A study in Clinical Epidemiology found evidence of black and Asian persons with dementia not receiving the same quality of care as their white counterparts in drug prescribing, reports EurekAlert . Asians with dementia are less likely to receive anti-dementia drugs and take them for shorter periods. Dementia sufferers from black ethnic groups who are prescribed antipsychotics, which are mainly used for dementia-related distress rather than for primary symptoms, were found to take them for about four weeks longer annually versus whites in the United Kingdom — exceeding suggested limits on how long they should be administered. "Our new findings are concerning as they appear to reflect inequalities in the care people receive to treat symptoms associated with dementia," noted University College London Professor Claudia Cooper. The researchers suggested the greater socioeconomic disadvantages confronted by minority ethnic groups may lead to barriers to accessing care, while language and cultural barriers also could contribute to disparities. Both blacks and Asians with dementia were prescribed antipsychotics for longer than whites, by 27 and 17 days more, respectively, which could increase the risk of harmful side effects. The researchers said the findings may mirror differences in the likelihood of drugs being reviewed and discontinued when no longer needed.

Meredith University students and others in North Carolina aim to prevent fall-related death among seniors via home visits, education programs, and classes, reports North Carolina Health News . The Meredith group has spent two years in collaboration with the Center for Volunteer Caregiving on Stronger Together, a program to help older people reduce their risks of falls. The program includes student-led home modifications and evidence-based exercises promoted during visits to low-income seniors in Wake County. "For people who don't get much exercise, the regimen helps them improve their balance," said Meredith student Paige Lawrence. Meanwhile, the YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina hosts two 24-week balance classes simultaneously, with participants exercising day to day at home. "The biggest take-home has been that the class has been shown to reduce the risk of falls by 65 percent," said the YMCA's Bridget Carroll.

The Health Foundation for Western and Central New York has awarded University at Buffalo (UB) Professor Nikhil Satchidanand a $71,690 grant to continue his work with vulnerable older adults through an recreation program, reports UB News Center . The program will develop and test the effects of a community-based art-making and thinking-while-moving exercise intervention on cognition and motor function in persons 65 and older. "Direct, ongoing feedback from community stakeholders through a series of focus groups will help us create a curriculum that is appealing and appropriate for participants," said Satchidanand. "Trained instructors will work with our community members to create a highly immersive and engaging experience that promotes success, self-efficacy, and a sense of accomplishment." Older adults will work with the project team to develop the dual-task training program using a multisensory exergaming platform. Participants engage with touch-sensitive targets to play games while moving, managing footwork, maintaining balance, and building body awareness. Subjects will participate in weekly art-making and dual-task exercise training, with instruction by trained professionals from Fine Art Miracles and the Ken-Ton Family YMCA. "We hypothesize that weekly art-making and dual-task exercise training will improve executive functions, visual-spatial abilities and motor function," said Satchidanand.

President Trump suggested on Wednesday that he would be willing to consider cuts to programs like Medicare to reduce the federal deficit if he wins a second term, reports the New York Times , an apparent shift from his 2016 campaign promise to protect funding for such entitlements. The president made the comments while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Asked if cuts to entitlements would ever be on his plate, Trump answered yes. "At some point they will be," Trump said, before pointing to United States economic growth. "At the right time, we will take a look at that." Trump suggested that curbing spending on Medicare, the government health care program for older adults, was a possibility. "We're going to look," he said. The president has already proposed cuts for some safety-net programs. His last budget proposal called for a total of $1.9 trillion in cost savings from mandatory safety-net programs, like Medicaid and Medicare. It also called for spending $26 billion less on Social Security and other safety net programs. Spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is expected to cost the federal government more than $30 trillion through 2029, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Americans over 50 are purchasing technology at record rates, making the tech sector a key contributor to the economic activity generated by this demographic every year, reports Forbes . AARP's 2019 Longevity Economy Outlook forecast that spending on tech purchases by 50-plus consumers will reach $645 billion by 2050, but AARP Senior Vice President Jean Accius said new products and services are needed to help older generations make the most of increasing longevity. A boom of new technologies aimed at adults over 50 has fueled innovations ranging from smartphone-controlled hearing aids and fall-detection wristbands to virtual reality experiences that make it easier to stay connected. The demand for connected solutions aimed at seniors should reach $30 billion in the next two years. AARP is developing and nurturing innovations that are helping to enhance the lives of this population. AARP started The Hatchery, an innovation accelerator that works with startups and investors to create products for older adults, to improve both their physical and psychological health. Illnesses such advances are meant to alleviate include dementia. AARP reports that entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the lucrative opportunity represented by the growing senior market, while most tech companies seem oblivious.

