Health: United States
Archives
- 2002
Food Guide Pyramid for Older Adults (2002)
Older adults often need specialized diets to counterbalance age-related
physiological changes. To accommodate the gradual loss of bone density,
decreased sense of thirst, and potentially increasing need for minerals
and vitamins, it’s important that older persons take more calcium,
vitamin D, and vitamin B-12. Tufts University has come up with a food
pyramid designed specifically for older adults 50 years and older. Eight
8-ounce glasses of water or liquids make up the base of the pyramid,
topped by specified amounts of fortified grains, deep-colored fruits,
bright-colored vegetables, dry beans, nuts, poultry, fish, lean meats,
and low- and non-fat dairy products. See
guidelines for details.
Yoga Trumps Bingo as Centers for Aged
Try New Approach (December 29, 2002)
The Lenox Hill Senior Center at St. Peter's
Church in Manhattan is not a popular image or stereotypes of senior centers. Many
old people no longer act or think like "older "people. So a concern for senior
centers is how to make themselves relevant to the "younger"
elderly. With them it’s a matter of French lessons, music, dancing but
no bingo, please...
As
Drug Patents End, Costs for Generics Surge (December 27, 2002)
The benefit of generic drugs instead of
brand-name drugs often turns out to be considerably less than it could be.
Prices of generic drugs are rising almost twice as fast for several
reasons: companies with weak profits are disappearing as the generic
industry consolidates and everyone from manufacturers to distributors to
retailers are grabbing a higher profit.
So the sick, disabled, and elderly patients continue to pay high
prices in this unregulated market.
Drug
Makers Battle Plan to Curb Rewards for Doctors (December 26, 2002)
Drug makers acknowledged
that they routinely reward doctors and pharmacists for switching patients
from one brand of drug to another. They also make payments to insurance
plans to increase the use of their products. A coalition of 19
pharmaceutical companies and doctors are now fighting hardly a Bush
administration plan to restrict these gifts and other rewards.
Do older persons and other consumers of needed pharmaceuticals have
any voice in the matter? Or
does profit reign?
A New Source for Discount
Prescriptions (December 26, 2002)
The practice of
cross-border buying is gaining credibility. Some pharmacy-benefits
programs are moving to cover drug purchases made in Canada. UnitedHealth
Group, the country's biggest health insurer, recently told AARP that it
would reimburse members of a benefits plan for prescriptions filled in
Canada and other nations.
Chasing Youth, Many Gamble on Hormones
(December 22, 2002)
Dr. Livesey and
Dr. Joseph Raffaele founded Anti-Aging Medicine Associates, a
clinic in Manhattan. Older men and women taking growth hormone lost fat
and gained lean body mass without dieting or exercising. This expensive
treatment with growth hormone, which has been approved by Food and Drug
Administration but for use by people with medical deficiencies, doesn’t
stop the questions about healthy aging and the side effects of high doses.
Quick Study: Heart Disease,
Osteoporosis and More (December 18, 2002)
Here you will find the latest findings from studies on diet and
lifestyle and their impact on heart disease. Also, other reasons to
exercise: stronger bones and lower blood pressure.
Got
Wrinkles? Go Fish (December 17, 2002)
Most doctors agree that aging skin cells produce
excess amounts of free radicals. Here is the funny and personal story
about a woman who tried the Three-Day Nutritional Face-lift: fish, fish
and …. fish anytime. But theory and real observed results have been
revealed to be totally different from
what
has been expected.
Note
by the Secretariat to the Commission for Social Development on Modalities
for review and Appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on
Aging (December 16, 2002)
"This UN note addresses the
role of the Commission for Social development in integrating the different
dimensions of population ageing in its work and modalities for review and
appraisal of follow-up the Second World Assembly on Ageing 2002."
Treating
Disease With a Famous Face (December 15, 2002)
Americans listen to
celebrities, not the medical expert who is unknown to them. While
attaching a celebrity to a disease can motivate sufferers to seek
treatment or lead to more research financing, the arrangements are
ethically complicated. Celebrities
often want to raise money for so-called orphan diseases.
By example the publicist said. Lynda Carter was to be
the new celebrity spokeswoman for the IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
F.D.A.
Seeks Quicker Approval of New Drugs
(December 12, 2002)
The decision to approve of a generic drug is supposed to be made within
six months after an application is filed, but it's not at all unusual for
the process to take 14 to 16 months. The new head of the Food and Drug
Administration, Dr. Mark B. McClellan, said that he intended to speed the
approval of new drugs and crack down on deceptive pharmaceutical
advertising.
Statins: Miracles for Some, Menace for a
Few (December 10, 2002)
Statins have been hailed as miracle drugs for
their ability to prevent deaths from heart attacks by lowering
cholesterol. There are also strong hints that statins may protect against
strokes, Alzheimer's disease and osteoporosis. But many patients are
unaware of the signs of trouble associated with statins: major surgeries,
combinations with other drugs….
Thurmond's
100 - Year Journey
Senator
feted by kin, peers on Capital Hill (December 6, 2002)
The oldest and longest-serving US senator, Strom
Thurmond, celebrated his 100th birthday.
A Program
Intended to Offer Health Insurance to the Poor (December 4, 2002)
An experimental program sponsored by the World
Bank and the International Labor Organization provides health insurance to
poor people in developing countries by allowing small, regional insurers
to pool risk over a large area, making them less vulnerable to large
epidemics.
Medical Errors:
Practicing Physician and Public Views (December 2002)
This study by the Harvard School of Public Health
and the Kaiser Family
Foundation
documents the attitudes of doctors and the public about
medical
errors and their or their families' experiences with medical
errors
in the course of receiving medical care. The surveys also
compare
physician and public perspectives on the extent of the problem.
Side Effects: New Face:
Younger but Blander (November 26, 2002)
Botox (botulinum A exotoxin )injections can
smooth out a patient's forehead but may also limit the mobility of the
eyebrows and paralyze the facial muscles that cause the skin to crease,
according to a new study from the Indiana University Medical Center.
World
Trade Talks Struggle Over Cheap Drugs Access (November 25, 2002)
Representatives from the World Trade
Organization's145 member states are facing a looming deadline to clinch a
deal. All countries agree that the poorest states should have ready access
to cheap drugs, often versions copied by third world producers of
medicines patented by multinationals. But they are split on which countries should get automatic exemption from
patent rules.
US
Launches Plan To Abolish Key Tariffs (November 25, 2002)
In an attempt to revitalize the faltering WTO
Doha trade round, the US will release a proposal for all WTO countries to
eliminate tariffs on manufactured (non-agricultural) goods by 2015. The
proposal is based on a study by the National Foreign Trade Council, a US
business lobby that pushes for lower trade barriers in developing
countries.
2002 National Poll Women 50 + (November
2002)
The US Administration on Aging has conducted a
poll focused on the evolving issues that confront women as they age. This
interesting document shows that midlife and older women are worried about
income and health first and age itself second.
California Seniors and Prescription Drugs
Report on California Seniors conducted by the KFF: nearly one in five
California seniors (18%) were without drug coverage in 2001.
US
Says WTO Deal Must Safeguard Drug Manufacturers (November 21, 2002)
US government
has
proposed allowing poor countries to
license companies in another developing country to manufacture generic
drugs in order to have safety for big drug makers.
Heart Study Bolsters Doubt on
Hormones (November 20, 2002)
A new study found surprisingly that hormone
supplements and antioxidant vitamins hold no heart benefits for older
women who already have heart disease. Doctors suggested that the vitamins
might interfere with cholesterol-lowering drugs. In fact, heart disease
appeared to progress more quickly in women who took hormones, high doses
of vitamins E and C, or both, than in those on placebos.
Power
of Positive Thinking Extends, It Seems, to Aging (November 19, 2002)
People who are psychologically healthier live
longer. Now, it
has
been
shown that this sentence is true: an optimistic view of
life can help you to cope with the stress of life.
Is
Frailty Inevitable? Some Experts Say No (November 19, 2002)
The assumption is that frailty is the price to be
paid for living to an advanced age. But even if you exercise, there is no
guarantee you will get less frail. Researchers
are looking at the basis of frailty to learn if it is inevitable or if it
can be prevented or reduced in intensity. A new frontier for elder
health.
Ageless
Apostle of Muscle (November 19, 2002)
The health and fitness guru
of 1950s and '60s television fame is currently eighty-eight years old and
bursting with vitality. Since age forty, Jack has performed a series of
incredible feats of strength on his birthdays. For example, at age
seventy, he swam, handcuffed, towing seventy boats and seventy people, for
one and a half miles.
Aging:
Brain Boosts, From the Other Side (November 19, 2002)
A new study adds useful information about brain
aging process.Older people best able to press both brain sides into
service do better on skills tests compared with those less adept at using
both sides. For example as the lead author noted: “Instead of picking up
a heavy object with one arm, they might use two."
