THURSDAY, March 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) — An ongoing debate about when and how often women should undergo screening mammograms is intensifying in medical circles. A new study and an editorial published online March 15 in JAMA Internal Medicine are adding new fuel to the fight. The research suggests manyContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Serious vision problems among older Americans have declined sharply, and the improvement has been greatest among women, folks over 85 and seniors who are Black or Hispanic, a nationwide study shows. “The implications of a reduction in vision impairment are significant,” said studyContinue Reading
SATURDAY, March 13, 2021 (HealthDay News) — About 7 out of 10 Alzheimer’s patients wound up free of the brain plaques that are a hallmark of the disease after treatment with a potentially breakthrough experimental drug, clinical trial results show. The drug, donanemab, also significantly slowed the patients’ brain decline,Continue Reading
THURSDAY, March 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) — After nearly a year of painful isolation, the U.S. government said Wednesday that vaccinated nursing home residents can hug their loved ones again and enjoy more indoor visits. The new guidance, issued by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), comesContinue Reading
THURSDAY, March 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The trauma and loss of stroke can often leave survivors with long-term depression, and women appear to be at special risk, new research shows. “We did not expect that the cumulative risk of depression would remain so persistently elevated,” said study author Dr.Continue Reading
WEDNESDAY, March 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Older Americans are far more willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine than they were last fall, a new survey shows. The survey was conducted in late January. It found that 71% of adults aged 50 to 80 said they’re ready to get vaccinatedContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, March 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Many older adults with dementia are prescribed dangerous combinations of drugs that raise their risk of overdose, falls and further mental deterioration, a new study finds. About 1 in 7 people with dementia living outside of nursing homes are taking three or moreContinue Reading
MONDAY, March 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Just one dose of the Pfizer or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization for COVID patients in their 80s with preexisting health conditions, a preliminary study shows. The findings are from AvonCAP, an ongoing surveillance project funded by Pfizer Inc. ItContinue Reading
MONDAY, March 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Even though research has shown that at least 50% of older adults suffer some degree of hearing loss, a new study finds that most aren’t getting their hearing checked. A national survey of more than 2,000 adults, aged 50 to 80, found thatContinue Reading
SUNDAY, March 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Wrinkles may be a natural part of getting older, but you can slow your skin’s aging with changes to your lifestyle and environment, a skin expert says. “Daily activities, such as protecting your skin from the sun and eating healthy foods, can goContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, March 3, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Wider use of prescription generic drugs could save Medicare nearly $2 billion a year, researchers say. The new analysis of Medicare Part D prescription drug claims for 2017 used a random 20% of beneficiaries, 224 drugs with one or more generic substitutes andContinue Reading
MONDAY, March 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Older Americans on a Medicare Advantage plan could face hospital bills of $1,000 or more if private insurers start charging out-of-pocket costs for lifesaving COVID-19 care, a new study warns. Cost data show that Medicare Advantage patients pay an average $987 out-of-pocket whenContinue Reading
MONDAY, March 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Putting the oldest people near the front of the line for COVID-19 shots will save more lives and may extend their lifespan, too, researchers say. The new study findings challenge the view that older people should be lower on the list for shotsContinue Reading
MONDAY, March 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) — While many Americans await their turn for the COVID vaccine, a potentially record-setting number have already had their flu shot. That’s the key finding in a nationwide poll of more conducted in December by the University of Georgia, involving more than 1,000 adultsContinue Reading