Longtime Smokers May Find Protection From Parkinson's (HealthDay)
HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, March 10 (HealthDay News) -- In an effort tounderstand the relationship between tobacco smoke and Parkinson's disease,researchers have found that smoking for many years may reduce risk for thedisease but smoking a large number of cigarettes a day does not seem toreduce risk.
Smoking years key factor in lower Parkinson's risk (Reuters)
Reuters - Several studies have shown that smokers have a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease. A new study shows that it's how many years of smoking a person has under their belt -- rather than how much they smoke every day -- that matters.
Alzheimer's 'Epidemic' Hitting Minorities Hardest (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Over 5 million Americans areliving with Alzheimer's disease, and blacks and Hispanics are at highestrisk of developing the disease, a new report finds.
AFP - Men are more than twice as likely as women to be sexually active in old age but good health is the key for both to feeling naughty, says a study published Wednesday by the British Medical Journal.
Prion Disease in Mice May Help Advance Alzheimer's Research (HealthDay)
HealthDay - FRIDAY, March 5 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers havediscovered a new form of prion disease that doesn't act like relatedillnesses, such as mad cow disease, but instead causes brain damagesimilar to that produced by Alzheimer's disease.
A Purposeful Life May Stave Off Alzheimer's (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- People who say their liveshave a purpose are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease or itsprecursor, mild cognitive impairment, a new study suggests.
Death After Discharge Rates Higher in Elderly ICU Patients (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly patients dischargedfrom the hospital after a stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) have ahigh rate of death in the following three years, new research shows.
Scans Might Monitor Success of Alzheimer's Drugs (HealthDay)
HealthDay - MONDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Noting that brain scanssuggest that a new drug reduces plaque deposits in the brains of certainAlzheimer's patients by 25 percent compared to a placebo, researchers saythe scans could become a useful tool to study treatments for thedisease.
U.S. Medicare panel urges insurer payment cuts (Reuters)
Reuters - Medicare should cut U.S. government payments to private insurers and home healthcare providers, an advisory panel said in nonbinding recommendations released on Monday.
Are Flu Shots Effective at Preventing Illness? (Time.com)
Time.com - The weight of scientific evidence indicates that flu vaccines do not reduce mortality or infection rates in the elderly, according to British researchers. Why do we keep using them?
Brain images suggest Alzheimer's drug is working (Reuters)
Reuters - New imaging technology suggests an experimental drug for Alzheimer's reduces clumps of plaque in the brain by around 25 percent, lifting hopes for a medicine that disappointed in clinical tests two years ago.
Extended-Release Mirapex Approved for Parkinson's Disease (HealthDay)
HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Mirapex ER (pramipexoledihydrochloride extended-release) has been approved by the U.S. Food andDrug Administration as a once-daily option to treat early Parkinson'sdisease, drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim said in a news release.
Vision problems linked to higher dementia risk (Reuters)
Reuters - Elderly adults with poor vision, particularly untreated vision problems, may have a higher risk of developing dementia than those with better vision, a new study suggests.
States get extra Medicaid aid but two want more (Reuters)
Reuters - U.S. states will get an extra $4.3 billion to pay for drugs for elderly or disabled people covered by Medicaid and Medicare, but at least two of the states with the biggest health plans said they need more cash.
