labyrinthworld

Despite expectations that this would be the year in which the first disease modifying drug to treat Alzheimer’s would reach the market, that has not been the case. Just recently two widely anticipated drugs to treat Alzheimer’s failed clinical trials. That is according to the L.A. Times. 

The leading theory on Alzheimer’s is that it is caused by the sticky protein, amyloid beta. This protein clumps together in the brain and form plaque that kills brain cells.  With the failure of the latest drugs, it will be interesting to see if this theory continues to dominate research efforts.

At the same that efforts to find a cure are taking a setback, technology to detect Alzheimer’s is advancing rapidly. But there is no way to halt or reverse the disease. The five medicines currently available treat symptoms disease such as confusion and memory problems and not the disease. And their effect on the lives of Alzheimer’s victims is so minor that many find that the drugs are not worth the cost and side effects. 

Despite these setbacks, some researchers remain hopeful that a cure will be found. 

Now for the good stuff. For those of you not wiped out by the current economic slowdown, Reuters reports on a study that shows that laser treatment can be very effective in removing wrinkles. Although side effects such as lightening or darkening of the skin is associated with the procedure, these side effects always clear up.

Carbon dioxide laser treatment, the gold standard of laser treatment, works by vaporizing mater molecules in and surrounding the cells. The body responds by producing more collagen, which fills in the wrinkles.

Laser treatment allow doctors more control than procedures such as chemical peels and dermabrasion. It has been around for awhile and has been proven to be effective.

A new report by the US EPA shows that the poor, the elderly and children will suffer the most from global warming. The cause of global warming is the release of greenhouse gases in to the atmosphere from fossil fuel burning. Experts predict that by the year 2050 global temperatures will rise by about 2 degrees and by the end of the century temperatures will rise by about 7.5 degrees.

Global warming is expected to bring about worse heat waves, drought, worsening air quality and flooding. Accompanying these changes will be increases in the number of diseases spread by tainted food, bad water and bugs.  The elderly are considered to be at increased risk because of their already frail health and limited mobility.  

All of us are familiar with the stiff gait of the old. There is a look of uncertainty on their faces as they attempt even the most minor walks. Their legs are stiff and seem unable to bend, and there is no hip action. Will I make it? they seem to wonder. Of all the declines that accompany aging, it is the one to avoid at all costs. That’s why a cold chill went through me recently when I noticed signs that I might be losing some of my flexibility.

Upon rising off the floor, instead of bending my knees before coming to a full stand, I noticed that I was avoiding putting pressure on my knees. Was this the beginning of the end? Then, what can I do to avoid becoming a stiff, frail woman? The answer for me and anyone well into their middle years is to regain flexibiliy and balance. As we age, there is a natural loss of balance. This can cause us to fall and stumble. It only gets worse with each passing year.

For people 65 and over, about one-third can expect to fall each year. Falls are the leading cause of injury death among elder Americans. They are the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for older adults. At least 90% of hip fractures each year are the result of falls.

Falls can also decrease quality of life as elder adults become more careful in their movement to reduce chances of falling. Limited mobiliy and curtailment of activities can lead to depression.

To combat this natural loss of balance, some people turn to balance training classes. Studies show that there are exercises people can engage in to regain balance.

1. Standing on one leg for 60 seconds
2. Leaning forward over a stable base as far as possible without taking a step
3. Walking heel to toe
4. Standing up from a sitting position and sitting down while maining correct posture.

You can also join exercise classes that provide balance training. Tai chi, yoga and weight training are good examples of training that can help balance. One study of different type group exercises showed that tai chi was the most effective in maintaining balance. The study showed that those who participated in tai chi classes for one hour a week for 16 weeks had a 50% reduced risk of multiple falls. To preserve balance requires a continuing commitment. Balance exercises must be done on a regular basis, at least two to three times a week.

For more info read the L.A. Times 5/26/08 Life with more balance.

By 2015 those 50 and older will represent 45 of the American population. Increasing numbers of these older Americans are choosing to live in age segregated housing where at least one member of the household must be at least 55 and no one under 18 is ever allowed to live there. Estimates are that 12 million Americans will live in age segregated communities in the next decade. This marks a drastic change in the way our society organizes itself. 

Even as the housing market continues to implode, adult communities remain popular. These communities create their own reality. Residents spend their time golfing, line dancing, card games and other social activities.  In the larger more expensive ones, residents get around on carts fixed up to look like expensive cars. Little time is devoted to problems that face the larger world. Even though some communities offer extension classes, these are shunned in favor of more fun activities.

