Retirement Concerns on Aging ​

Are you getting to that point in life where age has become a concern? Read on!!! ### Recognition by American Society on Aging On March 27, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Health & Aging team and SAGE received recognition from the American Society on Aging (ASA) for their collaborative efforts.[1] ### Historic Partnership Announcement This acknowledgment ties back to a key partnership announced by HRC Foundation and SAGE at the ASA Conference in New Orleans. The initiative launched the Long-Term Care Equality Index (LEI), the first nationwide assessment of long-term care facilities' treatment of LGBTQ residents, building on HRC's Healthcare Equality Index.[1] ### Addressing Critical Needs The partnership aims to combat discrimination faced by LGBTQ older adults in care settings, where a national survey revealed only 22% felt open about their identities, 89% anticipated staff discrimination, and 43% experienced mistreatment. HRC President Chad Griffin and SAGE CEO Michael Adams emphasized the urgency, projecting 4.7 million LGBTQ elders needing services by 2030.[1] ### Ongoing Impact and Tools The LEI promotes inclusive policies, complemented by SAGECare training and awareness campaigns. Recent resources like "Facing the Future Together" from SAGE and HRC provide FAQs, guidance, and vetted support for LGBTQ+ elders amid challenges such as erased federal resources.[2][3]

The Latest Medical News

A Summary of The Latest Medical News: # AI-Assisted Mammography Cuts Later Diagnosis Rate **Breakthrough Trial Demonstrates AI's Impact on Breast Cancer Detection** A groundbreaking randomized controlled trial called MASAI has shown that **AI-supported mammography significantly improves early cancer detection** and reduces the rate of interval cancers—breast cancers diagnosed between screening rounds.[1][5] The study, involving over 105,000 Swedish women and published in *The Lancet*, represents the first randomized controlled trial investigating AI in breast cancer screening.[1] **How the AI System Works** The AI technology used in the trial operates in two key ways: it **triages mammograms to determine whether they need single or double reading by radiologists**, and it serves as **detection support by highlighting suspicious findings** for radiologists to review.[1][5] The AI system was trained, validated, and tested on more than 200,000 mammography scans from multiple institutions across more than ten countries.[1][5] **Improved Cancer Detection and Reduced Missed Cases** The results demonstrate a **29% increase in cancer detection rates** during screening compared to standard double reading.[2][6] More importantly, the AI-supported approach detected **9% more cancers at screening** (81% vs. 74%) while maintaining comparable specificity and recall rates.[4] This improvement in early detection led to fewer aggressive cancers being missed between screenings. **Significant Reduction in Interval Cancers** The trial found a **12% reduction in interval cancer rates** in the AI-supported group compared to the control group (1.55 per 1,000 women versus 1.76 per 1,000 women).[2][5] Among interval cancers that did develop, there were **27% fewer cancers of aggressive subtypes** and a **16% reduction in invasive interval cancers**.[2][4] **Consistent Sensitivity Improvements Across Patient Groups** AI-supported mammography showed **6.7% higher sensitivity** (80.5% versus 73.8%) at the same specificity level, with consistent results across different age groups and breast density subgroups.[2] This consistency is important because it demonstrates the technology's effectiveness across diverse patient populations. **Significant Workload Reduction for Radiologists** Beyond improving cancer detection, the AI system **reduced radiologist workload by 44%** by triaging low-risk cases to single reading instead of requiring double readings.[4][6] According to researchers, these findings suggest that **AI could eliminate the need for double-reading of most mammograms**, a practice that is common in European screening programs.[4] **What This Means for Screening Programs** The study demonstrates that **AI can replace double-reading without negative consequences for patients** while substantially reducing the workload burden on radiologists, who are in short supply.[4][6] For women undergoing screening, there is no noticeable difference in the mammography examination itself—the AI support is applied during the image analysis phase.[6] Help with your insurance? https://tally.so/r/n012P9

The Latest Medical News

A Summary of The Latest Medical News: # Early Bird vs. Night Owl: How Your Biological Clock Affects Weight, Muscle, and Health **Chronotype**, the biological preference for being more active in the morning or evening, can play a relevant role in the preservation of muscle mass, quality, and strength, as well as in metabolic health.[3] Understanding this relationship can help explain why **not all people respond equally to the same health routines**.[3] ## What Determines Your Chronotype Chronotype is not a matter of willpower or learned habits, but rather an **individual biological characteristic** determined by genetic and physiological factors.[4] The research team emphasizes that this is a fundamental aspect of your biology, not something you can simply choose to change through willpower alone. ## How Chronotype Influences Daily Organization Chronotype determines how we organize ourselves throughout the day and can indirectly influence key factors for muscle health, such as rest, physical activity, and eating schedules.[4] This biological preference shapes your daily routines and lifestyle patterns in ways that directly impact your body composition and metabolic function. ## The Evening Chronotype Challenge People with an evening chronotype tend to eat later, have less regular sleep patterns, and engage in less structured physical activity.[4] Evening chronotypes are consistently associated with poorer sleep, irregular eating habits, reduced physical activity, and increased risk of obesity, sarcopenia, and metabolic disorders compared to morning types.[1] This misalignment between the internal biological clock and social schedules can lead to less healthy lifestyles and impact muscle quality and metabolism. ## Exercise Timing Matters for Night Owls Exercise timing is especially important for night owls.[6] Studies suggest that training in the afternoon or evening is associated with greater muscle growth, while morning training supports mitochondrial health and cellular housekeeping.[6] This means evening-oriented individuals may see better results by aligning their workouts with their natural biological rhythms. ## The Muscle Health Connection **Muscle plays a determining role in metabolism and in preventing age-related fragility**.[3] Beyond strength or mobility, muscle is an essential organ for health and autonomy. At the molecular level, disruptions in circadian clock gene expression affect protein synthesis, insulin sensitivity, and energy metabolism, contributing to muscle degradation and impaired recovery.[1] ## Adapting Health Recommendations to Your Chronotype Considering chronotype can help better adapt health recommendations and make them more sustainable over time, especially in weight loss programs, muscle loss prevention, and promotion of healthy aging.[3] Rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach to fitness and nutrition, personalizing your routine based on your natural chronotype may lead to better long-term results and improved overall health. Help with your insurance? https://tally.so/r/n012P9

