...
Ten Years
of Data on Studies of Age-Related Eye Disease Now Available to
Researchers
Looked at progression of age-related macular degeneration
and age-related cataract in 4,757 older adults
Nov.
11, 2008 - Ten years of data collected during the Age-Related Eye Disease
Study (AREDS), which looked at the progression of age-related macular
degeneration and age-related cataract, has been released by the National Eye
Institute (NEI). Researchers can apply for access to this complete set of
medical history records and clinical trial results, as well as select
genetic information to gain a better understanding of two complicated vision
conditions that affect aging adults.
Read more...
Statins' Role in Protecting Against Heart Attack is
Significantly Expanded by New Studies
HsCRP is one of the most widely studied markers of
inflammation in cardiovascular disease: statement from the director of
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Nov. 11, 2008 – A new term that every senior
citizen should remember is “high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP).”
This is the new protein indicator of inflammation that can be detected
by a simple blood test and warns of heart disease. The discovery guides
treatment that can significantly lower the risk of heart attack, stroke,
and death. Read
more..
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Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Thousands May Be Saved by New Early-Warning of Heart
Attack Found in Five Proteins
Largest protein analysis ever finds blood test that
detects impending attack in those with reduced blood flow
Nov. 10, 2008 - A far more accurate test to provide
an early warning of an impending heart attack in people with severely
reduced blood flow, or ischemia, was introduced this weekend by John
Hopkins biochemists. They identified a mixed bag of five key proteins
out of thousands secreted into blood draining from the heart's blood
vessels that may together or in certain quantities form the basis of the
test. Read
more...
Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Advances in Protein Research Lead to Tests
Protecting Seniors from Myriad of Diseases
Johns Hopkins NHLBI Proteomics Center one of ten,
Director explains activity in protein analysis; see videos
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Jennifer Van Eyk, Ph.D., director of the Johns Hopkins NHLBI
Proteomics Center provides a better understanding of protein
research through videos. |
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Nov. 10, 2008 – Proteins are increasing being
identified as playing a key role in many of the most serious ailments
that strike senior citizens, like Alzheimer’s Disease and heart attacks.
Protein discoveries were prominent in reports this weekend at the
American Heart Association's annual Scientific Sessions. One of these
was made by Jennifer Van Eyk, Ph.D., director of the Johns Hopkins NHLBI
Proteomics Group and the Proteomics Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview
Medical Center, where the protein analysis took place.
Read more...
link to videos
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Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Heart
Failure Rates Reaching Epidemic Levels for Senior Citizens
in U.S.
Those over age 65 hospitalized for heart
failure increased by 131%t between 1980 and 2006
Nov.
10, 2008 - Heart failure is reaching epidemic levels among
seniors in the United States, according to research
presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific
Sessions 2008. Among the three major forms of cardiovascular
disease (coronary heart disease and stroke being the other
two), only heart failure has shown a significant increase in
hospitalization rates.
Read
more...more about heart diseases...
Statin Reduces Disease and Deaths from Newly
Discovered Protein Cause of Cardiovascular Problems
International clinical trial halted to rush
beneficial information to medical community
Nov. 9, 2008 – The good news is that a massive clinical trial has been so
successful in reducing deaths and cardiovascular disease that it has
ended abruptly to rush the beneficial information to the medical
community. The bad news is that the international research team found a high level of
particular protein puts patients at increased risk of developing
cardiovascular disease, but this risk is drastically reduced by taking a statin drug.
Read
more...
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UC Davis Researches Discover a Weakness in
Pancreatic Cancer Cells Can Cut Growth in Half
Average survival time today with pancreatic cancer is
just four-and-a-half months; chemotherapy can extend that up to six
months
Nov. 7, 2008 - What many consider the meanest and
toughest cancer around – pancreatic cancer – may have a weakness after
all. Researchers at UC Davis Cancer Center say they have discovered a
deficiency in the cells of the cancer that can be used reduce by half
the normally very rapid progress of the deadliest of cancers.
Read more...