A study in Nature Communications suggests a previously unknown protein may have a core function in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD), reports New Atlas . Case Western Reserve University researchers think this protein enables the genesis of amyloid plaques, thought to be a primary cause of the neurodegeneration linked to the disorder. "Our study is likely the first systematic work combining the identification from a genome-wide association study of high dimensional brain-imaging data and experimental validation so perfectly in Alzheimer's disease," said Case Western's Xiaofeng Zhu. The researchers identified a gene associated with Alzheimer's-related brain atrophy, then focused on a specific protein encoded by the gene, which directly attaches to amyloid peptides and facilitates the formation of toxic plaques. "This protein characteristically accumulates, or aggregates, within the center of plaque in AD sufferers, like the yolk of an egg — which is part of the reason we named it 'aggregatin,'" said Case Western's Xinglong Wang. Injecting aggregatin into the brains of mice caused plaque formation and cognitive dysfunction to accelerate, while suppressing the protein had the reverse effect.

A study in Aging Cell found the Elongation of Very Long Chain Fatty Acids Protein 2 (ELOVL2) gene appears to play an important role in age-associated functional and anatomical aging in vivo in mouse retinas, which aligns closely with age-related eye diseases, reports UC San Diego Health . The researchers found an age-related decline in ELOVL2 gene expression was connected to greater DNA methylation of its promoter. Reversal of hypermethylation in vivo elevated ELOVL2 expression and repaired age-related decline in visual function in mice. "These findings indicate that ELOVL2 actively regulates aging in mouse retina, provides a molecular link between polyunsaturated fatty acids elongation and visual functions, and suggests novel therapeutic strategies for treatment of age-related eye diseases," the authors wrote. ELOVL2 regulates levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid which has strong concentrations in the brain and retina. DHA's presence in photoreceptors promotes healthy retinal function, shields against damage from bright light or oxidative stress, and is associated with improving various vision ailments that include age-related macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, and dry eyes.

A Michigan-based study from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found federal guidelines for nutritional programs do not adequately address the needs of senior citizens, reports the Ionia Sentinel-Standard . The study authors urged greater oversight over nutritional guidelines for seniors at a time when Michigan's older population is growing. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that it intends to incorporate the needs of older adults into its guidelines, but it has yet to draft a plan. According to Sherri King in Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services, the registered dietitians she oversees have not voiced concerns about current dietary guidelines. "I am very confident in their skill levels to meet the changing dietary needs," she noted. The GAO study said the nutritional needs of older adults can differ from those for younger ones, yet federal guidelines for seniors are similar to those given to much younger persons. The only difference in nutrition guidelines for seniors is that "portions are larger and they are able to substitute milk for yogurt," said Lynn Cavett with Michigan's Education Department.

Outgoing Catholic Eldercare President Dan Johnson led an effort last summer to develop an immersive eight-week "storytelling" program that combines words with visual images to help residents communicate their stories, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune . The project was part of the nonprofit senior housing provider's initiatives to capitalize on its location in the northeast Minneapolis Arts District as it expands its communities, with a focus on fostering a sense of community within — and outside — the organization. The group seeks new ways of honing the program and creating new ones for residents, which also may help it vie for baby boomers in an increasingly competitive marketplace. In northeast Minneapolis, the organization has set up a new 40,000-square-foot extension to an existing building, to deliver transitional care and rehabilitation space. Catholic Eldercare also runs two subsidized independent-living communities in the same area. Johnson and his associates assembled a team that included artists and writers, with staff helping to recruit residents of all abilities. Split into four groups, residents worked with the artists and writers to create foldout books that tell a story that was particularly important to them. The so-called "Memory Speaks in Pictures" project culminated in a gathering where residents framed and displayed their work.

A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society investigated American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association blood pressure recommendations for U.S. seniors, reports Medical News Today . The recommendations for people older than 65 include a systolic blood pressure of no higher than 130 milligrams of mercury (mmHg). The researchers looked at information from 1,167 participants, including individuals who had had strokes, heart attacks, changes in kidney function, cognitive impairment, lessened quality of life, or who had died. About 27 percent had a history of heart disease, and most had three or more chronic health conditions. The participants' average age was 84, with about 3 percent older than 90 and more than 50 percent on five or more medications. Their average baseline systolic blood pressure was about 142 mmHg, with subjects randomly divided into two groups — one of which was helped in getting their systolic readings below 140 mmHg. The cohort that had achieved systolic levels of 120 mmHg or less experienced a lowered risk of heart disease events, and a lower probability of mild cognitive impairment. Development of dementia was nearly identical in both cohorts.