Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Geriatrics for February 2020. 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.
Assisting Medication Continuity Cuts Readmissions for Seniors
FRIDAY, Feb. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Interventions that bridge care transitions have the greatest impact on older adults’ medication continuity, according to a review published online Feb. 20 in Age and Ageing.
Influence of Politics Has Not Waned in Opinions About ACA
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Public opinion about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains divided 10 years after its passage, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in Health Affairs.
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USPSTF: Evidence Lacking for Cognitive Impairment Screening
TUESDAY, Feb. 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that the evidence is lacking and that the balance of benefits and harms of cognitive impairment screening for older adults cannot be established. These findings form the basis of a final recommendation statement published in the Feb. 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Evidence Report
Final Recommendation Statement
Editorial 1
Editorial 2 (subscription or payment may be required)
Mistreatment, Discrimination Still Common for Medical Students
TUESDAY, Feb. 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Mistreatment of medical students remains common for women, racial/ethnic minorities, and sexual minorities, according to a study published online Feb. 24 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Editor’s Note (subscription or payment may be required)
Dementia May Lower Odds of ‘Good Death’ Among Cancer Patients
TUESDAY, Feb. 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Cancer patients with dementia are less likely to achieve a “good death” than those without, according to a study published online Feb. 4 in Geriatrics & Gerontology International.
Continuing Annual Breast Cancer Screening No Benefit in Over-75s
MONDAY, Feb. 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For women aged 75 years or older, continuing annual breast cancer screening does not result in significant reductions in eight-year breast cancer mortality compared with stopping screening, according to a study published online Feb. 25 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Longer Hormone Therapy Tied to Less Muscle Loss in Menopause
FRIDAY, Feb. 21, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Longer use of hormone therapy (HT) is associated with high muscle mass and a low prevalence of sarcopenia in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online Feb. 10 in Menopause.
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HbA1c Levels Lower in Older, Multimorbid Patients With T2DM
FRIDAY, Feb. 21, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A higher proportion of older and multimorbid patients with type 2 diabetes achieve low hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.
Many Transgender Youth Intentionally Avoid Disclosure
THURSDAY, Feb. 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Most transgender youth voluntarily disclose their gender identity to health care providers (HCPs) outside of a gender clinic; however, almost half report having intentionally avoided disclosure, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
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Mediterranean Diet May Modulate Gut Bacteria in Seniors
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For older persons, following a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is associated with an increased abundance of specific taxa linked to markers of lower frailty and improved cognitive function, according to a study published online Feb. 17 in Gut.
Certain Factors May Increase Risk for Cognitive Decline in Elderly
TUESDAY, Feb. 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In older adults with abdominal obesity, sustained levels of higher blood glucose are tied to a higher likelihood of experiencing cognitive decline, whereas in older adults without abdominal obesity, the hormone adiponectin appears to up the risk for cognitive decline, according to a study published online Feb. 4 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Telemarketer Access to Medicare Information to Be Investigated
FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — An investigation into how telemarketers may be obtaining seniors’ personal Medicare information will be launched by the U.S. Health and Human Services inspector general office.
AP News Article
More Information: HHS
U.S. Life Expectancy to Reach 85 by 2060
FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Nearly a quarter of all U.S. residents will be older than 65 by 2060, and life expectancy will reach an all-time high of 85 by that year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Cocoa Consumption May Improve Walking Performance in PAD
FRIDAY, Feb. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Cocoa consumption may improve walking performance in individuals with peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to a study published online Feb. 14 in Circulation Research.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Caregivers Are in Need of Better Health Care Coverage, Access
THURSDAY, Feb. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Unpaid adult caregivers are at higher risk for not having insurance and putting off necessary health services due to cost, according to a study recently published in Rehabilitation Psychology.
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2011 to 2018 Saw Decline in Problems Paying Medical Bills
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) — From 2011 to 2018, there was a decrease in the percentage of families having problems paying medical bills in the past 12 months, according to a February data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
Survival Similar for Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Peritoneal dialysis (PD) and in-center hemodialysis (HD) carry similar survival benefits, according to a review published online Jan. 28 in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation.
Empathy Declines as Students Progress Through Medical School
MONDAY, Feb. 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Students become less empathic toward patients throughout medical school, according to a study published online Jan. 21 in Academic Medicine.
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Seniors Have Concerns About Affording Health Insurance
MONDAY, Feb. 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Many adults aged 50 to 64 years are concerned about their ability to afford health insurance, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in JAMA Network Open.
GI Bleeding in OAC-Treated A-Fib Patients Indicates CRC Risk
FRIDAY, Feb. 7, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Lower-gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is associated with high risks for colorectal cancer in patients with atrial fibrillation treated with oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in the European Heart Journal.
Number of Nurse Practitioners More Than Doubled 2010 to 2017
FRIDAY, Feb. 7, 2020 (HealthDay News) — From 2010 to 2017, there was a substantial increase in the number of nurse practitioners in the United States, with a corresponding reduction in the size of the registered nurse workforce, according to a report published in the February issue of Health Affairs.
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Low-Contrast Sensitivity Predicts Poor Vision in Seniors
FRIDAY, Feb. 7, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For older adults, low-contrast sensitivity is a predictor of experiencing poor vision, according to a study recently published online in Acta Ophthalmologica.
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Evidence Lacking for Use of Bedside Sitters to Prevent Falls
FRIDAY, Feb. 7, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There is a lack of evidence to suggest that adding bedside sitters to usual care prevents falls for patients in acute care hospitals, according to a review published online Feb. 4 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Meta-Analyses Link Rosiglitazone to Increased Cardiovascular Risk
THURSDAY, Feb. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Rosiglitazone seems to be associated with an increased cardiovascular risk, particularly heart failure, according to data from a systematic review and meta-analyses published online Feb. 5 in The BMJ.
Many Americans Misinformed About Heart Disease Prevention
THURSDAY, Feb. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Many Americans are misinformed about the risk for heart disease, particularly in women, and are confused about modifiable risk factors, according to a survey released by the Cleveland Clinic to coincide with American Heart Month.
Cleveland Clinic Press Release
Visit Adherence, Visual Acuity Linked in Macular Degeneration
THURSDAY, Feb. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Adherence to randomized clinical trial visits is associated with visual acuity in individuals with neovascular age-related macular degeneration, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
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Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Tramadol Linked to Increased Hip Fracture Risk in Adults Aged ≥50
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For older adults, initiation of tramadol is associated with an increased risk for hip fracture compared with initiation of codeine, ibuprofen, and other commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
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Negotiated Prices, Formulary Could Cut Medicare Rx Spending
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Using negotiated prices and a defined formulary, similar to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Medicare could save billions of dollars on prescription insulin for patients with diabetes, according to a research letter published online Feb. 3 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Cambridge Multimorbidity Score Robust for Predicting Outcomes
MONDAY, Feb. 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The Cambridge Multimorbidity Score is robust for predicting key outcomes, according to a study published online Feb. 3 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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