Healthy Aging and Cognitive Well-being

A new study published by Taylor & Francis identified a risk factor that may affect older consumers’ cognitive health. According to their findings, older adults who have untreated vision problems may be at a higher risk of developing dementia. 

“This study is among the first to evaluate the association between sight problems and cognitive outcomes in older adults through a comprehensive examination of all available population-based studies in English,” said researcher Beibei Xu. “Although the reasons behind this remain unclear, it suggests that diagnosing and treating eye conditions may be beneficial – both to improve a person’s quality of life and also to potentially slow down or stop memory loss.” 

How vision problems can affect cognition

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 16 previous studies that included information on more than 76,000 participants. These studies included long-term information on the participants’ eye health and cognitive health. 

Ultimately, there was a clear link between visual health concerns and dementia. Participants with any kind of sight problem were 137% more likely to experience cognitive impairment than older adults without vision problems. These findings held up regardless of whether the participants were diagnosed with visual problems or self-reported issues with their vision. 

Additionally, the risk of developing cognitive impairment was 41% higher for participants with vision problems, and the risk of dementia was nearly 45% higher for this group. 

While the researchers remain unclear on precisely why this link exists between vision problems and cognitive impairment, they hypothesize that several factors may come into play. They explained that with poorer vision, older adults may struggle to take in information, their senses are generally more dulled, and they may have a hard time with visual perception. All of these things can impact long-term cognitive function. 

Now, the team hopes that these findings encourage older consumers to prioritize their visual health. Preventing or treating long-term eye conditions may help their cognitive function in later life. 

“Finding ways to prevent or delay the onset of dementia could help reduce its devastating impact on the lives of affected individuals and their families, especially in light of the growing burden of the disease,” said Xu. “Identifying modifiable risk factors is the first critical step for developing effective interventions to achieve this goal. 

“Our new results highlight the importance of regular eye examinations for older adults – enabling any potential problems with their vision to be spotted and treated early. They also suggest that any self-reported changes to a person’s eyesight should not be ignored.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Penn State explored how different generations fare when it comes to chronic medical conditions. According to their findings, older adults are more likely than earlier generations to struggle with several health concerns. 

“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, we were beginning to see declines in life expectancy among middle-aged Americans, a reversal of more than a century long trend,” said researcher Steven Haas. “Furthermore, the past 30 years has seen population health in the U.S. fall behind that in other high-income countries, and our findings suggest that the U.S. is likely to continue to fall further behind our peers.” 

Health risks for older adults

The researchers analyzed data from participants over the age of 51 enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study. They were most interested in understanding how many older people have more than one of the nine major types of chronic conditions: cancer, cognitive impairment, heart disease, diabetes, high depressive symptoms, high blood pressure, arthritis, lung disease, and stroke. 

The study showed that older adults were both more likely to have multiple chronic health conditions, and experience them at earlier ages than previous generations. The researchers found that Baby Boomers, who were born between 1948 and 1965, were the most likely to fall into this category. 

They also learned that high blood pressure and arthritis were the two most common chronic conditions that the participants reported throughout the study. Additionally, the team has reason to believe that depression and diabetes were largely responsible for this surge in health concerns among the different generations. 

The researchers also explained that current medical technology allows consumers to be diagnosed with conditions that may have previously gone undetected for several years, which could also explain why this generation of older adults is experiencing more health concerns. Now, the researchers want to do more work in this area to better understand the specifics behind these health concerns. 

“Later-born generations have had access to more advanced modern medicine for a greater period of their lives, therefore we may expect them to enjoy better health than those born to prior generations,” said researcher Nicholas Bishop. “Though this is partially true, advanced medical treatments may enable individuals to live with multiple chronic conditions that once would have proven fatal, potentially increasing the likelihood that any one person experiences multimorbidity.” 

Maintaining healthy habits is important for older adults’ physical and mental well-being. Now, a new study explored the cognitive benefits associated with older consumers sticking to a healthy diet and exercise routine.

