Pumping Irony

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”?

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.

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.

New research suggests that my general aversion to socializing may contribute to a frail future — despite my well-intentioned commitment to strength training.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

A routine memory test — and new research — tell me my brain may be too full of useless trivia to remember what really 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Reading Gail Godwin’s sober meditation on aging and death so soon after my recent ER visit leaves me grasping for a sense of optimism.

After a head injury sent me to the ER, I find myself confronted by lessons I probably should’ve learned long ago.

Offering a balm to absent-minded seniors who worry that Alzheimer’s may lurk just around the corner, a new Mayo Clinic study suggests that memory loss may not necessarily mean dementia.

The time and energy seniors expend to navigate our fragmented healthcare system — and protect themselves from unscrupulous insurers — often adds an overwhelming burden to those already coping with chronic illnesses.

An alarming portion of American seniors suffer from various undiagnosed anxiety disorders. And though treatment options are expanding, a recent ruling by an influential task force virtually guarantees that few will receive the help they need.

New research argues that a popular calculator designed to measure the risk of heart disease may have led to millions of unnecessary statin prescriptions. A new tool may provide a more accurate assessment.