Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
What Goes Right In The Brains Of 'Super-Agers' Who Don't Suffer Memory Loss?
The Washington Post: Scientists Study Brains Of People Whose Memory Stays Strong Into Old Age
It’s pretty extraordinary for people in their 80s and 90s to keep the same sharp memory as someone several decades younger, so scientists are peeking into the brains of “superagers” who do to uncover their secret. The work is the flip side of the disappointing hunt for new drugs to fight or prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Instead of tackling that problem, “why don’t we figure out what it is we might need to do to maximize our memory?” said neuroscientist Emily Rogalski, who leads the SuperAging study at Northwestern University in Chicago. (Neergaard, 4/16)
Meanwhile, in Baltimore —
The Associated Press: Plan To Curb Older Adults From Falling Announced In City
Baltimore officials say a plan to curb hospitalizations and emergency department visits related to older adults falling has been announced. A Baltimore City Health Department news release says Mayor Catherine E. Pugh and Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen announced the new strategy Monday. The strategy will focus on multiple components including educating the public that falls are preventable and that resources are available. (4/17)
The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Launches Campaign To Stop The Elderly From Falling
Nearly 5,000 older people were hospitalized in Baltimore last year for broken hips, concussions and other injuries suffered after a fall, city officials said. The city’s fall hospitalization rate is 55 percent higher than elsewhere in Maryland. Officials hope to reduce the rate of falls in the city by 20 percent in the next decade with a campaign that will include targeting hot spots in the city where there are a high numbers of falls. (McDaniels, 4/16)
