Craig Cox
LATEST STORIES
Can Prunes Help Improve Bone Density?
Prunes are well-known for their ability to help keep us regular. However, recent research indicates prunes may improve bone health in postmenopausal women.
PUMPING IRONY: You Snooze, You Win?
Recent research suggests heavy sleepers like me may avoid cognitive dysfunction and multimorbidity as we age — with some notable caveats.
PUMPING IRONY: Hopeful Signs for Troubled Ears?
Just as cheaper over-the-counter hearing aids finally become widely available, researchers are trumpeting new approaches to hearing loss that may render those devices unnecessary.
PUMPING IRONY: Screen Test
A landmark study suggests that colonoscopies do not reduce the risk of cancer — or mortality — nearly as much as advertised. That’s welcome news for the millions of seniors who, like me, stubbornly avoid the procedure.
PUMPING IRONY: Drug Dealing
The latest miracle cure for Alzheimer’s is likely to receive accelerated approval from the FDA, which benefits as much from the cash that accompanies these requests as Big Pharma does from the agency’s lax standards.
Can Cultivated Cartilage Help Repair Joints?
Some 55 million Americans suffer from joint pain and arthritis. Recent developments, however, offer hope for new ways to deal with this epidemic.
PUMPING IRONY: Use ’Em or Lose ’Em
Arthritic knees often send seniors looking for various surgical solutions, even as recent research — and personal experience — suggests the most reliable remedy may simply involve moving those troublesome joints more frequently.
Can Exercise Help Me Live Longer?
Yes, according to lots of recent research. Here are five key stats.
PUMPING IRONY: The Postmortem Muddle
While the Federal Trade Commission works to tighten regulations on the funeral industry, which often uses obscure pricing policies to prey on grief-stricken mourners, seniors like me need to start thinking more seriously about how we want to be laid to rest.
PUMPING IRONY: Movement and Memory
Physical activity has long been shown to improve cognitive function, but a new study suggests we may be able to modify our workouts to boost specific types of memory.
PUMPING IRONY: A Harsh Light
All the time we spend staring at screens could be shortening our lifespan, according to a new study. We do have options, though returning to the typewriter is not one of them.
What Are the Risks of Taking an Aspirin Every Day?
For heart-healthy people over the age of 60, taking a daily aspirin has “no net benefit,” according to a recent JAMA report by the 2022 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
PUMPING IRONY: Zapped!
Can we cure dementia by zapping our brains with electrical currents? Some enterprising researchers would certainly like us to think so.
The Cognitive Benefits of Cataract Surgery
Untreated cataracts could contribute to dementia and depression, according to recent research.
PUMPING IRONY: Working on Purpose
I’ve discovered plenty of good reasons for postponing retirement and continuing to pursue purposeful work, but a new study suggests I may have overlooked an important one: It could help prevent a stroke.
PUMPING IRONY: A Tough Pill to Swallow
The Inflation Reduction Act will make some prescription drugs much more affordable for strapped Medicare beneficiaries. But will it deepen our dependence on Big Pharma?
PUMPING IRONY: Class and Cognition
A new study suggests that people mired in low-wage jobs for long periods of time may suffer cognitive decline earlier in life than those favored with a more affluent life. My checkered career leaves me wondering where I stand.
Does Exercising Help With Anxiety?
Yes, according to a recent study — and the more intense the exercise, the more it may help.
PUMPING IRONY: Too Busy to Calm Down?
Struggling with a stressful workload in recent weeks, I’m struck by new research describing how chronic stress can accelerate the aging of our immune systems. So, why am I avoiding a proven stress-relief practice?
PUMPING IRONY: Epic Fail?
Elderly patients are often tagged with a “failure to thrive” label when doctors simply don’t want to spend the time and energy to determine a specific diagnosis. While leading geriatricians continue to argue against the designation, others point to its more salutary effects.
PUMPING IRONY: Is It Time for a New Take on Dementia?
As Big Pharma continues to flail away on the Alzheimer’s front, new research increasingly turns toward identifying lifestyle changes that can lower the risk of falling prey to the disease.