Older
Patients Benefit from Statin Use-Study (November 18, 2002)
A study
presented at the American Heart Association meeting found that elderly patients who use cholesterol-lowering drugs may enjoy the same
benefits as their younger counterparts.
Generic
Drugs Are Welcomed in Discount Program for Elderly (November 15, 2002)
Seven brand-name manufacturers offer discounts on
prescriptions to low-income elderly people. It’s a new program they
created, called Together Rx. To qualify for the card, elderly people must
be enrolled in Medicare, not have public or private drug coverage, and
have annual incomes of less than $28,000 for individuals or $38,000 for
couples.
The Kind of Noise That Keeps
a Body on Balance (November 14, 2002)
A new survey explained how the noise made the nerves in the feet more
sensitive and puts more pressure on one part of the foot. Good news for
disabled elderly people.
Growth Hormone Changed Older
Bodies, for Better and Worse (November 13, 2002)
American researchers find that the human growth
hormone can transform older people ‘s bodies. However, this growth
hormone that is also used by athletes and bodybuilders has severe side
effects on the health of nearly half the test subjects.
Forgotten
heroes:
Family
caregivers
(November 12, 2002)
On
the caregiving theme, Washington is
debating how to slice up the Medicare pie between beneficiaries and providers, with hospitals, doctors and home-care agencies vying for bigger
portions. But one key group isn't
even at the table: the 27 million family members.
Nursing
Home Report Card Is Released by Government (November 13, 2002)
The
government wants to help consumers judge the quality of care at 17,000
nursing homes around the country. For all nursing homes that participate
in Medicaid or Medicare, the government is publishing up to 10 measures of
performance or quality.
Postmenopausal
Pregnancy Is Medically OK, Study Finds
(November 12, 2002)
Though old enough to be grandmas, there's no medical reason healthy women
in their 50s should be prevented from having babies with donated eggs,
according to the largest study of motherhood after menopause.
How
Perils Can Await the 'Worried Wealthy' (November 12, 2002)
Anxious consumers want to have their bodies
scanned by three-dimensional computerized X-rays from chest to groin. It
costs a lot of money and is not always a proof of value: do American
people play the “Malade Imaginaire” by Moliere?
Menopause Without Pills:
Rethinking Hot Flashes (November 10, 2002)
A transformation of the medical landscape is taking place in the menopause
field. Try to live with your symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats as
well as vaginal dryness), doctors now say. The hormone replacement therapy
can help with these symptoms and help to decrease some risks but there is
no reliable way to determine which women are at particular risk for breast
cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis or colon cancer. And there is still
nothing yet to prevent Alzheimer’s.
Long-Term
Hormone Therapy May Reduce Alzheimer's Risk for Women (November 6, 2002)
A new study observes
that
women who chose to
take estrogen are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. One problem
is that women who take hormones after menopause are different from those
who do not take the drugs. Hormone users tend to be more educated, for
example, and healthier.
HealthSouth
Earns Fall on Medicare Change (November 5, 2002)
HealthSouth Corp. said
its net income fell 32 percent, hit by Medicare changes for reimbursement
for group physical therapy. Net income at the provider of physical
therapy, outpatient surgery and diagnostic imaging centers, dropped to
$53.6 million from $79.1
million in last year's third quarter.
Drug
Makers Pour Ad Money Into Final Days of Campaign (November 4, 2002)
Neither Republicans or Democrats will say
publicly exactly how much they get from the drug industry contributions.
But one thing is sure, Pfizer, the world's largest drug company, is
spending about $4 million on ads running in major markets in 23 states,
many of them battlegrounds where the prescription-drug issue is hot, such
as Florida, Minnesota and Missouri.
Fuzzy
line on drug prices (November 3, 2002)
Numerous private individuals and groups, as well
as the federal and state governments, have launched investigations saying
pharmaceutical companies funneled covert rebates to pharmacies and health
plans, effectively cutting the wholesale prices of drugs without offering
the same discounts to government programs as required by law. Here is an
example story about Warner-Lambert's successor, Pfizer, which did not
admit guilt. Pfizer agreed to settle for $49 million a whistleblower's
lawsuit.
Three
Generic-Drug Makers To Create a Cheaper Prilosec (November 1, 2002)
Three generic-drug makers announced that it will
launch a copycat version of the huge-selling ulcer and heartburn drug
Prilosec. An unusual court decision makes them
help consumers.
The
public on Prescription Drugs for Seniors (October 2002)
This Kaiser Family Foundation report deals with
the debate over public knowledge about prescription drug coverage to
seniors. About 9 in 10 adults support providing prescription drug coverage
for seniors through Medicare.
Social
Whirl May Help Keep the Mind Dancing (October 29, 2002)
New studies suggest that ordinary activities of
personal contact exercise the brain
and
are at least as useful as more formal
intellectual activities.
Report urges healthier senior
lifestyles in Nevada (October 28, 2002)
The Nevada Senior Services Task Force issued a
new report on Nevada’s senior citizens. It had the fastest-growing old
population nationwide from 1990 to 2000. The plan cited previous studies
that show Nevadans drink and smoke at a rate higher than the national
average.
Drug Agency Weighs Role of Hormone
Replacements (October 25, 2002)
The future of the hormone therapy is in big trouble those days. The
Women's Health Initiative study of Prempro, which costs more than $600
million, would like to answer the question of combination of estrogen and
progestin at the same time. It found that Prempro conferred slight risks
of heart attacks, stroke, blood clots and breast cancer that were not
balanced by its benefits, slight decreases in hip fractures and colon
cancer. What would makers of new drugs for menopause do to show they are
safe in long-term studies?
Big Pharmas, Big Karmas (October 25,
2002)
On
Friday, October 25th 2002, more than one hundred demonstrators
from trade unions and senior organizations gathered outside Pfizer
Corporation’s headquarters in NYC. They shouted and carried bright signs
saying, “Big Pharma, Bad Karma.”
Speakers told their terrible experiences of denial of
pharmaceuticals due to high prices or lack of coverage.
“We want Canada’s health system—not the profit monopoly in
the United States.”
Other speakers pointed to the public health care of the European
Union and asked, “Why not here?”
When consumed wisely, vitamins are
more effective than other medicine (October 24, 2002) (in Russian)
Vitamins can not only preserve
sight for older people, but also can help to save spending on expensive
drugs. These results were presented at the annual conference of
ophthalmologists in Orlando, USA.
Many
Older Adults Don't Get Enough Calcium (October 23, 2002)
Most
older adults are not getting the recommended amount of calcium each day,
even if they take supplements, new study findings suggest.
Gene
May Trigger Age-linked Muscle Decline (October 23, 2003)
Like humans, worms called C.
elegans follow the same aging process but in only 18 days. It helps
scientists to understand why they didn't age in exactly the same fashion though they
were all the same in the start. A researcher
at Rutgers University in New Jersey said that "certain
components of aging may simply be due to chance errors at the cellular
level during a worm's--or a human's—life."
Good and Bad Marriage, Boon
and Bane to Health (October 22, 2002)
Married people tend to live longer than their
single, divorced and widowed counterparts. By example, marriage acts as a
balm against loneliness and stress. But it can mean bad news for women as
well. Marital stress affects older women more intensely and lasts longer
than in the men.
The
Ins and Outs of Buying Legal Drugs Across Borders (October 22, 2002)
The fastest and easiest way to save on
prescription drugs is to skirt the law -- and tens of thousands of
Americans are already doing it.
Upstart
Texas Firm Makes Stir With Cheap Drugs From Canada (October 21, 2002)
A small, Texas-based health-claims processor has
opened a crucial new front in the war over whether Americans should be
allowed to import cheap prescription drugs from Canada.
Oxidation
May Be a Factor in Age-linked Eye Disease (October 21, 2002)
Scientists
discovered a link between oxidative damage and age-related macular
degeneration (AMD), an eye disease that is the leading cause of blindness
among the elderly in developed countries. This can lead to difficulties to
read, drive or perform other activities that require sharp vision.
A
Biotech Outcast Awakens (October 20, 2002)
Provigil is written to treat fatigue and
sleepiness. The growing sales of Provigil are raising questions about the
company's promotion (Cephalon
Inc., )of the drug that treats fatigue and sleepiness and about
society's use of it. In the EU, such advertising is prohibited.
Is there an anti-aging medicine?
The secret to healthy aging is healthy diet and moderate exercise. This
paper will help you choose between good and bad anti-aging medicine
products.
Prevent Falls
Here are eight fact sheets for helping elderly to
prevent falls. Thirty percent of elderly people experience at least one
fall each year.
2
Drug Giants to Restore Big Discounts for Elderly (October 24, 2002)
At
the beginning of October, GlaxoSmithKline
and Bristol-Myers
Squibb, cut back on discounts that they had promised to low-income
people. But the federal law says drug makers must offer Medicaid patients the
lowest price available to any buyer: the 2 companies must return to the
original discounts. It is a big victory.
