By Richard Ueberfluss In general, senior citizens are less distracted while behind the wheel than younger adults. In fact, more senior citizens wear their seat belts (as drivers and passengers), drive slower and in better weather condition, and do not drive after drinking. With all of those good driving habits, one would think that accidents among with senior citizens would…
By Richard Ueberfluss 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…
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…
A 2013 report in the Journal of Anesthesia Clinical Research proposed that the potential link between memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease with general anesthesia “is an important preoperative concern from patients and their family members. This concern arises from individuals who have had history of cognitive impairment or have had a family member with Alzheimer disease and have tried to…
By Richard Ueberfluss 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 has led to the rise in dangerous drug-resistant infections….
According to Reuters Health, which reported on a study by from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago published in “Patient Education and Counseling,” miscommunication between healthcare providers and patient concerns over drug interactions lead to many seniors having an unnecessarily complicated medication regimen. The report suggests that the more complicated the drug routine, the more likely doses and…
Seniors and Medication Adherence It is no secret that prescription drug use is increasing among people of all ages. This is especially the case for those 65 and over. According to the CDC, three out of four seniors take two or more medications per day. Thirty-seven percent take five or more. It is also no secret that misuse is a…
Many seniors are taking multiple prescriptions and it is often hard to determine which medications were originally prescribed and which were substituted for generics. Sometimes, the generics may be confusing. A recent New York Times column noted that the practice of giving drugs two names, a brand name and a generic name, makes no sense. The column explained that worldwide,…
The pharmaceutical and drug manufacturers provide many options for treatment of healthcare conditions that in the past were fatal. While these medications have benefits they also have risks. The risks of medication are due to their chemical nature. One medication in isolation may not be problematic, but the cumulative effect of many medications for multiple conditions causes difficulty. Not only…
A recent LA Times story quoted data from a study conducted by Kaiser Health News found that nearly half of patients misunderstood what it or other common label instructions meant on medicine bottles. Consequently, they are advocating that the Food and Drug Administration should aim to simplify, clarify and standardize the labels that are affixed to those drugs. According to…
