Taking Several Prescription Drugs May Trigger Serious Side Effects

TUESDAY, Dec. 3, 2019 -- Many older Americans take a variety of prescription drugs, yet new research suggests that combining various medications is not always wise.

Taking lots of different drugs for different conditions is called "polypharmacy," and a team of researchers set out to find how doctors take this into account in their prescribing. To address this, providers discuss "deprescribing" -- working with patients to cut down on unnecessary or redundant medications.

Statins Won't Harm Aging Brains, and May Even Help

MONDAY, Nov. 18, 2019 -- Concerns that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs can impair brain health appear to be unfounded, according to new research.

An 'Epidemic of Loneliness' in America? Maybe Not

TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2019 -- Despite media stories about a "loneliness epidemic" plaguing the elderly, two new studies find that they feel no more lonely than their peers from past generations.

The studies -- one in the United States, one in the Netherlands -- reached the same basic conclusion: Yes, people tend to feel more lonely after age 75 or so. But today's older adults are no more likely to feel isolated or lacking in companionship than previous generations.

Give Seniors a Memory Check at Annual Checkups, Experts Say

MONDAY, Sept. 23, 2019 -- Many older people show evidence of mental decline, called mild cognitive impairment, but doctors often miss this sometimes early sign of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

To help doctors get a better handle on their patients' mental state, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is urging physicians to assess patients aged 65 and older at least once a year.

Common Muscle Relaxant Could Pose Mental Dangers for Seniors

SATURDAY, Nov. 9, 2019 -- A commonly prescribed muscle relaxant known as baclofen can leave older kidney patients so disoriented that they land in the hospital, a new study warns.

"It can present with acute stroke-like symptoms, even though it's not a stroke," said senior researcher Dr. Amit Garg, a professor of nephrology at Western University in Ontario, Canada. "It can present with dementia-like symptoms."

Standard Memory Tests for Seniors Might Differ by Gender

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 9, 2019 -- Are some tests designed to measure memory declines missing signs of trouble in women?

New research suggests that might be the case.