A Manufacturing Institute study found the U.S. manufacturing industry could be especially affected by the aging workforce, reports Fox Business . The average age of a manufacturing-sector employee as of last year was 44.1, versus 42.2 for the U.S. overall. Difficulties attracting younger workers to manufacturing play a role in this trend, as does a skills gap stemming from an aging population and a tight labor market. This gap is worsened by the continual introduction of new technologies, which demand ongoing training. "Taken together, these manufacturing-specific factors indicate that the manufacturing sector is at the frontier of the aging workforce trend," the researchers noted. "An older-than-average workforce means that the sector is witnessing the effects of workforce aging earlier than many other industries." Manufacturers said they were mainly concerned with the erosion of institutional knowledge along with veterans who may retire without passing that knowledge on to their replacements.

University of Rhode Island (URI) students are helping seniors use cell phones and other digital tools through the Cyber Seniors program, reports the Warwick Beacon . The program has about 10 to 12 sites across Rhode Island, with five students from URI. Many students and adults "see it as a need," says URI Professor Skye Leedahl. Cyber Seniors engages URI students enrolled in the Pharmacy program or doing independent study, and participants are required to complete 40 service hours to earn academic credit for their classes. Enrollees receive a binder of information that gives the fundamentals of technological devices and accompanying features like the Internet, and games that promote mental health. The binder also highlights the advantages of being able to be in contact with loved ones, and safety features and practices when online. Information on the Adaptive Telephone Equipment Loan Program, which provides phone and wireless communication devices for disabled individuals, is included as well.

A study published in Neurology verified that anemia elevates the risk for dementia, as do high hemoglobin concentrations, reports the New York Times . The researchers examined 12,305 people without dementia, measuring their hemoglobin levels and tracking them for 12 years, on average. Over the study period, 1,520 subjects developed dementia, including 1,194 with Alzheimer's. Individuals in the highest fifth in terms of hemoglobin levels exhibited a 20 percent greater risk for any dementia type, and a 22 percent higher risk for Alzheimer's. Those in the lowest fifth had a 29 percent increased risk for dementia and a 36 percent higher risk for Alzheimer's. "We don't have the intervention studies that would show that modifying hemoglobin could prevent dementia, and we can't recommend interventions based on this study," noted Erasmus University Medical Center's Frank J. Wolters. "In the meantime, given the other beneficial effects of treating anemia, this study provides an extra incentive."

University of California, Irvine (UCI) researchers have surmounted a major obstacle in understanding and potentially treating Alzheimer's by developing a technique for human brain immune cells to grow and function in mice, reports Medical Xpress . A study in Cell detailed how the team cultured induced pluripotent stem cells from cells donated by adult patients, engineered them to form microglia, and then implanted them in genetically-modified mice. Several months later, the team learned about 80 percent of the microglia in the mice's brains was human. "The functions of our cells are influenced by which genes are turned on or off," said UCI Professor Mathew Blurton-Jones. "Recent research has identified over 40 different genes with links to Alzheimer's and the majority of these are switched on in microglia." The researchers found the microglia mimicked the expected reaction to amyloid plaques by migrating and surrounding the plaques. "The human microglia also showed significant genetic differences from the rodent version in their response to the plaques, demonstrating how important it is to study the human form of these cells," Blurton-Jones noted.

A new U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finds the Medicare Plan Finder (MPF) website is too difficult for many older adults to navigate and understand, according to Forbes . GAO also cited the MPF as lacking sufficient information to help seniors compare coverage options. The report highlighted navigation through multiple pages before displaying plan details, a dearth of prominent instructions to help beneficiaries pinpoint information, and complex jargon as major defects. Analysts noted the cost estimates on the website's plan results pages are incomplete because they do not feature the effect of Medigap, which helps underwrite beneficiaries' cost-sharing responsibilities under original Medicare. The report also said comparing plan costs is problematic, since the MPF poorly defines health coverage terminology and fails to use plain language. This leaves many seniors unable to understand cost differences between generic and brand-name medications. U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services officials have informed GAO that an easier-to-use MPF should be introduced next month.

