The Alzheimer's Association has awarded more than $800,000 to support a two-year extension of the SPRINT MIND Study , which will further explore how intensive blood pressure treatment effects the risk of dementia, reports EurekAlert . The study's results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association , and it represents the first randomized clinical trial demonstrating that intensive treatment to lower blood pressure can reduce the occurrence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). SPRINT MIND compared two hypertension management strategies, aggressive and standard care, in cognitively healthy older adults. The aggressive strategy used a systolic blood pressure goal of less than 120 mm Hg, while the standard care approach used a goal of less than 140 mm Hg. The researchers determined the estimated reduction in risk was in the same direction and of the same magnitude as MCI, but it was not statistically significant. The researchers said the success of the heart disease portion of the trial led to early termination of intervention, so the study's duration was not sufficient to definitively address the dementia issue. The SPRINT MIND 2.0 extension will re-engage the first trial's participants, with two years of follow-up and assessment added to allow for a more definitive conclusion.

More than 50 percent of federal spending will soon be dedicated to America's senior population, according to the latest Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates cited by Axios . The two main drivers of that spending are aging baby boomers and rising healthcare costs. Medicare and Social Security alone cost the federal government around $1.3 trillion annually, CBO reports. Researchers expect those two programs to top $2.7 trillion by 2029. Factor in a handful of other programs Capitol Hill legislators fund each year, and federal spending on men and women over 65 is projected to account for more than 10 percent of the total U.S. economy in a decade. Not including the money the government spends on interest payments on the debt, programs for older adults would comprise half of all remaining spending.

St. Joseph's University Medical Center opened the country's first geriatric emergency department a decade ago. Since then, the concept of emergency rooms (ERs) designed with seniors in mind has spread nationwide, Next Avenue reports. Dr. Kevin Biese, an emergency medicine physician at UNC Health Care in North Carolina, says such emergency departments are distinguished by four features: one, doctors and nurses who are trained to work with older adults; two, age-friendly design elements, ranging from thick mattresses to dimmed lights to non-skid floors; three, risk assessments for seniors to identify factors that could exacerbate their health problems; and, finally, the ability to connect individuals with community resources they need to remain healthy. "If you're an older adult, you can know that the care team has an awareness of your unique needs and vulnerabilities," Biese remarks. Aurora Health Care, a large health system headquartered in Milwaukee, began developing ERs that cater to seniors in 2014. Last spring, a total of five ERs in the Aurora system earned geriatric accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians. In total, more than 125 hospitals nationwide claim to have geriatric ERs. However, it should be known that some of those are glorified marketing ploys to attract older adults.

National Institute on Drug Abuse research shows that there has been a surge over the last decade in opioid misuse in older men and women, according to U.S. News and World Report . Between 2002 and 2014, opioid abuse almost doubled in those age 50 and older from about 1 percent to 2 percent. Meanwhile, an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report released this past fall found that, among people 65 and older, opioid-related emergency room visits soared 74 percent from 2010 to 2015. That same study found that opioid-related inpatient stays were up 34 percent. AHRQ's research also found that there were 124,300 opioid-related hospital admissions of individuals 65 and up nationwide in 2015. Some adjustments in addressing addiction in seniors may help. Along those lines, experts recommend encouraging conversation, seeking out age-appropriate support groups, making sure other medical problems are treated as well, and asking about having medications "de-prescribed." Dr. Lauren Gerlach, a geriatric psychiatrist and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan, concludes, "It's really important to periodically kind of re-evaluate the medications that patients are on to figure out if there's a way that patients can safely come off of these medications."

A new study has found that sleep, mood, and stress affect the extent to which older adults feel they have control over their lives, reports ScienceDaily . Researchers studied data on 205 people between the ages of 60 and 94 over a period of three weeks. The research team focused on determining which psychological variables had an effect on two "control beliefs" — perceived competence, or an individual's sense that her or she could do the things they wanted to do; and locus of control, or the feeling that they were in control of their own lives. The researchers found that several variables have a significant effect on both beliefs. First, sleep efficacy — or the belief that one can get a good night's sleep — was associated with better control beliefs. Second, being in a good mood made people feel better about their competence and control. Third, stressful events had an adverse effect on an individual's subsequent control beliefs. "When people think they have little or no control in their lives, they may stop doing some of the everyday things that are important for self-care — because they believe those things don't matter," says Shevaun Neupert, a co-author of a paper on the work. "By acting to improve mood and sleep, older adults may better retain their sense of control and better maintain their quality of life."

