A new study led by a Stanford University School of Medicine researcher shows that decreased estrogen levels after menopause are largely unrelated to changes in cognitive ability and mood. It did find, however, a possible link between levels of another hormone — progesterone — and cognition among younger postmenopausal women.
Read the full article at Stanford School of Medicine.
Finding ways to stall the problem, even for a few years, can add up to big health cost savings.
Read the full article at USA Today.
Lawmakers in Belgium are debating whether to extend the right to euthanasia to terminally-ill children. Public opinion in the country supports the move; most there believe that people should be allowed to die with dignity — whatever their age. The debate over euthanasia is a controversial and emotive one — so where has it been legalized and where have changes to the law been discussed? Click on this interactive map to find out.
See the interactive map at CNN.
No one wants to talk about death, illness or divorce. Unfortunately, you may have to raise some unpleasant issues when you speak with family members over the holidays if you want to ensure a successful retirement. Family issues are just about the only thing investors don’t plan for, and it could hurt them in retirement, a new Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Age Wave study shows.
Read the full article at U.S. News and World Report.
The new antifraud hotline started by the Senate Special Committee on Aging will not solve the problem, but it will give harried seniors and family members another place to turn besides local law enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission and adult protective services agencies.
A new report from the Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project shows that Americans’ attitudes about medical care at the end of life are changing. And there’s still widespread resistance to talking about the issue. Host Michel Martin learns more about the study’s findings and how to have these conversations.
Read the full article at NPR.
A defined-contribution retirement plan should not be just a savings vehicle. It should also generate retirement income.
Read the full article by Center on Longevity Research Scholar Steve Vernon and Anna Rappaport at CFO.
Low levels of the hormone estrogen are not to blame for mood swings and poor memory after menopause, a new study suggests.
“These study findings provide further evidence that a woman’s decision about hormone therapy use during early postmenopause should be made independently of considerations about thinking abilities,” said lead researcher and Center on Longevity faculty affiliate Dr. Victor Henderson, a professor of neurology and neurological science at Stanford University in California.
Read the full article at U.S. News and World Report.
Seniors aged 65 and over represent one of the fastest growing age groups to use social media. But what drives them to do so, and what kinds of technology can help their experience? Audie Cornish speaks with Dr. Laura Carstensen, who heads the Stanford Center on Longevity, for more on the culture of seniors and technology.
Read/listen to the full story at NPR.
“A funny thing has happened in the past year or so. Suddenly, we’re hearing open discussion of the idea that Social Security should be expanded, not cut. Talk of Social Security expansion has even reached the Senate, with Tom Harkin introducing legislation that would increase benefits. A few days ago Senator Elizabeth Warren gave a stirring floor speech making the case for expanded benefits.
Read the full article at The New York Times.