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PUMPING IRONY: Hormones and Hope for Menopausal Knees
Researchers have identified how hormone depletion during menopause can cause osteoarthritis, but treatment options remain risky and further study may be a long time coming.
PUMPING IRONY: It’s All Greek to Me
Recent studies suggest that learning a foreign language may delay the onslaught of cognitive dysfunction, leaving aging monolinguists like me wondering whether there’s an easier way.
PUMPING IRONY: Can Robots Rescue Our Nursing Homes?
Japan has invested heavily in robotics to ease staffing pressures and improve quality of care at long-term facilities. Could the same approach rescue our own struggling industry?
PUMPING IRONY: A Smart Move?
How does artificial intelligence improve our struggling healthcare system if, as one noted medical ethicist points out, medicine is “as much a moral endeavor as a technical one”?
PUMPING IRONY: An Alternative Approach to Alzheimer’s
With enthusiasm waning amid poor clinical trials and ineffective treatments, dementia researchers are increasingly exploring the role viral infections may play in the disease — and the salutary effects of a particular vaccine.
PUMPING IRONY: When Surgery Goes Sideways
We’ve come to expect surgical procedures to routinely cure what ails us, despite recent evidence showing surprisingly frequent postoperative crises. A new report offers some insights and possible solutions.
PUMPING IRONY: Formulas for Frailty
New research suggests that my general aversion to socializing may contribute to a frail future — despite my well-intentioned commitment to strength training.
PUMPING IRONY: A Viewpoint Vindicated?
While my skeptical view of conventional medicine has softened in recent years, I continue to avoid prostate cancer screenings. A new study suggests I’ve made a good choice.
PUMPING IRONY: Hard Times on the Alzheimer’s Front
The Big Pharma approach to treating Alzheimer’s has met with some serious obstacles in recent months, a trend that may encourage more nuanced treatment protocols.
PUMPING IRONY: Say What?
Does hearing loss cause Parkinson’s or does Parkinson’s cause hearing loss? Dueling studies, a visit with my audiologist, and conversations with my octogenarian pal offer little clarity.
From Dream to Reality
Bahram Akradi reflects on rediscovering your purpose and passion in life.
PUMPING IRONY: Reeling in the Years
In a rebuke to the longevity industry, new research on life expectancy suggests humans have reached their peak lifespan. So rather than worry about how long we’ve got left, maybe we should enjoy the time we have now.
PUMPING IRONY: Conflicts of Interest?
Residents of long-term care facilities experience more violent incidents than those of most other institutions, according to recent research. Solutions are available, but are operators of these residences willing to make the necessary changes?
PUMPING IRONY: Happy Trails?
New research suggests travel can actually slow the aging process for older adults. So why am I so hesitant to venture beyond my comfort zone?
PUMPING IRONY: A Cognitive Curveball
A routine memory test — and new research — tell me my brain may be too full of useless trivia to remember what really matters.
PUMPING IRONY: For Seniors Seeking an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis, Location Matters
In the latest evidence of widespread inequities in our healthcare system, researchers have found that dementia sufferers are about twice as likely to get a diagnosis in certain regions of the country than in others.
PUMPING IRONY: Growing Old in Spurts?
What if the aging process isn’t linear but spikes at specific points in our lifespan? Stanford University researchers believe such a pattern exists and could inform new treatment options to help us thrive in our later years.
PUMPING IRONY: For Seniors, Marriage Offers Selective Blessings
New research suggests that married men are healthier and happier in their golden years than their unwed peers. For married women, however, the benefits are less clear.
PUMPING IRONY: Stop Signs?
Convincing an elderly driver to give up their car keys is a fraught process made more challenging by a lack of access to objective driving evaluations. Advance directives for driving — and Medicare coverage for those costly driver’s tests — could help.
PUMPING IRONY: Banking on the Bucolic Brain
A new study suggests that living amid more “residential greenery” during midlife may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s — even among those genetically predisposed to the disease. If memory serves, I may be one of the lucky ones. Or maybe not.