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Medicare Now Posts Key Nursing Home Staffing Info for Consumers
Shining a light on key markers for nursing home quality, Medicare said Wednesday it is now posting details on staff turnover and weekend nurse coverage on its "Care Compare" website, where families can research a facility. The move by the Biden administration comes as...
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Just 10 More Minutes of Exercise Daily Lowers Risk for Death by 7 Percent
Americans, get up out of that chair and get moving.If everyone between 40 and 85 years of age were active just 10 minutes more a day, it could save more than 110,000 U.S. lives a year, a large study reports."Our projections are based on an additional 10 minutes of moderate...
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Keeping Weight Stable as You Age Could Help Save Your Brain
Older adults who maintain a steady weight as they age are less likely to experience rapid cognitive decline, regardless of how much they weigh to start, new research suggests. "There's something about maintaining weight and BMI that seems to reflect some health resilience,"...
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Five Ways to Live to 100
The legendary actress Betty White passed away on December 31 at the age of 99, just a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday this past Monday. She was a shining example of how living a positive life filled with purpose helps boost the immune system and longevity. "Animal...
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Do You Feel Old? Your Attitude Could Be Aging You
People who believe their bodies and minds will break down with age may be creating a self-fulfilling prophecy, a recent study suggests. Researchers found that older adults with a dim outlook on aging tended to report more physical health symptoms on days when they were...
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Do This One Surprising Thing Every Day and Live Longer
Sit on the floor. The simple act of getting down on the floor and up again can help you live longer and stronger. A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that the ability to get up from the floor is a significant predictor of longevity in...
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Breastfeeding Protects Mothers Against Heart Disease Years Later
Chloe Jo Davis is a vocal advocate for breastfeeding. The Wilton, Conn.-based writer breastfed her three sons for years to make sure they reaped all of the benefits associated with the practice." Breastfeeding helps build up kids' immune system and keeps colds, virus, ear...
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Olive Oil Linked to Longer Life: Study
Swapping out the butter or other artery-clogging fats in your diet for heart-healthy olive oil may add years to your life, researchers say. Folks who consume more than 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil a day are less likely to die from heart disease, cancer, neurodegenerative...
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Foods That Fight Vision-Stealing Glaucoma
Eat right to protect your sight. That's the advice of the Glaucoma Research Foundation, which offers its recipe for healthier eyes. Glaucoma is group of eye diseases that cause progressive vision loss through damage to the optic nerve. It is the second-leading cause of...
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Beware of Medications That Increase Risk for Dangerous Falls
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in four adults age 65 and older falls each year in the U.S. That equates to about 36 million seniors falling, resulting in 32,000 deaths each year. Experts say that medications that cause...
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Start Your Year With a Free Memory Screening
When it comes to routine health screenings, resolve to include a memory assessment in 2022.The Alzheimer's Foundation of America offers routine screenings that are both virtual and free every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The process is quick, taking about 10 to 15 minutes....
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Simple Strategies for Sticking to Your New Year's Health Resolutions
With the holidays behind us and a new year to look forward to, many Americans will make health resolutions for 2022. According to U.S. News & World Report, 60% of us make New Year's resolutions and 80% of them fail by February. Dieting and exercising top the annual list of...
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New Eyedrops Could Replace Reading Glasses for Millions
You may be able to throw away those reading glasses scattered all over the house. If you can find them, that is. A new eyedrop recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration offers hope for presbyopia, age-related farsightedness that affects 128 million Americans....
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Saving Mr. Big: Expert Advice on How to Help a Heart Attack Victim
By now, this shouldn't be a spoiler. In the first episode of the "Sex and the City" reboot called "And Just Like That," Carrie Bradshaw arrives home to find her husband John James Preston, aka Mr. Big, slumped on the floor. Apparently, he suffered a heart attack after a...
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Are Cortisone Injections Good or Bad for Arthritic Knees?
Cortisone injections have gotten a bad rap in recent years as a treatment for arthritis pain, because steroids are known to damage cartilage and could potentially cause the joint to further deteriorate. But a new study suggests that if used wisely, cortisone shots are as...
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Marijuana Use Can Lead to Harmful Medication Interactions
Many people turn to marijuana or cannabidiol to ease their achy joints and help them sleep, but a new study suggests that could wreak havoc with any other medications they're taking. Why? Because the body uses the same set of enzymes to process them all, scientists...
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Many Seniors on Medicare Falling Into Medical Debt
"Medicare For All" gets tossed around a lot by advocates of universal health coverage, but a new study finds that today's Medicare is far from free for seniors and people with disabilities. Instead, a large number of beneficiaries are sliding into medical debt and delaying...
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Female Patients Fare Worse When Surgeon is Male: Study
You can't always choose who operates on you, especially in an emergency, but the sex of your surgeon shouldn't matter, should it? It just may, according to a Canadian study of 1.3 million people. It reported that women who underwent common elective or emergency surgeries with...
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These Medications Raise Risk for Delirium After Surgery
Older adults have a higher risk of delirium after hip and knee surgery if they're taking anxiety, depression or insomnia drugs, researchers say. "Our findings show that different classes of medicine are riskier than others when it comes to causing delirium after surgery, and...
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Overactive Bladder Linked to Dangerous Falls for Seniors
An overactive bladder isn't just a nuisance and a source of embarrassment. For the elderly, it can also trigger a potentially fatal fall, a Canadian study says. "Falls are the leading cause of accidental death in seniors, and many people don't know that having bladder...
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Does Christmas Music Stress You Out? You're Not Alone
For some people the holiday season is "the most wonderful time of the year." But for others, the shopping, the expectations, and yes, even the steady drone of Christmas music can drive them crazy. While you can turn off the tunes at home or in your car, it's pretty hard to...
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Cataract Surgery Might Lower Your Odds for Dementia
People who undergo surgery to treat cataracts may have a lower likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests. Of more than 3,000 older adults with the eye disease, those who had surgery were about 30% less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's in the...
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Survivors of Severe COVID Face Doubled Risk for Death a Year Later
People who recovered from a severe case of COVID-19 may have more to worry about: New research finds that patients hospitalized with COVID are 2.5 times more likely to die within the year than people who never contracted the coronavirus. They also are nearly twice as likely...
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Study Finds Reducing Stress Can Reverse Gray Hair
The next time you spot a gray hair on your head, book a vacation. A unique study found gray hairs caused by stress can be reversed once the stress is removed. Researchers say that their findings shed valuable insight into the aging process. Scientists at Columbia University...
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Red Light in Morning May Improve Declining Eyesight: Study
A weekly dose of deep red light in the morning may protect fading eyesight as people age, U.K. researchers say. "Using a simple LED device once a week recharges the energy system that has declined in the retina cells, rather like recharging a battery," according to Glen...