Advanced Age a Key Factor in Survival and Stroke
after Carotid-Artery Surgery
Study
seems to counter another released last month saying even those age 80 or
older should be considered for the surgery
Nov. 6, 2008 – Advanced age and race are among the
factors that can affect whether a patient dies or suffers a stroke after
carotid-artery surgery, a UT Southwestern physician involved in a
multicenter study has found.
The procedure, one of the most common types
of vascular surgeries, involves opening the carotid artery in the neck
and removing harmful plaque to restore blood flow to the brain.
Read more...
Age Not a Key Factor in Cancer Survival So Why are
Seniors Excluded from Clinical Trials?
60% of cancer patients are senior citizens, but
elderly are 'systematically excluded' from treatment studies
Nov. 6, 2008 – A new study has found that, although
60 per cent of cancers occur in senior citizens over 65, age is not a
factor in determining survival chances with cancer. Still, seniors are
systematically excluded from clinical trials that study cancer
treatment. Read
more...
Consider Your Age and Gender Before Choosing Hip
Resurfacing
Stick with conventional hip replacement if over 55 or
female
Nov.
4, 2008 – If you doctor suggests the new “hip resurfacing” rather than a
conventional hip replacement, you may want to be sure he knows your age.
New research says testing of a hip resurfacing device recently approved
by the FDA has found that the majority of serious complications occurred
in women of all ages and men over the age of 55.
Read more...
Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator Patients Likely to Die in Five Years
if Victims of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Screening
for PTSD in patients with implantable defibrillators is likely to be
beneficial
Nov. 3,
2008 - Surviving a life-threatening heart condition, such as heart
attack or cardiac arrest, causes significant distress, but a study
looking at those who received implantable cardiac defibrillators after a
sudden heart event, found they are more likely to die within five years,
if they experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder,
regardless of the severity of their disease.
Read more...
Toviaz Approved by FDA to Treat Overactive Bladder
that Plagues Many Older Women
Works by relaxing the smooth muscle tissue of the
bladder, reducing the urinary frequency, urge to urinate, and sudden
urinary incontinence
Oct. 31, 2008 – Overactive bladder is a common
problem for older women but there is new help on the way. The FDA today
said it has approved a new drug to help those suffering from overactive
bladder (OAB). Toviaz (fesoterodine fumarate) works by relaxing the
smooth muscle tissue of the bladder, thus reducing the urinary
frequency, urge to urinate, and sudden urinary incontinence (leakage of
urine), that are characteristic symptoms of OAB.
Read more...
Colonoscopy Especially Important for Women but Prep
is Harder than for Men
Harvard Women’s Health Watch suggests some ways to
make it go more smoothly
Oct. 30, 2008 - Colonoscopy is especially important
for women, because they're more likely have polyps or lesions deeper
in the colon. Only colonoscopy examines the entire length of of the colon.
But there's some reason to believe that bowel prep for a colonoscopy is
harder for women than for men, reports the November 2008 issue of
Harvard Women's Health Watch.
Read more...
PLAC Test to Get Tested on Defensive Line for Heart
Attack, Stroke of NFL Retirees
Only FDA and Medicare approved test for heart
disease, ischemic stroke to identify those at elevated risk for heart
attack or stroke
Oct. 29, 2008 – The PLAC Test, the only blood test
cleared by the FDA to aid in assessing risk for both coronary heart
disease and ischemic stroke associated with atherosclerosis, is on its
way to becoming a regular part of the defense against cardiovascular
disease for National Football League retirees. This test is also
approved by Medicare.
Read more...
Rheumatoid Arthritis Rising Among Older Women; Rate
Now Twice that of Men
Mayo Clinic finds incidence for men remained about 29
per 100,000, women jump from 36 to 54 per 100,000
Oct. 29, 2008 - After four decades on the decline,
rheumatoid arthritis is on the upswing among older women in the United
States. That's the finding presented by Mayo Clinic investigators at the
annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/Association of
Rheumatology Health Professionals in San Francisco.
Read
more...
Octogenarians Should Not Be Denied Open Heart
Surgery Based on Age
Study finds older senior citizens can be good
candidates for heart surgery
Oct. 28, 2008 - Patients 80 years and older who are
in overall good health are perfectly able to withstand open-heart
surgery, according to the latest study of Dr. Kevin Lachapelle of the
McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), Montreal. It is the latest in a
growing number of medical opinions that continue to advance the age for
many medical procedures that were once thought to risky for older
people. Read
more...
