Pumping Irony
LATEST STORIES
PUMPING IRONY: The Perils of Pedaling
New Zealand researchers have found that bicycling to work may enhance your longevity. My own experience suggests they may be ignoring the possibility of fatal collisions.
PUMPING IRONY: Strong Medicine
New research on muscle mass and heart disease reminds me of a harsh lesson my dad taught me long ago: Never assume anything.
PUMPING IRONY: Is There a Nurse in the House?
The nation is facing an unprecedented nursing shortage just as new evidence suggests that a nurse-led approach may improve the care of our elders.
PUMPING IRONY: Time for a Tune-Up?
Results of a new study threaten to upend decades of longevity research and perhaps require physicians to act more like car mechanics.
PUMPING IRONY: Stuff Happens
Mysterious aches and pain are always going to erupt as we grow older; it doesn’t mean we’re doomed to a future of frailty.
PUMPING IRONY: A Working Hypothesis
My path to retirement has long been littered with financial obstacles. Recent research suggests that may not be such a bad thing.
PUMPING IRONY: “Oh, You Shouldn’t Have!”
We were determined not to exchange Christmas gifts this year. Then reality intervened.
PUMPING IRONY: Pick Your Poison
Just as new research warns heart-healthy older folks that taking aspirin to prevent a heart attack could be fatal, another study suggests regular doses could fend off cancer. I just wish it would work when I get a headache.
PUMPING IRONY: Live Long and Suffer?
Because we’re all living longer lives, longevity visionaries suggest we need to rethink societal norms around aging. I have my doubts that social engineering is the answer.
PUMPING IRONY: Fumbled Friendships
Robust social connections are key to our well-being as we age, so should I worry that my circle of friends has been narrowing for years? Not so much.
PUMPING IRONY: Don’t Move!
Government attempts to curb falls in the hospital have limited mobility so much that elderly patients often head home in worse shape than when they arrived.
PUMPING IRONY: Not OK, Boomers
While some of my geezer contemporaries are taking offense at Generation Z’s campaign to blame us for the state of the world, I say bring it on.
PUMPING IRONY: Hear No Evil
There’s plenty of evidence showing that hearing loss can damage our quality of life as we grow older, but the senior set — including my brother — seems immune to the warnings.
PUMPING IRONY: Don’t Give It Another Thought
Conventional wisdom suggests that my lazy brain offers few benefits, but Harvard researchers believe it may be the key to a long life.
PUMPING IRONY: Money Keeps You Young?
Recent research suggests that frequent bouts of poverty prior to middle age may contribute to premature aging. If that’s the case, I should be sitting on death’s doorstep by now.
PUMPING IRONY: Bugged!
The alarming rise of drug-resistant superbugs in nursing homes is just another reason to do everything I can to maintain my good health and live out my days in my own home.
PUMPING IRONY: A Microbiome Miracle?
Recent research suggests that all frail seniors need to do to boost their strength — and maybe even reduce their waistlines — is to have the right combination of bacteria in their guts. I’d rather lift weights.
PUMPING IRONY: A Numbers Game: Diabetes
New guidelines seeking to address the healthcare industry’s overtreatment of elderly diabetics may encounter a skeptical audience: elderly diabetics.
PUMPING IRONY: Growing Old, Gaining Weight
A new study explains why we tend to gain weight as we age, even if our caloric intake and exercise regimens remain unchanged.
PUMPING IRONY: Hungry and Hopeless
A quiet epidemic of malnutrition has spread among the nation’s elderly, and Congress has only a few weeks to figure out how to respond.
PUMPING IRONY: A Healthy Pessimism?
Do optimists live longer than pessimists? Maybe, but I’m not the only one arguing that a middle way may yield healthier benefits.