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PUMPING IRONY: To Think Better as You Age, Think Positive
Previous research has shown how maintaining a positive attitude toward aging may enhance your health. A new study suggests it may even help seniors recover lost cognitive function.
PUMPING IRONY: Unassisted
Chafing at what they view as inadequate government reimbursements, assisted-living facilities in recent months have been evicting Medicaid beneficiaries at a disturbing rate. The consequences for the industry are negligible; for the low-income seniors, they can be tragic.
PUMPING IRONY: The Big Chill
Cold is having a moment among longevity researchers, who argue that we should embrace a little shivering in order to extend our lifespan. My own experience suggests their theories may get a chilly reception.
PUMPING IRONY: The Disease of Disconnection
While physical frailty among seniors has been well documented, recent research suggests that social frailty may be even more prevalent — and lead to similar health issues.
PUMPING IRONY: Java Jive?
The latest news on the coffee front promises no end of salutary benefits for diehard bean lovers — if you don’t mind a little sleep deprivation and some heart palpitations.
PUMPING IRONY: When Artificial Intelligence Overrules the Real Thing
Medicare Advantage insurers are increasingly using algorithms rather than actual medical reports to justify controversial denials of coverage. The effects on patients can be devastating.
PUMPING IRONY: Swamped?
Seniors living in “food swamps” — communities dominated by convenience stores, fast-food outlets, and other purveyors of unhealthy fare — may be more susceptible to strokes, according to a new study. Call me skeptical.
PUMPING IRONY: Worrisome Advice?
Anxiety disorders are pervasive among the Medicare set, so why is the government counseling doctors to screen only younger patients?
PUMPING IRONY: Every Breath You Take
While air quality nationwide has improved markedly since the turn of the century, recent research highlights the cognitive damage that even low levels of pollution can exact on the aging brain.
PUMPING IRONY: Take Two Bean Sprouts and Call Me in the Morning
More than a half century after health-food activists began promoting the notion that food is medicine, public and private initiatives are finally taking shape. But formidable obstacles — some political, some institutional, and some purely personal — loom on the horizon.
PUMPING IRONY: Eat Less, Live Longer?
The latest longevity research suggests that calorie restriction may slow the pace of aging, but questions about the design of these types of studies — and the threat of sparking eating disorders — muddle its conclusions.
PUMPING IRONY: The Price of Prevention
Barely one in three U.S. seniors is vaccinated against shingles, despite their vulnerability to the often-dangerous virus. One reason for their hesitancy became all too clear when I got the bill for my shot.
PUMPING IRONY: Don’t Just Sit There, Do Something!
Sitting may be the new smoking, but recent research suggests that what you happen to be doing while parked in a chair — or on the couch — may mitigate its effect on your aging brain.
PUMPING IRONY: Forever Young?
The latest revelations from a leader in the antiaging industry promise a treatment that could dial back the years, perhaps extending our lifespans indefinitely. But is the goal a longer life or something even more elusive?
PUMPING IRONY: A Parley With Parkinson’s
While I only occasionally wonder whether Parkinson’s awaits me somewhere down the road, recent research provides some calming evidence that lifestyle changes may help keep the disease at bay.
PUMPING IRONY: Operating Principles
U.S. seniors undergo about a million major surgeries every year, often without fully considering the risks. The consequences can be deadly.
PUMPING IRONY: Just Business as Usual
An 18-month congressional investigation turned up plenty of dirt on the FDA’s dealings with Biogen during the agency’s controversial approval of the company’s Alzheimer’s drug, but its recommendations suggest the status quo will likely remain unchanged.
PUMPING IRONY: “Kinless” but Not Hopeless
Growing old without the support of a spouse, children, or siblings can present daunting health challenges, but some who choose that path find it to be more blissful than you might imagine.
PUMPING IRONY: This Is Your Brain on Junk Food
As Big Pharma’s latest Alzheimer’s drug faces renewed skepticism, a new study suggests that avoiding ultraprocessed food may be a more promising approach to maintaining healthy cognitive function as we age.
PUMPING IRONY: In Hock and Unhealthy
A growing proportion of U.S. seniors are struggling with too much debt, and a recent study suggests that it’s making them sick.
PUMPING IRONY: Why Bother?
As the most recent — and virulent — of COVID variants spreads across the country, U.S. seniors have mostly ignored the available boosters. Is it time to increase our vigilance against a pandemic that refuses to retreat?