Endocrinology Advisor reports a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association finds that balance training may help to reduce the risk for falls in older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Such training improves reaction times, lower limb proprioception, and postural sway, according to the study. Researchers recruited 65 older adults with T2D and randomly assigned them into 2 groups: supervised balance training or unsupervised at-home training, using the Nintendo Wii Fit balance board for 12 weeks. The participants were required to complete three 40-minute sessions per week, for a total of 36 sessions. Both training programs resulted in a significant lowering of falls risk. The reduced falls risk occurred without significant changes in leg strength, suggesting that interventions to reduce falls risk that target intrinsic risk factors related to balance control (over muscle strength) may have positive benefits for older adults with T2DM at risk for falls.

A review of 19 studies published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society analyzed the effect of an exercise training program on cognitive function in older adults at risk for or diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD), reports ScienceDaily . Included in the study were 1,145 older adults, most in their mid-to late 70s. Sixty-five percent of the participants were at risk for AD and 35 percent had been diagnosed with AD. The examination determined older adults who did aerobic exercise by itself experienced a three times greater level of improvement in cognitive function than those who participated in combined aerobic training and strength training exercises. The researchers also verified that the amount of exercise the World Health Organization recommends for older adults was reinforced by the studies. Another finding was that older adults in the no-exercise control groups experienced declines in cognitive function. Furthermore, those who exercised exhibited small improvements in cognitive function regardless of what type of exercise they performed. The researchers think this study may be the first to demonstrate that for older adults who are at risk for or who have AD, aerobic exercise may be more effective than other types of exercise in helping them save the ability to think and make decisions.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTR) warns of fraudsters targeting consumers by making bogus calls purported to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA), claiming a computer problem requires that their intended victims confirm their Social Security number. Another reported scam involves spoof websites that look like the place where consumers would apply for a new Social Security card, but which are in fact deceptions to steal their personal information. Consumers who receive a phone call or are directed to a website other than ssa.gov that claims to be associated with the SSA are recommended not to respond. The FTC also advises consumers to not give callers any sensitive information, such as bank account, credit card, or Social Security number, unless they know with whom they are dealing with. Also recommended is to view an official-sounding name or number provided by the caller with suspicion. Scammers often use internet technology to spoof their area code and make their calls seem legitimate. Consumers also should check with the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to verify the reason for the contact and the person's identity before providing any information to the caller. Anyone who encounters any of these scams is urged to report it to the SSA's Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271/1-866-501-2101 (TTY) and then notify the FTC.

A study published in Diabetologia suggests diabetes may accelerate cognitive decline, tying both prediabetes and diabetes to a faster rate of global cognitive decline over time in comparison with people with normoglycemia as indicated in memory, executive function, and orientation cognitive tests, reports MedPage Today . The outcomes also revealed a direct association between a 2.2 percent increase in HbA1c (1 mmol/mol) and a faster rate of cognitive decline over time. "The associations between dementia and diabetes mellitus have been supported by previous researchers," says Imperial College London's Wuxiang Xie. "However, the associations of glycated hemoglobin with the trajectory of cognitive decline were not well-established. Therefore, we decided to conduct this study to find out whether high levels of glycated hemoglobin A1c were associated with faster cognitive decline." The team gathered data on 5,189 participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging between 2004 and 2015. Among the total cohort, 8.6 percent of participants had diabetes and 22.9 percent were considered prediabetic. At baseline, diabetics were more likely to have higher blood pressure and body mass index and cardiovascular disease. Both memory and executive functioning scores at baseline also tended to be lower among diabetics versus those with normoglycemia. A sensitivity analysis exhibited similar findings, in a model excluding 261 individuals who developed diabetes during follow-up.

Apple has announced a spring update to its operating system for iPhones and iPads that will have a new "Health Records" feature to import and store medical data about allergies, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medications, procedures, and vitals, reports the Wall Street Journal . Twelve hospitals will participate, with physicians noting Apple will gain the advantages of more consolidated hospital networks and concentration among medical-record systems. KLAS Research says Apple has obtained participation from Epic Systems and Cerner, which collectively account for more than half of medical-records management, as well as Athenahealth. PicnicHealth co-founder Noga Leviner says Apple must boost the number of data-sharing hospitals if the Health Records feature is to find success. Leviner also notes Apple needs to expand information beyond simple listings such as allergies and recent lab results, especially since people with chronic conditions require much more detailed information. Some hospitals in the same system use variant electronic medical records and frequently lack data-sharing agreements. Ochsner Health System's Richard Milani says Apple also is adopting the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, the top standard for transferring electronic records so hospitals and medical-records vendors have an easier time sharing information with Apple. The company says instead of it receiving any health-record data, users can add a health provider on their phone and import their records directly from the provider to the device. Users will be able to back up their records to iCloud, and that data will be encrypted with only users having the key to the information on their device.

