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☆ As Biden faces questions about his age, researchers weigh in on working in your 80s
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"Fluid intelligence" slows with aging, Walsh said. U.S. President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., March 7, 2024. Nearly 80% of older workers say they've seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace, according to research by AARP. There are areas where older workers outperform younger workers. Philip Taylor University of Warwick professor"Crystallized intelligence," considered wisdom, also grows throughout our life, experts say.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Chip Somodevilla, Robert K, Hur, Abdel Fattah el, John Walsh, Walsh, hasn't, Elizabeth Frantz, Selkoe, I've, Joel Kramer, Biden's missteps, Kramer, Philip Taylor, Taylor, Alex Katz, Toni Morrison, they've, —, Joseph Biden Organizations: Getty, gerontology, University of Southern, U.S, Capitol, Washington , D.C, Reuters, University of California, AARP ., UCSF, Aging, University of Warwick, Employees, Philip Taylor University of Warwick, Bettmann Locations: Washington , DC, California, Egypt, Mexico, Gaza, University of Southern California, Washington ,, Israel, Biden's State

☆ Diet and sugary drinks boost risk of atrial fibrillation by up to 20%, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Atrial fibrillation is dangerous and on the riseAtrial fibrillation is the leading cause of stroke in the United States. Atrial fibrillation can also lead to blood clots, heart failure and “can increase the risk for heart attack, for dementia, for kidney disease. Replacing both diet and added sugar sodas with water is best to reduce chances of atrial fibrillation, experts say. The rate of atrial fibrillation in the US population is growing: The CDC estimates some 12 million Americans will have A-fib by 2030. “Do not take it for granted that drinking low-sugar and low-calorie artificially sweetened beverages is healthy, it may pose potential health risks.”

Persons: ”, Penny Kris, Etherton, Kris, “, Dr, Gregory Marcus, ” Marcus, Naveed Sattar, ” Sattar, Ningjian Wang, ” Wang Organizations: CNN, Pennsylvania State University, American Heart Association, US Centers for Disease Control, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, UCSF Health, Rhythm Society, University of Glasgow, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Locations: United States, Scotland, Shanghai, China

☆ What is a typical degree of cognitive ability for a person in their 80s?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Mira Cheng | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

How we change as we ageA decline in cognitive abilities is a normal part of healthy aging, said Dr. Emily Rogalski, Rosalind Franklin Professor of Neurology at the University of Chicago. A diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment is made clinically when cognitive difficulties become frequent and fall outside what is considered normal aging. “There’s not a whole lot of good evidence that there’s anything special about age 80 that leads to a drop-off” in cognitive abilities, Mather said. And they use cognitive tests, such as the Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) or Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), to assess performance in different cognitive areas. Although population-level data associates aging with cognitive decline, the actual manifestation of aging is very diverse on an individual level, Rogalski said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump, Nikki Haley, Nancy Pelosi, Emily Rogalski, Rosalind Franklin, ”, Molly Mather, “, Angela Roberts, Roberts, “ There’s, Mather, MMSE, We’re, ” Mather, Nir Barzilai, Rogalski, “ We’ve, superagers, Barzilai, “ It’s, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Roberts Organizations: CNN, House, Republican, NBC, Neurology, University of Chicago, UCSF, Aging, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, National Institute, Western University, Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, American Federation for Aging Research, Trump, Biden, Get CNN, CNN Health, ” Locations: Mexico, Egypt, Montreal

☆ Inside the Trust Women abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas, which saw a spike in out-of-state patients after Roe was overturned
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

I met Kattie in the waiting room of the Trust Women abortion clinic. Finally, she looked north and found Trust Women in Wichita, Kansas, where I first met her on a drizzly November day. How Trust Women went from a catchphrase to a clinicTrust Women sits near a main road in Wichita, Kansas. 'Screw Texas'Kiernan, the director of nursing at Trust Women, has tattoos of plants that have been historically used as birth control. That has meant clinics like Trust Women receive a large number of out-of-state travelers, especially from southern neighbors like Oklahoma and Texas.

Persons: —, Kattie, she'd, Focht, Maiya, George Tiller, Tiller, Zack Gingrich, Gingrich, Gaylord, Roe, Wade, Kiernan, Texas, Dobbs, they're, I'm, telemedicine, Madison, Stormi, Kate Cox, Brittany Watts, Jennifer Kerns, Rachel O'Leary Carmona, Women's, Gaylor, Kerns, It's, O'Leary Carmona Organizations: Service, Business, Gaylord, Trust, Jackson, Health Organization, Trust Women, Texas Supreme, Centers for Disease Control, Women, University of California, OB Locations: Houston , Texas, Wichita , Kansas, Women's, Kansas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, State, Dobbs, Texas, Madison, Kansans, Texas . Wichita, Houston, Wichita, Kentucky, Ohio, San Francisco, UCSF, Kattie

☆ Who will care for older adults? We’ve plenty of know-how but too few specialists
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Judith Graham | Kff Health News | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Research suggests each geriatrician should care for no more than 700 patients; the current ratio of providers to older patients is 1 to 10,000. In some respects, geriatrics has been remarkably successful in disseminating principles and practices meant to improve the care of older adults. Under this model, older adults with acute but non-life-threatening illnesses get care at home, managed closely by nurses and doctors. In July 2019, the American College of Surgeons created a program with 32 standards designed to improve the care of older adults. The bright lights, noise, and harried atmosphere in hospital emergency rooms can disorient older adults.

