Articles

Filter By:

Aging

8 months ago

How Do Public Health Initiatives Help Aging Adults?

Public health initiatives help aging adults by preventing chronic disease, expanding access to care, supporting caregivers and building communities where older adults can thrive — not just survive. About 62 million people living in the U.S. are 65 or over. By 2054, that number is expected to reach 84 million. The good news: People are living longer! The urgent news? Longer lives require stronger systems to support them. Fortunately, public health efforts are helping meet those needs. Let’s see how public health is tackling big issues for older adults — and helping them live better lives in the process. What Is Public Health? Public health focuses on the health and well-being of entire communities or countries, not just individuals. Instead of treating one patient at a time, public health professionals look at patterns and risks, asking questions like: How can we prevent disease before it starts? How can we make healthy choices easier? Professionals in this field have the potential to “add life to years” for countless older adults. How Public Health Addresses Key Aging Challenges As people grow older, their health needs become more complex and interconnected. Public health professionals play a vital role in tackling these challenges through a wide range of programs and policies. Here’s how: 1. Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Advanced age means higher risk for chronic diseases and conditions, including: Arthritis Heart disease Dementia Diabetes Cancer Some of these conditions are caused by genetic factors. Others are due to normal effects of aging or lifestyle choices. We can’t control our genes — yet — but many diseases can be prevented or delayed by changing habits, such as eating healthier or exercising more. These conditions require ongoing care, symptom management and close monitoring

Read Article

Physiology

8 months ago

How Do Vaccines Work? A Simple Guide to the Immune System and Immunization

Vaccines save lives. Period. Take the flu shot. (No, really, take it.) During the 2023-2024 flu season, influenza vaccines prevented: 9.8 million flu-related illnesses 120,000 hospitalizations 7,900 deaths

Read Article

Aging

9 months ago

The Longevity Diet: How to Eat Well After 50

As a kid, you could easily get away with eating three bowls of Froot Loops, washed down with a glass of homemade Kool-Aid (with a little extra sugar, of course, because you were the one perfecting the recipe). Sure, your body might not have been thrilled, but it tolerated a sugar-filled morning with little nutritional value. Fast forward to adulthood, and you’ve probably noticed your body is much less forgiving when you indulge in chips, fried mozzarella sticks and sugary sodas. But beyond the bloating and fatigue, why is it even more important for adults over 50 to adopt a healthier diet? In this article, we’ll explore the Longevity Diet, a science-backed approach to eating that could help extend your lifespan and improve your quality of life. What Is the Longevity Diet? Developed by biochemist Valter Longo, Ph.D., the Longevity Diet is a science-based eating pattern that emphasizes plant-based foods, healthy fats and nutrient-dense meals. (Sorry — Fruity Pebbles didn’t make the list.) The diet also incorporates periodic fasting to support cell repair and metabolic health. The goal? To help older adults live longer, healthier and more active lives. What Do You Eat on the Longevity Diet? Here are the key components of the diet: Prioritize complex carbohydrates from vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Include healthy fats from sources like nuts, seeds and olive oil. Meet protein goals with legumes and small portions of low-mercury fish. Eat fish in moderation. Limit red and processed meats. Why Nutrition After 50 Matters: Key Nutrients to Focus On As you age, several physiological changes begin to take place, such as: Muscle Loss With age, the body begins to lose lean muscle, a process called sarcopenia. To help preserve muscle mass and maintain bone density, it’s important to eat enough high-quality protein. While a steak or chicken breast might seem like the obvious choice, the Longevity Diet favors plant-forward proteins and other nutrient-dense options,like: Legumes Small portions of fish Low-fat dairy These sources are gentler on your body, lower in saturated fat and better for long-term heart and metabolic health. Bone Density Loss Aging raises your risk of osteoporosis and fractures

Read Article

Physiology

9 months ago

How Deep Can You Scuba Dive? Exploring How Our Bodies Adapt

When you think of scuba diving, one of two things probably comes to mind: the thrill of checking off a bucket list adventure, or the cautionary tales about divers surfacing too fast and getting “the bends.”

