Focus on Geriatric Medicine and Aging

Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, Professor of Neurology and Chief of the Memory Disorders Division at Barrow Neurological Institute, describes some of his key priorities for the current and future state of Alzheimer’s care.

Uncover the truth about Alzheimer's in the non-certified educational series, Alzheimer's Disease: Towards Earlier Detection

Dr. Douglas Scharre, Professor of Clinical Neurology and Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Cognitive and Memory Disorders at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, shares a case history that changed the course of his career path in Alzheimer's care, advocacy, and research.

Uncover the truth about Alzheimer's in the non-certified educational series, Alzheimer's Disease: Towards Earlier Detection

Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common cause of dementia among people aged 65 and older. With the population of older Americans growing, research for new therapies becomes ever more critical. Yet one of the most important factors in advancing research, fundraising, has been hampered by numerous challenges.

Host Dr. Brian McDonough talks with Charles Fushcillo Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America about the challenges in securing additional funding for Alzheimer’s Research.

Host Dr. Alan Brown welcomes Joyce Ross, MSN, CRNP, FNLA, President-Elect of the National Lipid Association. Joyce serves as a consultative education specialist in cardiovascular risk intervention with the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Their discussion focuses on lipid management to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in elderly patient populations. Thhis interview was recorded live at the National Lipid Association in San Diego, California for the 2016 Spring Clinical Lipid Update.

According to a recent study, the percentage of elderly people in American nursing homes who are moderately to severely overweight has climbed to 25%, a dramatic increase from 14% back in 2000. How does this alarming trend affect both health outcomes and care delivery in caregiving settings?

Joining Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss this underrecognized issue of obesity in senior populations is Dr. Caroline Cederquist, bariatrics expert and founder of Cederquist Medical Wellness Center in Naples FL. Dr. Cederquist is also co-founder of bistroMD, a company premised on delivering physician-designed gourmet meals to patients for purposes of weight loss and health maintenance.

Host Jennifer Caudle, DO welcomes Robert Nagele, PhD, a Rowan University researcher and Professor at the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Nagele and his team are closing in on a new blood test to detect Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, MS, cancers and other diseases by searching for the autoantibodies created by the disease processes. The test has initially shown to be remarkably accurate in research trials with a capability to accurately assess the stage of disease. More important, it appears to detect pre-clinical disease, giving physicians an opportunity to intervene with lifestyle changes that delay or defer the onset of symptoms.

This program was recorded live at the American Osteopathic Association's annual medical education conference, OMED2015 in Orlando, FL,

With an incidence rate of more than 750,000 per year, vertebral fractures contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality rates in osteoporosis patients, particularly those who have sustained a VCF in the past. In this new segment, we will hear from Dr. Michael Lewiecki, as he examines this debilitating issue. Dr. Lewiecki is the Director of the New Mexico Clinical Research and Osteoporosis Center; and, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at UNM School of Medicine in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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Agitation is common in patients with dementia and can contribute to distress for patients and caregivers and an increased risk of institutionalization. Nonpharmacological interventions are recommended as first-line therapy, but many patients fail to respond, and medications are often needed. Currently available medications don't work very well and can have serious side effects. A new study tested a combination of two existing medications, dextromethorphan hydrobromide and quinidine sulfate, to see if this would help control agitation in patients with Alzheimer's dementia.

Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic recruited 220 patients with Alzheimer's dementia and agitation. During a preliminary 10 week trial, participants were randomly assigned to receive either the dextromethorphan- quinidine combination or a placebo.

Results showed that patients receiving the combination medication demonstrated fewer episodes of agitation compared to patients who received the placebo. When agitation did occur, it tended to be less severe. Researchers also found that not only is the combined drug effective, but safe.

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JAMA Report videos provided pursuant to license. ©2015 American Medical Association, publisher of JAMA® and The JAMA Network® journals.

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Some evidence suggests that physical activity can help slow cognitive decline. A new study evaluated whether a program of moderate physical activity would result in better cognitive function, lower risk of dementia, or both, for older adults compared with a health education program.

Researchers from Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina evaluated more than 1,600 sedentary adults, between the ages of 70 and 89, and randomly assigned them to either physical activity or a health education program. The participants were monitored for 24 months, during which their cognitive function was measured using a variety of clinical tests.

Results found that both groups preserved their cognitive function over the two year study period. Although there was no difference between the groups, the outcomes still prove notable, since steady decline in cognitive function would generally be expected within this age group.

[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]

JAMA Report videos provided pursuant to license. ©2015 American Medical Association, publisher of JAMA® and The JAMA Network® journals.

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America's landmark health care programs, Medicare and Medicaid, celebrate their 50th anniversaries on July 30th. Over the past five decades, the United States healthcare system has experienced dynamic changes, most notably in recent years with improvements in technology, care delivery and health related behaviors. A new study examined key outcomes among the Medicare population over a 15 year period.

Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine reviewed the records of nearly 70 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage plans from 1999 to 2013, to better understand long-term trends in mortality, hospitalizations, and healthcare costs.

Results found that among Medicare beneficiaries, death rates have dropped an estimated twenty percent, there have been ten percent fewer hospitalizations, and overall expenditures have decreased from 1999 to 2013. In the last six months of life, total hospitalizations and inpatient costs have also decreased.

[Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]

JAMA Report videos provided pursuant to license. ©2015 American Medical Association, publisher of JAMA® and The JAMA Network® journals.