According to the researchers, consumers over the age of 80 can help prevent cognitive impairment if they maintain healthy lifestyles. This was also true for consumers with the APOE ε4 gene, which is commonly linked with Alzheimer’s. 

“In this study, we observed that healthier lifestyle was associated with better cognitive function among the oldest old regardless of APOE genotype,” the authors wrote. “Our findings may inform the cognitive outlook for those oldest old with high genetic risk of cognitive impairment.” 

Staying healthy has cognitive benefits

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 6,100 participants enrolled in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey aged 80 or older. The team evaluated the participants’ lifestyles, including what their typical diet and exercise routine looked like and whether or not they smoked. They also assessed the group’s long-term cognitive function and tested for the APOE ε4 gene. 

The researchers learned that following a healthy lifestyle is the key to maintaining cognitive function into older age. While the APOE ε4 gene made participants nearly 20% more likely to experience problems with cognitive function than other variations of the gene, the team believes that sticking to a healthy lifestyle can make significant differences in older consumers’ brain health. 

Having a moderately healthy lifestyle lowered the risk of cognitive impairment by nearly 30%, while participants with the healthiest lifestyles were 55% less likely to struggle with cognitive impairment. 

A new study conducted by researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center explored the brain benefits associated with getting regular exercise. According to their findings, exercise led to better blood flow to the brain for older consumers with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). 

“This is part of a growing body of evidence linking exercises with brain health,” said researcher Rong Zhang, Ph.D. “We’ve shown for the first time in a randomized trial in these older adults that exercise gets more blood flowing to your brain.” 

Brain benefits of exercise

To understand the cognitive benefits associated with exercise, the researchers had 70 participants with MCI between the ages of 55 and 80 involved in the study. For one year, the participants either completed an aerobic exercise routine three to five times per week or went through a stretching regimen for the same amount of time. Then, the researchers analyzed results from MRI brain scans, cognitive exams, and fitness tests. 

While less than 50 participants made it to the end of the study, the researchers found that vigorous exercise was beneficial for brain health and function; however, those involved in the stretching routine didn’t experience any cognitive changes. By exercising regularly, the participants' cardiorespiratory fitness improved, which helped their body process more oxygen during physical activity. Improving this area of physical fitness led to better blood flow to the brain.

This is important because getting proper blood flow to the brain has been found to be associated with a lower risk of dementia and MCI. Because these participants were already struggling with MCI, knowing that exercise helped to improve blood flow may encourage older consumers with cognitive impairments to be more physically active. 

Though the researchers didn’t observe any improvements to the participants’ memory or overall cognitive abilities, they attribute that to the length of the study and believe that these findings are the first step towards seeing better outcomes. 

“There is still a lot we don’t know about the effects of exercise on cognitive decline later in life,” said researcher C. Munro Cullum, Ph.D. “MCI and dementia are likely to be influenced by a complex interplay of many factors, and we think that, at least for some people, exercise is one of those factors.” 

Loneliness is a common worry for older consumers. However, a new study conducted by researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found that group exercise classes could be a great way for older consumers to fight this problem. 

While the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to host these classes in person, the researchers found that participating in virtual classes has yielded similar benefits. 

“As the demographics of our country shift, more people are living alone than ever before,” said researcher Dr. Allison Moser Mays. “The number of adults over the age of 65 in the U.S. is expected to reach more than 70 million by 2030 -- double what it is now. We need sustainable ways to help this burgeoning population thrive as they age, or there will be widespread consequences.” 

Staying connected and active

For the study, the researchers followed over 380 participants between the ages of 52 and 104 over the course of nearly two years. The participants enrolled in health and exercise classes offered by Leveraging Exercise to Age in Place (LEAP), which is a program designed to focus on specific areas that are best suited to older consumers’ needs. 

