Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors

Large Study Claims to Pinpoint Lower and Upper Safe Limits of Vitamin D

Supplement widely used by senior citizens but safety limits have been unclear until this study on when risk of death increases

April 30, 2013 – Vitamin D is widely used by senior citizens - older women in particular - to maintain bone density and prevent fractures but the recommendations on how much to take has been confusing. A report today says the safe range of vitamin D levels with respect to coronary morbidity lies between 20 to 36 ng/mL. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Too Many Stroke Victims Fail to Use EMS for Fastest Trip to Treatment

Ethnic minorities, rural residents least likely to call 911 at onset of a stroke as recommended by American Heart Association

April 30, 2013 — Time is critical to stroke victims but more than a third don’t get to the hospital by ambulance, even though that’s the fastest way to get help, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal. Read more...

Social Security News

How Does Social Security Determine Your Benefits? Q&A Answers This and More

SSA information specialists tells how to estimate your retirement benefit; explains factors affecting a widow’s benefits; how to apply for disability

April 25, 2013 – Ever wondered how Social Security determines your retirement benefit? Or, wanted to get an idea before you retire of what your benefit will be? These are some basic questions of the program that are answered by Oscar Garcia, Public Affairs Specialist with SSA in this week’s Q&A. For those younger Americans seeking disability under Social Security, he also has answers at the end of this article. Read more...

Senior Citizen Politics

Report Finds Financial Advisors Using Over 50 Titles to Suggest Expertise in Senior Citizen Matters

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Office for Older Americans calls for action by regulators to assist senior citizens who are ‘often confused and mislead’

April 24, 2013 – A report highlighting the well-known problem of so-called “senior designation” credentials of questionable value used by many financial advisers to market their services to older Americans was released last week. It also calls for specific action by federal and state regulators to protect seniors. Read more...

Medicare News

Obama Administration Offering Seniors a Reward of Almost $10 Million for Exposing Medicare Fraud

Also funding expansion of Senior Medicare Patrol to spread the word on fraud, waste and abuse - elderly are on  'frontlines of this fight,' 'critical partners' in protecting taxpayer dollars

April 24, 2013 – The Obama Administration made it clear today that it is out to stop Medicare fraud. The proposal of a new rule today indicates they want to increase rewards paid to Medicare beneficiaries and other individuals whose tips about suspected fraud lead to the successful recovery of funds to as high as $9.9 million from the current limit of $1,000. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Fast Acting Virus Kills Melanoma Cancer Cells Before Immune System Can Stop It

Melanoma killer has been highly efficient attacking human cancer cells in animals, lab tests, while ignoring healthy ones

April 23, 2013 - Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine have demonstrated that vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is highly competent at finding, infecting, and killing human melanoma cells, both in vitro and in animal models, while having little propensity to infect non-cancerous cells. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Alternative Therapies May Help Lower Blood Pressure But Don’t Match Traditional Methods

New scientific statement from American Heart Association looks at yoga, slow breathing, meditation, hand-grip exercise and more - Over half of those 60+ have hypertension

April 23, 2013 – Don’t kid yourself about effective ways to reduce your life-threatening high blood pressure – some alternative methods can help, especially if they involve physical exercise, but they shouldn’t replace the proven methods long promoted by the American Heart Association. Read more...

Senior Citizen Alerts

Seniors Get Hung Up In Health Care Scams That Are Increasing Across Nation

Law enforcement agencies report fraudsters seem to be preying on the senior citizen’s confusion over changes in the  health care system

By Jenny Gold, KHN Staff Writer - Produced in collaboration with NPR

April 22, 2013 - One recent morning, 86-year-old Evelyne Lois Such was sitting at her kitchen table in Denver when the phone rang.  She didn’t recognize the phone number or the deep voice on the other end of the line. “He asked if I was a senior, and I said yes, and he said we are sending out all new Medicare cards and I want to make sure I have all of your statistics correct,” Such recounts. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Ovarian Cancer Detected Using Neighboring Cells, Raises Hope for Early Detection Method