Selenium or Vitamin E to Stop Prostate Cancer May Do
More Harm Than Good
National Cancer Institute stops clinical trial from
going forward
Oct. 27, 2008 – Selenium and vitamin E supplements,
taken either alone or together, did not prevent prostate cancer in a
study funded by the National Cancer Institute. The data did show,
however, two concerning trends: a small but not statistically
significant increase in the number of prostate cancer cases among the
over 35,000 men age 50 and older in the trial taking only vitamin E, and
a small, but not statistically significant increase in the number of
cases of adult onset diabetes in men taking only selenium.
Read more...
Diabetes Treatment Becoming More Complex, Costly for
Older Americans
Annual economic burden of diabetes is estimated at
$132 billion and increasing
Oct. 27, 2008 - A progressively more complex and
expensive array of treatments for type 2 diabetes is being prescribed to
an increasing number of older adults, according to a report in the
October 27 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives
journals. Read
more...
Senior Citizens Taking Osteoporosis Drugs Increase
Risk for Irregular Heart Beat, Death
Taking alendronate or zoledronic acid makes seniors
significantly more likely to experience serious atrial fibrillation
Oct.
27, 2008 - People who take bisphosphonates for osteoporosis may be at
risk for serious atrial fibrillation (AF), or irregular heartbeats,
according to a new study. The research shows that people taking
alendronate or zoledronic acid, two common medications to prevent or
slow the occurrence of osteoporosis, were significantly more likely to
experience serious AF, including hospitalization or death, compared with
placebo.
Read
more...
Heart Failure Patients have Four Times Greater Risk
of Fractures than Other Heart Patients
These patients should be screened and treated for
osteoporosis if necessary
Oct. 24, 2008 - Heart failure patients are at
higher risk for fractures, including debilitating hip fractures, than
other heart patients and should be screened and treated for
osteoporosis, Canadian researchers report in Circulation: Journal of
the American Heart Association. The average age of the heart failure
patients in the study was 78.
Read
more...
Seniors with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma More Likely to Die
if Poor, to Survive with Chemo
NHL increasing; Caucasians have higher incidence and
death rates than other ethnic groups.
Oct. 20, 2008 – A large study of senior citizens
has found that older patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a type of
cancer common in the elderly, are more likely to die if they are of a
poorer socioeconomic status and more likely to survive if treated with
chemotherapy. NHL is expected to be the fifth most common cancer in
American men and women in 2008, and a top-10 cause of death for both,
according to American Cancer Society estimates.
Read
more...
Movement Restored to Paralyzed Limbs through
Artificial Brain-Muscle Connections
Help to victims of spinal cord injuries, strokes,
other paralyzing diseases still years away
Oct. 16, 2008 – In a ground-breaking study,
researchers have demonstrated that a direct artificial connection from
the brain to muscles can restore voluntary movement in monkeys whose
arms have been temporarily anesthetized. It offers hope to the thousands
of Americans with spinal cord injuries, strokes or other paralyzing
neurological diseases, although practical applications with humans are
years away.
Read more...
Too Much Sunlight, Too Few Antioxidants Places Older
Adults at Risk for Eye Disease
Second study finds older diabetes patients more
likely to have eye disease than those without the disease
Oct.
13, 2008 - A European study suggests that the combination of low plasma
levels of antioxidants and blue light exposure from the sun is
associated with certain forms of the eye disease age-related macular
degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in senior
citizens, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of
Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Read more...
Heart Problems After Stressful Event More Likely to
be Considered Just Anxiety in Women
For women, anxiety appears to have a pervasive
influence on medical judgments regardless of gender of health care
provider doing evaluation
Oct.
13, 2008 – When women complain of having symptoms of heart problems
after a stressful event, it is more likely their complaints will be
interpreted as being due to emotional or mental stress, than for men.
This may help explain why there is often a delay in the assessment of
women with heart disease, according to research presented yesterday at
the 20th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT)
scientific symposium.
