A study in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology observed that adults 65 and older are underrepresented in clinical cancer trials, reports Medical Xpress . This trend is compounded by underreporting of the treatment efficacy and negative effects specific to older adults. The researchers reviewed a year's worth of medical literature, and initial analysis found that more than 600 of 929 articles failed to meet the study group's inclusion criteria, while another 116 were duplicates. "When we finally finished analyzing all of the articles, we found the evidence on how you treat older adults with cancer is terrible," said the University of Cincinnati's Karlynn BrintzenhofeSzoc. "There's no evidence-based guidelines, which goes against the current focus on precision and evidence-based medicine to help treat older adults with cancer." BrintzenhofeSzoc said her team hopes to get researchers to partition different aged groups of people in trials and define their differences in terms of effectiveness, side effects, or adverse events. This would enable the medical community to implement treatment protocols that account for evidence-based research outcomes in people with different types of cancer and of younger and older individuals.

Both Americans with dementia and their caregivers should be aware of special challenges their health conditions may present as the coronavirus epidemic unfolds in the United States, according to Being Patient . Public health officials say those at highest risk for the virus include seniors and anyone with underlying health conditions that can compromise their immune systems. Oregon dementia care expert Christy Turner stresses that caregivers should ensure that people with dementia wash their hands regularly and thoroughly, at least 20 seconds with soap per washing. Toronto Memory Center Medical Director Sharon Cohen adds that people with dementia "may have more difficulty expressing themselves and therefore making their symptoms known," so friends, loved ones, and others should listen well and frequently check up on how someone is doing or feeling. Christiana Care psychiatrist James Ellison recommends that caregivers disinfect frequently touched surfaces, especially in long-term care communities like memory care centers. Turner says although it is natural to check in on relatives or friends, visitors to care communities must make sure they are healthy and take all possible precautions prior to visiting.

A study in Human Molecular Genetics determined a class of antibiotics called aminoglycosides could hold promise as a treatment for frontotemporal dementia, reports ScienceDaily . A subgroup of individuals with frontotemporal dementia carry a genetic mutation that prevents brain cells from producing the protein progranulin, whose absence is associated with the disease. The addition of aminoglycoside antibiotics to neuronal cells with this mutation induced generation of the full-length progranulin protein by bypassing the mutation. "By adding a small antibiotic molecule to the cells, they could 'trick' the cellular machinery into making progranulin," said University of Kentucky College of Medicine Professor Matthew Gentry. Two aminoglycoside antibiotics in particular — Gentamicin and G418 — effectively corrected the mutation and produced the functional progranulin protein. With Gentamicin or G418 molecules added to the affected cells, the progranulin protein level was recovered up to about 50 percent to 60 percent. "If we can get the right resources and physician to work with, we could potentially repurpose this drug," said Haining Zhu with the UK's Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry.

Medicare announced that it will cover the cost of coronavirus testing for Medicare Part B beneficiaries if certain conditions are met, reports MSN . Those conditions include the test being ordered by the enrollee's healthcare provider and performed on or after Feb. 4. The provider also must wait to submit an insurance claim for the test until after April 1. The program has designed a standardized insurance billing code specifically for the coronavirus testing, which healthcare providers can use when submitting insurance claims. "This code will allow those labs conducting the tests to bill for the specific test instead of using an unspecified code, which means better tracking of the public health response for this particular strain of the coronavirus to help protect people from the spread of this infectious disease," a Medicare statement read. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said the agency has partnered with a private company to distribute up to 2,500 coronavirus test kits to labs this week, which should collectively provide roughly 1.25 million tests.