Good
and Bad Marriage, Boon and Bane to Health (October 22, 2002)
Married people tend to live longer than their
single, divorced and widowed counterparts. By example, marriage acts as a
balm against loneliness and stress. But it means bad news for women
sometimes too because marital stress affects them stronger and last longer
than in the men.
Exercise,
Moderate Drinking Keeps Seniors Active (October 17, 2002)
Moderate
drinking and exercise seemed to slow age-related deterioration. These two
activities protect against natural aging according to a new survey from
the University of Washington.
Forever
Young (October 13, 2002)
Suppose you soon can live to well over 100, as
vibrant and energetic as you are now. What would you do with your life?
AstraZeneca
Gains Victory In Ruling on Prilosec Patent (October 12, 2002)
A US federal judge ruled that three generic-drug makers infringed on
AstraZeneca PLC's patent on Prilosec, a top-selling heartburn treatment.
AstraZeneca's generic challengers from countries like India and Germany
had argued that the formulation patents were invalid. AstraZeneca PLC's
strategy to continue its monopoly for the high price, high profit drug continue
unchecked.
What
Older Women Want, Men Can't Deliver-sex Study (October 11, 2002)
Many older women still want to have sex, but they
may face men who have problems.
Manitoba's
Controversial Niche: Exporting Affordable Drugs (October 10, 2002)
During the past two years, Manitoba is home to
more than half of the 50 licensed pharmacies across Canada that use the
Internet to sell prescription drugs, primarily to Americans, at cheaper
Canadian prices.
Take
a Walk
(October 1, 2002)
“Yes, walking. You know: one foot in front of
the other, repeat, rinse, repeat.” Near 75 percent of the U.S.
population fails to get 30 minutes of daily exercise. But walking is the
best choice as a regular form of physical activity as it is proved in this
amusing article from the New York Times.
Some
Retirees Look Abroad for Prescription Drugs (September 24, 2002)
The demand for Canadian drugs has never been so
high. American doctors can apply for licenses that permit them to write
prescriptions that can be filled in Canada. Sometimes chartered buses are
filled with senior citizens to go here.
A
Chance to Sleep Through the Night (September 23, 2002)
Most men, by the time they get into their 50's
and 60's, have a decrease in urinary function. Its medical name is B.P.H.,
for benign prostatic hypertrophy. These are men who get up repeatedly at
night to urinate, or who can't get through a meeting without rushing to
the men's room. Now, men with moderate symptoms are treated with
medications and most get relief according to new data by N.I.H.
(National Institutes of Health)
Insurer
Pushes Use of Generic Drugs As Cost-Cutter (September 20, 2002)
The area's largest health insurer, Blue Cross, is
promoting the use of generic drugs over more costly brand names. It would
save $3 million for each percentage-point increase in usage of generic
drugs rather than brand names.
Action
Alert on Prescription Drugs (September 19, 2002)
The
New York Network for Action on Medicare and Social Security distributed
this Action Alert to its members on September 19, 2002. This critical US health issue shapes policies on how older
people can get the medications they require.
Fighting Pain that Makes You Old
Before Your Time (September 17, 2002)
Peripheral Arterial Pain (PAN) refers to extreme pain suffered during
exertion. This condition,
often underdiagnosed, makes it difficult for persons to get the exercise
they need. This article
details some helpful approaches.
Osteoporosis Getting Serious for Men
(September 16, 2002)
Here is new information about osteoporosis
affecting men—as well as women—and some approaches to retarding its
progress among older persons.
Life
Expectancy Hits 76.9 in U.S.; Health Costs Soar (September 12, 2002)
The good news are people live longer in the US
but the bad news is that they are fatter and racial discrimination cuts
short African, American and Hispanic lives.
Men:
What’s normal, what’s not, as you age (September 10, 2002)
Here are some common changes men’s
bodies may go through as they age. Learn what to expect and what to watch
for.
Even light weights can help elderly get
stronger ( September 6, 2002)
The
ideal way for elderly to train is unknown. But even light loads could
bring advantages and low risk of heartbreak.
Health
Insurance Prognosis Is Poor (September 6, 2002)
The latest US national
survey of health insurance trends founds that employers faced another year
of increases (12.7 percent this year, the largest since 1990.) And there's
also less coverage for retirees and for small-business workers. The
increases are attributed largely to more spending on prescription drugs
and hospital care by an aging population.
Forever Cool (September
5, 2002)
Good tunes cross generation lines : Johnny Cash, Rolling Stones…
Optimism Could Help You Live Longer (September
5, 2002)
Having an optimistic outlook on aging can extend life by seven and half
years, studies shows. Though
negative stereotypes exist and at times bombard the old, boomers and
seniors need to acquire positive self-perceptions.
Sorting Through the Confusion Over Estrogen
(September 5, 2002)
This article develops some issues that govern
women’s choice to continue or discontinue hormone replacement therapy.
Veteran health writer Jane Brody gives an excellent overview.
The Search for Alternatives to Hormone
Replacement Therapy (September 3, 2002)
With
hormone replacement health findings in the news recently, some women have
dropped out of treatment. Many,
though, experience hot flashes, mood swings, sleep disturbances are other
menopausal symptoms that can come back after quitting hormone replacement
therapy.
Community Health Centers: Casting a Wider
Safety Net (September 2, 2002)
An infusion of federal funds is fueling a boom of
expansion among health centers serving the nation's low-income and
uninsured patients.
Medicare+Choice
in New York City: So Far, So Good? (September 2002
)
This
Commonwealth Fund explains "why the
Medicare+Choice program--faltering in many regions--has thus far enjoyed
relative stability in New York City. However, according to the report
there are signs that these conditions may soon change."
Geographic Inequity in Medicare + Choice
Benefits-Findings from Seven Communities (September 2002)
This Commonwealth Fund "compares the 2002 benefit packages of
Medicare+Choice plans to assess the degree of regional disparities in
benefit packages. The authors find wide variations in out-of-pocket costs
for Medicare+Choice enrollees depending on where beneficiaries live."
Medicare + Choice After 5 Years (September 2002)
This Commonwealth Fund report examines "the reasons behind the widespread
dissatisfaction of private health plans, health care providers, and
beneficiaries with the Medicare+Choice program and draws lessons for
broader Medicare reform."
2003 Dennis W. Jahnigen
Career Development Scholars Awards (September 2002)
An initiative if the
American Geriatrics Society, the Dennis W.Jahnigen Career Development
Scholars Program is designed to address the urgent need to create a
structure for developing leaders in geriatrics in academic surgery and
related medical specialties.
Study
Suggests Carbohydrates Are Attacked in Arthritis (August 22, 2002)
Rheumatoid arthritis, a disease without cure that
afflicts more than two million people in the United States, could be
caused by by out-of-control immune cells. Scientists are still unsure.
Cataract Surgery May Cut Older Drivers' Crash
Risk (August 21, 2002)
Older adults who have surgery to repair their
cataracts may be less likely to have a car accident than cataract patients
who opt out of surgery, new study findings suggest.
Mass. plans
new push to home care for disabled (August 21, 2002)
Deinstitutionalization of mentally and physically disabled people
to community settings starts
in Boston . The action comes in
response to federal court rulings requiring that the disabled be treated
in the least restrictive setting possible.
A healthy debate ( August 21, 2002)
This year gubernatorial campaign
is stirring and rising
concern about such issues as ballooning
health costs, a sputtering economy that threatens to push more medical
costs onto employees and swell the ranks of the uninsured, and a Congress
that failed to pass a prescription drug benefit for Medicare.
Male Hormone Therapy Popular but Untested (August
19, 2002)
As fresh
debates about Hormone Replacement risk and danger therapy in women
proceed, when new debates arise on hormone
replacement — in older men. Testosterone – a male hormone is now being
considered as a possible antidote for aging and a way to get a lean and
muscular body. But
testosterone can fuel the growth of prostate cancer, it can increase red
blood cell production, and possibly can increase the risk of clots that
can cause heart attacks and strokes Is it safe enough to prescribe ?
Detecting heart disease early (August 19, 2002)
US researches found that it
is possible to detect early heart diseases by checking the levels of a particular protein in the
blood. In a second study, doctors found antibiotics could protect against
heart disease.
West
Nile: Prepare, Don't Panic
(August 19, 2002)
West Nile virus is becoming a real
threat to people’s health and life. The
risk of serious complication tends to increase with age or a failing
immune system. West Nile
vaccine is on the stage of development and till that time one can protect
oneself by simple measures like: wearing long-sleeved shirts and long
pants and using insect repellent during mosquito season.
Reducing side effects of
Retinoic Acid Cancer treatment (August 15, 2002)
Retinoic Acid (RA) is being widely used by doctors in treatment of cancer.
The drawback to RA however, is that it requires high dose in order to be
effective and that can be very toxic for patient. Cornell University
scientist found the way to use smaller doses of RA.
