Craig Cox
LATEST STORIES
PUMPING IRONY: When Artificial Intelligence Overrules the Real Thing
Medicare Advantage insurers are increasingly using algorithms rather than actual medical reports to justify controversial denials of coverage. The effects on patients can be devastating.
PUMPING IRONY: Swamped?
Seniors living in “food swamps” — communities dominated by convenience stores, fast-food outlets, and other purveyors of unhealthy fare — may be more susceptible to strokes, according to a new study. Call me skeptical.
PUMPING IRONY: Worrisome Advice?
Anxiety disorders are pervasive among the Medicare set, so why is the government counseling doctors to screen only younger patients?
Got the Blues? Ultraprocessed Food May Be to Blame
Highly processed foods, which are typically high on the glycemic index, can reduce levels of serotonin and dopamine — and potentially contribute to depression and anxiety.
PUMPING IRONY: Every Breath You Take
While air quality nationwide has improved markedly since the turn of the century, recent research highlights the cognitive damage that even low levels of pollution can exact on the aging brain.
PUMPING IRONY: Take Two Bean Sprouts and Call Me in the Morning
More than a half century after health-food activists began promoting the notion that food is medicine, public and private initiatives are finally taking shape. But formidable obstacles — some political, some institutional, and some purely personal — loom on the horizon.
PUMPING IRONY: Eat Less, Live Longer?
The latest longevity research suggests that calorie restriction may slow the pace of aging, but questions about the design of these types of studies — and the threat of sparking eating disorders — muddle its conclusions.
Can Antibiotics Affect Your Ability to Exercise?
Yes, according to recent research, and it all comes down to how antibiotics throw the microbiome out of balance. Learn why.
PUMPING IRONY: The Price of Prevention
Barely one in three U.S. seniors is vaccinated against shingles, despite their vulnerability to the often-dangerous virus. One reason for their hesitancy became all too clear when I got the bill for my shot.
PUMPING IRONY: Don’t Just Sit There, Do Something!
Sitting may be the new smoking, but recent research suggests that what you happen to be doing while parked in a chair — or on the couch — may mitigate its effect on your aging brain.
PUMPING IRONY: A Parley With Parkinson’s
While I only occasionally wonder whether Parkinson’s awaits me somewhere down the road, recent research provides some calming evidence that lifestyle changes may help keep the disease at bay.
Live Longer by Increasing Your Exercise Efforts
Studies indicate that doubling, and even quadrupling, the government recommendations for exercise can significantly reduce your risk of mortality.
PUMPING IRONY: Operating Principles
U.S. seniors undergo about a million major surgeries every year, often without fully considering the risks. The consequences can be deadly.
PUMPING IRONY: Just Business as Usual
An 18-month congressional investigation turned up plenty of dirt on the FDA’s dealings with Biogen during the agency’s controversial approval of the company’s Alzheimer’s drug, but its recommendations suggest the status quo will likely remain unchanged.
PUMPING IRONY: “Kinless” but Not Hopeless
Growing old without the support of a spouse, children, or siblings can present daunting health challenges, but some who choose that path find it to be more blissful than you might imagine.
PUMPING IRONY: This Is Your Brain on Junk Food
As Big Pharma’s latest Alzheimer’s drug faces renewed skepticism, a new study suggests that avoiding ultraprocessed food may be a more promising approach to maintaining healthy cognitive function as we age.
PUMPING IRONY: In Hock and Unhealthy
A growing proportion of U.S. seniors are struggling with too much debt, and a recent study suggests that it’s making them sick.
How Are Psychedelics Being Used to Treat Health Issues?
Recent studies continue to support the effectiveness of using psychedelics to treat PTSD, OCD, pain relief and more.
PUMPING IRONY: Why Bother?
As the most recent — and virulent — of COVID variants spreads across the country, U.S. seniors have mostly ignored the available boosters. Is it time to increase our vigilance against a pandemic that refuses to retreat?
How Spirituality Can Improve Health
Research indicates that incorporating spirituality into a person’s care produces a better chance of recovery.
PUMPING IRONY: Buyer Beware
Medicare scam artists — and the agency’s own complacency — make the annual enrollment season more hazardous than it needs to be.