Read Article

Medical School

9 months ago

What Is a Gap Year — and Is It Right for You?

You’ve seen it in movies: The main character, destined for college, shocks everyone by taking a year off to travel or pursue a passion before deciding their next move. But what about in the real world? How does a gap year play out for students who’ve just earned their undergraduate degrees and are contemplating medical school?

Read Article

Aging

9 months ago

A Restful Night: How Sleep Changes As We Age

You wake up in the dark and check the time. It’s five a.m.—again. No matter what you do, falling back into that comforting snooze feels impossible, and it’s not the first time. Sound familiar? As we grow older, our relationship with sleep shifts in subtle but noticeable ways: we sleep lighter, wake up more often and tend to rise earlier. What once felt like a guaranteed eight hours of beauty sleep now feels like a series of short naps, and despite feeling tired, the body no longer wants to obey the rhythms you’re used to. But why does this happen? Let’s explore the science behind why sleep changes as we age — and what you can do to get a better night’s rest. How Does Aging Affect Our Sleep Cycles? We spend about a third of our lives sleeping (or trying to fall asleep)

Read Article

Physiology

9 months ago

Benefits of Sunlight for Your Immune System: Risks, Vitamin D and What to Know

You’ve heard the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But what about nature’s other daily remedy, sunlight?

Read Article

Careers

10 months ago

Spotlight on Career Paths: CRNA

An oral surgeon is removing a wisdom tooth. The unconscious patient fidgets. Another trained professional boosts the anesthesia level. The patient stays calm, still and unconscious for the rest of the procedure.

Read Article

Aging

10 months ago

What Is Geriatric Care? A Clinical Guide to Aging and Older Adult Health

Caring for older adults isn’t just about treating disease; it’s about understanding how aging changes the body and adapting each person’s care accordingly. So, what is geriatric care? Geriatric care is a specialized area of healthcare focused on the prevention, diagnosis and management of health conditions in older adults. Unlike traditional adult medicine, it takes into account the physical, cognitive, emotional and social changes that come with aging. A symptom in a 75-year-old patient doesn’t always look the same as it would in someone who’s 35. That’s why geriatric clinicians have to think differently than general practitioners. And treatment plans often need to account for multiple conditions, medications and physical limitations (like walking or driving) at once. Let’s break down what that really means in practice. How Aging Changes the Body Aging is a natural biological process, not a disease. But it does bring measurable changes that influence how physicians deliver care. Here’s how aging affects major body systems and what those changes mean for patient care. Cardiovascular System Heart muscles can stiffen and arteries may lose elasticity over time, increasing the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Because older adults may not present with “classic” symptoms, clinicians often monitor blood pressure trends closely and adjust medications carefully to avoid complications like dizziness or falls. Digestive System Metabolism slows and nutrient absorption may decrease

Read Article

Physiology

10 months ago

Advancements in Biotechnology for Diabetes Management

Prior to the discovery and use of insulin as a treatment for diabetes in the 1920s, people living with the disease had few treatment options, and essentially no good ones: bloodletting, starvation diets and various potions deceptively marketed as cures. Today, countless people have been able to bring their diabetes under control through a combination of exercise, dietary adjustments and insulin injections. However, though often effective, these approaches aren’t always practical. As diabetes management has advanced, new technologies have emerged that address the need for more practical and convenient treatment options. Here we’ll look at some of the current biotechnology helping individuals with diabetes live healthier and less disrupted lives. Implantable Devices: The Future of Diabetes Care Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) A CGM assesses the wearer’s glucose every few minutes and tracks this information. These biotechnology devices evaluate the level of glucose in the fluid between cells, not the blood itself, but the numbers are generally comparable. The device has a small sensor that can be inserted under the skin of the abdomen or arm and kept in place by an adhesive patch

Read Article