A Senior Journal story related the fact that more than half of older Americans – those age 45 through 75 – take an aspirin every day, even though this use is not recommended by the Food and Drug Administration for most people who have not yet had a heart attack or stroke. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine quotes a…
By Richard Ueberfluss More than 50 percent of women and 25 percent of men over fifty will suffer from an osteoporosis-related fracture. Osteoporosis occurs when bone breaks down faster than it is replenished, leaving the skeleton porous and brittle. Women lose bone density more rapidly during menopause, so they are more susceptible to osteoporosis than men. Multiple medications, poor vision…
By Richard Ueberfluss There is a new study out that suggests that 12 percent of drugs doctors prescribe are for uses other than those approved by regulators. These are known as “off-label” since they are not prescribed for certain conditions for which they are being prescribed. While this doesn’t always mean a negative outcome, patients should be encouraged to ask…
Overuse of antibiotics can interfere with treatment of certain heath conditions Antibiotics have played a critical role in treating a variety of diseases. But new research has found that overuse of antibiotics is creating a rise in drug-resistant infections, especially in nursing homes where urinary tract infections (UTI) are an ongoing problem. The issue is that overuse of antibiotics…
Physical therapy is just one of the many pain control options offered by specialists today. Although older adults are more likely to experience pain, it is not a “symptom” of aging, and it should not be accepted as inevitable. Unfortunately, pain has often been undertreated in older adults, but pain relief is an essential part of good healthcare. Untreated pain…
According to Nurses.com, the CDC issued a new report on ER visits by people 65 and older, stating that 511 people per 1,000 in that age group visited an ER during the two-year period spanning 2009-10. Among people 85 and older, 832 per 1,000 visited an ER during the study period. The numbers of ER visits by nursing home residents…
As a Physical Therapist, I have been telling my patients to take their blood pressure medication and take their time getting out of bed in the morning by “rolling” to one side vs doing a sit up to avoid heart attacks and strokes. According to another recent report in HealthDay News, failure to take blood pressure-lowering medicines as directed greatly increases…
