High Blood Pressure? Watch Your Prescription Medications!

A woman looking out of the window at her home.


Nearly half of all Americans about 3 out of 4 people aged 60 and older have high blood pressure.  Unfortunately, 19% of people with hypertension are currently taking one or more medications that increase the risk of heart disease or stroke.  Many of these are over-the-counter drugs.  For instance, Ibuprofen and naproxen are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which can increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke.  The list of dangerous drugs is long, and includes products for cough, colds and flu, decongestants, weight-loss stimulants, antacids and even some herbal medicines and dietary supplements.  We always recommend a “bag approach,†which includes putting all of your medications (including over-the-counter drugs) in a bag for your doctor to examine.

Big Boost In Social Security A Mixed Blessing

A man and woman looking at a laptop


Many seniors have been elated to read in the paper that their Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in their Social Security Payments is likely to rise more than 6% come January.  However, before you get too excited, news just broke that inflation in the U.S. hit a 31 year high in October at 6.2%.  “It increasingly appears that the COLA for 2022 will be the highest paid since 1983 when it was 7.4%,†Mary Johnson, Social Security policy analyst for the Senior Citizens League, told AARP Bulletin (October, 2021 P4).  The increase in 22021 was only 1.3% and over the past 10 years it has increased by 1.7%.  Let’s hope inflation rates decline next year!

Patient Death In New Alzheimer’s Drug Aduhelm

A doctor and patient looking at a book


There was much excitement when the FDA approved a new drug called Aduhelm to treat patients with Alzheimer’s disease.  Although there was some debate over its efficacy, the fact that there have been no new drugs brought to market to treat this horrible disease in decades had some filled with hope.  However, Biogen Inc., the pharmaceutical company who makes the drug, admitted this week that there was one death linked to Aduhelm.  The company announced that a 75-year old who took the drug was hospitalized and diagnosed with swelling in the brain before dying.  It’s unclear that the brain swelling was linked to the drug, however, there is sure to be an investigation due to the fact that brain swelling, also known as ARIA-E, was cited as one of the most common side effects during testing of the drug.

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/biogen-investigates-death-of-aduhelm-patient-11636479862

CVS To Start Hiring Physicians

A cvs pharmacy store front with the door ajar.


CVS Health Corp. announced it is going to fulfill its ambition of becoming a major provider of healthcare services by hiring physicians who will work at in-store clinics.  CVS acquired insurance giant Aetna in 2018 and said that now it will focus its M&A activity on growing its in-store doctor’s offices.  “We really believe that we need to kind of push into primary care, so we can influence the overall cost of care,†Karen Lynch, the CEO of CVS Health Corp., told The Wall Street Journal.

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/cvs-health-posts-higher-revenue-as-customers-seek-covid-19-tests-vaccines-11635939627

 

Highway Deaths Up, But Not For Seniors

An older woman with a gray hair sitting in front of trees.


The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had expected deaths to decline because the number of miles driven by Americans was down 13.2% in 2020, but that turned out not to be the case.  There were 38,680 traffic fatalities last year, up 7.2% last year, the biggest rate of increase since 2007.  However, those 65 and older saw a 9% decline in traffic fatalities, due in large part to seniors staying at home more due to COVID-19.

Carmel Valley, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available

A nurse is smiling next to an older woman.


Carmel Valley, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available (Also Aromas, Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel-by-the-sea, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, Seaside, Soledad & Watsonville

We have developed a reputation for having the best caregivers (Home Care Aides or Senior Companions) in Monterey County over the past decade and have recently expanded into Santa Cruz County.   We are currently looking for qualified caregivers.

Family inHome Caregiving of Monterey is seeking compassionate, mature and dependable caregivers who want to improve the lives of our elderly Clients by providing in-home, non-medical care.  Our services include:

Caring companionship

Meal preparation

Incidental transportation

Running errands

Light housekeeping

Medication reminders

Monitoring of safety while bathing

Information and referral services

Other services that improve the safety, security and quality of life of seniors.

If you believe you would make an exceptional Home Care Aide, we would love to hear from you!  We prefer those with experience helping the elderly, disabled and others with mobility problems.  Having cared for those with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s is a plus.  To work for us, you must have excellent references, a clear criminal record, a good driving record, and an insured reliable vehicle.  To apply, please visit our website www.fhcofm.com, click on home care aides, then careers where you can fill out an application online.  We have immediate openings all over Monterey County.

