Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Unique Challenges Older LGBTQ Americans Face Add Extra Layer Of Complexity To Aging, Experts Say
Columbus Dispatch: More Needs To Be Done To Support Aging LGBTQ Adults, Experts Say
Aging can be a challenge for any community. But the lives of LGBTQ seniors bring distinct pains. Advocates in Columbus and throughout the nation are training health-care and senior-service groups to better support LGBTQ seniors. (Stankiewicz, 10/14)
St. Louis Post Dispatch: Tests Taken By High School Students 58 Years Ago Could Predict Whether They Get Alzheimer's
Against the backdrop of the heated space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, the test of 440,000 students set out to identify the strengths and interests of the new generation to see if American teens were being guided into a career that would make the best use of their talents. Now, 58 years later, [Sanford] Kornberg is being tested again, part of a study focusing on memory and cognitive skills in an effort to help unlock the mysteries of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. (Moore, 10/15)
The New York Times: Should You Have Knee Replacement Surgery?
For the vast majority of patients with debilitating knee pain, joint replacement surgery is considered an “elective” procedure. While it’s true that one’s life doesn’t depend on it, what about quality of life? Many people hobbling about on painful knees would hardly regard the surgery as optional. Consider, for example, two people I know: a 56-year-old man passionate about tennis who can no longer run for a bus, let alone on the court, and a 67-year-old otherwise healthy woman with bone-on-bone arthritis who can’t walk without a cane or stand for more than a few minutes. (Brody, 10/15)
Kaiser Health News: Who Knew? Life Begins (Again) At 65
I was convinced I would become an adult when I turned 21. But now, I’m certain that turning 65 was the watershed moment that finally grew me up. I’m pleased as pomegranate punch to be 65 — and alive. Not just alive and breathing, but actively engaged in making the right choices about this next chapter. (Horovitz, 10/15)
