Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Geriatrics for April 2018. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Early Readmissions More Preventable Than Later Ones
TUESDAY, May 1, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Early general medicine readmissions are more likely than late readmissions to be preventable with hospital-based interventions, according to a study published online May 1 in the Annals of Internal of Medicine.
Flu Vaccines Have High Impact, Even With Relatively Low Efficacy
MONDAY, April 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Even relatively low-efficacy influenza vaccines can have a high impact, especially with optimal distribution across age groups, according to a study published online April 30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Reforms Suggested for Improving Medical Nutrition Education
MONDAY, April 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Enhancing physician education and training in nutrition is expected to improve engagement in diet counseling for outpatients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), according to an American Heart Association science advisory published online April 30 in Circulation.
Five Healthy Lifestyle Habits Could Add >10 Years to Life
MONDAY, April 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Adopting a healthy lifestyle, with five low-risk lifestyle factors is associated with increased life expectancy, according to a study published online April 30 in Circulation.
New Clinic Satisfaction Tool Provides Real-Time Feedback
THURSDAY, April 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A new clinic satisfaction tool improves communication and provides real-time feedback, according to a study published online April 14 in Neurosurgery.
Abstract/ Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Rural Childhood, Higher Education Cuts Later Life Dementia Risk
FRIDAY, April 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The combination of a rural upbringing and higher education levels may be protective against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) for African-Americans, according to a study published online April 16 in The Journals of Gerontology: Series B.
Certain Anticholinergic Drugs Appear to Raise Dementia Risk
FRIDAY, April 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Use of anticholinergic drugs may be tied to a future diagnosis of dementia, according to a study published online April 25 in The BMJ.
Improvement in Race-Based Disparities in Years of Life Lost
THURSDAY, April 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — From 1990 to 2014 there was a decrease in race-based disparities in years of life lost (YLL) in the United States, according to a study published online April 25 in PLOS ONE.
Saturday Is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
THURSDAY, April 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and local agencies are holding the 15th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day across the country this Saturday, April 28.
Medicare Requiring Hospitals to Post Prices Online
WEDNESDAY, April 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — U.S. hospitals will have to post their standard prices online and make it easier for patients to access their electronic medical records, Medicare officials said Tuesday.
USPSTF Urges Abuse Screening for Reproductive-Aged Women
TUESDAY, April 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has found that screening for intimate partner violence (IPV) is beneficial for reproductive-aged women, while there is inadequate evidence to weigh the balance of benefits and harms of screening for abuse in elderly and vulnerable adults. These findings form the basis of a draft recommendation statement published online April 24 by the USPSTF.
Draft Recommendation Statement
Draft Evidence Review
Comment on Recommendation
Exercise Intervention Doesn’t Improve Walking Ability in PAD
TUESDAY, April 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), a home-based exercise intervention does not improve walking ability over nine months compared with usual care, according to a study published in the April 24 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
One in Four Adults Report Having Arthritis
TUESDAY, April 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Between 1999 and 2014, nearly one-quarter of American adults reported having arthritis, according to a study published recently in the American Journal of Public Health.
Patients Prefer Doctors Who Engage in Face-to-Face Visits
MONDAY, April 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Patients prefer physicians who engage in face-to-face (F2F) clinic visits, rather than those using an examination room computer (ERC), according to a research letter published online April 19 in JAMA Oncology.
Controlling High Blood Pressure Could Prevent Dementia
MONDAY, April 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Controlling high blood pressure in older African-Americans may prevent future dementia, according to a study published recently in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Annual Visits May Not Increase Cognitive Impairment Detection
FRIDAY, April 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Medicare Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs) do not appear to substantially increase the detection of cognitive impairment in older adults, according to a study published online April 2 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Systolic BP Increases at Rapid Rate Above 120 to 125 mm Hg
FRIDAY, April 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — After systolic blood pressure (BP) reaches 120 to 125 mm Hg, it increases at a relatively rapid rate toward overt hypertension, according to a study published online March 21 in JAMA Cardiology.
Hearing Aids May Mitigate Cognitive Decline, Memory Loss
THURSDAY, April 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Using hearing aids may slow cognitive decline in later life, according to a study published online April 10 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Caffeine Does Not Appear to Be Linked to Risk of Arrhythmia
TUESDAY, April 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Regular intake of coffee and tea does not appear to be associated with the risk of arrhythmia, according to a review published in the April 1 issue of JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.
2000 to 2015 Saw Increase in Institutional Post-Acute Care
TUESDAY, April 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — From 2000 to 2015 there was an increase in the use of institutional post-acute care, according to a study published in the April 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Calcium Channel Blockers May Up Pancreatic Cancer Risk in Women
TUESDAY, April 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Use of short-acting calcium channel blockers (CCBs) is associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer in postmenopausal women, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, held from April 14 to 18 in Chicago.
USPSTF: Exercise Interventions Prevent Falls in Seniors
TUESDAY, April 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that exercise interventions may be beneficial for preventing falls in older adults; however, the evidence is insufficient to weigh the benefits and harms of vitamin D, calcium, and combined supplementation. These findings form the basis of two recommendation statements published April 17 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Evidence Report – Falls
Final Recommendation Statement – Falls
Editorial – Falls
Evidence Report – Vitamin D
Final Recommendation Statement – Vitamin D
Editorial – Vitamin D
Sedentary Habits Tied to Medial Temporal Lobe Thinning
TUESDAY, April 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For non-demented middle-aged and older adults, there is an inverse correlation between medial temporal lobe (MTL) thickness and sedentary behavior, according to a study published online April 12 in PLOS ONE.
