Initial symptoms of dementia predict speed of progression, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 16, 2023
No matter the type of underlying brain changes, the first cognitive symptoms of dementia help predict long-term functional outcomes, researchers report.
Use of common sleep meds nosedives, with 86 percent drop in oldest adults
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 17, 2022
The use of sleep medications among Americans dropped by 31% just prior to the pandemic, with the steepest decline among adults aged 80 and older, investigators report.
CDC: 1 in 5 adults live with chronic pain
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 16, 2023
An estimated 21% of U.S. adults experienced chronic pain in 2021, and 7% reported chronic pain that restricts their daily activities, according to a new analysis.
Finding a purpose can lower risk of loneliness in older adults, study shows
By
C. Max Bachmann
Jun 29, 2023
Having a sense of purpose in life can offer “potent protection” against loneliness, which can be a health hazard for seniors, investigators say.
Multimorbidity may up seniors’ dementia risk by 63 percent over 15 years
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 03, 2022
Identifying high-risk disease clusters could help clinicians to better target patients for dementia care, researchers say.
One in 10 older U.S. adults has dementia, new national data show
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 25, 2022
Ten percent of U.S. seniors have dementia and another 22% have cognitive impairment, finds the first such national study in two decades.
Vascular risk factors raise odds of Alzheimer’s disease in Blacks, Hispanics: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 05, 2023
Vascular risk helps to explain the outsized odds of Alzheimer’s faced by African Americans and Hispanics in the United States, a new study has found.
Medicare costs could rise by $5B annually with expanded Alzheimer’s drug coverage: study
By
Alicia Lasek
May 12, 2023
Medicare costs could rise by $2 to $5 billion a year if CMS expands its coverage for newly approved Alzheimer’s disease drug Leqembi (lecanemab), investigators say.
NIH study finds high rates of persistent chronic pain among U.S. adults
By
Alicia Lasek
May 17, 2023
In the U.S., new cases of chronic pain occur more often than new cases of other common health conditions. This pain is also persistent, lasting at least one year for most people, investigators report.
More seniors getting flu, shingles and pneumonia shots, but disparities remain
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 30, 2022
Vaccination discrepancies among older demographic groups are likely due to care access, hesitancy and cost, the AARP says.