THURSDAY, March 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Nearly one-third of seniors who take thyroid hormone also take drugs known to interfere with tests of thyroid function, a new study finds. It’s common for older adults to take a thyroid hormone (levothyroxine) to treat low levels of natural thyroid hormone. ButContinue Reading

WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Serious vision problems among older Americans have declined sharply, and the improvement has been greatest among women, folks over 85 and seniors who are Black or Hispanic, a nationwide study shows. “The implications of a reduction in vision impairment are significant,” said studyContinue Reading

SATURDAY, March 13, 2021 (HealthDay News) — About 7 out of 10 Alzheimer’s patients wound up free of the brain plaques that are a hallmark of the disease after treatment with a potentially breakthrough experimental drug, clinical trial results show. The drug, donanemab, also significantly slowed the patients’ brain decline,Continue Reading

THURSDAY, March 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) — After nearly a year of painful isolation, the U.S. government said Wednesday that vaccinated nursing home residents can hug their loved ones again and enjoy more indoor visits. The new guidance, issued by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), comesContinue Reading

MONDAY, March 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Just one dose of the Pfizer or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization for COVID patients in their 80s with preexisting health conditions, a preliminary study shows. The findings are from AvonCAP, an ongoing surveillance project funded by Pfizer Inc. ItContinue Reading

SUNDAY, March 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Wrinkles may be a natural part of getting older, but you can slow your skin’s aging with changes to your lifestyle and environment, a skin expert says. “Daily activities, such as protecting your skin from the sun and eating healthy foods, can goContinue Reading

WEDNESDAY, March 3, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Wider use of prescription generic drugs could save Medicare nearly $2 billion a year, researchers say. The new analysis of Medicare Part D prescription drug claims for 2017 used a random 20% of beneficiaries, 224 drugs with one or more generic substitutes andContinue Reading