The participants were able to consult with health coaches who helped them pick classes and offer general assistance over the course of the study. They also completed questionnaires about their loneliness and social connectedness at the beginning of the study and then again six months in. 

After looking at the results from the participants at the six-month mark, the researchers learned that going to these classes was beneficial for the participants in several ways. Not only did they notice improvements in their balance and coordination, but the participants reported feeling less lonely and more socially connected after starting the classes. 

“These classes had already been shown to reduce the risk of falls in seniors, and this was the first demonstration that they also reduce social isolation, to the best of our knowledge,” said Dr. Mays. 

Virtual classes work too

The researchers had been collecting data up until March of this year, when exercise facilities were closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many of these classes remained in session online, and 59 participants involved in the study continued taking them virtually. Though the researchers didn’t note any significant changes to these participants’ loneliness or social connectedness, the sessions proved to be a good way for older consumers to stay active and engaged during the early days of quarantine. 

The researchers hope that these findings inspire communities across the country to use LEAP to their advantage and take steps towards better connecting older consumers. 

“The results of this study are very exciting because we’ve provided a model that other health systems can easily replicate by integrating evidence-based programs in the community with their organizations,” said researcher Dr. Sonja Rosen. “They don’t need to reinvent the wheel.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Oregon State University explored the benefits associated with taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement. 

According to their findings, the combination of a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement can be effective in helping older consumers’ feel healthier. The study revealed that this extra boost of vitamins can also cut down on illness-related symptoms and get seniors back on their feet much faster. 

“The observed illness differences were striking,” said researcher Adrian Gombart. “While the study was limited to self-reported illness data and we did not design the study to answer this question, the observed differences suggest that additional larger studies designed for these outcomes are warranted -- and, frankly, overdue.” 

Seeing better health outcomes

To better understand the effect of a multivitamin and mineral supplement, the researchers had 42 participants between the ages of 55 and 75 involved in the study. The participants were divided into two groups, with the first group receiving a combination of a multivitamin and a mineral supplement each day for 12 weeks; the second group received a placebo for the same amount of time. 

The researchers assessed the participants’ overall health, including their immune function and their vitamin levels, at the start and conclusion of the study. Over the course of the study, the participants also reported on their own health, which gave the researchers information about how the multivitamin and mineral regimen affected them. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that the group taking the vitamins had better health outcomes than the group taking the placebo. 

Participants in both groups reported days that they felt under the weather; however, two key findings emerged: taking the multivitamin was associated with fewer days feeling sick, and the sickness symptoms weren’t as intense as they were for the placebo group. 

“Supplementation was associated with significantly increased circulating levels of zinc and vitamin C, and with illness symptoms that were less severe and shorter lasting,” said Gombart. 

Simple options for older consumers

Many older consumers struggle to get the right balance of vitamins and minerals, which can take a toll on the immune system. However, these findings provide key insights into how a simple regimen change can improve immune system function and lower the number of sick days.  

“Since multiple nutrients support immune function, older adults often benefit from multivitamin and mineral supplements,” said Gombart. “These are readily available, inexpensive, and generally regarded as safe.” 

As always, it’s important for consumers to always consult a medical professional before starting a new supplement regimen.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for consumers to check up on their older relatives as they normally would. 

Now, a new study has found that medical alert systems, which are only growing in popularity, could help ease consumers’ minds during these difficult times. As more of the population enters into older age, experts predict that sales of these systems will continue to boom. 

Aging populations

Medical alert systems are a great tool for older consumers who live by themselves, and even more beneficial for those who struggle with chronic medical conditions. Falls are common for older people, and a medical alert system makes it possible for health care providers to attend to the emergency as quickly as possible. 

As of this year, experts found that medical alert systems bring in $6.5 billion, and that number is expected to jump to over $9.5 billion in just five years. Several factors have contributed to this boom in business, not least of which is the continual aging of the general U.S. population. 