Partial wave spectroscopic (PWS) microscopy has shown promising results in early detection of colon, pancreatic and lung cancers

April 22, 2013 – No reliable early detection method for ovarian cancer currently exists but there is new hope with a discovery that has the potential as a minimally invasive early detection method using cells collected by a swab, exactly like a Pap smear. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Dementia Risk in 20-Year Decline Among Senior Citizens as Cardiovascular Disease Decreases

Reduction of dementia risk important but number of people with dementia will rise with the increase in life expectancy and growing number over age 75

April 20, 2013 – A new Swedish study appears to confirm that dementia is declining among older people: those 75 years old and older. The report in the journal Neurology shows the risk of the elderly developing dementia may have declined for over 20 years, in direct conflict with most assumptions. The reason appears to be the decrease in cardiovascular disease. Read more...

Exercise & Fitness for Senior Citizens

Knee Brace Proven to Significantly Reduce Pain of Kneecap Osteoarthritis

Enormous potential for treating common joint condition effectively; providing a simple and cheap alternative to painkillers

April 19, 2013 - A lightweight knee brace can dramatically improve the function and reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis the affects the kneecap, says a study released today by researchers at The University of Manchester that was funded by Arthritis Research UK. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

New Lab Rat May Be Star of Future Alzheimer’s Research; Confirms Beta-Amyloid as Cause

New research funded by National Institutes of Health confirms Alzheimer’s brains have abnormal levels of beta-amyloid protein that form amyloid plaques

April 19, 2013 – Recent announcements from the National Institutes of Health about Alzheimer’s research almost sounded routine. On a second look, however, the confirmation that increases in the molecule beta-amyloid in the brain causes the disease, and that a new genetically engineered lab rat has been created with the full array of brain changes found in the disease. Read more...

Senior Citizen Politics

First Public Hearing Underway on Chained CPI Proposed to Slow Future COLA for Senior Citizens

Republican chair of House Ways and Means subcommittee on Social Security issued news release blasting Treasury secretary; in opening says reducing COLA only would be called ‘benefit cut’ in Washington

April 18, 2013 – The first congressional hearing on the budget cuts to Social Security proposed by President Obama is underway. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Tx), chair of the Social Security panel of the House Ways and Means Committee, released his opening statement and the prepared testimony of witnesses. The Texas Republican also released a news release this morning accusing Treasury Secretary Jack Lew of making “conflicting statements” about the Chained CPI before the full committee. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Reminding Doctors to Test Older People for Osteoporosis Reduced Fractures, Health Care Costs

Just a simple personal reminder letter to family doctors and patients about evaluating fracture patients for osteoporosis significantly improved care at very low cost

April 18, 2013 - Osteoporosis is a condition that is common, costly and undertreated. Low trauma fractures in older people are a "red flag" for osteoporosis, but those at risk often are not treated for the condition. Rates of osteoporosis testing and treatment are typically less than 20 percent in the first year after a fracture. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

You May Have Survived Cancer But Cardiovascular Risk May Now Be Higher Than You Think

Cancer shares many of cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, low physical activity and obesity; cancer treatment many not help heart either

April 16, 2013 – A study of survivors of breast, prostate, colorectal and gynecologic cancers finds many of these people end up dying of cardiovascular disease. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Almost Half of Deaths from Prostate Cancer Can Be Predicted by PSA Before Men Reach Age 50

Earlier 2010 study in BMJ showed PSA level at age 60 is strongly predictive of the risk of death from prostate cancer by age 85

April 17, 2013 - Prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening is widely used for the early detection of prostate cancer, but remains highly controversial, as it became widespread long before evidence to prove its value. There is now evidence that PSA screening can reduce prostate cancer mortality in men who would not otherwise be screened. However, this can come at considerable harm. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Questions About Colon Screening Coverage Still Vex Consumers; Difference for Medicare, Others