A study in PNAS suggests a low-carb diet may prevent or reverse the effects of aging in the brain, reports Futurity . The researchers looked at the presymptomatic period when prevention may be most effective, demonstrating that functional communication between brain regions destabilizes with age, usually in the late 40s — and correlates with poorer cognition and ramps up with insulin resistance. Glucose was found to undermine the stability of brain networks, while ketones boost stability. Dietary changes and an orally ingested fuel-specific calorie-matched supplement could replicate both effects, with negative and positive implications. "The bad news is that we see the first signs of brain aging much earlier than was previously thought," said Stony Brook University Professor Lilianne R. Mujica-Parodi. "However, the good news is that we may be able to prevent or reverse these effects with diet, mitigating the impact of encroaching hypometabolism by exchanging glucose for ketones as fuel for neurons."

An aging workforce is suffering a higher number of fatal workplace injuries in recent years, and analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data in its Monthly Labor Review extracted the most fatal occupations for workers 55 and older from 2003-2017, reports Business Insider . The single deadliest job for American boomers is driving heavy trucks and tractor-trailers, with 3,772 fatal injuries recorded from 2003 to 2017. The second most hazardous profession in the United States for boomers is agricultural manager/farmer, with 3,217 total deadly injuries. First-line supervisor of construction trades and extraction workers is the third most likely occupation to suffer deadly workplace injuries, with 631 fatalities posted in 2003-2017. In fourth place is first-line supervisor of retail sales workers, with deadly injuries totaling 616, and in fifth place are construction laborers. The sixth deadliest job for boomers in the U.S. is landscaper and groundskeeper, with 428 such professionals dying from workplace injuries in the 2003-17 time span.

An anonymous federal official said the White House overruled health officials who wanted to recommend that seniors and physically fragile Americans avoid flying on commercial airlines because of the coronavirus, reports the Associated Press . Katie Miller, press secretary for Vice President Mike Pence, disputed the anonymous source's account, while director of infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health Anthony Fauci insisted that "no one overruled anybody." According to the source, though, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) submitted the recommendation as part of a larger effort to try and contain the virus, but Trump administration officials allegedly ordered it to be rescinded. Officials have since suggested certain people should consider not traveling. Indeed, the CDC on March 6 updated its website to advise older adults and people with severe medical conditions to "stay home as much as possible" and avoid crowds.

Health experts are recommending activities that could reduce the progression of dementia — specifically playing musical instruments, reports the International Business Times . This effect was confirmed by a study in the International Journal of Alzheimer's Research UK . Researchers learned that playing an instrument helps shield the brain from eventual malfunction, and delays the risk of dementia onset. The online tool Cognitive Vitality, designed by neuroscientists, revealed that musical training boosts the brain's resiliency, because playing an instrument requires the brain to actively engage in a wide range of cognitive processes, including sensory and motor systems. A Spanish study of 60- to 85-year-olds — some of whom had played musical instruments from childhood while others received training later in life — found that both cohorts exhibited enhanced cognitive function, but the latter experienced a decline when they discontinued training.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions to "stay at home as much as possible" during the novel coronavrius outbreak in the United States, reports CNN . The CDC noted that early data suggests older people are twice as likely to become seriously ill from the virus, while a Trump administration official said the Department of Health and Human Services "is in the process of doing targeted outreach to the senior community and those that have serious underlying health conditions." Two top infectious disease experts also are advising people over 60 and those with underlying health problems to avoid activities involving large crowds — including air travel, going to cinemas, attending family events and religious services, and shopping at crowded malls. Vanderbilt University Professor William Schaffner and former state epidemiologist for Minnesota Michael Osterholm said this advice is flexible for certain events. "Be thoughtful every time you contemplate getting together with a crowd or group," Schaffner suggested.

Congress enacted the National Senior Nutrition programs in March of 1972. To honor that milestone, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) is celebrating all month long. Between now and March 31, photos, videos, audio clips, and testimonials from seniors about a given meal site, program, or nutrition education program can be sent to healthpromotion at acl.hhs.gov. ACL will feature one photo, video, or audio clip a week on its website and Facebook page. An ACL statement read: "We want to highlight how you make your mark, one bite at a time through the Congregate Nutrition Program."