Persons: Jerry Gurwitz, “, ” Gurwitz, What’s, “ There’s, ”, geriatrician Gregg Warshaw, geriatrics, Michael Harper, Thomas Robinson, geriatricians, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Lisa Walke, Harper Organizations: CNN, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, American Geriatrics Society, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of California, Seniors, American College of Surgeons, Initiative, Geriatric, American College of Emergency Physicians, Centers, Medicare, Medicaid Services, UCLA, Indiana University, Johns Hopkins University, UCSF, Get CNN, CNN Health, Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, KFF Health, Kaiser Health, KFF Locations: United States, San Francisco

☆ Zuckerberg's philanthropy project plans AI system for life sciences research
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 19 (Reuters) - Meta (META.O) CEO Mark Zuckerberg's philanthropy venture plans to build a computing system powered by artificial intelligence for life sciences research to study human cells and diseases. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, created by Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, will use the computing system to run openly available AI models, the philanthropy venture said on Tuesday. AI has been used in the life sciences domain for some years. The system will be trained on datasets from software tool CZ Cell x Gene, as well as resources from Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network and Chan Zuckerberg Institute for Advanced Biological Imaging, and publicly available data. The company released its latest Llama 2 model in July, and offered it for free to businesses of a certain size.

Persons: Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, Chan, Beck, Mark, Chan Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Nvidia's, Yuvraj Malik, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: Initiative, UCSF, REUTERS, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Google, Imaging, Meta, Thomson Locations: Bay, San Francisco , California, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ A paralyzed woman couldn't speak for more than 20 years. With AI, now she can — just by thinking.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A development in neurotechnology has given a stroke survivor her voice back after nearly 20 years. The woman had a brain stem stroke that left her paralyzed and unable to speak at age 30. Her new implant uses AI to decode brain signals and convert them to computerized speech. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe neurotechnology uses artificial intelligence to decode the woman's brain signals while she tries to speak. It's amazing I have lived this long; this study has allowed me to really live while I'm still alive!"

Persons: Ann Johnson, Johnson, hasn't, Dr, Edward Chang, Chang, Neuroengineering, didn't, I'm Organizations: Service, Nature, University of California San, University of California, of California San, UCSF, UCB, Austria's, Bio, German Research Foundation, United Nations Locations: neurotechnology, Wall, Silicon, University of California San Francisco, University of California Berkeley, of California San Francisco, UCSF, Austrian, United

☆ Marijuana users have more heavy metals in their bodies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Users of marijuana had statistically higher levels of lead and cadmium in their blood and urine than people who do not use weed, a new study found. Marijuana users also had 22% higher cadmium levels in their blood than non-users, and 18% higher levels in their urine, Sanchez said. “Our study wasn’t able to tease apart whether or not self-reported cannabis users were using medical or recreational cannabis, so we can’t say definitively if medical cannabis users specifically had higher metal levels,” she said. Heavy metals aren’t just in marijuana — tobacco smokers are exposed to even more types of toxins. While that’s good news for the environment, it’s worrisome for marijuana users.

Persons: ”, Tiffany Sanchez, Sanchez, Beth Cohen, ” Sanchez, can’t, Dr, Leonardo Trasande, NYU Langone, I’m Organizations: CNN, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, US Environmental Protection Agency . Marijuana, University of California, Environmental, National Health, Cleveland Clinic, NYU, US Department of Agriculture, District of Columbia Locations: New York City, San Francisco, Italy

☆ Using both medical and recreational marijuana raises risk of addiction disorder
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Developing cannabis use disorder is relatively common in Washington state, one of the first states to fully legalize cannabis, and can even occur in people who only use medical marijuana, according to a new study. “There’s a perception that people who are using marijuana for medical reasons have a lower risk of a cannabis use disorder,” said lead author Gwen Lapham, assistant professor at Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine in Seattle. In addition, using both medical and recreational weed led to a more severe addiction than using medical marijuana alone, the study revealed. There are no current FDA-approved medications to treat cannabis use disorder, Lapham said, so behavior-based treatments or specialty addiction centers are the rule. A 2021 study found cannabis use disorder rose from 17.7% before marijuana was legalized in Canada to 24.3% after legalization.