People in group, individual health plans don't pay for polyp removal during a screening colonoscopy; feds say it is an integral part of screening and should be covered without cost sharing - Medicare may still require co-pay. Some remain vexed and confused about testing that begins at age 50 for second leading cancer killer

By Michelle Andrews, Insuring Your Health, KHN

April 16, 2013 - No one looks forward to screening tests for colon and rectal cancers. But under the Affordable Care Act, patients are at least supposed to save on out of-pocket costs for them. Coverage is not always clear, however, and despite the federal government's clarifications, some consumers remain vexed and confused. Read more...

Senior Citizen Politics

Five Ways the President's Budget Would Change Medicare; Reduce Spending $371 Billion in Decade

Wealthier beneficiaries to pay more for coverage and future retirees to pay higher copays for outpatient services such as doctor's visits and home health care

By Mary Agnes Carey, KHN Staff Writer

April 15, 2013 - President Barack Obama's fiscal 2014 budget includes a variety of what he says are "manageable" changes for Medicare's 54 million beneficiaries as well as for the hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers that serve them. Read more...

Senior Citizen Politics

Ways and Means Draws Bead on Medicare Cuts, Chained CPI to Limit COLA for Social Security

HHS Secretary Sebelius in witness chair today on total budget for HHS, CMS with Social Security proposal the target this Thursday

April 12, 2013 – The Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee has grabbed the lead in questioning President Obama’s 2014 budget proposals for the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will testify there today and next Thursday the hearing topic will be on entitlement reform proposals, with emphasis on the controversial Chained Consumer Price Index, which will be used to lower cost-of-living adjustments for seniors and others in future years. Read more...

Senior Citizen Politics

Obama Says Budget Proposal Offers ‘Manageable’ Curbs on Medicare Cost, Social Security Benefits

Most media reports say focus of White House is to strike a ‘Grand Bargain’ with Republicans who want to change Medicare into a voucher-style system;  Medicare proposal has one revenue item - higher premiums for couples making more than $170,000 a year

April 11, 2013 - The White House says its budget is a good start toward controlling government entitlement programs by offering proposals to curb the growth of Social Security, Medicare and other federal benefit programs. The budget blueprint, released Wednesday, includes what the president called "manageable" curbs on Medicare spending growth, but GOP congressional leaders were dismissive, while some Democrats and virtually all senior citizen advocacy groups were unsettled. Read more...

Senior Citizen Politics

How Chained Consumer Price Index Proposed by Obama Works to Curb Social Security Benefits

Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a Q&A about inflation calculation that will slow cost-of-living adjustments for senior citizens

April 11, 2013 – The term “COLA” is a part of the Social Security program that has been highly cherished by senior citizens. It stands for “cost-of-living adjustment,” and was the government’s way of being trying to keep retired older Americans from seeing their Social Security benefits eaten away by inflation. Now, the Obama administration has come up with a new way to calculate inflation that will reduce COLA in the future. It is called the chained consumer price index and below is a Q&A on this method provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Read more...

Senior Citizen Politics

Reporters Dig Into Obama Budget and Find Other Proposals that May Impact Seniors

More spending on Medicaid, mental health; replacing current formula for Medicare pay to doctors

April 11, 2013 – Senior citizens have – rightly so – primarily focused on the cuts to Social Security and Medicare in the 2014 budget proposal from the White House that was presented yesterday. Media sources have found other parts of the budget that may also impact many seniors - funding boosts for mental health and food and drug safety, as well as the elimination of the SGR formula to set Medicare physician payment rates. It also delays funding cuts to hospitals that treat the uninsured. Read more...