Read more...
Surgery to Prevent Strokes in Patients Age 80 and
Older Now Considered Safe
As elderly population surges, it’s crucial to
identify ways to limit the devastating strokes
Oct.
10, 2008 - New research published in the October issue of Journal of the
American College of Surgeons challenges the current opinion that
patients in their eighties, who are often deemed "high-risk" due to
their advanced age, should not undergo carotid endarterectomy – a
stroke-preventing surgical procedure that clears blockages from the
neck's carotid arteries.
Read
more...
Colon Cancer Testing Should Continue Consistently
Through Age 75, Task Force Says
U.S. Preventative Services Task Force issues new
guidelines on how, when to test for colorectal cancer
Oct. 7, 2008 - New findings from a Decision
Analysis for the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) suggest
that routine colorectal cancer screenings can be stopped in patients
over the age of 75. The results are based on patients who began
screenings at age 50 and have had consistently negative screenings up to
the age of 75 resulting from annual screening with sensitive Fecal
Occult Blood Test (FOBT), ten yearly colonoscopies, or five yearly
sigmoidoscopies with a mid-interval sensitive FOBT.
Read more...
New Guidelines to Reduce Internal Bleeding Risks
Issued for Taking Antiplatelet with NSAID
Medical groups join to improve patient safety when
taking the most widely used class of medications in U.S.
Oct. 6, 2008 – The good news is that Americans
continue to live longer. The bad news is the longer we live the more
medical challenges we face. New guidelines were released today for
reducing the risk of ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding among those
senior citizens using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
along with antiplatelet agents.
Read more...
Women Should Have Breast Exams at Least Until Age
85, Says Breast Cancer Expert
More than half of breast cancers are found in women
65 or older, 45% diagnosed after age 70, death more likely when found
late
Oct. 6, 2008 - Despite recent examples of young and
middle-aged celebrities being diagnosed with breast cancer, more than
half of breast cancers happen in women over age 65. Concerned that many
older women are not taking the threat of breast cancer to themselves
seriously, an expert at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer
Center is urging seniors to continue annual breast screening at least
until age 85.
Read more...(also link to video)
Senior Citizens Find Better Option than Mozart to
Lower Blood Pressure with Audio Relaxation
Technique has been used for chronic pain, but never
tested in the hypertensive elderly
Sept.
30, 2008 – Senior citizens who want to try relaxation as a way to lower
their blood pressure have a better option than listening to a Mozart
sonata. Rolling ocean waves as background to a soothing voice urging
relaxation does the job better for elderly people, according to research
reported recently at the American Heart Association’s recent conference on high
blood pressure.
Read
more...
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Strikes Up to 90
Percent of Oldest Men, Can Be Life-Threatening
It’s Prostate Health Month and urologist say cancer
is not the only thing senior citizens should watch for
Sept.
29, 2008 – Urination problems may be passed off by many older men as
just a sign of aging, but that could be a costly mistake. It could be an
indication of an extremely common non-cancerous condition, particularly
for senior citizens, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It hits half of
men between the ages of 51 and go, and up to 90 percent over age 80.
Read
more...
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Health & Medicine for Senior Citizen
Features for Senior Citizens
Which Cardiac Arrest Patients are Taken to Hospital
Decided by Simple Tests for EMS
 New guidelines identify which patients should be
brought to hospitals when emergency efforts to revive them aren’t
working
Sept. 24, 2008 - When someone’s heart suddenly
stops beating – a condition called cardiac arrest -- there’s a lot that
bystanders and ambulance crews can do to get it started again. But if
the victim doesn’t respond, when should such efforts stop? It is a
question of critical importance to senior citizens - the most likely
victims.
Read more...
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Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens
Virtual Colonoscopy Ready for Prime Time as Less
Worrisome Way to Find Colon Cancer
Large trial says CT Colonography comparable to
colonoscopy in helping prevent third most diagnosed cancer, second leading cause of cancer death
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Virtual colonoscopy, a minimally invasive
procedure, produces 3-D images and videos of the lining of the rectum
and colon. The technique can detect precancerous and cancerous polyps.
