Pumping Irony
LATEST STORIES
PUMPING IRONY: Too Weak for Surgery?
With an alarming percentage of elderly Americans going under the knife each year despite a level of frailty that makes survival a dicey affair, surgeons are pondering alternatives.
Pumping Irony: Just Say No
In the past five years, researchers have identified some 500 unnecessary procedures and tests regularly perpetrated on anxious healthcare consumers, yet doctors continue to recommend them and we continue to acquiesce.
PUMPING IRONY: We All Fall Down Sometimes
Frequent tumbles are a way of life — and death — for the elderly. But the latest prevention strategies seem riskier than sprinting down a well-waxed tile floor.
PUMPING IRONY: Life, Interrupted
Little good can come from projecting your lifespan or falling prey to a late-life medical intervention.
PUMPING IRONY: Come to Your Senses
New research suggests that a declining sense of smell, taste, touch, vision, or hearing may lead to an early grave. I’d suggest it’s simply a natural consequence of growing old.
PUMPING IRONY: A Work in Progress?
For many geezers, economic realities have postponed the promise of a placid retirement, which may not be a bad thing.
PUMPING IRONY: One More for the Road?
High-risk drinking has grown dramatically among the geezer set in the past decade. And mixed messages about alcohol’s health benefits could be part of the problem.
PUMPING IRONY: Home Sweet Home
The move to repeal DACA doesn’t just throw 700,000 “dreamers” into limbo; it threatens the future of millions of homebound elderly.
PUMPING IRONY: The Cholesterol Conundrum
Despite obsessing for nearly a half century over the role of lipoproteins in heart disease, researchers seem to be more conflicted than ever.
PUMPING IRONY: Algae for Arthritis?
New research holds promise for the millions of geezers with creaky joints, but I’m more inclined to follow a less invasive protocol.
PUMPING IRONY: Par for the Course
An afternoon on the links brings two old friends with disparate views back together.
PUMPING IRONY: Stop and Smell the Broccoli
New research suggests that a reduced-calorie diet can extend your lifespan — but only if you take a whiff of what’s on your plate.
PUMPING IRONY: Try Counting Sheep
Nearly half of the senior set isn’t getting enough sleep, but efforts to address the problem seem to be more entertaining than effective.
PUMPING IRONY: Saddle Up, and Take Your Chances
If bicycling at my age wasn’t already a risky proposition, new research suggests that the simple act of breathing while pedaling may be unwise.
PUMPING IRONY: A Geezer in the Garden
Is it OCD or just my aging insistence on order that has been propelling my recent yardwork?
PUMPING IRONY: Gut Instincts
New research suggests we can live longer by altering conditions in our microbiome, but who wants to spend a few extra years fixating on their bowels?
PUMPING IRONY: The Brain-Training Scam
Short-term programs to improve cognitive function may do your aging cerebellum more harm than good.
PUMPING IRONY: New Tricks for an Old Dog?
Most of us have spent our entire adult lives learning only what was necessary to succeed in our careers. A new study suggests our aging brains need a more childlike approach.
PUMPING IRONY: More Than Meets the Eye
Age-related vision loss has long stymied researchers looking for a cure, but recent studies point to a dietary solution that validates a familiar canard.
PUMPING IRONY: Just Call Me Gramps
What does it mean to be a grandparent today? I’m about to find out.
PUMPING IRONY: The Wine of Youth
For more than a decade, we’ve been led to believe that the fruit of the vine may extend our life span. New research suggests it may be a bit more complicated than that.