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At-home testing for COVID infection Researchers have developed a new type of multiplexed test with a low-cost sensor that may enable the at-home diagnosis of a COVID-19 infection through rapid analysis of small volumes of saliva or blood, without the involvement of a medical professional, in less than 10 minutes. One feature of the COVID-19 virus that makes it so difficult to contain is that it can be easily spread to others by a person who has yet to show any signs of infection. The carrier of...
COVID testing using a smartphone Researchers are reporting they may be able to test for COVID-19 in just 30 minutes with the use of a smartphone. As COVID-19 continues to spread, bottlenecks in supplies and laboratory personnel have led to long waiting times for COVID testing results in some areas. In a new study, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign researchers have demonstrated a prototype of a rapid COVID-19 molecular test and a simple-to-use, portable instrument for reading the results...
Older adults may be doing better during this pandemic than many people may realize. A new study involving older adults with pre-existing major depressive disorder has found no increase in depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers from five institutions, including UCLA, found that the older adults, who were already enrolled in ongoing studies of treatment-resistant depression, also exhibited resilience to the stress of physical distancing and isolation. “We thought they w...
Developing a multi-drug cocktail against COVID-19 A new study has identified 21 existing drugs that stop the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Scientists analyzed one of the world’s largest collections of known drugs for their ability to block the replication of SARS-CoV-2. They identified 100 molecules with confirmed antiviral activity in laboratory tests. Of these, 21 drugs were determined to be effective at concentrations that could be safely achieved in patients. N...
If you would like to improve your computer skills or take an art class, now is the perfect time. In Alaska, never before has there been such an opportunity to learn online and expand your mind by signing up for educational courses. OLÉ! Anchorage In Anchorage, seniors can sign up for fall session classes offered by OLÉ! (Opportunities for Lifelong Education). Although there is no minimum age requirement, classes are geared to adults age 50 and older. Courses begin September 28 and they are a...
New study reveals high infection rates among asymptomatic individuals A study of COVID-19 in the quarantined Italian town of Vò, where most of the population was tested, reveals the importance of asymptomatic cases. Researchers at the University of Padova and at Imperial College London have published an article in the journal Nature suggesting asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic people are an important factor in the transmission of COVID-19. They report that widespread testing, isolating infected pe...
New identification of genetic basis of COVID-19 susceptibility will aid treatment Italian researchers are reporting that they have been able to identify the genetic basis of susceptibility to Covid-19 infection. This has important implications for treatment and drug development. The clinical presentation of COVID-19 varies from patient to patient and understanding individual genetic susceptibility to the disease is therefore vital to prognosis, prevention, and the development of new treatments....
Despite the current COVID-19 Pandemic, the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program will be offered this summer. On May 12, 2020, The Alaska Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) updated its website with the announcement that low-income seniors with coupons will be able to exchange them for fresh Alaska-grown fruits, vegetables, fresh-cut herbs and honey at farmers’ markets, and authorized farms and roadside stands. Each eligible older adult will receive six $5 coupons and they can be...
COVID-19 may affect men differently than women The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to perplex researchers and is leaving millions of people struggling. It is still not clear why some individuals are more severely affected by the virus than others. So far, adults age 60 and older and those with certain pre-existing conditions appear to be at greater risk. However, a new study in the journal Frontiers in Public Health suggests that men are significantly more likely to suffer severe effects of the...
Older adults are at elevated risk for complications from COVID-19 and are dying at higher rates than younger patients. In light of these concerns, researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine and colleagues have just issued guidelines and best practices for healthcare providers and family caregivers who are providing care for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their recommendations are published in the Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine. “Our senior patients need a...
Protecting yourself from COVID-19 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning that the new novel corona virus will be spreading around the country and everyone in Alaska should be as prepared as possible. Anyone who is older than 65 and anyone who is being treated for cancer need to take special precautions. The disease caused by the new coronavirus is called COVID-19. The most common symptoms include fever, cough and breathing difficulties. Although symptoms are very similar to th...
Insulin patches for replacing shots UCLA bioengineers and colleagues at UNC School of Medicine and MIT are continuing to report success in the development of a smart insulin-delivery patch that could one day monitor and manage glucose levels in people with diabetes and deliver the necessary insulin dosage. The adhesive patch, about the size of a quarter, is simple to manufacture and intended for once-a-day use. Study investigator Zhen Gu, PhD, who is a professor of bioengineering at the UCLA...