Carmel, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available

A nurse is smiling next to an older woman.


Carmel, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available (Also Aromas, Big Sur, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, Seaside, Soledad & Watsonville

We have developed a reputation for having the best caregivers (Home Care Aides or Senior Companions) in Monterey County over the past decade and have recently expanded into Santa Cruz County.   We are currently looking for qualified caregivers.

Family inHome Caregiving of Monterey is seeking compassionate, mature and dependable caregivers who want to improve the lives of our elderly Clients by providing in-home, non-medical care.  Our services include:

Caring companionship

Meal preparation

Incidental transportation

Running errands

Light housekeeping

Medication reminders

Monitoring of safety while bathing

Information and referral services

Other services that improve the safety, security and quality of life of seniors.

If you believe you would make an exceptional Home Care Aide, we would love to hear from you!  We prefer those with experience helping the elderly, disabled and others with mobility problems.  Having cared for those with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s is a plus.  To work for us, you must have excellent references, a clear criminal record, a good driving record, and an insured reliable vehicle.  To apply, please visit our website www.fhcofm.com, click on home care aides, then careers where you can fill out an application online.  We have immediate openings all over Monterey County.

Veterans Administration Again Under Fire

A man in a wheelchair being assisted by two women.


There has been so much bad press about the Veterans Administration (VA) over the past several years.  I had thought it had died down recently, but no such luck.  The VA is allowed to refer veterans to outside physicians when they are overloaded, which seems to be all of the time.  USA Today just reported, however, that VA managers are blocking vets from outside care, a violation of the Mission Act.  The story rotated around a woman who had cancer but was denied the approval to see an outside doctor.  After she filed four federal complaints, she was called “disruptive†and told all of her health care must be done at the VA, otherwise her care would be “too fragmented.â€Â  The Mission Act, passed by President Trump in 2018, says that when the VA can’t deliver care for any of six reasons, it is supposed to pay other health care systems to do it instead.  A USA Today Investigation found that VA administrators have been overruling doctor’s judgements and preventing VA patients from seeing anyone outside of the VA system.  “That’s tragic and jarring,†Ryan Gallucci, a national director for Veterans of Foreign Wars, told USA Today.  I agree.  I hope this issue is addressed immediately.

Salinas, CA Can Driving Habits And Credit Scores Predict Future Alzheimer’s Or Dementia Diagnosis?

An older woman with a gray hair sitting in front of trees.


There has been such slow progress on the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, I was pleased to see that some researchers are focusing on finding early clues as to who may be vulnerable to getting Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia.  A recent article in The New York Times said that some scientists believe that pathologies underlying brain decline may begin many years before symptoms emerge.  A spate of experiments is underway to see if little things like overlooking a couple of credit card payments or habitually braking while driving could be a sign that dementia is in your future.  “Early detection is key for intervention, at the stage when that would be most effective,†said Saye Bayat, the lead author of a driving study funded by the National Institutes of Health and performed at Washington University.  The study took 64 older adults with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease as determined by spinal taps and 75 who were deemed cognitively normal (results were not shared with the study participants).  For a year, researchers measured both groups’ driving performance.  The study found that driving behavior and age could predict preclinical Alzheimer’s 88% of the time.  Those findings could spur recruitment for clinical trials and allow for interventions—like an alert when a car drifts—to help keep drivers safely on the road.  Dr. Jason Karlawish, a geriatrician and co-director of the Penn Memory Center, called the study “provocative†and well designed.  “The results suggest that monitoring a real-world, cognitively intense behavior can detect the earliest, subtle signs of emerging cognitive impairment,†he said.  Another study analyzed medical records and consumer credit reports for more than 80,000 Medicare beneficiaries and found that those who eventually received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease were significantly more likely to have delinquent credit card payments (and sub-prime credit scores) than those with similar demographics who never received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.  I hope these studies bear fruit.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are wonderful people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  It is always a struggle figuring out how to deal with a loved one, as the symptoms can seem to change from day to day.  Drop by or give them a call if you need help.  And when all else fails, don’t forget that the Alzheimer’s Association has a 24-hour hotline.  If you need some additional support you can reach them at 800-272-3900.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/23/health/dementia-behavior-alzheimers.html