Persons: “, ”, Gwen Lapham, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J, Lapham, Nicholas Vozoris, Alexandre Dumais, ” Dumais, Dumais, It’s, Beth Cohen Organizations: CNN, Kaiser Permanente, Tyson School of Medicine, US Centers for Disease Control, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research, University of Toronto, University of Montreal, FDA, University of California Locations: Washington, Seattle, respirology, Washington State, Netherlands, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Canada, San Francisco

☆ STIs are on the rise in the US. A pill taken after sex could help slow them down
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Yet recent research suggests that one pill of the drug can be effective in preventing such infections among men who have sex with men if taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex. He added that any guidance from the CDC will help “fill gaps,” provide direction to clinics and offer a framework for using doxyPEP for STI prevention. “Drug resistance when taking doxyPEP is currently being studied in people using this treatment for STI prevention. “There are still many STI prevention and treatment gaps left to fill. “In STI prevention, we’ve been relying on tools that are decades, sometimes centuries old.

Persons: Dr, Jonathan Mermin, ”, doxyPEP, Stephanie Cohen, “, “ We’re, ” Cohen, ” David C, Harvey, ” Harvey, DoxyPEP, someone’s, Annie Luetkemeyer, gonorrhea, ” Luetkemeyer, Connie Celum, Kenya Medical Research Institute —, Jenell Stewart, Stewart, ” Stewart, Suneer Chander, Wisp, ” Chander, Sanjay Gupta, Mermin, Deidre McPhillips Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC’s National Center, HIV, CDC, San Francisco Department of Public Health, California Department of Public Health, San Francisco Department of Public, National Coalition, STD, “, New England, of Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, UCSF, University of Washington, Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Hennepin Healthcare, University of Minnesota, PEP, Food and Drug Administration, CNN Health Locations: United States, San Francisco, Seattle, King County, Washington, Kenya, Hennepin

☆ Second Alzheimer’s drug to slow disease’s progression may be approved in the US this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Meg Tirrell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

It was shown in May and in fuller Phase 3 clinical trial results released at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Monday to delay the disease’s progression. More than 6 million Americans are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease, with about 1 million estimated to be in the early symptomatic stages where these drugs have shown benefit. Both Leqembi and donanemab work by clearing buildups of a protein in the brain called amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. It’s been a hypothesis that treating Alzheimer’s earlier with amyloid-clearing drugs would yield better results; Skovronsky said the donanemab trial bore that out. “We could look at people who had mild cognitive impairment, MCI, which is the earliest stage, versus mild Alzheimer’s versus moderate Alzheimer’s,” Skovronsky explained.

Persons: Leqembi, Eli Lilly’s donanemab, Lilly, “ Donanemab, Jennifer Manly, Kacie, ”, Dr, Gil Rabinovici, Renaud La Joie, Daniel Skovronsky, “, Skovronsky, ” Skovronsky, It’s, Eric Widera, Sharon Brangman, University of Wisconsin’s Dr, Nathaniel Chin, Donanemab, Lilly hasn’t, Lawrence Honig, Honig, White, Sanjay Gupta, Deters, ” Lilly, it’s “, it’s, there’s, Joe Montminy Organizations: CNN, Alzheimer’s Association, Food and Drug Administration, American Medical Association, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, University of California, MCI, SUNY, University of Wisconsin’s, Leqembi, FDA, donanemab, CNN Health, ” Manly Locations: Los Angeles, “

☆ California has spent billions to fight homelessness. The problem has gotten worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Nick Watt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Los Angeles CNN —California has spent a stunning $17.5 billion trying to combat homelessness over just four years. “The problem would be so much worse, absent these interventions,” Jason Elliott, senior adviser on homelessness to Gov. David Swanson/AFP/Getty ImagesThe admittedly reductive math would leave nearly $4 billion for services like mental health treatment. Still, tackling mental health issues among the unhoused is a major plank in the Newsom administration’s effort. “One of the surprising things was how optimistic people were that relatively small amounts of money would have prevented their homelessness,” Kushel said of the people surveyed.

Persons: Jason Elliott, Gavin Newsom, ”, Elliott, “, David Swanson, we’ve, “ It’s, CNN Cristina Smith, Dr, Margot Kushel, ” Kushel, Newsom, Karen Bass, Sam Liccardo, Dai Sugano, There’s, Kushel, Rather, “ We’ve, ” Elliott, molesters, gosh, Bass, “ They’re Organizations: Los Angeles CNN, Gov, CNN, Getty, Democrats, KCBS, “, UCSF Center, California Gov, San Jose, Area, AP Locations: Los Angeles CNN — California, California, AFP, Los Angeles, America, San Jose, Angeles, LA, “, Golden State

☆ 90% of people experiencing homelessness in California are from the state, rather than outsiders moving there for services
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

California is home to 30% of people experiencing homelessness and half of those unsheltered in the US. 90% of unhoused people in California lived in the state before losing their housing, the report found. The state makes up less than 12% of the nation's total population, but is home to 30% of people experiencing homelessness and half of the unsheltered population in the US. In reality, 90% of those experiencing homelessness in California lived in California before losing their housing, according to a major new study from the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at the University of California, San Francisco. The researchers surveyed 3,200 people across the state and conducted 365 in-depth interviews with adults experiencing homelessness between October 2021 and November 2022.

