Craig Cox
LATEST STORIES
PUMPING IRONY: Medicate or Meditate?
While Alzheimer’s patients wait to see if Biogen’s new drug will someday prove effective — and affordable — researchers continue to make a case for the healing powers of meditation.
PUMPING IRONY: A Kind of Reckoning
Age, the pandemic, and the looming flu season have persuaded me to engage with our broken healthcare system after ignoring its offerings for the past 20 years. First impressions have not been favorable.
For the Aging Gut, Change is Good
As we age, our microbiomes change — and that might be a good thing. Here’s why.
Consumers, Unite . . . in the Snack Aisle
A half-century since boomer activists loudly proclaimed a whole-foods revolution, a new study suggests Americans are eating more ultraprocessed foods than they were 18 years ago — despite the known health risks. And guess who’s leading the trend?
PUMPING IRONY: Headed for a Fall
Millions of elderly Americans land in the hospital each year after taking a tumble. So why are doctors continuing to prescribe drugs that increase that risk?
PUMPING IRONY: Small Talk, Large Rewards
While the benefits of cultivating strong relationships are well known, we often overlook the value of the brief random social interactions that really make our day.
PUMPING IRONY: From Bonus to Busted?
Social Security beneficiaries will be getting a hefty cost-of-living raise next year, which may temporarily ease their anxiety over a new report warning of the program’s fast-approaching insolvency.
PUMPING IRONY: The Honeymoon’s Over
With the White House pushing Congress to allow the government to negotiate drug pricing, Big Pharma wonders, Where’s the love?
Why Are Hearing Aids So Expensive?
FDA’s inaction hinders development of affordable hearing aids.
PUMPING IRONY: A Smart Choice?
Recent research suggests that postponing my retirement might be good for my aging brain.
Can Smell Training Help COVID-19 Survivors Restore Their Sense of Smell?
Many people who’ve recovered from COVID-19 lose their sense of smell or suffer from a condition called parosmia, which is a distorted sense of smell. Smell training would help.
PUMPING IRONY: Growing Pains
A fraught battle with our 4-year-old grandson over screen time has forced Grandma and Grandpa to admit that his customary weekly visits may now hold less allure for him — and us — than they once did.
PUMPING IRONY: Meddling With Medicare
For reasons both political and pecuniary, attempts to expand Medicare benefits have always been a tough sell, despite the rising demands of an aging population. As Congress prepares to give it another shot, I’m hedging my bets.
PUMPING IRONY: Vision Quest
At a time when impaired vision among the senior set is beginning to alarm some public-health experts, a surprising change in my own eyesight has me scrambling to get a better view of things.
Green-Tea Lovers May Live Longer
Drinking green tea at least three times a week is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, according to recent research.
PUMPING IRONY: Foul Air, Faulty Brain
Raging wildfires and other sources of airborne pollution are threatening more than our respiratory and circulatory systems. New research is strengthening the link between air quality and dementia.
PUMPING IRONY: Your Place or Mine?
Concerned that they may be called upon to provide full-time caregiving someday if a late-life romance leads to cohabitating, many older couples are choosing to follow their hearts — while maintaining separate residences.
PUMPING IRONY: I’m All Ears
With my hearing aids on the fritz, I suddenly find myself rooting for scientists seeking a way to genetically manipulate the malfunctioning human ear.
The Sleep-Memory Connection
Quality sleep may help prevent Alzheimer’s, according to recent research.
A Prescription for Action
The “deprescribing” movement faces various obstacles as advocates seek to gain some influence amid our drug-happy healthcare system, not the least of which is simply getting your doctor’s attention.
PUMPING IRONY: The Color of Worry, the Color of Calm
If stress can lead to graying hair, can periods of calm reverse the process? Recent research suggests it may have that effect, though my graying locks are probably beyond help.