Diabetes, Dementia Can Be Deadly Combination

TUESDAY, Oct. 2, 2018 -- The risk of death from dangerously low blood sugar is much higher among seniors who have both diabetes and dementia than those with diabetes alone, a new study finds.

Researchers analyzed data from nearly 20,000 people aged 65 and older with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who were followed for up to five years after their first recorded low blood sugar episode.

Study Supports Oxygen Therapy for Sudden Hearing Loss

THURSDAY, Sept. 27, 2018 -- Viruses and blood flow issues can, in rare cases, trigger sudden and profound hearing loss. Now, South Korean research supports the use of hyperbaric oxygen treatments to restore hearing in these patients.

A review of the collected evidence suggests that -- added to standard drug therapy -- hyperbaric oxygen treatment "is the most beneficial treatment option" for what doctors call "sudden sensorineural hearing loss," according to a team led by Dr. Tae-Min Rhee. He's a specialist in hyperbaric medicine at the National Maritime Medical Center in Seoul.

More Americans Are Recording Their Doctor Visits

FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018 -- Have you ever left a doctor's appointment with only a vague idea of what was said? You're not alone: A new survey finds many Americans, and their doctors, are turning to recordings for help.

Researchers found that almost 30 percent of the doctors they surveyed had ever recorded a visit for a patient's use. And about 19 percent of U.S. adults said they'd done so themselves -- usually after asking the doctor's permission.

1 in 4 Seniors Who Take Xanax, Valium Use Them Long Term

MONDAY, Sept. 10, 2018 -- When older people use drugs like Valium or Xanax to calm anxiety or help them sleep, they run a high risk of becoming drug-dependent, new research suggests.

In the study of almost 600 adults averaging 78 years of age, about one in four who were prescribed these types of benzodiazepine sedatives ended up using them for at least a year.

Here's What Makes Seniors Feel and Act Younger

FRIDAY, Aug. 10, 2018 -- A pair of new studies points towards two potential paths to the fountain of youth.

When older adults feel more control of their lives and get more exercise, they feel younger -- and that improves their thinking, overall quality of life and longevity, the studies say.

Dialysis Linked to Dementia in Seniors

TUESDAY, Aug. 14, 2018 -- Older kidney failure patients on hemodialysis have high rates of dementia, which is associated with an increased risk of early death, a new study shows.

Researchers analyzed data from nearly 357,000 dialysis patients aged 66 and older and found their risk of being diagnosed with dementia one and five years after starting dialysis was 4.6 percent and 16 percent among women, and 3.7 percent and 13 percent among men.