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Socializing can help elderly women stay sharp

Socializing with friends and family can do more than lift the spirits of elderly women - it can improve cognition and might help prevent dementia, according to a new study.

3 Jun 2008

Preventable adverse events in hospitals occur 3 times more among patients with deafness, blindness or psychiatric disorders

Preventable adverse events in hospitals occur 3 times more often among patients with communication problems, such as deafness, blindness, psychiatric disorders and multiple health issues or comorbidities, found researchers in this study of nearly 2,400 patient records from 20 hospitals in Quebec.

2 Jun 2008

Less than 1 in 5 patients receive treatment to prevent venous thrombosis after surgery

Fewer than 1 in 5 patients received post-discharge therapy to prevent life-threatening blood clots - venous thrombosis - after hip- or knee-replacement surgery, report Rahme and colleagues in a retrospective cohort study. Venous thrombosis is one of the leading causes of death among hospital patients. However, elderly patients have a 70% lower chance of dying within 3 months if they take an anticoagulant drug to prevent blood clots.

2 Jun 2008

Senate Democrats to move forward with bill that would halt 10.6% Medicare physician payment cut despite veto threat

Despite a veto threat from the White House, Senate Democrats plan to move forward in the next two weeks with a bill (S 1951) that would reduce payments to Medicare Advantage plans to offset delaying a 10.6% cut to Medicare physicians' payments, CQ Today reports.

2 Jun 2008

New Imperial College centre to tackle respiratory infections

Think that colds and flu are easy to catch, hard to avoid and impossible to treat? That nobody ever dies of a cold? That's all wrong, say the medics and scientists at a new research centre which launches today (Monday 2 June).

1 Jun 2008

New research into superbug Clostridium difficile

New research into the toxins, virulence, spread and prevention of the superbug Clostridium difficile is reported in the June special issue of the Journal of Medical Microbiology. These findings will play a crucial role in providing us with ammunition in the fight against a sometimes deadly pathogen.

1 Jun 2008

New studies provide insight into oral cancer, chronic pediatric ear infections, and hearing health

Three new studies published in the June 2008 edition of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery focus on what role gender plays in the prognosis of oral tongue cancer, chronic ear infections in children, and the success rates of hearing aid implants in the elderly.

1 Jun 2008

New type of wound dressing made of silica gel fibers

A new type of wound dressing made of silica gel fibers will soon help to heal difficult wounds caused by burns or diabetes. The dressing forms a supporting matrix for newly growing skin cells and is fully absorbed by the body during the healing process.

29 May 2008

Senior's fear of anti-social behaviour highlighted

The latest research highlighting older people's fear of anti-social behaviour will be presented today (Thursday 29 May) by the Changing Ageing Partnership (CAP) at the Institute of Governance, Queen's University Belfast.

28 May 2008

Why some treatments rescue aging skin

Fine wrinkles, deeper creases, saggy areas around the mouth and neck - the sights in the mirror that make baby boomers wince - are not inevitable. They result from a structural breakdown inside the skin that some existing treatments effectively counteract by stimulating the growth of new, youthful collagen, University of Michigan scientists say.

28 May 2008

Exercise cuts cancer deaths in men

Men who exercise often are less likely to die from cancer than those who don't, new research published in the British Journal of Cancer reveals today.

27 May 2008

Antipsychotic drugs dangerous for the elderly

A Canadian study has found that prescribing antipsychotic drugs for elderly people may be dangerous.

27 May 2008

FDA will monitor medical records of Medicare beneficiaries to identify potential prescription drug, medical device safety problems

HHS on Thursday announced the creation of a new program that will allow FDA, state agencies and academic researchers to use medical record data to ensure drugs and medical devices are safe for consumers after they enter the market, the Washington Post reports (Stein, Washington Post, 5/23).

25 May 2008

Senate Finance Committee Democrats to move forward with Medicare package that includes Medicare Advantage plan cuts

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Wednesday said he will move forward with a Medicare package developed by Democrats that likely will be opposed by Republicans and the Bush administration, CQ Today reports.

22 May 2008

Elderly too often malnourished and unnoticed in hospital

New research has revealed the shocking plight of some of Australia's most vulnerable citizens.

21 May 2008

Michael Parkinson becomes a 'dignity' ambassador for the elderly

An initiative by the British Government to encourage more respect for older people in care has been given added impact by the recruitment of TV talk show host Sir Michael Parkinson as a "dignity ambassador".

21 May 2008

Old age is the new middle age - Health Secretary Alan Johnson says

Health Secretary Alan Johnson today called on the NHS to rise to the challenge of providing more and better preventative care for older people.

21 May 2008

Mayo Clinic research shows U.S. intensive care units' prevention of pneumonia in critically-ill generally strong; identifies area of improvement

Mayo Clinic researchers found that the frequency with which critically-ill patients developed ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is approximately the same at a multidisciplinary medical center such as Mayo Clinic compared to the average VAP-risk rate for 211 hospitals in the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

20 May 2008

Seniors face 'soaring costs' for health care, Chicago Tribune reports

The Chicago Tribune on Sunday examined how, "with soaring costs of prescription drugs, housing, gasoline and groceries, it is easy for seniors on fixed incomes to go over budget."

20 May 2008

Shingles runs in the family

Shingles appears when the virus that causes chickenpox, varicella zoster, is reactivated in spinal nerves; most adults carry the varicella zoster virus, but only 10 percent to 30 percent develop shingles.

20 May 2008

Seniors News and Research

Socializing can help elderly women stay sharp

Preventable adverse events in hospitals occur 3 times more among patients with deafness, blindness or psychiatric disorders

Less than 1 in 5 patients receive treatment to prevent venous thrombosis after surgery

Senate Democrats to move forward with bill that would halt 10.6% Medicare physician payment cut despite veto threat

New Imperial College centre to tackle respiratory infections

New research into superbug Clostridium difficile

New studies provide insight into oral cancer, chronic pediatric ear infections, and hearing health

New type of wound dressing made of silica gel fibers

Senior's fear of anti-social behaviour highlighted

Why some treatments rescue aging skin

Exercise cuts cancer deaths in men

Antipsychotic drugs dangerous for the elderly

FDA will monitor medical records of Medicare beneficiaries to identify potential prescription drug, medical device safety problems

Senate Finance Committee Democrats to move forward with Medicare package that includes Medicare Advantage plan cuts

Elderly too often malnourished and unnoticed in hospital

Michael Parkinson becomes a 'dignity' ambassador for the elderly

Old age is the new middle age - Health Secretary Alan Johnson says

Mayo Clinic research shows U.S. intensive care units' prevention of pneumonia in critically-ill generally strong; identifies area of improvement

Seniors face 'soaring costs' for health care, Chicago Tribune reports

Shingles runs in the family

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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