A Peril of the Veil of Botox
(August 6, 2002)
In the era of beauty worshiping, Botox injection for cosmetic uses seems
as a panacea for theaging face. It
has many benefits – no need for operation,
it is painless and the result will be
an endlessly renewable face-lift. Botox,
however, paralyzes the underlying muscles that control facial movement and
produce wrinkles. As it takes wrinkles away, it is also robs the face of
some human expression. And this raises the question: What are the
implications for human relationship through facial communication.
New Knees May Be in Order When
Other Options Fail (August 13, 2002)
The human knee though
an engineering masterpiece , is a very vulnerable joint that can
deteriorate with age. There are two ways to cope with a deteriorated knee
– total knee replacement, recommended for aging people and tibial
osteotomy, recommended for younger patients.
What the Tooth Fairy Forgot:
Dentists for Rural America (August 7, 2002)
A shortage of dentists in rural stretches of the upper
Midwest reaches crisis proportions and lead to postpone retirement for
such old doctors as Dr. Nemer, 70 who had planned to retire five years ago
but has stayed on because he cannot find anyone to take over the thriving
practice he built over a lifetime in the isolated farm town .
Artificial
insemination can work in older women (
August 5, 2002)
If a woman lost hope of getting pregnant after 40, she
can be artificially inseminated. Artificial
insemination, according to research’s works
in older women and is
less expensive than in vitro fertilization
Louisiana
lawmakers seek funds to battle West Nile virus
(August 4, 2002)
West Nile (WN) has emerged in
recent years in temperate regions of Europe and North America, presenting
a threat to public , equine, and animal health. The most serious
manifestation of WN virus infection is fatal encephalitis (inflammation of
the brain), often deadly for people.
Scientists
unravel secrets of long life (August 2, 2002)
Scientists in the
United States claim they have discovered three things can prolong
person’s life. These are low body temperature, low levels of insulin and high level of DHEAS, circulating in the blood.
Drugstores to Boost Drug
Cards After Senate Rejects Legislation (August 2, 2002)
Although the Senate failed
to pass legislation this week providing prescription-drug benefit to
Medicare recipients, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores agreed
market a discount-drug plan for seniors organized by the
Together Rx coalition of seven pharmaceutical companies. The goal
of the Together Rx coalition
is to educate and enroll
seniors, beginning with a campaign scheduled for six major cities this
fall.
Evaluation
of the Wellspring Model for Improving Home Quality (August 2002)
A Commonwealth Report about the nursing home care : " The Wellspring
Alliance of 11 non-profit nursing homes in Wisconsin has stabilized staff
turnover and remained free serious quality deficiencies on state
inspections."
Why
Tai Chi Is the Perfect Exercise (July 31, 2002)
Tai Chi combines intense mental focus with deliberate, graceful
movements that improve strength, agility and — particularly important
for the elderly — balance.
Senate Rejects Medicare Drug
Benefits for Elderly (31 July, 2002)
On July 31, 2002 the Senate killed legislation to provide prescription
drug benefits promised to the elderly by both parties. Sixty votes were
needed to keep the proposal alive – and Democrats could muster only 49.
Prescription drug
coverage and seniors: How well are states closing the gap? (31 July, 2002)
This 2001 survey of seniors in eight states reflects
attempts of many states to
provide drug coverage for low-income seniors through Medicaid and
state-funded pharmacy assistance programs. It finds marked differences
among states in the percentage of seniors with coverage and in the sources
providing coverage. In all
states Medicaid was an important source of coverage for the poor, but the
depth of Medicaid drug coverage varied widely across states.
Family Caregivers Often
Frustrated With Long Term Care Options (July 29, 2002)
An NPA (National PACE Association) study reveals
that finding long term care in the community for
families and friends who provide care in the community for elderly people
with chronic care needs, trying to find long term care services is
frustrating. There is no single community based agency that family
caregivers perceive. This study can be useful to adapt further the
programs of PACE to meet family caregivers needs.
Estrogen, After a Fashion
(July 28, 2002)
Writer
Ann Patchett reflects on how scientific the scientists can be as they
devise drugs for some women.
Drugs, particularly those dealing with cosmetic “improvements”
in women, depend on fashion, she claims.
Ignored are the many poor women throughout the world for whom drugs
to combat malaria, HIV-AIDS symptoms, and other life-threatening diseases
are beyond their means. The market denies health to them.
More
People 65 and After Getting Cosmetic Surgery (July 24, 2002)
Expensive cosmetic surgery makes some older
persons feel better about themselves.
Others do it to avoid on-the-job age discrimination.
While the high cost of
surgery makes it unavailable to almost all older persons, this article
details the motivations of the few who decide they want a “lift.”
Pfizer
Feeds Its Drug Habit (July 23, 2002)
Pfizer's
$60 billion purchase of Pharmacia will create the world's largest drug
firm with $9.2 billion in profits. This Fortune article wants to
solve this question: “When it comes to drugs, is bigger necessarily
better?”
States
Use Their Purchasing Power As Leverage to Limit Drug Prices (July 21,
2002)
State governments have discovered a new weapon in
their battle against drug makers' price increases: market forces.
Prozac Mailed Unsolicited to a
Teenager in Florida (July 20, 2002)
The Prozac story is not finished. Michael
Grinsted, a young teenager, who has never suffered from depression, got a prescription drug Prozac by mail. The
Grinsteds said they might join a class-action lawsuit that a 59-year-old
woman filed this month in state court in Fort Lauderdale against Lilly,
the Walgreen Company and several doctors.
Research Suggests More Health
Care May Not Be Better (July 20, 2002)
According to a paper
published in the journal Health Affairs, Medicare's typical lifetime
spending for a 65-year-old in Miami is more than $50,000 higher than for a
65-year-old in Minneapolis. Can this gap be explained by regional
differences in medical costs? No. The reason is abundance of supply,
including medical doctors and services. The study suggests that more
doctors do not assure better health.
Brand-Name Drug Industry
Overwhelms Generic in Campaign Contributions and Lobbying Spending (July
19, 2002)
As the U.S. Senate considers legislation opposed by the brand-name drug
industry to provide consumers with faster access to cheaper generic drugs,
a new Public Citizen study shows how the brand-name prescription drug
industry has outspent the much smaller generic drug industry by a 40-to-1
margin on campaign contributions and lobbying.
Senate Backs Use of Drug
Lists By States in Medicaid Programs (July 19, 2002)
The Senate approved giving states authority to
use preferred-drug lists and other cost-cutting measures in their Medicaid
programs.
Plan to Import Drugs From
Canada Passes in Senate (July 18, 2002)
The Bush administration does not want to sign legislation to import drugs from Canada
although Congress has already approved it. Their US based argument
is that drugs could be risky for public health. There is also big
resistance from drug companies.
Text of letter to US
Senator Ted Kennedy about affordable prescription drugs (July 17, 2002)
Anne Marie Mayer, GAA volunteer, this summer
joined the Patriot’s Bus
Ride to Washington D.C.
to find answers to following questions “Why should we have to go
to Canada for affordable prescription
drugs?” Why must we pay prices 40-60% higher than Canadians for the
letter to US Senator Ted Kennedy.
Survey Halted, Drug Makers Seek to
Protect Hormone Sales (July 17, 2002)
Recent results on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) research, where it was discovered that HRT can
increase the risk of breast cancer, stroke, blood clots and heart attacks,
presents doctors with a difficult choice--should
they stop prescribing HRT or not? The survey also shows that
sales representatives from drug companies that promote HRT drugs tripled the number of doctors they visited last week
compared with the week before the study came out.
Age Lines (July 16, 2002)
Some good health news about good cholesterol,
dementia and beauty: older people with prior stroke or neck conditions who
want to have a salon shampoo must exercise caution.
Pfizer to Buy Large Drug Rival
in $60 Billion Deal (July 15, 2002)
Drug giant Pfizer Inc., bought Pharmacia for $60 billion and became the
world’s largest pharmaceutical company. Pfizer press releases suggest that the merger would help
limit price increases. Observers
are dubious that the drug industry consolidation into several giant firms
would lower prices. Rather, it creates less competition on the basis of
price. Regulators have yet to
approve the sale.
Senate Panel OKs Generic Drug
Bill (July 12, 2002)
Election issues shape how serious Senators want to be over the high cost
of prescription drugs. Two
other questions lurk in the background:
How indebted are Senators to political contributions
originating in drug company profits? Are back room deals underway to
privatize Medicare?
A Knee Surgery for Arthritis Is
Called Sham (July 11, 2002)
A popular operation for arthritis of the knee worked no better than a sham
procedure in which patients were sedated while surgeons pretended to
operate, researchers are reporting today.