Image courtesy of Dr. Perry J. Pickhardt, University of Wisconsin
Medical School. |
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Sept. 22, 2008 – Medical researchers have long
sought an effective alternative to the standard colonoscopy, which uses
a long, flexible tube with a camera to view the lining of the colon to
detect cancer and precancerous polyps. Most have assumed it is the
procedure that causes millions of older men to skip the recommended exam
that could save them from colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of
cancer death. Researchers claim they have found the answer -
computerized tomographic (CT) colonography, known as “virtual
colonoscopy,” is now comparable to standard colonoscopy.
Read more...
High
Cholesterol Bad for Heart but May Also
Increases Prostate Cancer Risk
September both National Prostate Health and
National Cholesterol Education Months
Sept. 18, 2008 - Heart health isn’t the only reason
for older men to pay attention to cholesterol levels, according to the
American Urological Association, which points to recent research showing
that cholesterol plays an important role in prostate health as well.
Read more...
Lipitor, Other Statins May Reduce Risk of Heart
Attack for Men Only, Yet Marketed to Women
Billions of dollars may be being wasted on statin use
by women to lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease
September
17, 2008 – Lipitor has been the top-selling drug in the world and has
accounted for over $12 billion in annual sales. It has been prescribed
to both men and women to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart
attack and stroke in patients with common risk factors for heart
disease. A new study, however, was unable to find “high quality”
clinical evidence documenting reduced heart attack risk for women in a
primary prevention context.
Read
more...
One of Three Older Women Suffer with Incontinence As
Do One-Quarter of All Women
By the time women become 80 about half battle these
pelvic floor disorders
Sept.
16, 2008 – More than one out of three older women suffer from urinary or
fecal incontinence, according to a new study in the Journal of the
American Medical Association. These disorders become more prevalent with
increasing age and weight, the researchers found, but nearly one-quarter
of women of all ages report at least one of these pelvic floor
disorders.
Read more...
Surgeon General Calls for Action to Prevent Deep
Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism
Two guides to help seniors and other consumers,
clinicians issued by AHRQ
Sept.
15, 2008 - A campaign spearheaded by the U.S. surgeon general kicked off
today with the goal of reducing the number of cases of deep vein
thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, killers of over 100,000 people each
year in the U.S. Many of those who die are senior citizens. The Call to
Action urges a coordinated, multifaceted plan.
Read more...
Common Painkillers Like Aspirin Seem to Lower PSA
Level that Predicts Prostate Cancer
Not enough data to say that men who took the
medications were less likely to get prostate cancer
Sept. 8, 2008 – Can common painkillers, like
aspirin and ibuprofen, protect men from prostate cancer. Researchers say
men should not jump to that conclusion, although, their study shows
these over-the-counter drugs appear to lower a man’s PSA level, the
blood biomarker widely used by physicians to help gauge whether a man is
at risk of prostate cancer.
Height Linked to Prostate Cancer Development, Growth
in Review of 58 Studies
‘We speculate that factors that influence height may
also influence cancer and height is therefore acting as a marker for the
causal factors’
Sept.
3, 2008 – A man’s height appears to indicate his risk for prostate
cancer – more height, more risk. But British researchers, who reviewed
58 published studies, say height is a much stronger indicator of how
rapidly the cancer will progress.
Read more...
Study Confirms Older Americans Need to Have
Colonoscopy at Age 50
Cancer's precursor polyps, known as adenoma, sharply
increase after age 50
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Below
see...
Medicare's coverage of tests for colorectal cancer.
More about colon cancer. |
Sept. 3, 2008 – People over age 50, who are still
wrestling with the decision of whether they should have a colonoscopy,
received another wake-up call this week from a study detailing the rapid
increase of polyps – the precursor of virtually all colorectal cancers –
that begin to occur at that age.
Read more...
Heart Attack Patients Who Stop Taking Statins Are
More Likely to Die Within a Year
Those who used statins before an AMI and continued
were 16% less likely to die over the next year than those who never
used them
Aug. 27, 2008 – The statin you were taking did not
prevent you from having a heart attack so why continue taking it? For
one reason, say researchers, if you discontinue the drug after your
acute myocardial infarction (AMI) you will greatly increase the chance
that you will die within a year.
