Older patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who did not receive radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery had higher rates of local recurrence but similar 10-year survival rates when compared to patients who received postoperative radiation therapy, according to updated 10-year data from the PRIME II study, presented at the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, […]
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Program reduces social isolation among middle-aged and older adults
An existing service in the North West of England called Community Connectors, which enables adults to access social activities within their community, can help reduce loneliness and social isolation, according to an analysis published in Health & Social Care in the Community. Interviews with 13 older adults and middle-aged adults, from 289 people who accessed […]
Proportion of older adults owning, using hearing aids increasing
(HealthDay)—The proportion of U.S. older adults who reported owning and using hearing aids increased from 2011 to 2018, according to a research letter published online Dec. 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Nicholas S. Reed, Au.D., from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, and colleagues analyzed data from the 2011, 2015, and […]
Researchers uncover significant reason older adults are at greater risk of heart attack
A team of researchers at the University of South Florida Department of Surgery has made a key discovery as to why we become more susceptible to heart disease as we age. The human body, especially the heart, is dependent on the mitochondria, the part of the cell responsible for producing energy to maintain organ function. […]
Residential context important factor in risk of COVID-19 mortality among older adults, Stockholm study suggests
Older people living with or in close contact with people of working age may be at higher risk of COVID-19 mortality in Stockholm, Sweden, according to an observational study published today in The Lancet Healthy Longevity journal. The researchers highlight that the study focuses on Sweden, where only the frailest older people tend to live […]
Caregiver Characteristics Tied to Hospitalization Risk for Disabled Older Adults
FRIDAY, Oct. 2, 2020 — Caregiving characteristics are associated with hospitalization risk among older adults with disability, according to a study published online Sept. 22 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Halima Amjad, M.D., from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and colleagues used the 1999 and 2004 National Long-Term Care Survey and the […]
Moderna says coronavirus vaccine boosts immune system response in older adults
2020 presidential candidates trade insults on coronavirus pandemic response Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier and owners of Steepologie Teas Andrea Raetzer and Joe Raetzer discuss which candidate delivered the message Americans wanted to hear. Biotech company Moderna announced on Tuesday that its coronavirus vaccine candidate elicited immune responses in older adults from a […]
Balancing older patients’ risk reduction with autonomy and respect
Many people will become caregivers informally at some point, and geriatrician Mattan Schuchman, M.D., hopes to start a discussion—among them, the love ones for whom they care and the doctors who work with them—about the considerations that should be made. When an older patient’s safety and independence are in conflict, Schuchman encourages clinicians to weigh […]
The loneliness of social isolation can affect your brain and raise dementia risk in older adults
Physical pain is unpleasant, yet it’s vital for survival because it’s a warning that your body is in danger. It tells you to take your hand off a hot burner or to see a doctor about discomfort in your chest. Pain reminds us all that we need to take care of ourselves. Feeling lonely is […]
Amid pandemic, fears that older Americans are feeling ‘expendable’
(HealthDay)—From the start of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s been clear that older adults are especially vulnerable to serious illness. Now, experts are concerned that older Americans are falling victim to ageism and messages that they are “expendable” amid the crisis. The pandemic has seen “horror stories” from around the world on the toll exacted on […]