Challenged to care: Informal
caregivers in a Changing health System (July/August, 2002)
This report from a survey of informal caregivers , who provide unpaid
assistance to ill, disabled or elderly people in the US, reveals the
intense emotional and physical burdens on some caregivers
Should
Anyone Take Hormones? (July 8, 2002)
Postmenopausal women
are familiar with such problems as hot flashes , mood swings, sleep difficulties and vaginal dryness
and they used to cope with them by using HRT (Hormone Replacement
Therapy). But recent studies question the usefulness and safety of HRT
Study:
AIDS Shortening Life in 51 Nations (July 8, 2002)
Demographers and health experts report that AIDS has
begun to cut longevity gains in fifty-one nations in Africa and the
Caribbean. In the USA, Black
heterosexual women are increasingly contracting AIDS as are gay men who
engage in high-risk sexual activities, according to experts.
Most new cases are unaware of that they might have AIDS.
Good
news/bad news story for older Americans (July 08, 2002)
Recent reports from the Administration on Aging
show that Americans
age 50+ are healthier and living longer overall, but at the same time
receive fewer benefits from health insurance.
World Within: Validation
Method Helps Confused Elders Get Heard and Understand (July 7, 2002)
This article describes the Validation method of communicating with
confused older adults developed by Naomi Feil, a Cleveland-based geriatric
social worker whose communication techniques are taught worldwide. Feil
emphasizes that in order to understand, you have to become a detective:
Listen carefully and the individual's behavior and their words will make
sense, and the individual will become calmer because they finally have
been heard.
With loss of independence,
sadness (July 7, 2002)
This Boston Globe article documents the difficulties
that Baseball Great Ted Williams faced following open heart surgery
about18 months prior to his death. According
to family reports, Williams knew about the risks of poor health after the
operation but chose to go ahead. The
article questions the worth of risk-taking procedures that can take
autonomy, if not life, away.
Free Prozac in the Junk Mail
Draws a Lawsuit (July 6, 2002)
Aggressive marketing of a drug to a
doctor’s patient via a free sample in the mail may be stopped cold in a
lawsuit. Invasion of privacy
of medical records, using the
mail for unsolicited drugs, and
an expiring patent on a high-price, high profit,
drug shape this drama
States Split as U.S. Offers
Drug Subsidy for Elderly (July 6,
2002)
Most
States are reluctant to participate in a Bush program to give matching
money for a drug benefit to those with modest incomes but ineligible for
Medicaid. This Bush Program
is “budget neutral” and can have the effect of directing money away
from other recipients of the State’s Medicaid funds.
Staying Cool In Extreme
Heat (July
4, 2002)
As the country endures a summer heat wave, the elderly, very young and ill
are especially susceptible to heat-related illnesses, including death.
This article helps identify heat-related illnesses and provides
methods of relief.
Wisconsin Begins To Enroll Seniors
in Medicaid Prescription Drug Assistance Program (July 2, 2002)
In a leading initiative, Wisconsin opened enrollment for a Prescription
Drug Assistance Program for low-income seniors who are eligible for
Medicaid. This initiative may show whether brand name drug prices continue
to go up in Wisconsin with assured payments from taxpayers.
Methods Are Many to
Reduce Blood Pressure (July 2, 2002)
Here are potential risk factors for hypertension
development and practical measures to reduce blood pressure.
Heart Pump Saves Lives, and Raises
Questions (July 2, 2002)
With tens of thousands of Americans dying of heart failure each year, and
a dire shortage of donated human hearts, cardiologists have long dreamed
of a device that could be permanently implanted in people too old or sick
for a heart transplant. Headlines detail a $ 60,000 heart
machine that may extend the lives of as many as 100,000 people a year. It also generates economic , social and ethical
questions about who deserved that
to live.
Seniors
and Prescription Drugs: Findings from a 2001 Survey of Senior in Eight
States (July 2002)
A Commonwealth report about the senior's prescription use: " Nearly
one quarter of the elderly say they skip medication doses or fail to get
prescriptions filled because of cost concerns."
\51
Top Scientists Blast Anti-Aging Idea (June 2002)
Lots of sparks fly around anti-aging medicines.
Where does prevention strategy end and anti-aging begin?
The search for a Fountain of Youth has a long history.
Medicare
Beneficiaries and Their Assets: Implications for Low-Income Programs
(June, 2002)
This
report, prepared by Marilyn Moon of The Urban Institute and Robert
Friedland and Lee Shirey of Georgetown University's Center on an Aging
Society, reviews the income and assets of the current Medicare population,
provides an overview of asset tests used to determine eligibility for
programs assisting low-income Medicare beneficiaries, and considers how
alternative policy options would affect eligibility for these programs.
Pharmaceutical Research Is
Focusing on the Elderly (June 28, 2002)
Some 135 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are now developing 294
medicines aimed at diseases that disproportionately affect older people.
Companies hope that the new drugs will bring in high profits to
replace those with expired patents.
Diet Rich
in Vitamins C, E May Pare Alzheimer's Risk (26 June, 2002)
Scientists recommend to eat food, rich in vitamin E and
C because it may lower the risk of developing Alzheimer disease, according
to two studies, released yesterday.
Grandma's Bad Drug Deal (June
25, 2002)
This Wall Street Journal article details the proposed provisions in both
Democrat and Republican drug benefit plans.
Neither political party addresses regulating the prices—and
profits—of the pharmaceutical industry.
Without some form of price regulation, taxpayers could be
subsidizing pharmaceutical companies for elders’ drugs with little
change in older persons’ costs.
Prices for Prescription Drugs
Used by Seniors Soared in 2001 (25 June, 2002)
Drug manufacturers raised prices on
prescription drugs that senior citizens often use three times the
inflation rate in 2001. Generic
drug manufacturers raised only 10% of their drug prices. Pharmaceutical company profits continue to soar on the backs
of sick, elderly persons.
Familiar Blood Pressure Drugs Find
an Array of Novel Uses (June 25,2002)
ACE inhibitors are familiar drugs for people with hypertension. But
now it is becoming obvious that these drugs
can prevent heart attack, stroke and new cases of diabetes in a
variety of patients and also slow muscle decline in the elderly.
Student Doctors Start to
Rebel Against Drug Makers' Influence (24 June, 2002)
Drug makers spend big money -- more than $16 billion in 2001,
according to one estimate -- cultivating physicians and medical
students.Research has shown that industry largess influences doctors to
the point that some improperly prescribe -- or over prescribe -- certain
drugs. It also may affect how much consumers pay for the drugs.
Federal
Panel Backs Prilosec For Over-the-Counter Sales (June 22,2002)
Prilosec is once the world's top-selling drug,
peaking at $6.3 billion in 2000. The panel of federal medical experts said
AstraZeneca,
PLC's blockbuster drug,
should be sold as a once-a-day
medicine. But advisers said the proposed label wasn't written clearly
enough to ensure that consumers will use Prilosec properly.
Progress
Is Reported on Parkinson's Disease (June 21, 2002)
Parkinson’s disease is one the frequent diseases, affecting aging
people . Scientists working with human embryonic stem cells have converted
them into the type of brain cell that is lost in Parkinson's disease, and
have shown that the equivalent cells in mice alleviate Parkinson-like
symptoms in rodents
House
Panel Approves Bill on Prescription Drug Benefits (June 21, 2002)
After an all-night session, a House committee this morning approved
a bill to provide prescription drug benefits to the elderly under
Medicare, setting up a vote by the full House of Representatives next
week. President Bush and drug companies generally support republicans
proposal.
Minnesota
Joins List of States Suing Firms Over Drug Prices (June 19, 2002)
With help of other states like California, a
lawsuit against Pharmacia Corp. makes Minnesota the latest state to sue a
pharmaceutical company.
Experts Wary of G.O.P. Drug
Plan (June 15, 2002)
On the “hot” issue of prescription drugs cost, a Republican plan to
provide prescription drug benefits to the elderly through private insurers
seems attractive. But past experience of H.M.O. shows that
drug companies raised prices beyond the capacity of H.M.O.’s to
pay. Since 1998 2.2 million beneficiaries have been dropped.
Drug
Makers Plug Their Pills as the Cure For Americans' Struggle With Grief,
Fear (June 14, 2002)
The drug companies have to push depression drugs.
A new study notes an increase in number of people suffering with anxiety
and depression, and in need of medication even on Internet.
Costs
of the Tax Cut and of a Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (June 14, 2002)
This issue brief compares the cost of last year's tax cuts ≈ and
especially the costs of the tax cuts provided to the top one percent of
the population ≈ with the costs of two possible prescription drug
plans for the Medicare population. And the difference in costs between the
two prescription drug benefits is
less than the cost of the tax cut for the top one percent of the
U.S. population.
Elderly
drug prices soaring: report (June 12, 2002)
One new study from Families USA finds that prices
of the 50 drugs most popular with seniors jumped last year, more than
twice the increase of other normal living costs. In this article you will find the top 20 drugs sellers or the
highest prices from
January 2001 to January 2002.
