Though seizures and Alzheimer's have been linked for more than 100 years, scientists are only now beginning to study the connection in earnest — and their findings are already raising interesting questions, reports Stat News . Recent research presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference suggests that, contrary to the widely held belief that Alzheimer's patients' seizures are caused by late-stage brain deterioration, seizures are fairly common in Alzheimer's patients and occur before even obvious symptoms like memory loss. Two of the studies presented at the conference both found that early seizures are a strong indicator that a person has an increased risk for dementia or Alzheimer's. Several other studies presented at the conference found that people with Alzheimer's are more likely to have seizures than people without Alzheimer's. Some scientists believe that the gradual breakdown of inhibitory neurons over time leads to hyperactivity, which in turn causes seizures and interferes with memory and other cognitive processes. These scientists believe that further study of hyperactivity and seizures can shed light on Alzheimer's.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the so-called "Raise the Wage Act" yesterday to gradually raise the federal hourly minimum wage — which has been at $7.25 for a decade — to $15 by 2025, reports United Press International . House members voted 231-199 in favor of the legislation, with only three Republicans — Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Francis Rooney of Florida, and Chris Smith of New Jersey — joining Democrats in approval. A half-dozen Democrats voted against the proposal. Most states have already set minimum wages far beyond the $7.25 level. A Congressional Budget Office report released earlier this month projected raising the federal minimum to $15 would hike wages for 17 million workers and lift approximately 1.3 million people out of poverty — but cost another 1.3 million their jobs. The bill will likely face stiff resistance from the Republican-majority Senate.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is prodding financial companies to report any suspected incidences of seniors being financially exploited, reports Pymnts.com . The agency says whistleblowers should file Suspicious Activity Reports with the government if they believe an older adult is being taken advantage of for their money. A CFPB report on senior financial exploitation found that the average loss for individuals older than age 70 is $41,800. Meanwhile, about 7 percent of the people in this demographic lose more than $100,000. "The CFPB is renewing efforts to alert banks and credit unions to senior financial exploitation as they are uniquely positioned to detect that an older account holder has been targeted or victimized, and to take action," said CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger.

A new Hill-HarrisX survey found 47 percent of registered voters are less likely to vote for members of Congress who support a lawsuit to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), versus 28 percent who are more likely to back them, reports The Hill . Older Americans and minorities were least likely to support lawmakers who favored the lawsuit, with 58 percent of respondents 65 and older and 68 percent of African Americans less inclined to vote for such legislators. Last week, an appeals court panel suggested it might strike down the ACA's individual mandate. The mandate required Americans who do not purchase health insurance to pay a financial penalty, which Congress later eliminated. Democrats will likely focus on the lawsuit in the 2020 elections, and contend that Republicans are jeopardizing healthcare coverage.

A Norwegian startup aims to help older adults stay active by using exercise technology, reports Forbes . Jon Ingar Kjenes founded Motitech to combine visual technology with exercise bikes and offer a comfortable, appealing way for seniors to exercise. Motitech's big innovation is called Motiview, and it allows a cyclist to project his or her chosen route onto a screen while the cyclist's own music plays. The bikes are adaptable and can support cyclists of all physical abilities. They provide older men and women with the ability to revisit familiar locations and listen to familiar songs all while cycling on a stationary bike. Motitech's visual library currently incorporates almost 2,000 routes, allowing cyclists the freedom to choose potentially between their hometown, a favorite holiday destination, and more. Motiview has garnered positive results for older adults, with one senior care home based in England reporting "the number of falls had reduced by 80 percent within three months of the technology's integration within residents' routines," according to Kjenes. Motiview is presently available at 350 locations across seven countries, and Kjenes plans to expand to the United States, Hong Kong, and Portugal next.

New data from the University of Exeter suggests that apathy is present in nearly half of people living with dementia, reports Medical Xpress . In spite of its prevalence among older adults with dementia, apathy is frequently forgotten in care settings where health professionals are focused on other, seemingly more immediate symptoms like aggression and the loss of memory. The researchers from the University of Exeter found that 45 percent of their study participants had apathy, while 20 percent reported persistent apathy over time. They also found that a significant number had apathy but not depression, and so theorized that apathy has a unique biological profile and can be fully separated from depression. Dr. Miguel de Silva Vasconcelos, who is affiliated with the University of Exeter, said that the study results may lead to an overdue re-examination of apathy in older adults living with dementia. "It can be overlooked because people with apathy seem less disruptive and less engaging, but it has a huge impact on the quality of life," he said.

A study conducted by Professor Helene Amieva in France revealed an unexpected association between hearing loss and the risk of dementia in adults, reports the Express . Researchers tracked 3,777 participants older than 65 for up to 25 years, of whom 1,289 reported hearing problems and 2,290 reported no trouble. The dementia risk increased among those with hearing loss, along with an increased risk of depression in men. Participants using hearing aids did not have such an elevated risk. "Although this type of study cannot tell us whether using hearing aids would help to bring the risk of dementia back down, it does hint that this might be the case — a finding that should be followed up with high priority," said Alzheimer's Society Research Manager Clare Walton. "With the numbers of people developing dementia set to reach one million by 2021, it's vital to explore all the links between dementia and other health conditions so we can look for new ways to delay or even prevent the condition."

The Democrat-led U.S. House of Representatives voted 419 to 6 to permanently repeal the so-called "Cadillac tax" on generous employer health-care plans that was intended to sharply contain health-care costs over the long term, according to the Washington Post . The tax, which was never implemented, was opposed by some of the Democrats' most important political allies: unions, many of whose members negotiated costly health-care plans in lieu of wage increases. The U.S. Senate will now take up the measure — Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) sponsors a similar bill in the upper chamber — in one of the few health-care measures that has bipartisan support. Getting rid of the tax further weakens Obamacare, which President Trump and his allies have repeatedly chipped away at since he won the 2016 election. Although the GOP was unsuccessful in repealing and replacing the law, Republican legislators were able to rollback requiring people to purchase coverage. The "Cadillac tax" had already been delayed twice and was set to go into effect in 2022.

Politico Pro has learned that the House Energy and Commerce Committee is planning a last-minute change to its legislation limiting "surprise" medical bills. The move comes after committee members struck a deal to win over skeptical members concerned the proposal would be too harsh on providers. The committee has privately agreed to alter how the bill governs payment disputes between providers and health plans, according to four Politico Pro sources briefed on the deal. The legislation aims to set a benchmark rate for resolving payment disputes. Under the change, it would now let providers appeal to an arbiter in certain cases. The agreement follows some intense negotiations within the committee over the surprise billing legislation, known as H.R. 3630. The committee is expected to accept the amendment, smoothing the legislation's path to the House floor.

The Trump Administration announced a new guideline Wednesday that will allow patients with chronic health problems to receive treatment from insurers before they have paid their full deductible, reports the Wall Street Journal . The IRS and Treasury jointly issued the guidance, clarifying that it applies to patients with high-deductible health plans and pre-tax health savings accounts (HSAs). The move is intended to provide relief for both patients and insurers. Under the old guidelines, patients had to fully pay off their deductible, which could range in the thousands of dollars, before receiving treatment for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. That left patients struggling to afford treatment while their conditions worsened, and insurers ended up paying more for the treatment after patients reached their deductible. The guidance could be incorporated into health plans as soon as next year. Critics say that the guidance could encourage more people to seek out high-deductible insurance plans with pretax HSAs, but proponents say it is ultimately a way to provide financial relief for patients with chronic health problems.