Read more...
Four Online Interactive Tools Added by AARP to
Website's Health Section
Guides help users find disease from symptoms, check
safety of drugs, find doctors and hospitals, look up health information
Aug.
27, 2008 - AARP has added four health tools to its Web site. The data
sources, which the organization says provide “trusted, reliable online
health information,” are outside providers and their data is made
available through the AARP’s Health Section. Topics include solving
health problems to finding doctors and hospitals, but the
information is not specifically for senior citizens.
Read
more...
Increasing
Numbers of Seniors are Challenged by Checking Blood Pressure at Home
Free video by Harvard Heart Letter tells you
how to get a good reading
Aug. 26, 2008 – Senior citizens are more conscious
than most of the dangers from hypertension and blood pressure readings
are a common topic of discussion. Free machines to take your blood
pressure reading are available at pharmacies and increasingly are found
in homes. But getting an accurate reading may not be as easy as many
think, according to the Harvard Heart Letter, which is offering
free help.
Read more...
New Technique Used on Old Rats Offers New Hope for
Delayed Stroke Treatment
Loyola researchers hope to reverse stroke damage by
jumpstarting growth of nerve fibers
Aug.
25, 2008 - If a stroke patient doesn't get treatment within
approximately the first three hours of symptoms, there's not much
doctors can do today to limit damage to the brain. A new technique used
on rats that have experienced strokes in old age, however, could
potentially restore functions to patients weeks or even months after a
stroke.
Obese Senior Citizens Don’t Increase Death Risk but
Become Ticking Bomb for Disability
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Only severely obese
men increase risk of death. |
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In most developed countries middle-aged and elderly
adults are more likely to be obese than people in any other age group
Aug. 21, 2008 – Being obese as a senior citizen may
not increase your risk of death above that of thinner seniors, but it is
a major contributor to increased disability in later life, which is
creating a ticking time bomb for health services in developed countries,
according to new research.
Read more...
Brachytherapy May Be Best Prostate Cancer Treatment
Choice for Obese Men
Follows finding that surgery is technically more
challenging in overweight men
Aug. 19, 2008 - A recent study found that obese men
with prostate cancer have less successful surgical treatment than normal
weight men, because the surgery is technically more challenging in obese
men. A study released today, says brachytherapy, also called “seed
implants,” may be a better treatment choice than surgery or external
beam radiation for these overweight patients.
Read more...
Seniors Much Less Likely Than Younger Patients to Be
Rushed to Trauma Centers
Unconscious age bias in EMS and receiving trauma
center personnel identified as a possible cause
Aug. 18, 2008 – If you are a senior citizen – age
65 or older – and suffer a trauma, your chances of getting emergency
services to transport you to a trauma center are 52 percent less than
for younger people. But, if you are 70 or older it gets even worse,
according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Surgery, one of
the JAMA/Archives journals.
Read
more...
State-Level Lawsuits are Vital Deterrent to Protect
Consumers from Drugmakers
Prestigious New England Journal of Medicine
editors file friend-of-court brief
Aug. 18, 2008 -
FDA by itself cannot guarantee drug safety and state-level lawsuits
are "a vital deterrent" to help protect consumers against drugmakers
that do not disclose all risks associated with a treatment, editors of
the New England Journal of Medicine wrote in a friend-of-the-court brief
on Thursday, the
AP/Orlando Sentinel reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Orlando Sentinel,
8/15). Read
more...
Large Trial of Drug Therapy for COPD Offers New Hope
for Those with This Lung Problem
It did not abolish the accelerated decline in lung
function but did make substantial improvement
| |
 Shows the
respiratory system and cross-sections of healthy alveoli and
alveoli with COPD |
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Aug. 18, 2008 - For the first time, a drug therapy
appears to reduce lung function loss in patients with moderate to severe
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause
of death in the U.S., which is primarily diagnosed in older people.
Read more...
Studies Show Waist Circumference is Heart Risk
Factor Even in Normal-Weight Individuals
Some of obese appear ‘Metabolically Healthy’ without
increased cardiovascular risk
Aug.