Alzheimer’s disease vaccine under investigation Some good news to report about Alzheimer’s disease and a potential vaccine. Researchers in California have teamed up with scientists in Australia and developed a new vaccine against Alzheimer’s disease that could be tested in humans within the next two years. After successful animal studies, investigators are hoping to produce a new vaccine to remove “brain plaque” and tau protein aggregates linked to Alzheimer’s disease. The successful...
Avoiding sleep medications with simple exercises If you are having trouble sleeping at night, you might want to try a yoga class. Yoga and physical therapy (PT) are effective approaches to treating co-occurring sleep disturbance and back pain while reducing the need for medication, according to a new study by researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC). Writing in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, they report significant improvements in sleep quality lasting 52 weeks after 12 weeks of yog...
Smartphone data may help surgery patients New uses for smartphone data are continually emerging, and the area of surgical care is no exception. In a new study presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2019, surgeons report that they can describe the impact of certain postoperative events in their patients by capturing data from a patient’s smartphone. This data allows surgeons to understand a patient’s level of postoperative physical activity, and how it may be impacted if...
Better cancer screening may be warranted for Alaska Natives Greater efforts are needed to improve cancer screenings for Alaska Natives, according to federal health officials. The nation’s American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population faces higher risk of many cancers than white Americans, with considerable variation among regional groups, according to a new study published in the journal, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. “Our data show that the American Indian and Alaska Nati...
Microneedle patches in development Researchers now have come up with a skin patch that could potentially painlessly deliver vaccines and cancer medications in one minute. Nearly 100,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed annually, and 20 Americans die every day from it. Now, researchers have developed a skin patch that efficiently delivers medication within one minute to attack melanoma cells. The device, which has been tested in mice and human skin samples, could be adapted to deliver a host...
Enlarging your circle of friends Being more socially active in your 50s and 60s appears to predict a lower risk of developing dementia later in life, according to a new British study. Researchers used data from the Whitehall II study, tracking 10,228 participants who had been asked on six occasions between 1985 and 2013 about their frequency of social contact with friends and relatives. The same participants also completed cognitive testing, which started in 1997, and researchers referred to...
Smart glasses may help replace need for progressive lenses Just as motion-detection technology is changing how cars are designed, the same is occurring with eyeglasses. Using eye-tracking technology, engineers now have created a prototype for ‘autofocals’ designed to restore proper vision in people who ordinarily would need progressive lenses. Presbyopia plagues many adults starting about age 45, as the lenses in our eyes lose the elasticity needed to focus on nearby objects. For some peo...
Researchers in England are reporting that they have grown heart patches in the lab that are safe to move into trials in people with hearts damaged by a heart attack. These patches could one day cure debilitating heart failure, which is a major killer in the United States. At Imperial College London, scientists have developed a way to grow thumb-size patches of heart tissue (3cm x 2cm) that contain up to 50 million human stem cells. The stem cells are programmed to turn into working heart muscle...
A new study is suggesting that more than half of Americans report problems with affordability, stress or delaying care because of medical costs. The study, which was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, estimates more than 100 million people in the U.S. experience medical financial hardship. High out-of-pocket spending for medical care is an increasingly critical issue. It can lead to a depletion of assets and medical debt, as well as distress and worry about household...
Concern over a potential misuse of new depression medication The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March approved Spravato (esketamine) nasal spray, in conjunction with an oral antidepressant, for the treatment of depression in adults who have tried other antidepressant medicines but failed to improve. These patients have what is called treatment-resistant depression. While this new approach to depression may prove lifesaving in some cases, there is a very serious concern about misuse and...
Mushrooms may have hidden brain benefit Researchers are reporting that older adults who consume more than two standard portions of mushrooms weekly may have 50 percent reduced odds of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A six-year study, led by Assistant Professor Lei Feng from the National University of Singapore, found that seniors who ate more than 300 grams of cooked mushrooms a week were half as likely to have MCI. A portion was defined as three quarters of a cup of cooked mushrooms...
Self-powered knee implants Researchers at State University of New York are now developing self-powered knee implants that could reduce the number of knee replacement surgeries. They are working on implants that can provide physicians with regular activity updates and are powered by the patient’s movement. Knee replacement surgery is the most common joint replacement procedure, with the number of surgeries increasing every year. Many of these surgeries are done to replace an older implant or o...
Dancing your way to a better life Grab your dancing shoes and put them on daily. A new study published in The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports examined the potential effects of 16 different exercise types for reducing disability for activities of daily living (ADL) in older women and found that dancing may be just the right ticket. The prospective study enrolled 1,003 women without ADL disability. All participants were asked in person whether they performed any of 16...