Social Worker-Led Intervention Beneficial in Heart Failure
TUESDAY, April 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A social worker-led palliative care intervention seems beneficial for patients with advanced heart failure at high risk for mortality, according to a study published online April 11 in JAMA Cardiology.
Recommendations Developed on Gender Equity in Medicine
MONDAY, April 16, 2018 (HealthDay News) — In a position paper published online April 17 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, recommendations are provided aimed at addressing gender equity in physician compensation and career advancement opportunities.
Nonoptimized Drug Therapy Costs More Than $500 Billion Annually
MONDAY, April 16, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The estimated annual cost of drug-related morbidity and mortality resulting from nonoptimized medication therapy is more than half a trillion dollars in the United States, according to a study published online March 26 in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy.
Elder Abuse Not Associated With Risk of Chronic Pain
FRIDAY, April 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Elder abuse and neglect (EAN) is not tied to the risk of chronic pain, according to a study published online March 30 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Quality of Life Predicts Mortality in Older Breast Cancer Patients
THURSDAY, April 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For older women with early-stage breast cancer, measures of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) predict 10-year mortality independently of traditional breast cancer prognostic variables, according to a study published online March 13 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Recent Years Saw Increase in Burden of Prior Authorization
THURSDAY, April 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The burden of prior authorization (PA) has increased over the past five years, and 92 percent of physicians report associated delays in access to care, according to the results of a survey published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Declines Seen in Cardiovascular Risk Factors From 1990 to 2010
WEDNESDAY, April 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Among adults aged 40 years and older, cardiovascular risk decreased in men from 1990 to 2010 and increased followed by a decrease in women over the same time period, according to a study published online March 22 in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.
Smoke Exposure Tied to Higher CV, Cerebrovascular ER Visits
WEDNESDAY, April 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For all adults, and especially for those older than 65 years, smoke exposure is associated with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular emergency department visits, according to a study published online April 11 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
TBI Associated With Increased Risk of Subsequent Dementia
WEDNESDAY, April 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with increased risk of dementia, according to a study published online April 10 in The Lancet Psychiatry.
Suggestions Offered to Reduce Physician Frustration With EHRs
TUESDAY, April 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Changes can be implemented to help reduce physician frustration with electronic health records (EHRs), according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Considerable Differences in Burden of Disease at State Level
TUESDAY, April 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — There are considerable differences in the burden of disease at the state level, according to a study published in the April 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Education, Depression, Pain Associated With Opioid Misuse
TUESDAY, April 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — In adults age 50 or older, higher education, illicit drug use, depression, and pain interference with normal work are significantly associated with opioid misuse, according to a study published recently in Nursing Outlook.
Informal CVD Caregiving Costs Estimated at $61 Billion in 2015
MONDAY, April 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The costs of informal caregiving for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) were estimated at $61 billion in 2015 and are set to more than double by 2035, according to a policy statement published online April 9 in Circulation.
Polypharmacy Linked to Poorer Cognitive, Physical Capability
MONDAY, April 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Polypharmacy is associated with poorer cognitive and physical capability even after adjustment for disease burden, according to a study published online March 24 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Interns’ Schedule Takes Toll on Sleep, Physical Activity, Mood
FRIDAY, April 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — New interns’ intense and changing schedules take a toll on sleep, activity, and mood, according to a study published online March 14 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Preserved Neurogenesis in Hippocampus of Healthy Seniors
THURSDAY, April 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Healthy older subjects display preserved neurogenesis, according to a study published in the April 5 issue of Cell Stem Cell.
Online Doc Reviews Don’t Reflect Patient Satisfaction Surveys
THURSDAY, April 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Online physician reviews do not reflect patient satisfaction surveys (PSSs), according to a study published in the April issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Variations Identified in Free-Text Directions in E-Prescriptions
WEDNESDAY, April 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — There is considerable variation in the quality of free-text patient directions (Sig) in electronic prescriptions (e-prescriptions), according to a study published online April 2 in the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy.
Eating Veggies Found to Protect Against Atherosclerosis in Women
WEDNESDAY, April 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Eating more vegetables may prevent subclinical atherosclerosis in elderly women, according to a study published online April 4 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Docs Engage Little to Coordinate Medicare Home Health Care
WEDNESDAY, April 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Physicians do not meaningfully engage with skilled home health care (SHHC) agencies in the certification of Medicare beneficiaries’ plans of care, according to a study published online April 3 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Sudden Loss of Wealth Increases Risk of All-Cause Mortality
TUESDAY, April 3, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Loss of wealth over a two-year period is associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality for U.S. adults aged 51 years and older, according to a study published in the April 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Older Adults Believe Marijuana Can Be Effective for Pain
TUESDAY, April 3, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Older adults believe marijuana to be effective for pain relief, and many support its use, according to the results of a National Poll on Healthy Aging, conducted for the University of Michigan.
Agile Implementation Speeds Initiation of Health Care Solutions
MONDAY, April 2, 2018 (HealthDay News) — In a case demonstration study published online March 7 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, authors describe using Agile Implementation (AI), a method to quickly, efficiently, effectively, and sustainably translate evidence-based health care solutions into practice, in an Aging Brain Care model, an evidence-based collaborative care model which targets older adults with dementia, depression, or delirium.
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