Senior Citizen Politics

Congress Could Lose Older Voters by  Cutting Social Security, Medicare, Vets Benefits: AARP Poll

Senior advocates seem solid in opposition to cuts expected to appear Wednesday in President Obama’s budget; Congressional call-in on Wednesday

April 8, 2013 – Groups that advocate for senior citizens and senior issues appear to be solid in their opposition to budget moves advocated by Republicans and now supported by the White House that will cut income from Social Security and reduce spending by Medicare. A survey released today by AARP says 84% of American voters age 50 and older oppose the chained CPI proposal for reducing Social Security benefits for years ahead. Read more...

Insurance & Investments for Seniors

Seniors Urged to Consider Free Tax Software from Free File Alliance as Deadline Nears

Taxpayers with earnings of $57,000 or less can visit IRS.gov for free software for preparing, filing tax return

April 8, 2013 – With Americans experiencing the shortest tax season on record, the Free File Alliance, a nonprofit coalition of industry-leading tax software companies partnered with the IRS, today reminded taxpayers that free, brand-name tax software is available at the IRS website. Read more... 

Social Security Q&A

Think of Social Security as Life Insurance Policy You Didn't Know You Had

Social Security specialists points out many survivors could be eligible for benefits; also promotes Retirement Estimator

April 5, 2013 – A surprising number of people may be eligible to receive Social Security survivors benefits, according to Oscar Garcia, Public Affair Specialist with the Social Security Administration. He says, in answer to a question, “Think of your Social Security taxes as a life insurance policy you never knew you had.” He also has some assurances about the agency's Retirement Estimator. Read more...

Senior Citizen Politics

Budget Axe Ready to Strike Social Security, Medicare as President Makes Appeal to GOP

Reports say Obama in agreement on plan reducing Social Security COLA for seniors, cutting $400 billion from Medicare over 10 years

By Tucker Sutherland, Editor SeniorJournal.com

April 5, 2013 – For more than a week there has been a steady stream of rumors, speculation and news leaks indicating White House and Republican negotiators are near agreement on significant changes to Medicare and Social Security aimed at reducing the government’s cost. Reports from major newspapers this morning say the Obama budget will be out next week and it will have cuts to Social Security and Medicare in hopes of winning Republican support. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

U.S. Dementia Care Costs at $215 Billion in 2010; To Pass Heart Disease, Cancer: NIH Study

BRAIN initiative announced by Obama this week will use a new generation of tools to learn secrets to Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders

April 4, 2013 - The costs of caring for people with dementia in the United States in 2010 were between $159 billion to $215 billion, and those costs could rise dramatically with the increase in the numbers of older people in coming decades, according to estimates from a study of people age 71 and older. And, the study indicates the costs of care comparable to, if not greater than, those for heart disease and cancer. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Targeting Cholesterol Buildup In Eye May Slow Age-Related Vision Loss from AMD for Seniors

Cholesterol build-up in arteries and veins is a natural consequence of aging; cholesterol known to accumulate in the eye in deposits called drusen

April 3, 2013 - Targeting cholesterol metabolism in the eye might help prevent a severe form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the most common causes of blindness in older Americans, according to indications in a study in mice, which was supported by the National Institutes of Health. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Senior Citizens with Memory Concerns, Vietnam Veterans Needed for Major Alzheimer’s Studies

Study of memory conducted at 54 sites in U.S. and five in Canada

April 3, 2013 – Senior citizens – those ages 65 to 90 – are needed as volunteers for a study in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. And, Vietnam War veterans are asked to help with a study of connections between traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and signs of Alzheimer’s disease in Vietnam veterans as they age. Read more...

Opining of a Cranky Old Man

The End Is Near! Louie Anderson’s Jump into Pool Has to Hit Bottom for TV Entertainment

What could be more exciting than watching a bunch of has-beens dive into water!

By Bill Kalmar, Retiree

April 2, 2013 - Whatever happened to quality in television entertainment programming! Many of us, I think, have either seen or heard about some of the mind numbing programs that pass for entertainment on television. The Kardashians, Honey Boo Boo, Wife Swap, Toddlers and Tiaras, Jersey Shore, any of The House Wives Of…, and of course The Bachelor rise, I mean sink, to the bottom of the list for sure! Read more...

Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors

Senior Citizens Live Years Longer by Consuming Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Fish

Risk of dying from heart disease significantly lowered: Seniors with highest blood levels of the fatty acids lived 2.2 years longer

April 2, 2013 – Older adults age 65 and up who have higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found almost exclusively in fatty fish and seafood, may be able to lower their overall mortality risk by as much as 27% and their mortality risk from heart disease by about 35%, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the University of Washington. Read more...

Medicare News

Medicare Advantage Plans Win Major Concession from Obama Administration

Payments to insurers was forecast in February to be cut for 2014, but it goes up in revision released Monday

April 2, 2013 – The final rate announcement for Medicare was to be announced yesterday but was a little delayed as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid carefully worded the news release revealing a 3.3 percent increase for insurance companies offering Medicare Advantage plans, rather than the 2.2 percent reduction forecast in a February announcement. Read more...

Aging News & Information

How Much Height We Lose as We Age is Key Indicator of Health, Mental Issues

High school grads shrink less that illiterate; strong relationship between height loss and cognitive health found; health habits as adults influence how much we shrink

April 1, 2013 – A large study of older adults, which claims to be the first to examine height loss as we age, finds that choices we make throughout life impact how much we shrink as senior citizens. For example, High school grads shrink nearly 2 cm less than the illiterate. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Men with Lynch Syndrome Genetic Condition at Greater Risk of Prostate, Other Cancers

New study adds prostate to list of several cancers associated with one of the most common inherited genetic conditions

April 1, 2013 - Men with an inherited genetic condition called Lynch syndrome face a higher lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer and appear to develop the disease at an earlier age, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

EDTA Chelation Therapy Reduces Cardiovascular Events in Heart Attack Victims Age 50 and Over

NIH says 18% reduction was ‘modest;’  Seniors with diabetes appeared to receive particular benefit from this chelation therapy that is supposed to clear plaques from the blood

March 27, 2013 - Chelation therapy, an unproven alternative medicine in the treatment for heart disease, “modestly” reduced cardiovascular events for seniors aged 50 and older who had suffered a prior heart attack, according a news release from the National Institutes of Health, which supported the research. Read more...

Medicaid News

Arkansas Medicaid Plan, Born Of Necessity, Shakes Things Up in Reluctant Republican States

By Karl Eisenhower, Capsules – the KHN Blog

 March 26, 2013 - Since the Supreme Court made the Medicaid expansion under the federal health law optional last year, states’ decisions have largely split along party lines. States run by Democrats have been opting in; states run by Republicans have mostly been saying no or holding back.. Read more...

Social Security Q&A

Social Security Warns Senior Citizens to Be Sure They Are on the Official Social Security Website

Countless consumers victimized each year by misleading advertisers who use "Social Security" or "Medicare" to entice the public to use their services

March 25, 2013 - Thinking you are doing business with Social Security can be a costly mistake when you have been mislead to a website posing as the official government site, says Oscar Garcia, Public Affair Specialist with the Social Security Administration. He also advises prompt notification of a beneficiaries death to another question in this Social Security Q&A. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Parkinson’s Drug Helps Seniors in Their Seventies With Decision-Making

Discover brain activity of senior citizens is different than in young adults who are better at making decisions

March 25, 2013 - New research finds changes in the patterns of brain activity of senior citizens in their seventies offers new insight into why the elderly are worse at decision-making than young people and they also discover a Parkinson’s Disease drug can help reverse age-related impairments in decision-making in older people. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Depression, Anxiety a Deadly Combination for Older People with Heart Disease

Two new studies look at anxiety and depression among older heart disease patients and find these patients need closer monitoring

March 20, 2013 — Heart disease patients who have anxiety have twice the risk of dying from any cause compared to those without anxiety. It they suffer both anxiety and depression they have a triple risk of dying. Then, a second study finds heart failure patients with moderate or severe depression have four times the risk of dying. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Actinic Keratosis – Dry Scaly Skin Spots Common for Seniors – Can Lead to Cancer

For up to 10 percent of people, AKs – off-color skin blemishes often referred to as “sun spots” - will progress to squamous cell carcinoma.