Fortune Magazine rated pharmaceuticals the most profitable industry in the
country in 2001, with an 18.6 percent return.
Abundance of "cures"
brings ills. (June 11, 2002)
This article shows how prescription drugs given by reputable doctors with
the best of intentions can lead to health decline. And very often there is
not enough communication among multiple doctors about what drugs are being
prescribed.
Prilosec's
Maker Switches Users To Nexium, Thwarting Generics (June 6, 2002)
Fifteen months after its patent expired, the
market shows how deftly the planners handled their crisis. Prilosec still
has its exclusivity, having kept the generics at bay with a series of
lawsuits and peripheral patent claims.
Women of Color and Social
Security (June 6, 2002)
This article reflects how important Social
Security benefits are for women of color. . Social Security represents 50-90%
or more of their retirement income, it is more then just a retirement
program, it provides family
insurance in the case of premature death or disability, which is
particularly important for women of color and their families.
Privatization, offered by President Bush can
deeply change this benefits. It is better to strengthen Social Security
then to make it private.
Massachusetts
Senate Shuns Medicaid Cut (June 5, 2002)
Massachusetts Senate President Thomas F.
Birmingham is releasing a budget plan that would preserve Medicaid
benefits for 30,000 long-term unemployed residents and pay for additional
health care. Senate leaders also propose spending 80 percent of the $300
million annual settlement with the tobacco companies.
Bristol-Myers
Is Sued by 29 States Over Its Efforts to Protect Taxol (June 5, 2002)
Attorney Generals from 29 States are suring Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. The
suit claims that Bristol-Myers conspired with American BioScience Inc., a
Los Angeles biotechnology company, in a series of legal actions whose sole
purpose was to fend off generic competition.
House
Calls: How Physicians Heal Themselves (June 4, 2002)
There was a time, before physicians started seeing Rosalia Morales at her
home, when this very ill
66-year-old widow was not getting any medical care at all. Mrs. Morales
suffers from Alzheimer's disease and has had several strokes. She is
bedridden and cannot feed herself.
Now the Moraleses are part of a five-year-old program “Visiting
Doctors” of the Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine
that was started primarily as a teaching strategy.
Push
Up the Weights, and Roll Back the Years (June 4, 2002)
According to the article, if you would like to be a woman better able to
meet whatever physical challenges life may throw in your path, start
strength training. "Strength training, also called resistance or
weight training, is beneficial for every woman, no matter what her age or
fitness level.. More important, weight training is an almost magical way
to achieve many of your health goals.
However, as a doctor I would recommend to talk to your doctor first,
because these strength training is a double-edged sword and benefits can be
controversial.
U.S.,
in Court Filing, Backs Maine's Drug Discount Plan (June 1, 2002)
This article presents the issue which is very topical these days
the price of prescription medicines and their accessibility for
low-income people, the elderly and the uninsured . The Bush administration
told the Supreme Court today that it should allow Maine to carry out a
state law that tries to force drug companies to reduce the prices of
prescription medicines sold in the state.
Many states are looking to the Maine program as a model. The program,
Maine Rx, was created under a 2000 law but litigation has stalled so far.
Are Medicare Docs Taking
Off? Some Are, But Exodus Called 'Exaggerated' (May 2002)
The federal government recently cut Medicare
payments to doctors by 5.4 percent, causing many doctors to begin refusing
acceptance of Medicare patients. The
overall acceptance of people over the age of 65 on Medicare, however, has
risen since 1994, and experts insist that the problem has been
exaggerated. The most
troubled places in the country for access to doctors are: Washington
State; Arkansas; Colorado; and the Boston area.
Survey
of FDA Approvals Questions Extensions for Patents, Fuels Feud (May 29,
2002)
A FDA report criticizes "me-too drugs."
It is well known that drug development is often incremental. But recently,
drug-company labs have run into a frightening dry patch, forcing drug
companies to try to extend the franchises on their most popular drugs.
Paralysis in Health Care (May
28, 2002)
Early this year Congress and the White House
entertained dreams of passing all kinds of health care legislation.
President Bush and Senator Edward Kennedy were supposedly working on a
patients' "bill of rights." There was even talk of enacting a
prescription drug benefit for the elderly. But such talk has vanished.
Centenarians
aren't slowing down (May 23, 2002)
According to a
12-year study of 150 "expert survivors," as the University of
Georgia center calls them, centenarians experience no more illnesses, take
no more prescription medicines and require no more hospital stays or
doctor visits than people in their 60s, 70s or 80s.
U.S. Adults Live Longer --
With Chronic Ills, Less Coverage
(May 21, 2002)
Americans over 50 are living longer, smoking less and suffering with less
disability than previous generations of midlife adults. But they are more
likely to be overweight or obese, live with multiple chronic health
conditions and depend more on prescription drugs, all at a time when
growing gaps in medical funding threaten their access to care.
Obesity Threatens Americans
Over 50 (May 21, 2002)
According to AARP, Americans over 50 are living longer, smoking less and
developing fewer disabilities than their predecessors, but increasing
obesity could cancel the health gains. Obesity among those over 50 nearly
doubled from 1982 to 1999, to 26.7 percent of that population from 14.4
percent.
Alternative Fitness Program
Offered (May 15, 2002)
"Exercise is meant to energize you, not exhaust you,'' Ann Smith says
-- a message not just for the elderly. For more than 40 years, Smith has
advocated fitness training. For 15 minutes, elderly cardiac patients, in
sweatshirts and sock feet, move gingerly through a series of stretching
exercises, under the tutelage of Ann Smith.
Falling Seniors May Get Help
(May 15, 2002)
For people over age 65, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths. More
than 11 million elderly in the United States fall each year -- one in
three senior citizens.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says
about 40 percent of all nursing home admissions are due to falls.
New
Survey on Women’s Health in the U.S. (May 2002)
A new national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds most women
report generally positive experiences with the health care system, but a
sizable share faced problems.
Mixing
With Care (May 14, 2002)
Twice a week, a dozen preschoolers burst into a room at the
Brookland Intergenerational Day Care Center in Northeast Washington to
join some unlikely playmates. "Good morning, seniors," they
call, before settling in among 25 men and women. Many of the elders are in
wheelchairs, and roughly half have vacant expressions, lolling tongues or
other signs of dementia.
US Annual Cancer Diagnoses
Will Double By 2050 (May 14, 2002)
The number of Americans diagnosed annually with cancer will double over
the next 50 years, from 1.3 million to 2.6 million, according to a new
study. By 2050, more than 1.1 million people 75 and older will be
diagnosed each year. The increase in older cancer patients will require
more cancer specialists who can treat them.
Treatments: Aspirin's Added
Benefits to Heart (May 14, 2002)
Aspirin may help prevent heart disease in more ways than was thought,
according to a study released in the journal Circulation. But in recent
years a small and regular dose of aspirin has been recommended to many
people because of the discovery that it also reduces blood clotting,
cutting the risk of a heart attack.
New Face of AIDS Getting Older
(May 13, 2002)
“Women after menopause are not going to use condoms because they're not
afraid of getting pregnant anymore” said Jane P. Fowler, 67, infected
with the AIDS virus. Elderly people don’t know much about STD (sexually
transmitted disease) because they were a VD (venereal disease) generation.
Companies Trim
Health Benefits for Many Retirees as Costs Surge
(May 10, 2002)
The inflation of medical costs is affecting retiree’s health care
benefits, since hundreds of millions of dollars are being drained from
companies. When will a cap be put on medical charges?
Helping
the elderly to cope with pain (May 10, 2002)
Getting
old doesn’t mean having to live with pain, the American Geriatrics
Society says in new guidelines with easy-to-read pamphlets to help older
Americans explain their pain to doctors and know if dementia-stricken
loved ones are suffering.
Elderly Get Coping With Pain Tips
(May 9, 2002)
Getting old doesn't mean having to live with pain, the American Geriatrics
Society says. Tylenol is a good first choice for certain types of mild to
moderate pain. But people with persistent, severe pain require far
stronger drugs. Some 86 percent of elderly people have at least one
chronic illness that can be painful, and they are more likely than other
age group to receive inadequate treatment.
Affordability of Medicare and a
prescription drug benefit (May 8, 2002)
The biggest challenge facing Medicare today is not its cost growth or even
its long-term affordability but its lack of a prescription drug benefit.
Seniors and people with disabilities disproportionately rely on
prescription drugs. Extending the tax cut which benefited the richest
should be cancelled. A $750 billion drug benefit provides real help to
those that need it.
Study Shows Even Moderate
Exercise Can Reverse Aging's Effects by Years (May 8, 2002)
The results of a 30-year study offer the prospect that starting a moderate
but consistent exercise program later in life -- even after years of
falling out of shape -- can restore aerobic capacity to levels one had as
a young adult. At the same time, the research shows startling consequences
of inactivity at any age.
