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New software uncovers that myelin develops much slower after birth

A single brain is unfathomably complex. So brain researchers, whether they're looking at datasets built from 300,000 neurons in 81 mice or from MRIs of 1,200 young adults, are now dealing with so much information that they must also come up with new methods to comprehend it.

22 Sep 2023

Rural nursing home supporters fear proposed staffing standards will trigger more closures

Many rural communities like this one face a health care dilemma: Is it better to have a nursing home that struggles to hire workers or no nursing home at all?

15 Sep 2023

Engaging in hobbies boosts mental well-being for seniors, study finds

Researchers harmonize data from five longitudinal studies across 16 countries to reveal that engaging in hobbies is universally associated with better mental well-being among adults over 65. The study found less variance in mental health outcomes across countries, suggesting the pursuit of hobbies could be a global key to enhancing life satisfaction and reducing depression in older adults.

13 Sep 2023

5 things to know about the new drug pricing negotiations

The Biden administration has picked the first 10 high-priced prescription drugs subject to federal price negotiations, taking a swipe at the powerful pharmaceutical industry.

30 Aug 2023

Exclusive: CMS study sabotages efforts to bolster nursing home staffing, advocates say

The Biden administration last year promised to establish minimum staffing levels for the nation's roughly 15,000 nursing homes. It was the centerpiece of an agenda to overhaul an industry the government said was rife with substandard care and failures to follow federal quality rules.

29 Aug 2023

MFGM and milk protein may improve physical functioning of the elderly, study shows

Leading Finnish dairy company Valio collaborated with top nutritional scientists in a new study about the effects of MFGM and milk protein on the physical functioning of the elderly. The results show significant improvement in balance and physical performance even without an exercise intervention.

25 Aug 2023

NIH awards $3 million grant to study synbiotic medical food for bone health in older women

The NIH/National Institute on Aging has awarded a R01 $3 million grant to study the impact of a probiotic/prebiotic (synbiotic) medical food developed by Solarea Bio on maintaining bone health of older women.

23 Aug 2023

Omicron infection may increase risk of reinfection, study finds

Researchers at McMaster University have found that rather than conferring immunity against future infections, infection during the first Omicron wave of COVID left the seniors they studied much more vulnerable to reinfection during the second Omicron wave.

21 Aug 2023

A new Medicare proposal would cover training for family caregivers

Even with extensive caregiving experience, Patti LaFleur was unprepared for the crisis that hit in April 2021, when her mother, Linda LaTurner, fell out of a chair and broke her hip.

18 Aug 2023

Late life depression: Bridging the gap with new perspectives on aging

Researchers explore the interplay between late life depression and aging.

14 Aug 2023

New Alzheimer’s drug raises hopes — along with questions

The FDA has approved Leqembi, the first disease-modifying treatment for early-stage Alzheimer's and a precursor condition, mild cognitive impairment.

11 Aug 2023

Seeking Medicare coverage for weight loss drugs, pharma giant courts Black influencers

Pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has turned to influential Black Americans in pursuit of what would be a lucrative victory: having Medicare cover a new class of weight loss drugs, including the company's highly sought Wegovy, which can cost patients more than $1,000 a month.

8 Aug 2023

MIT expert calls for a total overhaul of the U.S. health insurance system

It's not exactly what he's best known for, but Alexander Hamilton helped develop the first national, compulsory health insurance policy in the world: a 1798 taxpayer-financed plan Congress approved to cover sick and disabled seamen.

25 Jul 2023

New weight loss drugs carry high price tags and lots of questions for seniors

Corlee Morris has dieted throughout her adult life.

25 Jul 2023

$Study receives $10.5 million funding to compare two care models for improving outcomes in fracture patients$

Study receives $10.5 million funding to compare two care models for improving outcomes in fracture patients

Broken bones in later life are a leading cause of disability, recurrent fracture, nursing home placement, and death.

24 Jul 2023

Medical debt is making Americans angry. Doctors and hospitals ignore this at their peril.

For Emily Boller, it was a $5,000 hospital bill for a simple case of pink eye that took four years to pay off. For Mary Curley, it was the threatening collection letters from a lab that arrived more than 2½ years later, just as her husband lost his job and the family was fighting to save their home.

21 Jul 2023

In older adults, a little excess weight isn’t such a bad thing

Millions of people enter later life carrying an extra 10 to 15 pounds, weight they've gained after having children, developing joint problems, becoming less active, or making meals the center of their social lives.

17 Jul 2023

A plan to cut Montana’s Medicaid waiting list was met with bipartisan cheers. Then a veto.

Montana state Sen. Becky Beard thought she'd found a fix for a shortage of assisted living care options for Montanans who can't afford to pay for it themselves — a shortage she became aware of while searching for a suitable place for her mother to live.

14 Jul 2023

Prescription stimulants safe for treating ADHD, study finds

Many parents whose kids take prescription stimulants like Ritalin to treat ADHD worry that it could lead to illicit drug use later.

11 Jul 2023

What you need to know about the drug price fight in those TV ads

In recent months ominous ads about prescription drugs have flooded the TV airwaves. Perhaps by design, it's not always clear who's sponsoring the ads or why.

10 Jul 2023