By Dr. Ellen Marmur

March 19, 2013 - We all know someone who fits the bill: fair-skinned, covered in “sun spots” after having spent their younger days soaking up the sun, getting a nice bronze tan (or sunburn) while unwittingly bathing themselves in the sun’s harmful UV rays. While education around skin cancer has increased dramatically, it doesn’t help the generations of sun-worshippers for whom the damage has already been done. I know, because I am an ex sun worshipper who has survived skin cancer. For these people, proactive skin care and screening is essential. Read more...

Other News Sources

China Moves to Let Elderly Sue Adult Kids for Neglect

BEIJING - From July 1 onward, parents in China can sue their kids who don't visit often enough, under a broadened law mandating children take better care of the aged. With China's elderly population forecast to more than double to 487 million in the next 40 years, the government needs to try to limit the cost of caring for seniors. More at Arizona Daily Star

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Older Women Seem to Do Fine with Biennial Mammogram, Regardless of Breast Density

Younger women - 40 to 49 - with high density should stick with annual exams says new study considering harm and benefits of various screening frequencies and considering age, breast density and more

March 15, 2013 – It appears to be okay for older women – those ages 50 to 74 – to have mammograms every two years because a new study finds regardless of breast density or hormone therapy it does not increase the risk of presenting with advanced breast cancer and does substantially reduce the cumulative risk of a false-positive mammography result and biopsy recommendation. Women aged 40 to 49 years with extremely dense breasts, however, should consider annual screening. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Grief From Loss of Partner May Cause Memory Problems but Not About the Lost Loved One

Also works when the grieved imagine future events: no problem if it involves lost partner

March 18, 2013 – Most senior citizens are not surprised when a friend suffering from complicated grief after the death of their partner has difficulty recalling specific events from the past or imagining specific events in the future. A new study finds, however, those faults are not present when these events involve the partner they lost. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

CDC Calls for Action Now to Halt Spread of Deadly CRE Bacteria in Hospitals, Nursing Homes

Antibiotic-resistant CRE bacteria kills up to half of patients who get bloodstream infections from them – seniors at highest risk due to frequent hospital visits, lack of endurance

March 15, 2013 – Senior citizens and the caregivers who watch over them need to pay close attention to a new threat from a family of bacteria that has become increasingly resistant to last-resort antibiotics during the past decade, and more hospitalized patients are getting lethal infections that, in some cases, are impossible to cure. Read more...

Medicare News

Medicare a Hot Button as Budget Proposals from Political Parties Smash Head-On

GOP’S Ryan presents ‘austere budget proposal that looks a lot like one they approved last year that Democrats quickly dismissed. Republicans revived plans to overhaul Medicare, slash the social safety net for the poor and bolster defense — all while lowering corporate and individual tax rates to no more than 25%’

March 13, 2013 – The political parties are running out their budget proposals and the general consensus is they are “miles apart.” The House GOP plan, which was unveiled yesterday, would repeal the health law's subsidized insurance exchanges and Medicaid expansion and turn Medicare into a premium-support system. The Senate Democrats' plan, scheduled for release today, would lower domestic spending in part by saving $275 billion through changes to Medicare and Medicaid that are smaller than those proposed by Republicans. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Bitter Melon Juice Prevents Pancreatic Cancer In Mouse Models

Mice fed bitter melon juice were 60 percent less likely to develop pancreatic cancer

By Garth Sundem, In The Lab

March 12, 2013 - A University of Colorado Cancer study published this week in the journal Carcinogenesis shows that bitter melon juice restricts the ability of pancreatic cancer cells to metabolize glucose, thus cutting the cells’ energy source and eventually killing them. Read more...