Blood test could diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, UT Southwestern researchers find | Science Blog

"A set of proteins found in blood serum shows promise as a sensitive and accurate way to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found as part of a statewide study.

An analysis of the proteins, plus a clinical exam, proved 94 percent accurate in detecting suspected Alzheimer’s and 84 percent accurate in ruling it out in people without the disease, the researchers said."

Blood test could diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, UT Southwestern researchers find | Science Blog

A new category

One of my regular reads is JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), and today I discovered I'm in a new health category:

"community dwelling ambulatory older adult without a prior heart failure diagnosis."

I'm so pleased.

J&J Hip Replacement Lawsuits Given to One Judge - Bloomberg

Hip replacements are no fun. First there's the pain you tolerate for years until it's intolerable; then the decision; then the surgery; and finally the rehab, and the thought, "Why didn't I do this sooner?" Imagine having one recalled!

"All pretrial proceedings in federal lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson over recalled devices used in hip-replacement surgery will be overseen by a federal judge in Ohio, a judicial panel decided.

U.S. District Judge David A. Katz in federal court in Toledo will supervise evidence-gathering efforts in cases over the ASR XL Acetabular System, which J&J’s DePuy Orthopaedics unit recalled on Aug. 26 after the implants stopped functioning properly."

J&J Hip Replacement Lawsuits Given to One Judge - Bloomberg

No, I haven't had one, but I know many who have.

Health law cut some retirement costs, but retirees will still need big savings

Even though the new health reform law will reduce some health costs in retirement for many people, retirees will still need a significant amount of savings to cover their out-of-pocket health expenses when they retire, according to a report released by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). Women in particular will need more savings than men because they tend to live longer.

For instance, EBRI finds that men retiring in this year (2010) at age 65 will need anywhere from $65,000–$109,000 in savings to cover health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses in retirement if they want a 50–50 chance of being able to have enough money; to improve the odds to 90 percent, they’ll need between $124,000–$211,000.

Women retiring this year at 65 will need even more: between $88,000–$146,000 in savings if they are comfortable with a 50 percent chance of having enough money, and $143,000–$242,000 if they want a 90 percent chance.

These estimates are for Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older: Anyone retiring early, before age 65, would need even more.

The new EBRI analysis details how much savings an individual or couple will need to cover Medicare and out-of-pocket health care expenses in retirement, updating earlier EBRI simulation results from 2008. Some prior estimates have been significantly revised downward as a result of changes to Medicare Part D (prescription drug) cost sharing that will be phased in by 2020 due to the recently enacted health reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

SOURCE: “Funding Savings Needed for Health Expenses for Persons Eligible for Medicare,” www.ebri.org.

Quality of death

The United Kingdom ranks number one in quality of death. Apparently, it's a few bricks short of a load in health care, but excels in death care. The Economist Intelligence Unit was commissioned by the Lien Foundation of Singapore, a philanthropic organization, to devise a ”Quality of Death” Index to rank countries according to their provision of end-of-life care. What makes up a "good death?" "The UK has led the way in terms of its hospice care network and statutory involvement in end-of-life care, and ranks top of 40 countries measured in the Index (see Figure 1). This is despite having a far-from-perfect healthcare system (indeed, it ranks 27th on the Basic End-of Life Healthcare Environment sub-category, which accounts for 20% of the overall score). But the UK is top in the Quality of End-of-Life Care sub-category, which includes indicators such as public awareness, training availability, access to pain killers and doctor- patient transparency (and accounts for 40% of the overall score)." The link is for the summary, but there is a white paper available.

EIU.com

Clean restrooms

If it's one thing we retired people appreciate, it's clean restrooms, right? Something in our anatomy means we need the facilities more often, and being retired, we travel more than before, so we're often gazing at something growing, or going.


The loveliest public facility on an interstate just has to be Salt Kettle in Illinois, between Danville and Champaign-Urbana. It's a place you can look forward to--worth crossing your leg for 'til you get there. The photo (taken from Google) doesn't show the setting. It probably wouldn't get a Golden Plunger award, however, the setting is worth not getting back in the car so quickly and taking off. There are a lovely pond, wonderful trees, and many birds and wildlife.

The modern version of an old song

An e-mail said Julie Andrews performed this for AARP, "My Favourite Things" from the legendary movie "The Sound Of Music." Here are the actual lyrics she used:

Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favourite things.

Cadillac's and cataracts, and hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favourite things..

When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favourite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favourite things.

Back pains, confused brains, and no need for sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short, shrunken frames,
When we remember our favourite things.

When the joints ache, When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad.

B vitamins slow brain shrinkage

Just in time. Not a minute too soon.