The National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) regional directors say President Trump's appointee for NLRB general counsel, Peter B. Robb, has floated a proposal to demote those directors who resolve most labor cases, reports the New York Times . The directors and their staffs usually resolve more than 85 percent of the approximately 20,000 cases submitted to the agency annually over disputed labor practices without involving the general counsel. The counsel is granted independent authority as a prosecutor, derived from the National Labor Relations Act, and performs other duties on behalf of the NLRB's board, which functions as its highest court of appeals. The regional directors' reduction in authority and the placement of a new group above them would most likely require board approval. Attorney Michael J. Lotito says NLRB officials assured him that Robb's proposal was largely in response to budget cuts reflecting a substantial decline over several decades in the number of labor charges filed. The agency itself noted that "given budgetary issues, the general counsel is assessing the current organizational structure for possible changes," but said, "No specific plan involving the restructuring of our organization has been developed."

A study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found a history of delirium, frailty, and cognitive impairment are the risk factors most strongly associated with developing postoperative delirium in older adults, reports EurekAlert . The researchers also cite smoking and the use of psychotropic medications as risk factors. "Chronological age from your birth date is not always an accurate assessment of how you've aged over your lifetime," notes St. Michael's Hospital's Dr. Jennifer Watt. "This study highlights how common delirium is among older adults undergoing elective surgery, and the importance of geriatric syndromes, including frailty, in identifying older adults who may be at risk." The team looked at 41 studies including more than 9,000 individuals 60 years and up and reporting on postoperative delirium after elective surgery. One in six older adults was found to have experienced post-surgical delirium, and older adults with caregiver support were 30 percent less likely to experience delirium than those who did not. "Previous research has shown that when families delivered a non-pharmacological intervention, such as helping to mobilize or orient the older adult, the subject was less likely to experience delirium following hip surgery," Watt says. "What we're seeing in this review may be a result of the fact that they're doing some of these things for their loved ones already."

Keeping older adults in the workforce for longer could help fight the United States' high rate of old-age poverty and also reduce inequality, according to a new report. More than 20 percent of Americans over 65 have an income that puts them below the poverty line, defined as half of median disposable household income, according to the report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. And future retirees will have even higher risks of poverty as inequality rises, the report said. The Paris-based think tank, which provides advice on the best policies to follow to its 35 member governments, called on the U.S. to support longer careers for all socioeconomic groups as a way of reducing old-age poverty without putting additional strain on pension systems as the population ages rapidly, reports the Wall Street Journal .

Emma Yang, 14, is developing an app called Timeless designed to help people with Alzheimer's recognize their loved ones, reports Fast Company . Timeless lets users scroll through photos of friends and family, and it tells them who the person is and how they are related to the user with facial recognition. If the user does not recognize someone in the same room, they can take a picture and the app also will attempt to automatically identify them. Yang is working in collaboration with mentors at the tech company Kairos, which makes the facial recognition software that Timeless uses. Timeless also features a reminder screen that lists appointments for the day, along with a contacts screen that shows photos of family members along with names. A caregiver puts events on the daily calendar, and invites friends and relatives to send an initial set of photos that the facial recognition program can use to learn to identify them. "There are no apps on the market that really help people with Alzheimer's ... with their daily lives," Yang notes. "A lot of times people think that it's not going to help, or seniors can't really use technology, but in fact, if you strategically introduce it to them, it's actually a possibility and can really benefit their lives."

More large companies are beginning to see the value in paid leave and other benefits for parents, including hourly employees, reports the New York Times . This trend indicates that the effects of low unemployment, as well as tax cuts, have reached companies that depend on low-wage workers. Benefits such as paid parental leave are a crucial factor for people, especially women, in their continued employment, but hourly workers also have been the least likely to receive such benefits. Of the 20 largest employers who cover paid leave for birth mothers, 13 offer salaried employees additional bonding time beyond the six weeks for physical recovery, which is often recouped by short-term disability. Eight provide bonding time for birth mothers who are paid hourly, and they are more likely to get partial wages. A recent Pew Research Center survey found 94 percent of respondents said paid leave would help families, and 66 percent said it would aid the economy. Furthermore, advocacy groups such as Paid Leave for the United States and Organization United for Respect have been pressuring companies to offer it. However, the Pew survey also found 16 percent of people employed in the last two years said they needed to take leave but could not, and they were more likely to be low earners, as well as women, black, Hispanic, or lacking a college degree. Many large employers that provide hourly employees paid leave do so via short-term disability, which low-wage workers are less likely to have access to.