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A new study conducted by researchers at the Henry Ford Hospital looked at diabetic patients to determine a possible connection between the disease and hearing loss. They divided the diabetic patients of the research study into two groups – those with well controlled diabetes and those with poorly managed diabetes. The patients in the study were also separated according to age.

The group of seniors that had their diabetes well controlled, particularly the females, was found to have less incidence of hearing loss. Poorly controlled diabetes seemed to be more influential on the hearing loss of older women involved in the study. more »

A three judge court of appeals panel has found that the individual mandate for Americans to buy their own insurance, a part of the Affordable Health Care Act, is unconstitutional. The American Cancer Society, The American Diabetes Association and The American Heart Association have appealed the decision and have filed a brief with the Supreme Court.

The Court believes that the rest of the Act can remain in force but the National Patient Care Associations feels the repeal of the individual mandate hurts the patient needing care for chronic conditions. more »

Researchers from St. Georges University of London studied over 100,000 patients with no history of heart disease and found that aspirin prevented non-fatal heart attacks by a significant margin. Despite this fact regular doses of aspirin did not seem to prevent other cardiovascular events including fatal heart attacks.

Dr. Rao Sashashi stated that the positive effects of aspirin for those who have suffered cardiovascular events is “indisputable’ but for those with no heart disease history it may be unwarranted. The group studied had a 10% less incidence of cardiovascular problems but 30% of those studied developed serious internal bleeding. The risks are seen as outweighing the benefits in these cases.

As a secondary investigation the study found no evidence that aspirin intake prevented the development of all cancers as some studies have stated was possible. Anyone providing at home care for a senior should check with their physician regarding daily aspirin use. There have been studies that show some seniors over medicate themselves with these medications.

Meeting with a professional at Special Care Services to discuss medication management and daily activities can provide great relief for someone giving at home assistance to a family member. One of our professional senior care service providers can examine all medications taken by the senior in your care to reduce the chances of dangerous interactions and improve quality of life.

The research group Prevent Blindness in America has joined with other eye health organizations to promote education about Glaucoma. Age related Macular Degeneration may cause more blindness but Glaucoma is the number one preventable cause of the affliction. Half the people who have the disease do not know it because it doesn’t strike central vision until it’s too late.

Glaucoma is really the name for a number of diseases that attack the optic nerve. It can be found by taking a dilated eye test.  The National Eye Institute more »

A study reported in the British Medical Journal shows cognitive decline in groups beginning at the age of 45. The cognitive decline for those over sixty-five was more pronounced but the 45 to 49 age group, the youngest tested,  showed a 3.6 %  drop in reasoning scores over a ten year period. Researchers feel the findings are important because therapies for cognitive problems tend to be more effective when started as early as possible.

Improving cognitive function is a good goal for any age. The National Institute of Health has been encouraging seniors to get more exercise to increase blood flow to the brain to combat the onset of cognitive problems.  Many doctors already advise a stricter diet more exercise for patients more »