A study in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology details the role of plasma ceramides in dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their potential as a blood-based biomarker, reports EurekAlert . "Our findings indicate that circulating ceramide ratios may be useful predictors of future dementia risk and may have a role in predicting dementia at an early, preclinical stage, when the greatest opportunity for disease modification exists," said Emer McGrath at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "However, these results will require replication in other cohorts." Ceramides can be extracted from the blood, a far less invasive and preferable alternative to collecting cerebrospinal fluid via spinal tap. The researchers compared levels of very-long chain and long-chain ceramides in blood samples from about 1,900 participants, then analyzed the risk of dementia, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) structural measures of vascular brain injury, and ß-amyloid burden on brain positron emission tomography. An elevated ratio of very-long-chain to long-chain ceramides corresponded to a 27 percent reduction in the risk of dementia and AD dementia, as well as a lower burden of white matter injury on brain MRI. It may be possible that pharmacological inhibition of long-chain ceramide synthesis could reduce or prevent the progression of AD dementia through prevention of ß-amyloid accumulation.

A study in the Journal of Neuroscience has yielded new insights into how flickering light exposure at 40 beats per second (40 Hz) can benefit people with Alzheimer's disease, reports Medical News Today . Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) researchers followed up earlier research that discovered a link between gamma brainwaves and Alzheimer's, and demonstrated that disrupting gamma in mice led to more plaque protein accumulation between brain cells. However, exposing the mice to flickering light at 40 Hz improved gamma and reduced plaque buildup by increasing the production of microglia. The latest study examined the immune mechanisms at work, which coincided with similar research involving human subjects at Emory University. The researchers learned that exposing mice to 40 Hz light triggered the brain's rapid release of more cytokines — a protein that communicates with other cells — and higher activation of phosphate proteins. "The phosphoproteins showed up first. It looked as though they were leading, and our hypothesis is that they triggered the release of the cytokines," said Georgia Tech's Annabelle Singer. The increased discharge of the cytokine Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor was clearly connected to the promotion of microglia.

Higher employment levels among U.S. workers at least 65 years old has driven an outsized proportion of job growth, reports CNBC . The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said slightly more than two million jobs were added over the past 12 months, and the number of employed workers 65 or older comprised about 36 percent of this increase. "I think the strong economy really has allowed more people to stick around in the labor force longer than they might have thought possible, especially 10 years ago," said Matt Rutledge with Boston College's Center for Retirement Research. Part of the increase is accountable to employees steadily aging into a new category but not yet retiring, which means those gains in the demographic are not necessarily new additions for the economy in general. Still, growth in workers 65 years and up over the last two years represents a sharp rise relative to total job gains, with Center for American Progress economist Michael Madowitz noting that ratio has topped the 10 percent to 30 percent average. Moreover, 25.5 percent of people older than 65 without a disability were in the workforce, versus 22.3 percent a decade earlier. Madowitz also suggested changing educational levels are a factor, with more educated people entering the 65 and above age bracket, and leading to a greater number of employees who are more likely to live longer and to hold jobs that are not as physically stressful.

Adults 65 and older are more vulnerable to hospitalization and death from foodborne illness, reports the Tahlequah Daily Press . This is caused by age-related changes to organs and body systems, especially the immune system. For example, as people age the gastrointestinal tract retains food for a longer period of time, allowing bacteria to grow. The liver and kidneys also may not properly purge the body of foreign bacteria and toxins. Moreover, the stomach may not manufacture enough acid, while underlying chronic conditions like diabetes and cancer may further elevate the risk of foodborne illness. This risk can be reduced through safe food handling in the home, like washing hands, thoroughly rinsing vegetables and fruits, preventing cross-contamination, cooking foods to safe internal temperatures, and safe storage.

A VentureBeat report says the Uber ride-hailing company has unveiled a new phone booking service for older Americans who might not use the Internet on their phones, according to Pymnts.com . A pilot is launching in Arizona, where users can call 1-833-USE-UBER to reach a live representative. There is no need for the phone to be a smartphone, although it must be able to text so a person can receive messages about arrival times, car details, and a receipt for the trip. The user will be prompted on the first call to set up an account by supplying some personal details like credit card data and zip code, and the phone number will be linked to the account for future ride requests — with payments deducted from the account. "This new feature combines the efficiency of Uber's matching technology with the convenience and additional support of a live team member," Uber stated in a blog post. "It was designed with older adults in mind, though our hope is anyone preferring conversational support will benefit from this pilot."