11, 2008 - Some obese individuals do not appear to have an increased
risk for heart disease, while some normal-weight individuals experience
a cluster of heart risks, according to two reports in the August 11/25
issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives
journals. The studies find a key factor is where the fat is located.
Interestingly, normal-weight individuals with metabolic abnormalities
tended to be older, less physically active and have larger waists.
Read more...
Prostate Screening Bias Against Obese Men Leads to
Late Detection, Less Surgical Success
Aggressiveness of obese men's late-detected tumors
and that they may be more difficult to remove, is a double whammy for
fat guys
Aug. 8, 2008 – Older men, still trying to digest
the government recommendation last week that those 75 or older should
not be recommended for prostate cancer screening, today got a new
warning. It says tests for elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen
(PSA) in the blood - the gold standard screening test for prostate
cancer - may be biased against obese men, whose PSA levels tend to be
deceptively low. This delays diagnosis and allows development of more
aggressive cancers.
Read more...
Barrett’s Esophagus, a Pre-cancerous Disease, is
Increasing Among White Male Senior Citizens
 Study says doctors can do more about this disease
linked to chronic acid reflux
Aug.
7, 2008 - It is another one of those diseases that does not usually
strike until you are about to become a senior citizen, which may be one
of the reasons the disease known as Barrett’s esophagus gets overlooked.
A new study says the medical community can do a better job with this
pre-cancerous condition linked to chronic acid reflux.
Read more...
Task Force Says Men Age 75 and Older Should Not Be
Screened for Prostate Cancer
Chances are they will die of something else before
the cancer gets them
Aug. 5, 2008 - Men age 75 and older should not be
screened for prostate cancer, because even if they have it, chances are
they will die of something else first, as well as endure pain and
suffering from the testing. Younger men should discuss the benefits and
harms of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test with their clinicians
before being tested, according to new recommendations from the U.S.
Preventive Services Task Force.
Read more...
Vitamin C Injections Slow Pancreatic, Ovarian and
Brain Cancer Growth in Mice
High concentrations of ascorbate had anticancer
effects in 75% of cancer cell lines, while sparing normal cells
Aug.
4, 2008 - High-dose injections of vitamin C, also known as ascorbate or
ascorbic acid, reduced tumor weight and growth rate by about 50 percent
in mouse models of brain, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, three of the
deadliest of cancers. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) report results in the August 5, 2008, issue of the Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences.
Read more...
Senior Citizens and Surgeons Failing to Communicate
Effectively, Study Finds
Few responses were elicited when surgeons asked, ‘Do
you have any questions or concerns?’
July
31, 2008 -- The decision to undergo surgery can be particularly
difficult and confusing for senior citizens. In a study published in the
July 2008 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, older patients
also fail to discuss many of their concerns with the surgeon when
exploring surgical treatment options.
Read more...
Highest Danger for Heart Attack Comes from Fat
Around the Heart
Older people with highest levels of heart fat almost
five times more likely to have calcified coronary plaque
July 30, 2008 – Obesity may increase a senior
citizens risk of developing a number of diseases and physical problems,
but when it comes to risk of heart attack, having excess fat around the
heart may be worse than having a high body mass index or a thick waist,
according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical
Center and colleagues reporting in the August issue of the journal
Obesity. Read
more...
Oldest Americans Falling Behind in America’s Rush to
Become Obese
New numbers show percent in US that are obese has
moved up by 2 percentage points
July 17, 2008 – New obesity figures show the
percentage of overweight Americans continues to expand but senior
citizens – at least those 70 and older – do not seem to be keeping up
with younger adults, especially those between age 60 and 69. An
estimated 25.6 percent of U.S. adults reported being obese in 2007
compared to 23.9 percent in 2005, an increase of 1.7 percent, according
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read more...
Senior Citizens with Osteoarthritis Do Just Fine
After Hip or Knee Replacements
Patients 75 and older took about the same amount of
time to return to regular activities as those age 65 to 74
July 14, 2008 - Older adults who have hip or knee
replacement surgery for severe osteoarthritis may take several weeks to
recover but appear to have excellent long-term outcomes, according to a
report in the July 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the
JAMA/Archives journals.
