Aging & Independence Archives

Embrace a Healthy Lifestyle and Your Mind May Benefit

Jul 24, 2024 · Rochelle Nataloni · Aging & Independence

Chronic inflammation is associated with brain-related health issues, including Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive decline. Studies show that persistent inflammation can damage brain cells, disrupt communication between them, and slow down the creation of new brain cells, leading to a decline in cognitive function. Choices you make in your lifestyle, … Read More

Study: 1 Out of 8 Older Adults Experiences Traumatic Brain Injury

Jul 24, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

In an 18-year study of more than 9,200 Medicare enrollees, researchers found that about 13 percent of those individuals experienced at least one traumatic brain injury (TBI). Most TBI incidents involve falls from ground level. The study findings, published by JAMA Network Open, also note that the percentage of older … Read More

How to Gain Better Balance

Jul 24, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

Functional fitness refers to exercises designed to train your muscles to make it easier and safer to perform everyday activities such as carrying groceries, walking on unstable surfaces like grass and sand, and reaching up into a high cupboard. Each of these actions involves balance. Most activities of daily living … Read More

Ultra-Processed Foods’ Link with Mortality

Jul 24, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

Consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has been associated with higher all-cause mortality, and certain groups of UPFs have slightly higher impact, according to a 30-year study. Data from more than 100,000 health professionals in the U.S. who filled out food questionnaires every four years showed that those eating the most … Read More

Your Quality of Life as a Caregiver

Jul 24, 2024 · Kate Brophy · Aging & Independence

A recent Alzheimer’s Association report highlights the challenges that can come with being a caregiver for a person who is living with any type of dementia. About 70 percent of caregivers who were surveyed for the report said that coordinating care was stressful, and more than half found navigating health … Read More

Ask Tufts Experts: Menopause and Bone Health

Jun 26, 2024 · Judith C. Thalhaimer, RD, LDN · Aging & Independence

I’m going through menopause. Should I be taking calcium and vitamin D supplements for my bones? Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, endocrinologist, professor of medicine, and lead scientist in the Bone Metabolism Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, answers: “In the first five years after menstruation … Read More

Maintain Your Kidney Health as You Age

Jun 26, 2024 · Kate Brophy · Aging & Independence

Most people can get by on just one kidney, but don’t let that fact cause you to underestimate their importance. They perform the vital function of filtering excess waste and fluids from the blood. “When blood enters the kidneys via the renal arteries, it progresses through a series of smaller … Read More

Medicare Approves Weight-Loss Drug for Some Recipients

Jun 26, 2024 · Kate Brophy · Aging & Independence

You likely have seen numerous recent media reports about drugs that can help people lose weight. One such drug is semaglutide, which originally was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017 to treat type 2 diabetes under the brand names Ozempic® (a once-weekly injection) and Rybelsus® … Read More

Ask the Experts: Antidepressants and Suicide Risk; Bypass Surgery Complications in Older Women

Jun 26, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

My 85-year-old mother has a hiatal hernia that causes unpleasant symptoms, including heartburn and nausea. The hernia is too small to operate on—and in any case, she is too frail to undergo surgery. The ongoing symptoms have caused her to feel quite depressed, so her doctor prescribed an antidepressant (sertraline) … Read More

Minimizing Dementia Caregiver Burnout

Jun 25, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

In the 1960s, the Peace Corps created a public service campaign with the slogan: “It’s the toughest job you’ll ever love”. The idea of an exotic community service adventure attracted many young people to sign up with the Peace Corps. Doing so changed many people’s lives. Being a dementia caregiver … Read More

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