Popular heartburn drugs linked to risk of dementia
"A popular class of heartburn medications might raise a senior's risk of dementia, a new study suggests.
Called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), this group of drugs includes Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid. They work by lowering the amount of acid produced by the stomach.
But German researchers found that people 75 or older who regularly take the medications had a 44 percent increased risk of dementia, compared with seniors not using the drugs. The study only found an association, however, and not a cause-and-effect link...
Boustani said earlier studies have linked another type of antacid, H2 blockers, with an increased risk of dementia. Up to now, he's recommended that patients use PPIs to treat acid reflux and steer clear of H2 blockers like Tagamet, Pepcid and Zantac....
Dr. Gisele Wolf-Klein, director of geriatric education at North Shore-LIJ Health System in New Hyde Park, N.Y., added that even the researchers aren't sure why PPIs would affect the aging brain.
"We don't know what is causing the brain to deteriorate. Until we know this, there's no reason for people who are taking PPIs to be too concerned about that and stop taking those agents if they are needed," Wolf-Klein said...
While the study is intriguing, it's not enough for doctors to warn patients off PPI use, said Keith Fargo, director of scientific programs and outreach for the Alzheimer's Association.
"It does not tell us anything that should change medical practice right now," Fargo said. "I don't think there's going to be an uprising among doctors telling patients not to take their PPIs. This doesn't rise anywhere near the level of evidence you would need for that."..."
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/heartburn-drugs-ppi-prilosec-nexium-prevacid-risk-of-dementia/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Government Spells Out the New Social Security Rules
The clock is ticking down on two popular claiming strategies. If you still qualify, you may need to act fast.
"Boomers who are in their sixties, tune in: The Social Security Administration has finally issued official guidance on the phaseout of two popular claiming strategies, and if you qualify, you need to act quickly.
The agency issued an emergency message to its field offices on February 18 regarding the phaseout of the benefits of the file and suspend strategy. If you will be full retirement age of 66 or older by the end of April, you need to consider immediately whether you should file and suspend your benefit because the deadline to make that move is April 29 -- a day earlier than most experts expected. The agency says it will honor file and suspend requests made by April 29, even if the agency does not process the request until after that date..."
http://content.kiplinger.com/articl...urity-rules.html?rid=SYN-yahoo&rpageid=14520#
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LATE KIDS, LONG LIFE?
"...A Boston University School of Medicine study found that women who can still give birth naturally after age 33 have a higher chance of living to extreme old age than those who had their last child before age 30. But the report, published in the online version of the journal Menopause in April 2014 doesnt imply that putting off pregnancy will add years to your life. If you physically delay having children, thats not going to help with longevity, Paola Sebastiani, a Boston University biostatistics professor and study co-author, told OZY. A woman with a natural ability to have children later in life suggests that her body including her reproductive system just happens to age at a slow pace. Some womens biological clocks simply tick more slowly than most.
Sebastiani and her colleagues analyzed data from the Long Life Family Study, a survey of 551 families, many of whose members lived to a ripe old age. They determined the ages at which 462 women had their last child and how long they ended up living. Turns out women who gave birth to their last child after 33 were twice as likely to live to 95 years or older, compared with those who had their last child by age 29...."
http://www.ozy.com/acumen/late-kids-long-life/32804
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loss for words can be a rare brain disorder, not Alzheimer's
"WASHINGTON (AP) A mysterious brain disorder can be confused with early Alzheimer's disease although it isn't robbing patients of their memories but of the words to talk about them.
It's called primary progressive aphasia, and researchers said Sunday they're finding better ways to diagnose the little-known syndrome. That will help people whose thoughts are lucid but who are verbally locked in to get the right kind of care.
"I'm using a speech device to talk to you," Robert Voogt of Virginia Beach, Virginia, said by playing a recording from a phone-sized assistive device at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. "I have trouble speaking, but I can understand you."
Even many doctors know little about this rare kind of aphasia, abbreviated PPA, but raising awareness is key to improve care and because a new study is underway to try to slow the disease by electrically stimulating the affected brain region...
Voogt was diagnosed 10 years ago, with a form of PPA that makes him unable to say words even though he can understand and type them via email, text or his assistive device. He owns a brain-injury rehabilitation center, and knew how to track down a specialist for diagnosis when he first had trouble retrieving words.
Sunday, Voogt patiently answered Hillis' questions by typing into a device called the MiniTalk, or calling up verbal phrases he'd pre-programmed into it. Asked to say "dog," Voogt forced out only a garble. But asked what cowboys ride, he typed horses and the device "said" the word..."
http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/l...cle_fb4049b2-4ca3-53fe-b01c-f5941793cf91.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
, but glad your DH was proactive in re-directing the problem to those who are truly responsible for fixing things. Still, it sounds like a nightmare with all that digging and whatnot!