In response to two reports on the poor quality of care delivered to numerous Medicare hospice enrollees, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) and Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-Tex.) this week sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting information regarding the agency's efforts to address certain hospice failings. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG) released the disturbing reports earlier in July, which found that 87 percent of hospices had at least one care deficiency between 2012 and 2016. In addition, 20 percent of the 4,563 hospices surveyed had at least one serious deficiency, meaning the hospice was limited in its capacity to deliver adequate care or the health and safety of a beneficiary were placed in jeopardy. "In some states, nearly every hospice that OIG surveyed had at least one deficiency during that five-year period," Neal and Brady lamented. They cited individual cases where hospices did not treat beneficiary wounds, resulting in gangrene or limb amputation.

A study published in the European Heart Journal assessed the discontinuation of statins taken for primary cardiovascular disease prevention in older people, reports News-Medical . The researchers examined 120,173 people in France, who were 75 years old between 2012 and 2014, and had been taking statins continuously for two years. Subjects who discontinued statins had a 33 percent higher risk of hospitalization with heart or blood vessel problems during an average follow-up of 2.4 years. "We would say that if you are regularly taking statins for high cholesterol, we would recommend you don't stop the treatment when you are 75," said Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital's Philippe Giral. "To doctors, we would recommend not stopping statin treatment given for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases in . . . those aged 75."

A new Bankrate.com survey finds many American workers supplement their income with "side hustles," reports SubPrime Auto Finance News . Analysis determined 45 percent of U.S. workers earn extra income on the side. The employed side hustler earns an average $1,122 per month in additional income by working 12 hours weekly. For 66 percent of employees, the extra money makes up less than half of their monthly earnings. Still, 30 percent of respondents said this money is needed to cover regular living expenses, while 34 percent said say they use the money for discretionary spending, and 27 percent use the money to increase their savings. Seventy-eight percent of side hustlers noted technology is critical to earning more money. According to Bankrate.com, 84 percent of millennials and 79 percent of Gen Xers with side jobs said technology helps them earn extra income versus 67 percent of baby boomers.

A research analysis of the total cost of Alzheimer's disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease determined that certain socioeconomic costs are omitted by current estimates, reports Medical Xpress . Among these hidden costs are those related to declining health for caregivers, erosion of family savings, and reduced quality of life for people with dementia and their caregivers. Dementia is currently estimated to cost the U.S. economy $290 billion annually and $1 trillion a year globally. The review cited studies showing that caregivers may be more prone to depression, anxiety, and hypertension, which each carry their own cost of care. Meanwhile, disorders that cause dementia are often not diagnosed in the early stages, and their socioeconomic costs usually manifest in the years before diagnosis. These could include the expenses of diagnostic tests to exclude other conditions, higher costs of managing other problems that may be exacerbated by dementia, and declining quality of life. "We must come together to develop and implement comprehensive national dementia prevention, treatment, care, workforce education, and training, and research action plans that better measure societal impact; to promote private-public partnerships; and to focus priorities, policies, and plans to combat ADRD," concluded Banner Sun Health Research Institute Director Alireza Atri.

A study published in Nature suggests the age-related deterioration of lymphatic vessels that help the brain purge waste could contribute to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, reports Medical News Today . The researchers employed magnetic resonance imaging scans to track cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through lymphatic vessels in rodents. The team observed basal meningeal lymphatic vessels (mLVs) as the primary routes for CSF drainage from the brain. "We also show that basal mLVs are hotspots for the clearance of CSF macromolecules and that both mLV integrity and CSF drainage are impaired with aging," the authors said. The researchers suggest by mapping drainage routes, this research could help in developing treatments that aim to reduce toxic protein accrual by improving the brain's waste disposal system.