When age segregated communities first came on the horizon no one believed they would take off. But they turned out to be immensely popular. There are a number of reasons why people are drawn to them. One is lower taxes. A far greater reason is that suburbs are alienating and are built around a car culture, which makes it almost impossible to age in place. And because of the large amount of moving Americans engage in (on average, Americans move 12 times during their lifetime), it’s hard to develop a sense of community in the suburbs. There is also the factor of our youth centric culture. 

One of the problems with segregating ourselves from the larger community is that it reinforces negative stereotypes. It also encourages selfishness. In a recent article I read, Sun City, a large older adult’s community defeated 17 school bond measures in 12 years before they de-annexed from the school district. Having raised their own children, they no longer had an interest in the rest of the children in the country. This type of selfish disregard for the needs of the larger community can have disastrous consequences for our country.

These types of conflicts can be dealt with if the residents of age segregated communities are able to find ways to balance conflicting needs even if it means they have to make a sacrifice.     

Check out this slideshow. It chronicles some of the joys of midlife. With our youth obsessed culture, we sometimes need a reminder that midlife can be very rewarding.

The number of multigenerational households in the US has grown by 60% since 1990. The trend where children left behind parents and moved across the country are waning. Today people are entering into shared arrangement. Reasons include death of a spouse, healthcare needs and costs, loss of pension plans and longevity. These issues will increase as baby boomers age. Many boomers have not saved enough for retirement. And then there is the high cost of housing. The foreclosure crisis is expected to cause this trend to increase. Although some of doing it is for cultural reasons for most it’s financial. 

The L.A. Times reorted that 1002 preventable incidents happened in California between July 2007 and May of this year. Results are from a new California state law that makes it mandatory to report preventable incidents. The California legislation was passed in 2006.

These incidents are also known as “never events” because they never should happen.  They include bedsores, leaving objects in after operations, operating on the wrong patient, operating on the wrong body part, improperly connecting equipment, prescribing the wrong drugs, etc. They result in serious injury and death.

Preventable incidents, called adverse events, harm hundreds of patients in California hospitals each year. Unlike California, most states do not require them to be reported. Other states that require reporting are Maine, Massuchsetts, Pennyslvania, New York, Minnesota, Washington, Vermont.

The legislation requires California hospitals to inform state regulators of occurences of 28 types of dangerous mistakes. By 2015 the public health department is supposed to post the information on the internet, although officials hope to start publishing it sooner.

Some suspect the 1002 number may be low since hospitals typically underreport. becausethis number may be larger than the  reported by California. Dr. Donald Berwick, the president of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a Massachusetts nonprofit, said that “as many as 15 million patients each year are harmed in hospitals.”

Beginning in October of this year, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare has said they will stop reimbursing hospitals for eight kinds of mistakes. These include bedsores, objects left in patients, and infections acquired from surgery and from catheters.

Info from L.A.Times Hospital mistakes go public. 6/30/08

Obesity increases your risk of coming down with any form of dementia by 40%, according to one report. It increases your risk of coming down with Alzheimer’s by 80%. There is also a risk with being underweight since being underweight increases your risk by 40% of coming down with any type of dementia.

Another report claims that obesity is not related to cognitive decline. This report claims that “lifestyle guidelines such as increasing cognitive activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and dietary recommendations are more important than those that focus on weight loss alone.”

Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. Being underweight is considered having a BMI of less than 18.5.

As with any research information, the results in these studies deal with percentages. For example, the data in one report shows that there is an overwhelming risk of coming down with Alzheimer’s if you are overweight. My mother, who was neither overweight, nor underweight, nevertheless came down with Alzheimer’s in her late 60s. The other report claims that keeping mentally active may delay mental decline. My mother was obsessed with crossword puzzles until Alzheimer’s made it impossible.

I obtained the info claiming there is a relationship between obesity and dementia from the June 9, 2008 Los Angeles Times Health section. That edition was devoted to weight loss and problems related to losing weight. That were other worthwhile articles in that edition including report on the status of research to develop a weight loss pill, new type of weight loss surgery, and several weight loss stories.

Update. Dara Torres, 41 year-old female swimmer won first place in the 100 meter freestyle, winning a place on the US Olympics team. She beat out the younger and favored swimmers Natalie Coughlin and Lacey Nymeyeruntil.

Torres accomplishment gives hope to all of us middle-aged couch potatoes.