"Results from the double-blind controlled trial, published in the journal Public Library of Science One, revealed the annual rate of brain atrophy in subjects who took B vitamins was almost 30 per cent less than those on a placebo. Researchers involved in the 24-month trial believe the findings may be the first step in finding a way to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s."

B vitamins slow brain shrinkage - Pharmacy News

"Homocysteine-Lowering by B Vitamins Slows the Rate of Accelerated Brain Atrophy in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial," A David Smith, Stephen M Smith, Celeste A de Jager, Philippa Whitbread, Carole Johnston, Grzegorz Agacinski, Abderrahim Oulhaj, Kevin M Bradley, Robin Jacoby, Helga Refsum

PLoS ONE: Research Article, published 08 Sep 2010, 10.1371/journal.pone.0012244

Easy to follow check list for estate planning and paper trail

This March 24 article in the NYT is a good reminder. It covers wills and trusts; beneficiaries; health care proxies and guardianship; titling of assets; non-marriage relationships; and perhaps most important, finding the documents when you're gone.

Paper Trail

I'll take what they're having

Congress has wonderful health care--they have choices. Lots of them. Apparently, that works for them.

The current US senate turns out to be the oldest on average of any senate in history. It makes a good selling point for young challengers, but it’s really a side effect of increasing longevity. The Senate Historical Office reports that the average age of senators at the start of this, the 111th congress, was 62.7 years. The average in the first congress, over 200 years ago, was a mere 47. Blog, Prospect Magazine

"As soon as members of Congress are sworn in, they may participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). The program offers an assortment of health plans from which to choose, including fee-for-service, point-of-service, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs). In addition, Congress members can also insure their spouses and their dependents. . ."

Read more at Suite101: Health Care for U.S. Congress: Politicians Receive the Country’s Best Care - at Taxpayers' Expense

Here come the Boomers

"By 2029, all of the baby boomers (those born in the post World War II period 1946–1964) will be age 65 years and over (1). As a result, the population age 65–74 years will increase from 6% to 10% of the total population between 2006 and 2030 (data table for Figure 1). As the baby boomers age, the population 75 years of age and over will rise from 6% in 2006 to 9% of the population by 2030 and continue to grow to 12% in 2050. By 2040, the population age 75 years and over will exceed the population 65–74 years of age." Health, United States, 2008 Chartbook section

Heard you were retiring

Dear Cousins,

I see by your Christmas cards and letters of 2008 and 2009, that you both have retirement plans--now or soon. Congratulations if that has actually happened. I retired in 2000 and have really enjoyed it. I’m doing a lot of things I had on my PEP list (post employment plan), but the most time consuming, blogging, wasn’t around then. I’ve been a blogger since 2003, and now have 12 blogs. I’m out of control, obviously. But writing and writing workshops were on my list.

My biggest worry about retirement (other than money, of course) was that I had no hobbies. Like my dad in that respect. And we have no grandchildren, which seems to take up the time of most of our friends. But, time certainly hasn’t been a problem. About a year before I retired, I kept a note book in my purse and jotted down things from the local paper that looked interesting. Then, being a librarian, I organized them, and guess what? Everything I liked to do as child floated to the top: writing, drawing/art, reading/research and animals! Whoddathunkit? One of the very last things on this list was “bird watching,” and my colleagues had even given me binoculars for a retirement gift in 2000 when they saw it. But this past summer at Lakeside I joined the bird watching group and volunteered for the Midwest Bird Symposium in September and just loved it. Boy--are those folks committed!!

Together we started an art ministry at our Lutheran church, and I just finished up 10 years with that, but he’s stayed with it. I did take a few years of art lessons, and do participate in art classes during the summer, but that’s been pretty slow. I’m a better artist than most people who try it, but not good enough to suit me! He paints much more than I do, and sold 11 paintings last year.

We have traveled much more than I ever imagined--we go with U. of I. Alumni groups when we can because of the educational component, but have done some on our own too, like an Alaska cruise, Amtrak to California and back, Finland and Russia, and local U.S. stuff with some architects.

Finding a good balance for volunteering hasn’t been easy. I do quite a bit at the church, and served lunch at the senior center and used to visit nursing homes, but I tend to be somewhat of a loner--not much into committees, task forces and groups. So I help out where I can--I don’t think God is keeping a check list of approved agencies--plus, laws are so strict now on what volunteers can do. Just keep a casserole in the freezer, and take it out when needed. No license needed to be neighborly.

I also joined a book club--so I am forced to read fiction, which I rarely did before, although we do all types. I visited a horse show which was on my list, but only one. Those are expensive, but I did get to pet some noses. Genealogy--I’m a dabbler. I need the names and dates of your grandchildren for the database.

So let me know how it’s going--you can always catch up with me at my blog http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com