Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As Baby Boomers Age, Alzheimer's Looms As A Devastating Threat
On Jan. 1, America's baby boomers began turning 70 at a rate of 10,000 a day, a silver tsunami that is expected to continue, day after day, for the next 19 years. More than 5 million Americans now have Alzheimer's, the most common form of elderly dementia. Alzheimer's destroys memory and other mental functions and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. (Stephenson, 5/17)
Grandma's cholesterol is OK, but maybe the doctor should be asking about her social life, too. Think about health during the senior years, and a list of common ailments pops to mind. But that's not the whole story. New research suggests factors such as loneliness and whether they've broken any bones since middle age also play a role in the well-being of older adults. In fact, layering on that extra information better predicts whether a senior's next five years will be fairly robust or whether they're at higher risk for death or disability than just focusing on what chronic diseases they have, researchers reported Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (Neergaard, 5/16)