Read
more...
CDC Researcher Suggests Lack of Insurance is Reason
for Lack of Colorectal Cancer Screening
Rates of those tested jumped after 2001 when Medicare
expanded coverage for colonoscopy
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While few people
will rank a colonoscopy as a favorite medical procedure, one
statistic argues clearly in its favor: a 90 percent cure rate in
colon cancers caught at an early stage. |
|
July 14, 2008 – There is new evidence today that
national health insurance will save millions of lives and many health
care dollars. This new study looked at Americans age 50 and older and
found just about half are taking the recommended screening tests for
colorectal cancer, despite massive evidence showing this can reduce
deaths from this deadly cancer. Lack of insurance coverage seems to be a
major factor.
Read more...
Power of Positive Thinking Works Well for Heart
Health – at Least for Men
Most women who rated their risk "low" were far more
accurate than the men
July
14, 2008 - Men, up to age 75, who believed they were at
lower-than-average risk for cardiovascular disease actually experienced
a three times lower incidence of death from heart attacks and strokes.
The data did not support the same conclusion among women, according to
University of Rochester Medical Center researcher Robert Gramling, M.D.,
D.Sc. Read
more...
Fighting for Your Legs: Peripheral Arterial Disease
on Rise for Senior Citizens
‘Silent killer’ bringing grave results that can
include gangrene, amputation, or death
By Dr. Gary M. Ansel
July
10, 2008 - Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), a condition synonymous
with the clogging of arteries in the body’s lower extremities, is often
referred to as a “silent killer” that can bring with it potentially
grave results that include gangrene, amputation, or death.
Read
more...
Heart, Diabetes, Cancer Groups Join Forces to
Increase U.S. Life Expectancy
Could add 220 million life-years in 30 years
or 1.3 years of life expectancy for every adult
|
See
Below in story:
> How Americans Die
> Link to WHO video on
chronic disease
> Link to research on
benefits of preventive services |
July 9, 2008 - Aggressive use of nationally
recommended clinical prevention activities, such as smoking cessation
programs, controlling pre-diabetes or lowering cholesterol, could
increase life expectancy for U.S. adults by reducing cardiovascular
disease (CVD), according to a joint report of three major national
healthcare organizations.
Read
more...
Breast Cancer in Senior Citizens Less Aggressive
Than in Younger Women
Women under 45 tend to respond less to treatment,
have higher recurrence rates than older women, particularly those over
the age of 65
July 8, 2008 - Young women's breast cancers tend to
be more aggressive and less responsive to treatment than the cancers
that arise in older women, and researchers at the Duke Comprehensive
Cancer Center and the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy may
have discovered part of the reason why: young women's breast cancers
share unique genomic traits that the cancers in older women do not
exhibit. Read
more...
Androgen Deprivation Does Not Improve Survival for
Seniors with Prostate Cancer
Conservative management of the disease does a better
job, says study
July
8, 2008 - A therapy that involves depriving the prostate gland of the
male hormone androgen does not improve survival for elderly men with
localized prostate cancer, compared to conservative management of the
disease, according to a study in the July 9 issue of JAMA. Which is good
news for researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute that released a
study in February of 2007 warning this popular therapy may actually
increase the risk of death from heart disease for patients over age 65.
Read
more...
Ankle-to-Arm Blood Pressure Ratio May Help Define
Cardiovascular Risk
Ankle
brachial index is used to indicate the risk of peripheral artery disease
and atherosclerosis
July
8, 2008 – A ratio of blood pressure measurements from the ankles and
arms – the ankle brachial index – may improve the accuracy of predicting
cardiovascular risk, according to a review of previous research that is
reported in the July 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical
Association. Read
more...
One in Every Four Older Americans Now Diagnosed with
Diabetes
Three million increase in two years pushes total in
US to 24 million
June 30, 2008 – Last week new statistics on
diabetes were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) that showed 24 million in the U.S. now have diabetes – 8 percent
of the population. What was buried deeper in the news release was the
staggering statistic that almost 25 percent of the population age 60 and
older had diabetes in 2007.
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