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Obesity and depression are entwined, yet scientists don’t know why

About 15 years ago, Dr. Sue McElroy, a psychiatrist in Mason, Ohio, started noticing a pattern. People came to see her because they were depressed, but they frequently had a more visible ailment as well: They were heavy.

11 Aug 2017

Asthma, more deadly with age, takes heavy toll on older adults

In early June, Donna Bilgore Robins stood on a patio in Beaver Creek, Colo., under a crystal-clear blue sky and tried to catch her breath.

10 Aug 2017

High percentage of food insecurity found in Pennsylvania's wealthiest county

Chester County is the wealthiest county among all 67 counties in Pennsylvania. The median household yearly income is more than $85,000.

1 Aug 2017

Arlington County Police Department to launch new initiative aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm

Health Communications, Inc. (HCI) is pleased to announce that the Arlington County Police Department will soon be launching the Arlington Restaurant Initiative (ARI), which focuses on early intervention and training for restaurant staff.

29 Jul 2017

How to get long-term care at home without busting the bank

The vast majority of older adults receive long-term care at home, not in nursing homes. But few people plan for this expense.

27 Jul 2017

Scientists gain better understanding of genetics behind lean body mass

Scientists from the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, along with several other research institutions are making great strides in understanding the genetics behind lean body mass, which is largely made up of muscle mass.

24 Jul 2017

Speech language therapy delivered online provides comparable improvements as in-person treatment

Telerehabilitation helps healthcare professionals reach more patients in need, but some worry it doesn't offer the same quality of care as in-person treatment. This isn't the case, according to recent research by Baycrest.

21 Jul 2017

These preventive measures might help delay dementia or cognitive decline

In a landmark report, scientists have endorsed three strategies for preventing dementia and cognitive decline associated with normal aging — being physically active, engaging in cognitive training and controlling high blood pressure.

20 Jul 2017

New review reveals dire effects of heavy alcohol use during adolescence on the brain

What would a celebration be without alcohol, whether we are talking about a private or professional event? Drinking alcohol, is a well-engrained and long-standing social habit in many countries around the world, even though the fact that alcohol has an impact on one's health is largely established, especially when it comes to heavy drinking.

18 Jul 2017

Has California hit the brakes in regulating breath-robbing big rigs?

James Lockett sits on his bed and opens the drawer of his nightstand, revealing a stash of asthma inhalers: purple disc-shaped ones he uses twice a day to manage his symptoms and others for full-blown attacks.

18 Jul 2017

Medicare’s financial outlook slightly improved, trustees say

The Trump administration said Thursday that the financial outlook for Medicare's hospital insurance trust fund improved in the past year due to health costs rising more slowly than expected and predictions that enrollees will use hospital services less often.

13 Jul 2017

Nursing homes move into the insurance business

Around the country, a handful of nursing home companies have begun selling their own private Medicare insurance policies, pledging close coordination and promising to give clinicians more authority to decide what treatments they will cover for each patient.

13 Jul 2017

Fall among elderly patients linked to higher risk for adverse events

More than half of elderly patients (age 65 and older) who visited an emergency department because of injuries sustained in a fall suffered adverse events -- including additional falls, hospitalization, and death -- within 6 months.

6 Jul 2017

As seniors get sicker, they’re more likely to drop Medicare Advantage plans

When Sol Shipotow enrolled in a new Medicare Advantage health plan earlier this year, he expected to keep the doctor who treats his serious eye condition.

6 Jul 2017

U.S. air pollution may be shortening lifespan finds new study

A new study shows that air pollution at levels below the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) could cut short life spans. This was one of the largest air pollution studies with more than a whopping 60 million senior citizens participating. The study was published in the Thursday’s edition of the journal New England Journal of Medicine.

28 Jun 2017

Western University neuroscientist launches world's largest sleep-and-cognition study

Renowned Western University neuroscientist Adrian Owen has launched the world's largest sleep-and-cognition study to help researchers learn the effects on our brains of sleep and sleep deprivation.

27 Jun 2017

Exercise program can help frail older adults perform basic daily activities, study suggests

An exercise program comprised of gentle exercises and taught by home care aides can help frail older adults perform basic daily activities, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago published in The Gerontologist.

23 Jun 2017

Poll: Most Americans unaware GOP plans would make deep funding cuts to Medicaid

Congress is moving fast toward repealing the Affordable Care Act, with an eye on revamping Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income people. But most Americans say the program — which Republicans call a "broken system" — is working well on the national level and within their states.

23 Jun 2017

Selfless heroism can cost lives in disaster situations

Selfless heroism isn't the best strategy in life-and-death disaster situations involving groups of people, a new study from the University of Waterloo suggests.

23 Jun 2017

Promises made to protect preexisting conditions prove hollow

Senate Republicans praised the Affordable Care Act replacement bill they presented Thursday as preserving coverage for people with cancer, mental illness and other chronic illness.

23 Jun 2017