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A person shows his ears.

PUMPING IRONY: I’m All Ears

By Craig Cox

With my hearing aids on the fritz, I suddenly find myself rooting for scientists seeking a way to genetically manipulate the malfunctioning human ear.

Prescriptions around some drugs

A Prescription for Action

By Craig Cox

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.

A person on a boat looks at the water.

PUMPING IRONY: The Color of Worry, the Color of Calm

By Craig Cox

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.

A person ties their shoes.

PUMPING IRONY: Born to Run?

By Craig Cox

Late-blooming runners are routinely beating veteran racers at the national level, raising questions about the toll decades of training exact on the body — and why we choose to run (or not) in the first place.

A doctor looks at a brain scan.

PUMPING IRONY: New Hope, Selectively Dispensed

By Craig Cox

The controversy surrounding the FDA’s approval of the first new Alzheimer’s drug in nearly two decades will do little to temper demand by desperate patients and their caregivers. It may also exacerbate racial disparities among those vying for the treatment.

A welcome sign on a store window

PUMPING IRONY: Back to the Future

By Craig Cox

Emerging from social isolation, I’m discovering the importance of patience and empathy while gradually reconnecting to friends, family, and an eerily familiar postpandemic world.

A hospital building is pictured.

PUMPING IRONY: The COVID Effect

By Craig Cox

The pandemic has persuaded the U.S. healthcare industry to reimagine some aspects of its operations in ways that may yield significant benefits for the elderly. Will those revelations survive a return to normalcy?

A ripped piece of paper that spells out Parkinson's disease

PUMPING IRONY: Parkinson’s: The Next Pandemic?

By Craig Cox

Cases of the debilitating neurological disease have been surging in recent years and some researchers suggest COVID-19 may accelerate the trend.

A smiling woman sits on a rock by a waterfall.

PUMPING IRONY: A “Perfect” Prescription for Growing Old

By Craig Cox

Memories of a former colleague — and recent research — remind me that an upbeat view of aging may pay healthy dividends well into our later years.

A pamphlet for Medicare

PUMPING IRONY: The Medicare Muddle

By Craig Cox

Navigating the Medicare enrollment process should be easy. It is not.

A puzzle based on the $100 bill

PUMPING IRONY: Painful Repercussions

By Craig Cox

Financial stress during middle age can create physical pain in your later years, according to a new study. My own family’s experience suggests healing is possible.

A stethoscope on a check from the United States Treasury

PUMPING IRONY: A Long-Term Rehab Project

By Craig Cox

COVID has drawn fresh attention to our broken long-term-care system, sparking some ambitious government initiatives. But recent research suggests there’s much more work to be done.

Someone left the keys in the refrigerator.

PUMPING IRONY: A Detour on the Road to Dementia?

By Craig Cox

The latest thinking on Alzheimer’s disease suggests we may slow its development with diet and lifestyle shifts, but a recent harrowing experience has me wondering whether my brain is already too far gone — or if I just need to pay better attention to what I’m doing.

Two birds over a couple of orange halves.

PUMPING IRONY: Reunion

By Craig Cox

Like many empty nesters, I often wonder what role I should be playing in my adult children’s lives. An unexpected visit from our daughter after months of silence provided some clarity.

A variety of medical tools

PUMPING IRONY: Destined for Diabetes?

By Craig Cox

A prediabetes diagnosis can trigger all sorts of nightmarish scenarios, but mounting evidence suggests that seniors are a lot less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than we’ve been led to believe.

A hospital bed with blue-and-white bedding

PUMPING IRONY: An ER for the Elderly

By Craig Cox

A promising wave of geriatric emergency departments, designed to cut hospital costs and better accommodate seniors, has been slowed by a lack of support from insurers — including Medicare.

A person with a COVID vaccine card gives the thumbs-up.

PUMPING IRONY: O Lucky Man!

By Craig Cox

I’ve never won a contest of any sort in my life, so when I got word that I’d been chosen to receive a COVID vaccine, I figured there must be some mistake.

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