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Fumbled Friendships
By Craig CoxRobust social connections are key to our well-being as we age, so should I worry that my circle of friends has been narrowing for years? Not so much.
Department: Pumping Irony
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PUMPING IRONY: Don’t Move!
By Craig CoxGovernment attempts to curb falls in the hospital have limited mobility so much that elderly patients often head home in worse shape than when they arrived.
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PUMPING IRONY: Not OK, Boomers
By Craig CoxWhile some of my geezer contemporaries are taking offense at Generation Z’s campaign to blame us for the state of the world, I say bring it on.
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PUMPING IRONY: Hear No Evil
By Craig CoxThere’s plenty of evidence showing that hearing loss can damage our quality of life as we grow older, but the senior set — including my brother — seems immune to the warnings.
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PUMPING IRONY: Don’t Give It Another Thought
By Craig CoxConventional wisdom suggests that my lazy brain offers few benefits, but Harvard researchers believe it may be the key to a long life.
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PUMPING IRONY: Money Keeps You Young?
By Craig CoxRecent research suggests that frequent bouts of poverty prior to middle age may contribute to premature aging. If that’s the case, I should be sitting on death’s doorstep by now.
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PUMPING IRONY: Bugged!
By Craig CoxThe alarming rise of drug-resistant superbugs in nursing homes is just another reason to do everything I can to maintain my good health and live out my days in my own home.
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PUMPING IRONY: A Microbiome Miracle?
By Craig CoxRecent research suggests that all frail seniors need to do to boost their strength — and maybe even reduce their waistlines — is to have the right combination of bacteria in their guts. I’d rather lift weights.
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PUMPING IRONY: Growing Old, Gaining Weight
By Craig CoxA new study explains why we tend to gain weight as we age, even if our caloric intake and exercise regimens remain unchanged.
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PUMPING IRONY: Hungry and Hopeless
By Craig CoxA quiet epidemic of malnutrition has spread among the nation’s elderly, and Congress has only a few weeks to figure out how to respond.
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PUMPING IRONY: A Healthy Pessimism?
By Craig CoxDo optimists live longer than pessimists? Maybe, but I’m not the only one arguing that a middle way may yield healthier benefits.
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PUMPING IRONY: No Home for the Unhealthy
By Craig CoxAn old friend faces a future with Parkinson’s and an eventual move to an assisted-living facility that, barring an industry shift, will probably offer no medical care.
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PUMPING IRONY: Shock Treatment
By Craig CoxRecent research suggests that a simple regimen of electrical stimulation may extend lifespan. I just wish it didn’t involve my ears.
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PUMPING IRONY: This Is Your Brain on Drugs
By Craig CoxFor this drug-averse geezer, recent research suggesting that long-term use of certain pharmaceuticals may contribute to dementia makes me even less likely to follow my doctor’s advice.
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PUMPING IRONY: Risky Business
By Craig CoxThe elderly often climb on the operating table unprepared for the risks of surgery. New guidelines aim to help them — and their doctors — make more informed decisions.
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PUMPING IRONY: A Vague Recollection
By Craig CoxAt my age, I’m often at a loss when trying to retrieve some bit of information from my memory banks. A new study suggests brain games and other mentally stimulating activities may help — sort of.
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PUMPING IRONY: Die Hard
By Craig CoxA new government report paints a dismal portrait of hospice care in the United States. And regulatory agencies are powerless to respond.
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PUMPING IRONY: The DIY Dilemma
By Craig CoxAge and affluence have limited my opportunities to embark on home-improvement projects, but a neighbor’s request for help resurrects my sense of usefulness.
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PUMPING IRONY: A Matter of Trust
By Craig CoxOnly about a third of Americans say they have faith in doctors, a fact that may say more about the system than about the physicians.
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PUMPING IRONY: Too Much of a Good Thing?
By Craig CoxExercise offers antiaging benefits as does a popular drug. So combining them should boost longevity, right? Not so much.
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PUMPING IRONY: We All Fall Down
By Craig CoxElderly Americans are dying from falls at an alarming rate. I’m counting on some lessons learned through painful experience to help me avoid that fate.