Elderly face shortage of
geriatric doctors (May 6, 2002)
Geriatricians are doctors with expertise in caring for older people. Most
are trained in family practice or internal medicine but have completed one
additional year of fellowship training in geriatrics and passed a
certifying exam."Training in geriatric medicine can help save or
improve the lives of people who still have much to give," said Dr.
Charles Cefalu, director of geriatric program development at Louisiana
State University.
Mind
Games ( May 5, 2002)
Jane Smiley, a Washington Post writer, expresses her thoughts and feeling
about how ones life can change drastically when faced with the news of
carrying the Alzheimer's disease.
Creatine May Help Older Men
(May 1, 2002)
Creatine may not be just for young athletes. According to a new study,
older men who took the supplement increased strength in just a week. This
study showed no harmful effects. Some may not respond to the product.
In Pursuit of Long-Term
Care: Ensuring Access, Coverage,
Quality
(April, 2002)
As the oldest members of the baby boom generation approach
retirement, need for long term care is rising, presenting a growing
challenge to long term care providers. This article discusses the issues
of federal and state regulatory policies, difficulty of measuring the
quality in elderly care services , advantages and disadvantages of
formal care-giving versus informal family care-giving.
This is a good background about the options that might be available
for elder care
For Mentally Ill, Death and
Misery (April 28, 2002)
Every day, New Yorkers come face to face with the mentally ill who have
ended up on the streets since the state began closing its disgraced
psychiatric wards more than a generation ago. The mentally ill typically
have shorter life expectancies than the general population, because they
have difficulty caring for themselves and are more prone to health
problems.
A Digest of Recent News on
Aging and Health (April 23, 2002)
This article resume the latest news about health issues : hormone
replacement therapy, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, heart risks…
Being Misread: A Lesson in
Vigilance (April 23, 2002)
While estrogen taken for menopausal symptoms can increase a women's
risk of uterine cancer, adding progesterone can reduce that risk. But in
Clare’s case the progesterone made her more irritable than taking no
estrogen at all. So with her doctor's permission she kept taking the
estrogen but quit taking the progesterone. Biopsies were done to keep an
eye out for cancer…
For a Proven Product, Blurry
Claims (April 23, 2002)
Eye care company Bausch & Lomb is marketing a dietary supplement
with bold claims that it is "the only eye vitamin proven effective by
the National Eye Institute" (NEI), saying a study showed it helped
"preserve the sight of people most at risk for age-related vision
loss."
In it for the Long Run ( April 23,
2002)
When nearly 1,000 runners lined up recently for the Plaza America 5K in
Reston, the world-class runners from Kenya had company at the head of the
pack. Ready to run across the starting line with them were six
Washington-area men, also fit and toned, but with one key difference. They
were all 75 years or older.
Over the Hill -- and Back
Again. Many Times (April 23, 2002)
Nationally, older runners like these represent less than 1 percent of the
finishers in road races, according to the USA Track & Field
Roadrunning Information Center in Santa Barbara, Calif. This year, a
90-year-old woman completed the London marathon. In the Boston Marathon,
51 of the more than 13,000 entrants were 70 years and older, including
four women.
Older Americans Months May,
2002 (April 2002)
The U. S. Administration on Aging will celebrate the Older Americans Month
2002 in May. The theme of this year will be “America : A Community for
All ages. Here are some links to documents about the elderly in America
today.
Some
Ad Firms Mount Campaign Defending Pharmaceutical Industry (April, 19,
2002)
With major drug companies increasingly under fire
for their advertising messages, Madison Avenue is mounting a campaign of
its own to defend the pharmaceutical industry.
Most
Baby Boomers Finding It Harder To Feel Good About Their Appearance, Survey
Finds (April 19, 2002)
“Baby boomers are
America’s most influential generation and have seen everything from
Vietnam and Woodstock to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise of
Starbucks”. 2001’s Varilux Boomer Watch survey reports most boomers
(86%) feel it is harder than ever to feel good about their appearance.
Hard
Decisions for Employers as Costs Soar in Health Care
(April 18, 2002)
A third year in a row increase in the health care costs could lead
employers to offer fewer health plans, reduce what they cover or even
place more costs to employees.
Such a Comfort to Grandma, and He Runs on
Double-A's
(April 18, 2002)
Researchers are indeed hard at work exploring the uses of robots as
helpmates to the elderly who want to stay in their homes. The next step
for the researchers is to give robotic dogs to elderly people for six
weeks to see how the relationships develop. Is a robot be able to be a
caregiver for older persons.
'Spot' Goes High-Tech (
April 9,2002)
Pets
have long been hailed for their ability to help older people deal the
loneliness and isolation that comes with aging in the United States. But
what about pets made out of plastic and metal?
Pfizer
Faces a Federal Inquiry On Pricing of Cholesterol Drug (March 29, 2002)
The US Justice department
is investigating whether Pfizer overcharged the government for its
cholesterol blockbuster Lipitor during 1999 and 2000…. Federal law
requires drug makers to offer their medicines to Medicaid programs at the
best price available to any customer. In 2001, Pfizer reported Lipitor
sales of $6.45 billion, a 28% increase compared with 2000…
Open up the books!
'Prediabetes' May Afflict
16 Million In U.S.; Lifestyle Changes Needed
(March 28, 2002)
An estimated 16 million Americans between 40 and 74 years old suffer from
"prediabetes," a dangerous condition that can lead to
full-fledged diabetes within a decade. Doctors should screen patients who
are overweight and who are 45 or older for prediabetes. The diabete can be
fatal, or result in blindness or amputation.
Rx4U:
More Drug Firms Are Trying to Get Personal (March 25, 2002)
'Personalizing" drug treatment has been one
of the hottest areas of research since the human genome was mapped nearly
two years ago.
The
FDA is keen to receive more drug applications based on genomic profiles.
Health
Insurance Coverage in America: 2000
Data Update
(March 22, 2002)
The Kaiser Family Foundation chart book provides year 2000 data on health
insurance coverage, with special attention to the uninsured. It includes
trends and major shifts in coverage and a profile of the uninsured
population.
Outcomes: Another
Possible Aspirin Benefit for Men (March 19, 2002)
Men over 60 who took aspirin or another anti-inflammatory drug daily were
half as likely as those who didn't to be diagnosed with prostate cancer
during a six-year Mayo Clinic study.
Why
Drug Makers Are Failing In Quest for New Blockbusters (March 18, 2002)
The collapse of Prozac
was a landmark. Doctors get most of their information about drugs from
drug-company salespeople and tend to prescribe the pills that are pitched
to them. By contrast, generic companies, which operate on razor-thin
margins, can't afford to send legions of salespeople to doctors' offices.
Drugs: More Important, More
Costly
(March 12, 2002)
The importance of prescription drugs to older people is one of the most
significant changes in medicine in recent decades. As drugs have become
more important to the aging population, the costs have also soared.
For Family, Selfless Act
Goes Awry (March 12, 2002)
Barbara Tarrant, at 69, gave a kidney to her mentally retarded son, who
had lost one organ as a sickly toddler and seen the other start to fail in
middle age. Today, she lives in a nursing home, paralyzed on the left side
as a result of an extensive stroke that she suffered a day after the
surgery.
In Hollywood, No One Gets a
Casting Call for This Role
(March 12, 2002)
The nature of acting — the irregularity of work — means that even the
most successful actors spend their careers in a virtually suspended state
of retirement, never knowing when the next job will come or what it will
be. The Screen Actors Guild, with some 98,000 members, has about 8,000
pensioners.
Lifelong Concerns for
a Special Child (March 12, 2002)
Almost 480,000 developmentally disabled people were living with family
caregivers age 60 or older, with another 1.4 million living with family
members younger than 60. The mean age at death for a person with mental
retardation was 18.5 in the 1930's, but by 1993 it was 66.2, one study
found. Parents of disabled children worry about the future of them because
no one will care for them the way parents have.
Patterns: Comfort vs.
Longevity: Who Decides? (March 12, 2002)
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric
Society, more than a third of seriously ill patients who requested that
doctors ease their discomfort instead of prolonging their lives appear to
have had their wishes overlooked. But evidence supported the patients'
belief that doctors were trying to prolong their lives, despite their
wishes.
The Body May Creak, but the
Brain Hums Along (March 12, 2002)
Here are the stories of four distinguished octogenarians, none of whom
seem to have considered retiring for even a moment. They are people whose
force of ambition, personality and thinking defined slices of American
culture for at least the last half-century. Despite their now-creaky
bodies, they are still working. Their mental journeys have not slackened
one bit. But are there advantages to having lived a lot, seen a lot and
— maybe — thought a lot?
Prilosec costs for New
Yorkers (March 8, 2002)
New Yorkers are paying $12.5 million more than necessary each month to
obtain Prilosec, the most prescribed drug in America, according to the
SPAN coalition. The overpayments to Prilosec-maker, London-based
AstraZeneca, may end when a New York federal court settles a dispute
between AstraZeneca and companies that have been approved to sell generic
versions of the drug.