There are also plenty of options when it comes to choosing a device, which is part of the reason why they have become so popular. Some devices are wearable, while others are wired into the home, but both offer a good level of care and protection for consumers. 

Technology has allowed for these alert systems to be available on smartphones, so consumers have plenty of options when deciding which system best suits their needs. Experts also explained that reforms to senior healthcare have made it easier for consumers to have access to such devices, without fear of breaking the bank. 

With everyone advised to stay in their homes, this could be the perfect time to introduce a medical alert system to an elderly relative or friend, as it can help ease any worries or fears about an unexpected medical emergency. 

To choose the best medical alert system for you, check out our guide here. 

"Shaky hands" is a symptom of "essential tremor," which is the most common movement disorder. The medical community calls it "essential," because it isn't linked to other diseases.

Botulinum toxin type A (Botox) injections, popular for ironing wrinkles, is used to treat muscle spasms and tremors caused by diseases such as multiple sclerosis, and neurological conditions such as muscle spasms of the neck, shoulders and face.

And, yes, it's true that Botox is used to treat hand tremors. Injections can bring relief for up to three months.

Essential tremor (ET) is often confused with Parkinson's disease. Unlike Parkinson's disease, however, ET doesn't lead to serious complications. Parkinson's is associated with a stooped posture, slow movement, a shuffling gait and other difficulties.

Not all tremors are ET. There are more than 20 kinds of tremors. For instance, excessive caffeine, alcohol withdrawal, problems with the thyroid, or the use of certain medications may cause tremor.

A genetic mutation is responsible for about half of all cases of ET. The only other known risk factor is older age. Although ET can affect people of all ages, it usually appears in middle age or later. Men and women are affected equally.

Abnormal communication within the brain causes ET. There is no cure yet for this disorder.

Tremor is an involuntary movement of one or more parts of the body. Most tremors occur in the hands. Tremors can also show up in the arms, head, face, vocal cords, trunk, and legs.

Victims of tremors usually get them when they make a delicate movement such as writing with a pen or tying shoelaces. Tremors usually disappear when a person is resting.

Some people have relatively mild tremors throughout their lives, but others develop more severe tremors and increased disability.

Most people with ET don't need treatment. The effects of the condition can be eased by avoiding what aggravates the problem — lack of sufficient sleep, anxiety, stimulants such as caffeine, and temperature extremes.

Drinking alcohol can calm tremors for up to an hour after consumption. However,tremors tend to worsen when the alcohol wears off.

Physical therapy and exercise can develop more stability in hands that shake.

And there are other medications besides Botox that can bring relief. These include beta blockers normally used to treat high blood pressure, anti-seizure medications and tranquilizers.

If tremors are severe and drugs don't help, there are surgical procedures available.

Thalamotomy is a procedure that involves making a small hole in a part of the brain called the thalamus. The surgery destroys the faulty circuit or brain cells that modulate tremor.

An alternative to thalamotomy is thalamic stimulation. An electrode connected to a stimulation device, is placed in the center of the brain. The stimulator is placed under the skin below the collarbone.

Electrical currents sent through the electrode interrupt communication between tremor cells. This process reduces tremors within seconds.

All Rights Reserved © 2008 by Fred Cicetti

The study estimates that national health insurance (NHI) could save at least $286 billion annually on paperwork, enough to cover all of the uninsured and to provide full prescription drug coverage for everyone in the United States.

The study, to be published in the forthcoming International Journal of Health Services was based on the most comprehensive analysis to date of health administration spending, including data on the administrative costs of health insurers, employers' health benefit programs, hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, physicians and other practitioners in the United States and Canada.

The authors found that bureaucracy accounts for at least 31 percent of total U.S. health spending compared to 16.7 percent in Canada. They also found that administration has grown far faster in the United States than in Canada.

