Older people have greater functional ability than 3 decades ago, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 22, 2020
Today’s elders appear to have greater physical and cognitive function than they did in the 1990s. The consequences of this trend are a mixed bag, Finnish investigators say.
Clinical briefs for Tuesday, Sept. 22
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 22, 2020
Repeat heart attacks decline, but risk remains high … Medicare reimbursement for joint replacement, other orthopedic surgeries has fallen steadily since 2000 … Benzodiazepine use declines more in older...
COVID outbreaks tied to where nursing home staff live, researchers say
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 21, 2020
Where staff members call home is a “large and significant predictor” of which facilities in a given county will experience a COVID-19 outbreak, a Harvard study finds.
Delayed cognitive decline linked to daily use of two languages
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 21, 2020
People receive a later diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment when they actively speak two languages every day, investigators report.
Omega-3 fatty acids cut heart attack deaths by 35 percent, Mayo Clinic finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 21, 2020
Omega-3 supplements should be a standard preventive treatment for people with cardiovascular disease or who are recovering from heart attack, a new study reveals.
Clinical briefs for Monday, Sept. 21
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 21, 2020
Increased stroke severity found in COVID patients … FDA continues to find faulty hand sanitizer products … COVID-19 antigen tests for assisted living communities are ‘in the mail’ … Consistent...
CDC: Proactive testing leads to fewer COVID cases in long-term care
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 18, 2020
Facilities with a preventive COVID-19 testing strategy experienced far fewer infections compared with facilities that conducted tests in response to illness, according to a county-wide study in Georgia.
Complex exercises reverse gait freezing in Parkinson’s disease study
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 18, 2020
A challenging physical exercise program helped reverse gait freezing by 60% in participants with Parkinson’s disease.
Dementia mortality skyrockets since lockdowns; CMS loosens visitor restrictions
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 18, 2020
An excessive number of deaths due to dementia have occurred since shelter-in-place orders went into effect this spring, a new analysis finds. Meanwhile, CMS has proposed a framework for nursing homes...
Clinical briefs for Friday, Sept. 18
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 18, 2020
Nursing home commission makes 27 recommendations, calls for ‘greater leadership role’ from CMS … Heparin nasal spray to be tested as COVID prevention … One in 10 older dental patients prescribed...