Persons: —, Dr, Margot Kushel Organizations: Service, Initiative, University of California, UCSF Homeless, Housing Initiative, UCSF Locations: California, San Francisco

☆ Fact Check-Document mentioning cryogenic-electron microscopy does not prove Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine contains graphene oxide
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Graphene oxide is not an ingredient in the vaccine,” she said. When contacted by Reuters, a Pfizer spokesperson sent a link with the full list of ingredients of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (here, see page six). No graphene oxide is listed. “We confirm that graphene oxide is not used in the manufacture of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine,” the spokesperson said. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine does not contain graphene oxide.

☆ U.S. plans to stop buying Covid shots for the public this fall. Here's what that means
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

There is a federal program to provide free vaccines to children whose families or caretakers can't afford the shots. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., slammed the vaccine price hike in a letter to Moderna's CEO last month. Under the ACA, private health insurance is required to cover all immunizations recommended by the CDC at no cost to the consumer. There may be a small number of legacy private health insurance plans from before the ACA that are not required to cover Covid vaccines, Cox said. Consumers could also see their health insurance premiums increase if Pfizer and Moderna hike the price of the shots, Cox said.

“And the pulse oximeter is used from any age to geriatrics,” he said. The US Food and Drug Administration is mulling over next steps for the regulation of pulse oximeter devices, which may give less accurate readings for people of color. A panel of its Medical Devices Advisory Committee met in November to review clinical data on the issue. “I think of the pulse oximeter reading in the same way. Of course this can be dangerous.”Ultimately, the pulse oximeter can estimate the amount of oxygen a person has in their blood without the need for a blood sample.

☆ Common treatment for joint pain may be linked to faster arthritis progression, research suggests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Angela Yang | Angela Yang Is An Intern For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

One of the most common pain relief treatments for arthritis, corticosteroid injections, may actually be associated with faster progression of the disease, according to new research. There is no cure, but the discomfort is sometimes treated with corticosteroid shots. The scans, collected annually for four years, revealed worse arthritis progression among participants injected with corticosteroids compared to the other two groups. Just because imaging shows more arthritis progression doesn’t mean a patient feels more pain. And second, he said, the results shouldn’t lead people to avoid corticosteroid shots in all situations.

☆ Rare success for Alzheimer's research unlocks hope for future therapies
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Eisai and Biogen are scheduled to present full data from their lecanemab study on Tuesday at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease conference in San Francisco. Lecanemab’s success rests on years of research into the causes of Alzheimer’s as well as advances in measuring amyloid deposits through brain scans and spinal fluids. At least 16 treatments are being tested in clinical trials, with results expected over the next three years, according to a Reuters review of the clinicaltrials.gov registry. The drugmaker has been largely absent from the Alzheimer's space after the high-profile failure of its drug verubecestat five years ago. But several antibody therapies from Lilly, Biogen and AbbVie(ABBV.N) that were designed to slow the rate of tau accumulations failed outright last year.

☆ Analysis: Wanted: an oxygen monitor reliable for all races
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Expert advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration met virtually on Tuesday to discuss improvements in standards for pulse oximeters. Imarc Group market research firm forecast the global pulse oximeter market reaching $3.25 billion by 2027. Pulse oximeter problems "suddenly became enormous" during the pandemic, said Dr. Philip Bickler, director of the University of California, San Francisco's (UCSF) Hypoxia Research & Pulse Oximeter Test Facility. Current rules require that pulse oximeters be tested in a minimum of just 10 subjects, only two of whom must be "darkly-pigmented." While the devices are still useful, UCSF's Bickler said, doctors "should not base patient care only on pulse oximeter findings."

☆ At least 66 clinics in 15 states have stopped providing abortions since Dobbs, analysis finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

At least 66 clinics in 15 states have stopped providing abortions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, according to a new analysis from the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights research organization. The analysis notes that those states had 79 total clinics that provided abortions before the Dobbs decision, compared with 13 today. All of the remaining open clinics are in Georgia, where a law prohibits abortions once a "detectable human heartbeat is present." The most closings were in Texas, where at least a dozen clinics shuttered, the Guttmacher analysis says. Planned Parenthood also provides STD testing, pregnancy testing, transgender hormone therapy and primary care services, according to its website.

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