Give Seniors a Memory Check at Annual Checkups, Experts Say

MONDAY, Sept. 23, 2019 -- Many older people show evidence of mental decline, called mild cognitive impairment, but doctors often miss this sometimes early sign of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

To help doctors get a better handle on their patients' mental state, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is urging physicians to assess patients aged 65 and older at least once a year.

Common Muscle Relaxant Could Pose Mental Dangers for Seniors

SATURDAY, Nov. 9, 2019 -- A commonly prescribed muscle relaxant known as baclofen can leave older kidney patients so disoriented that they land in the hospital, a new study warns.

"It can present with acute stroke-like symptoms, even though it's not a stroke," said senior researcher Dr. Amit Garg, a professor of nephrology at Western University in Ontario, Canada. "It can present with dementia-like symptoms."

Standard Memory Tests for Seniors Might Differ by Gender

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 9, 2019 -- Are some tests designed to measure memory declines missing signs of trouble in women?

New research suggests that might be the case.

How Fast You Walk Might Show How Fast You're Aging

FRIDAY, Oct. 11, 2019 -- Middle-aged folks who worry about healthy aging would do well to keep an eye on their walking speed.

Turns out that the walking speed of 45-year-olds is a pretty solid marker of how their brains and bodies are aging, a new study suggests.

Staying Healthy Now to Work Into Older Age

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 18, 2019 -- While you can take Social Security benefits at age 62 and get 75% of your maximum, waiting until you reach full retirement age (between age 66 and 67 depending on the year you were born) gets you much closer to the full amount. But the age at which Americans can collect the most dollars has inched up to 70.

The problem is that, in general, people today aren't as healthy during their pre-retirement years as past generations were. Having one or more chronic health conditions, from diabetes to arthritis, can make it harder to keep working through your 60s and, for those who want or need to, beyond.