Bush Prescription
Drug Card Proposal is Much Ado About Very Little (March 1, 2002)
“The President's discount
card proposal offers little in terms of prescription drug price relief for
America's seniors. Despite skyrocketing pharmaceutical costs that are
making drugs more and more unaffordable for seniors, this proposal offers
very meager price relief,” released Ron Pollack, executive director of
Families USA.
Senior drug discount
plan not without critics (March 1, 2002)
The Bush administration is touting its revised plan to promote private
drug discount cards as a much-needed step toward helping seniors save
money on prescriptions. The plan still encourages older Americans to buy
the cards from private companies, by giving some cards what amounts to a
government seal of approval. After paying a one-time enrollment fee -- not
more than $25 -- senior citizens could get discounts of up to 15 percent
on some medicines.
Questions for Elaine
Stritch (February 24, 2002)
“The only thing I ever say about age is what Bette Davis said -- it is
not for sissies. I don't feel old. And I look the way I am supposed to”,
Elaine Stritch said. She is performing in Broadway in a one-woman
production called “Elaine Stritch at Liberty”.
Guidelines by U.S. Urge
Mammograms for Women at 40
(February 22, 2002)
"Mammography is an important and effective early detection tool that
helps to save lives.", said Tommy G. Thompson, the secretary of
health and human services. After months of controversy over whether
mammograms save lives, federal health officials today issued new
guidelines for breast cancer screening that strongly recommend the tests
and lower the age at which women should begin receiving them to 40 from
50.
Test
of Alzheimer's Vaccine Is Halted (February 22, 2002)
Twelve volunteers inoculated with a highly touted experimental vaccine
designed to reverse the course of Alzheimer's disease have fallen
seriously ill with brain inflammation, forcing the vaccine's manufacturer
to stop giving the shots. The vaccine, known by its code name AN-1792, had
generated unusually intense enthusiasm among scientists and patient
advocates during the past two years but now the test difficulties raise
doubts.
Rats give pointer to elixir
of youth (February 19, 2002)
“We significantly reversed the decline in overall activity typical of
aged rats,” Dr Hagen said. “This is the equivalent of making a 75- to
80-year-old person act middle aged.” Researchers fed elderly rats two
chemicals, acetyl-L-carintine and the anti-oxidant alpha-lipoic acid and
made them dance the Macarena.
Eli
Lilly's Evista May Hold Benefits Beyond Treatment for Osteoporosis
(February 19, 2002)
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association
indicates women at high risk for heart attack and stroke had 40% fewer
such cardiac events when taking Evista compared with high-risk women on a
placebo. The research follows evidence pointing to a possible reduction in
the occurrence of breast cancer in older women taking this drug.
In Quest for
Wrinkle-Free Future, Frown Becomes Thing of the Past (February 7, 2002)
Now, the injectable drug known as Botox, in use since 1991, is on the
verge of achieving what it never has before: approval by the Food and Drug
Administration for cosmetic use, which could allow it to burst into the
mainstream. In a Botox treatment, a doctor injects a diluted form of the
drug into a patient's facial muscles. Over the next four days, the toxin
paralyzes the muscles that control facial wrinkling, not only stopping
more wrinkles, but eradicating existing ones.
More Crises As Women
Live Longer (February 6, 2002)
According to a report by the Administration on Aging, the number of
Americans aged 65 and older is expected to increase 17 percent, from 33.5
million in 1995 to 39.4 million in 2010.By 2030, that population is
expected to grow a whopping 75 percent to over 69 million. The government
estimates that by the year 2050, women will make up 61 percent of the 85
and over population. Many of them will spend some part of their lives
caring for sick spouses or other relatives.
Census
information for older Americans available (January 28, 2002)
The 2001 edition of A Profile of Older Americans, which includes census
information on those over age 65, is now available online. It provides key
statistics in 13 subject areas.
More
information: www.aoa.dhhs.gov/aoa/stats/profile/default.htm
Grants
Available Through Active for Life Program (January 28, 2002)
A new program, “Active for Life: Improving Physical Activity Levels in
Adults Age 50 and Older”, will provide technical assistance and support
for up to eight grants for local, state, or regional organizations.
92-Year-Old
and Carrying the Olympic Flame (January 25, 2002)
As the Olympic torch passes through Idaho for this year's games, it's
worth noting that among those carrying the flame will be 92-year-old Jamie
Thomson. Until last July, Jamie was the owner and publisher of the Idaho
State Grange newspaper. He sold the business in order to take on some new
challenges like running with the Olympic flame.
Minnesota's
elderly are healthier, wealthier, worried (January 25, 2002)
Seniors in Minnesota have more money than they did in 1995 and are
healthy. Yet they worry about their children and grandchildren, their own
health, needing care, money, getting medical care, and paying for
prescriptions-especially those ages 55 to 59.
Pfizer's Net Jumps 38% on
Strong Sales Of Blockbuster Cholesterol Drug Lipitor (January 24, 2002)
The Pfizer Inc. firm said its revenue climbed 12% to $9.03 billion from
$8.05 billion. Meanwhile, company's drug-discount card for poor Medicare
beneficiaries had attracted more than 165,000 inquiries.
Health
Care Cost Containment: Is Managed Care Just the Latest Impossible Dream?
(January 23, 2002)
A new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation published today in the
online issue of the journal Health Affairs traces the effectiveness of
government and private sector attempts to reign in health care costs over
the past three decades. Perhaps citizens can demand national health care
system similar to France and Canada (better quality, lower costs)
Health
Clubs Cater to Seniors (January 23, 2002)
As doctors are encouraging exercise and more older people wanting
to do it, the number of gym-goers has jumped to 33 million at the end of
2000. The 55-plus market is the fastest-growing part of the also fast
growing health club market. Gyms for the elderly have better-educated
personal trainers and specific equipment.
Facing the journey at 80
(January 2002)
Last January, Judy Lerner, an NGO (non governmental organizations)
representative at the United Nations for Peace Action (a national peace
group), turned 80. She wrote this article to share her experience of
“active ageing”, the new way of thinking about ageing.
Help
in Navigating Health Care Web Sites (January 15, 2002)
As any Web-surfing patient and potential patient knows, the
Internet overflows with medical information. “Choosing your online
health information resource is like choosing your doctor. You wouldn't
just go to any doctor, and you may get opinions from several.” Some
books are now available to help you to find medical information on the
Web.
Prevention:
Aspirin's Heart Benefits Are Endorsed (January 15, 2002)
The United States Preventive Services Task Force, an arm of the
Department of Health and Human Services, "found good evidence that
aspirin decreases the incidence of coronary heart disease in adults who
are at increased risk for heart disease." But the report urged also
people to discuss the issue with their doctors.
Common Variation of
"Klotho" Gene Associated With Human Life Expectancy (January 14,
2002)
Scientists report finding of new gene responsible for human life
expectancy. Study results show strong link between "Klotho" and
life expectancy, but exact influence on health and aging are not known
yet.
Adverse drug reactions
plague elderly (January 12, 2002)
People over
the age of 65 represent 14 percent of the U.S. population but consume more
than a third of prescription medications. This article reports on the
risks of multiple prescriptions.
Better
Scanning for Alzheimer’s
(January 10, 2002)
New Technique Allows Viewing of Brain Lesions in Living Patients. Prior to
this study, viewing these brain lesions was only possible through
examination after the patient
had died.
Report details
national health care spending increases in 2000
(January 8, 2002)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid made a report about the U.S. health
care spending increases in 2000. Nursing home expenditures rose by 3.3
percent. Spending for freestanding home health services increased by 0.3
percent. Spending for Medicarewas $224 billion in 2000, an increase of 5.6
percent for the year.
Propelled
by Drug and Hospital Costs, Health Spending Surged in 2000 (January 8,
2002)
According to the U.S. government, national health spending shot up
6.9 percent to $1.3 trillion in 2000. Total national spending on
prescription drugs doubled from 1995 to 2000 and tripled from 1990 to
2000. The surge in health spending is due to resistance to managed care by
doctors, hospitals and consumers and the restoration of money cut from
Medicare, the federal program for the elderly and disabled…
Governors
Seek Broad Emergency Powers, But Model Law Raises Civil-Liberties Issues
(January 7, 2002)
A model law gives governors the power to order quarantines,
restrict residents’ movement and ration medical supplies during
public-health emergencies. It will strengthen state authorities to cope
with a serious bioterrorist attack or other emergencies like natural
disasters, outbreaks of dangerous flu or viral strains, and chemical or
nuclear disaster.
Therapies:
Hormone Replacement's Added Benefit (January 1, 2002)
According to a new study, women who undergo hormone replacement
therapy after menopause appear to enjoy better mental functioning. Women
85 and older had very good results. The researchers need to verify the
findings because the group of women studied came from Cache County, Utah,
which is 90 percent Mormon.
|