The potential administrative savings of $286 billion annually under national health insurance could:

1. Offset the cost of covering the uninsured (estimated at $80 billion)
2. Cover all out-of-pocket prescription drugs costs for seniors as well as those under 65 (estimated at $53 billion in 2003)
3. Fund retraining and job placement programs for insurance workers and others who would lose their jobs under NHI (estimated at $20 billion)
4. Make substantial improvements in coverage and quality of care for U.S. consumers who already have insurance

Looked at another way, the potential administrative savings are equivalent to $6,940 for each of the 41.2 million people uninsured in 2001 (the most recent figure available for the uninsured at the time study was carried out), more than enough to pay for health coverage. The study found wide variation among states in the potential administrative savings available per uninsured resident.

Texas, with 4.96 million uninsured (nearly one in four Texans), could save a total of $19.5 billion a year on administration under NHI, which would make available $3,925 per uninsured resident per year.

Massachusetts, which has very high per capita health administrative spending and a relatively low rate of uninsurance, could save a total of $8.6 billion a year, which would make available $16,453 per uninsured person.

California, with 6.7 million uninsured, could save a total of $33.7 billion a year, which would make available $5,016 per uninsured person. (See accompanying chart for details on other states.)

Last week, the government reported that health spending accounts for a record 15 percent of the nation's economy and that health care spending shot up by 9.3 percent in 2002. Insurance overhead (one component of administrative costs) rose by a whopping 16.8 percent in 2002, after a 12.5 percent increase in 2001, making it the fastest growing component of health expenditure over the past three years. Hence the figures in the Harvard/Public Citizen Report (which was completed before release of these latest government figures), may understate true administrative costs.

The authors of the International Journal of Health Services study attributed the high U.S. administrative costs to three factors. First, private insurers have high overhead in both nations but play a much bigger role in the United States.

Second, The United States' fragmented payment system drives up administrative costs for doctors and hospitals, who must deal with hundreds of different insurance plans (for example, at least 755 in Seattle alone), each with different coverage and payment rules, referral networks, etc.

In Canada, doctors bill a single insurance plan, using a single simple form, and hospitals receive a lump sum budget, much as a fire department is paid in the United States. Finally, the increasing business orientation of U.S. hospitals and insurers has expanded bureaucracy.

The Medicare drug bill that Congress passed last month will only increase bureaucratic spending because it will funnel large amounts of public money through private insurance plans with high overhead.

"The recent Medicare bill means a huge increase in administrative waste and a big payoff for the AARP," said study author Dr. David Himmelstein, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard and former staff physician at Public Citizen's Health Research Group.

"At present, Medicare's overhead is less than 4 percent. But all of the new Medicare money * $400 billion - will flow through private insurance plans whose overhead averages 12 percent. So insurance companies will gain $36 billion from this bill. And the AARP stands to make billions from the 4 percent cut it receives from the policies sold to its members."

Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a study author, associate professor of medicine at Harvard and a founder of Physicians for a National Health Program, said that. "Hundreds of billions are squandered each year on health care bureaucracy, more than enough to cover all of the uninsured, pay for full drug coverage for seniors and upgrade coverage for the tens of millions who are underinsured. U.S. consumers spend almost twice as much per capita on health care as Canadians who have universal coverage and live two years longer. The administrative savings of national health insurance make universal coverage affordable."

Dr. Himmelstein described the real-world meaning of the difference in administration between the United States and Canada by comparing hospitals in the two nations. Several years ago, he visited Toronto General Hospital, a 900-bed tertiary care center that offered an extensive array of high-tech procedures, and searched for the billing office. It was hard to find, though; it consisted of a handful of people in the basement whose main job was to send bills to U.S. patients who had come across the border. Canadian hospitals do not bill individual patients for their care and so have no need to keep track of who receives each Band-Aid or an aspirin.

"A Canadian hospital negotiates its annual budget with the provincial health plan and receives a single check each month to cover virtually all of its expenses," Himmelstein said. "It need not fight with hundreds of insurance plans about whether each day in the hospital was necessary, and each pill justified. The result is massive savings on hospital billing and bureaucracy."