Aging & Independence Archives

Recognize the Difference Between Normal Brain Aging and Cognitive Decline

Apr 24, 2024 · Rochelle Nataloni · Aging & Independence

Struggling to find the right word now and again is a normal part of aging; losing track of dates, seasons, or places is not. Differentiating between a normally aging brain and cognitive decline can offer peace of mind to those who recognize their memory blips as an expected part of … Read More

Transforming Health Care with Artificial Intelligence

Apr 24, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to advance health care in numerous exciting ways. For example, researchers have found that AI has the potential to improve diagnostic accuracy, accelerate disease predictability, and streamline medical processes. While some people may worry about AI replacing physicians, the more realistic picture is how it … Read More

Stretching Feels Good and Does Good

Apr 24, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

Dogs and cats do it every morning, evening, and throughout the day because stretching is natural and necessary for wellbeing. Think about how good it feels to do a few stretches after spending hours on a plane or in front of the computer. Stretching can wake us up more fully, … Read More

Research Suggests More Schooling Associated with Slower Aging

Apr 23, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

Numerous studies have suggested that people who achieve a higher level of education tend to be healthier later in life and live longer. In a study recently published online in JAMA Network Open, researchers have also found that more education often equates to slower aging. Using data from the Framingham … Read More

Is Your Doctor Right for You?

Apr 23, 2024 · Rosanne Leipzig, MD, PhD · Aging & Independence

One of this month’s Newsbriefs looks at a study that examined how prescribing practices differed between geriatricians and general internists. The latter typically serve as the “gatekeeper” of a person’s general health and often see people with chronic health conditions like cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. In the … Read More

Ask the Experts: Medicare and Follow-Up Colonoscopy; Pericardial Effusion; Bladder Cancer

Apr 23, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

Is it true that there is a Medicare copay for follow-up colonoscopies after a positive stoolbased screening test for colorectal cancer? Medicare’s coverage for colonoscopies is a little complicated. One thing that has recently changed is coverage for the type of colonoscopy you reference. Up until the end of 2022, … Read More

Newsbriefs: Risky Medications, Accuracy of In-Home Colorectal Cancer Tests, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Music Benefits Brain Health

Apr 23, 2024 · Kate Brophy · Aging & Independence

Geriatricians Less Likely to Prescribe Risky Medications A study published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society finds that geriatricians are less likely than general internists (doctors whose specialty is internal medicine) to prescribe potentially inappropriate medications (PIMS) to older adults. For the study, researchers … Read More

Foods Not Tasting the Same as They Used To? Here’s Why:

Apr 23, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

We know that as we age, eyesight and hearing may decline, but did you know that taste and smell can as well? We start out with thousands of taste buds, not only on the tongue, but in the throat and on the roof of the mouth. Some taste buds are … Read More

Ask Dr. Etingin: Adult-Onset Asthma; Hair Thinning and Loss

Mar 21, 2024 · Orli R. Etingin, M.D. · Aging & Independence

I had an episode of shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing during an exercise class. The instructor said it sounded like an asthma attack. I’m 65 and I’ve never had asthma. Is it possible to develop it now? Asthma can strike at any age, and research shows that rates are … Read More

Understanding Senior Moments

Mar 21, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

Forgetting where you left your car keys, struggling to recall someone’s name, or walking into a room and forgetting why you went there in the first place are common examples of “senior moments.” In most cases, these momentary memory slips are harmless. “The occasionally forgetting a word or a name, … Read More

Aging & Independence

Enter Your Login Credentials