A review of more than 160 articles in the Annals of Internal Medicine found nondrug interventions appeared to be more effective than medications in reducing dementia-associated agitation and aggression, reports the Harvard Health blog. Three nonpharmacologic interventions were specified in particular: multidisciplinary care, massage and touch therapy, and music plus massage and touch therapy. Outdoor activities were more effective than antipsychotic medications for physical aggression, while massage and touch therapy were more effective than usual care for verbal aggression. The authors recommended prioritizing nonpharmacologic interventions over drugs, which also is recommended by the practice guidelines of the American Psychiatric Association.

Scientists have developed machine learning algorithms that use structured and unstructured electronic health record data to predict Alzheimer's disease risk in individuals, reports Health IT Analytics . The researchers used a natural-language processing algorithm and a random forest model, trained on data from the Indiana Network for Patient Care. The models examined information in structured fields, like prescriptions and diagnoses, as well as unstructured fields like medical notes. The notes were the most valuable resource for helping to identify people at high risk for dementia. "The great thing about this method is that it's passive, and it provides similar accuracy to the more intrusive tests that are currently used," said Indiana University School of Medicine Professor Malaz Boustani. "This is a low cost, scalable solution that can provide substantial benefit to persons and their families by helping them prepare for the possibility of life with dementia and enabling them to take action."

The Oak Street Health primary care senior clinic company plans to open three new health clinics for persons on Medicare in Detroit this spring, reports Crain's Detroit Business . Five other Oak Street clinics currently operate in Southeast Michigan, in addition to two in the city of Flint. The clinics offer holistic healthcare along with physical, behavioral, pharmacy, and podiatry services. "We are deeply committed to providing integrated, preventive care that helps seniors live their best lives, and our planned growth for early 2020 reflects this commitment," said Oak Street Chief Growth Officer Tamara Jurgenson. The two Flint-based outpatient centers serve local seniors, and Oak Street contracts with Health Alliance Plan of Michigan as an in-network provider in addition to other Medicare plans. Oak Street care personnel usually spend 20 to 40 minutes each day consulting with visitors — twice the industry average — and offer a round-the-clock support line, along with free transportation to and from appointments.

A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that seniors on traditional Medicare were more likely to be in families that have difficulties paying medical bills compared to Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries, reports FierceHealthcare . However, MA beneficiaries also were more likely to struggle with medical bills than those covered by private insurance. The CDC estimated that the percentage of people in families that had a problem paying a medical bill declined from nearly 20 percent in 2011 to 14 percent in 2018. Among adults 65 and over, the numbers of people in families with problems paying a medical bill in the past year were 12.4 percent in Medicare only and 12.3 percent for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. Yet 8.3 percent of people on MA and 5.6 percent on private coverage were in families that had trouble paying medical bills. The gap between private coverage and people on Medicare or MA widened among adults 75 and older, of whom 10 percent in traditional Medicare were in families with problems paying their medical bills — while 7.2 percent were MA beneficiaries. However, just 4.2 percent of those with private coverage reported the same. MA advocates claimed the study proves that the program yields cost savings.

State officials in Colorado are trying to shift policy dialogues to improve services for citizens of all ages as the population matures, reports the Colorado Sun . The Bell Policy Center will soon introduce its first aging policy agenda, which touches on supporting older employees or workers who support older adults. Later this month, a legislative committee will disclose a report to the General Assembly on the feasibility of a retirement plan for workers who lack one. "Aging issues ought to be a policy priority and not something shoved to the side," said Changing the Narrative Director Janine Vanderburg. Bell Policy's priorities include raising Medicaid reimbursement rates for preventative services, and it recommends that Colorado hire a permanent aging officer to coordinate state aging policies. The agency also wants additional funding for public-private programs found in local communities, and to bolster age-discrimination statutes and lobby for tax credits for businesses to hire and train older workers.