Investigating the enzyme D-amino acid oxidase (DAO), which stops cells from dividing, could be an avenue for research into how to slow aging and treat aging-related diseases, reports Medical News Today . Researchers at Kobe University in Japan found that, in the process of metabolizing D-amino acids, DAO produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) — a group of unstable molecules that cause cell stress. Stressors such as DNA damage and ROS prompt cells into senescence, an irreversible state in which they can no longer replicate. The finding uncovers a molecular mechanism that has been missing in previous research that has connected ROS to cell senescence and aging. ROS are key players in the biology of aging and many diseases that tend to increase with advancing age, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and many cancers. The study adds to a growing understanding of the role of senescent cells in this relationship and identifies a previously unknown role for DAO. The researchers concluded: "Our results clearly show a novel function of DAO as a promoter of DNA damage-induced senescence, which may provide new insights into the roles of D-amino acids in various physiological and pathological processes including senescence, cancer, and aging."

Medical Xpress reports that Harvard Medical School geneticists have created a new model-in-a-dish of sporadic Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of the disease which tends to strike people without a family history. The model represents the first time researchers have identified the same molecular abnormalities across multiple sporadic Alzheimer's lines. The achievement, reported in Cell Reports , overcomes a major barrier for scientists aiming to pinpoint the causes of sporadic Alzheimer's and find drugs that might prevent or reverse its effects. The work also provides insights into early molecular changes that may lead to Alzheimer's and points to a potential treatment target. Until now, most "Alzheimer's in a dish" models have been derived from familial Alzheimer's, a rare form of the disease that runs in families, is caused by dominant genetic mutations, and often manifests before age 65. By contrast, the sporadic form is believed to arise from a slew of genetic and environmental risk factors that are not yet fully understood. The new model "is an intriguing in vitro system that has been missing from the field," said senior study author Bruce Yankner.

A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found complications from diabetes is the most common reason why seniors wind up in the emergency room (ER). In addition, they are often hospitalized longer and require more treatment and resources, reports HealthDay News . "Efforts to improve care for vulnerable older Americans should focus on enhancing delivery and decreasing utilization," argues University of California, San Diego Professor Edward Castillo. The researchers analyzed 2014 data on older Californians who visited an ER six times or more that year. The most common illnesses resulting in an ER visit were diabetes, chronic pulmonary disease, kidney disease, congestive heart failure, and peripheral vascular disease. Frequent users had a greater likelihood to have been admitted/transferred and to discontinue care. They also were more likely to have multiple health problems, with 20 percent visiting three or more hospitals during the study year. "This study shows that there are opportunities for cost savings and more targeted preventive efforts across the care continuum for seniors," says West Health's Kelly Ko. "We can do more to help seniors stay healthier and potentially limit the number of times they have to visit the emergency department."

Many seniors covered by private Medicare drug plans face high costs that may not be alleviated by legislation until the next general election, reports the Boston Globe . Kaiser Family Foundation President Drew Altman said despite bipartisan support to contain drug costs, "it's not clear that either side wants to give the other a victory to talk about" in the currently polarized government. Proposals recently introduced in Congress include allowing seniors on fixed incomes to buy more affordable drugs from other countries and permitting Medicare to negotiate prices for its 44 million beneficiaries. Advocates of price reduction see rhetoric from both President Trump and new liberal members of Congress as signs of hope. Surveys from the Kaiser Family Foundation cited lowering drug prices as a top priority among both Democratic and GOP voters. "There's no question the cost of prescription drugs is our No. 1 issue," noted AARP Massachusetts Director Mike Festa. "In a high-cost state like ours, the impact is acute." Garnering attention is a bill from Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) to block drug companies from paying competitors to delay the rollout of low-priced generic drugs.

A study published in Bone found a low baseline bone mineral density (BMD) score and rapid bone loss observed over seven years independently conferred greater mortality risk among older adults, with men having a stronger association compared to women, reports Healio . Data from 339 adults at least 65 years old was analyzed, with baseline assessments performed between 2005 and 2006. DXA measurements at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip were evaluated, in addition to whole-body composition. Over an average 7.3-year follow-up, 74 men and 50 women died. Their BMD and T-scores were lower and the prevalence of osteoporosis was higher compared to survivors in both genders. No between-group differences for fracture rates were seen. Osteoporosis at all skeletal sites was linked to higher mortality risk for men and women, but the associations were stronger for BMD at the femoral neck and total hip versus the lumbar spine. Unadjusted analysis determined osteoporosis at the femoral neck was the strongest predictor of elevated mortality risk in both genders when compared with sex-matched participants in the normal BMD group.