The Latest Medical News

A Summary of The Latest Medical News: A groundbreaking study reveals that AI analyzing routine abdominal CT scans can predict fall risk years ahead by measuring **core muscle density**, a stronger indicator than muscle size alone.[1][2] Researchers from Mayo Clinic applied a deep learning algorithm to scans from nearly 4,000 adults aged 20 to 89, identifying falls via medical records over about seven years.[1][2][3] **Lower muscle density**—appearing darker and more uniform on CT scans with less fat infiltration—was linked to a 2.3 times higher fall risk compared to moderate density, even after adjusting for BMI and chronic conditions.[1][2] This association was most striking in middle-aged adults (45-64 years), with a nearly **5 times higher risk** (adjusted hazard ratio 4.98), surprising lead author Jennifer L. St. Sauver, PhD.[1][2] Unlike fat distribution, muscle size, or bone measures, **only muscle density** independently predicted falls, highlighting core muscles' role as stabilizers during trips or stumbles.[1] St. Sauver noted that dense abdominal muscles likely help people **catch themselves mid-fall**, emphasizing core strength's importance for daily mobility beyond traditional leg-focused assessments.[1] The study promotes **opportunistic screening** in radiology, extracting extra insights from routine CTs without added tests like balance or gait exams, which aren't standard for midlife patients.[1] **Core strength matters early**: Markers appear by age 45, so maintaining it throughout adulthood via targeted exercises could slash future fall risks, a leading injury cause for those 65+.[1][3] Consult a healthcare professional or physiotherapist for a safe, personalized plan to boost abdominal muscle density and function.[1] Help with your insurance? https://tally.so/r/n012P9

Retirement Concerns on Aging ​

Are you getting to that point in life where age has become a concern? Read on!!! ### Recognition by American Society on Aging On March 27, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Health & Aging team and SAGE received recognition from the American Society on Aging (ASA) for their collaborative efforts.[1] ### Historic Partnership and Long-Term Care Equality Index This acknowledgment highlights the ongoing impact of HRC Foundation and SAGE's partnership, launched in 2019 at the ASA Conference in New Orleans, to improve long-term care for LGBTQ older adults. A key initiative is the **Long-Term Care Equality Index (LEI)**, the first nationwide assessment of how care facilities treat LGBTQ residents, building on HRC's **Healthcare Equality Index (HEI)**.[1][2][4] ### Addressing Critical Needs The partnership addresses invisibility and discrimination faced by LGBTQ elders in care settings, where a national survey found only 22% felt open about their identities, 89% expected staff discrimination, and 43% reported mistreatment. With projections of 4.7 million LGBTQ elders needing care by 2030, efforts include the “Commitment to Caring” pledge—signed first by ASA—and SAGECare training for inclusive, person-centered care.[1][2][3] ### Broader Impact and Resources SAGE's SAGECare provides workforce education, consulting, on-demand modules, and state-required training that aligns with LEI and HEI standards, fostering equitable services amid health disparities.[2][3][4]

The Latest Medical News

A Summary of The Latest Medical News: **High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, and High Cholesterol Top the List of Dementia Risks You Can Control** High blood pressure, heart disease, and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) stand out as leading modifiable factors linked to dementia risk, according to mounting evidence from recent studies[1][2]. **Mounting Evidence Points to Prevention Potential** Research builds on the 2024 Lancet Commission report, which identified 14 modifiable risk factors potentially preventing 45% of global dementia cases, now expanded in some analyses to include overlooked drivers like poverty and HIV, pushing preventability up to 65%[1][4][6]. **Shared Risks Across Brain Conditions** A Mass General Brigham study highlights 17 modifiable factors overlapping stroke, dementia, and late-life depression, including blood pressure, kidney disease, cholesterol, alcohol use, diet, hearing loss, physical activity, sleep, smoking, and stress, with high blood pressure and severe kidney disease showing the biggest impact[2]. **Vascular Health Takes Center Stage** In midlife, modifiable risks from the 2020 Lancet Commission—like hypertension, obesity, alcohol, hearing impairment, and head injuries—strongly link to cerebral small vessel disease, a key dementia contributor, especially in those without the APOE4 gene[3]. **Lifelong Actions for Brain Protection** Experts emphasize tackling these factors across life stages: avoid smoking and excess alcohol, maintain hearing and vision, build social networks, exercise your brain through learning, and prioritize physical activity to potentially delay dementia onset[4][5]. **Why It Matters Now** With dementia rates rising in aging populations but current Canadian cases lower than predicted due to better risk management, simple lifestyle tweaks offer real hope—consult professionals to check blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart health today[4]. Help with your insurance? https://tally.so/r/n012P9

The Latest from Medicare

Welcome to our article summary! In this concise overview, we will distill the key points and insights from the original piece, providing you with a clear understanding of the main themes and arguments. Whether you're looking for a quick recap or a deeper insight into the topic, this summary will highlight the essential information you need to know. Let's dive in! # How to Contact Medicare Medicare offers customer support around the clock. You can reach a real person by phone or online chat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the only exceptions being some federal holidays.[7] The main phone number to call is 1-800-MEDICARE, which is 1-800-633-4227.[7] If you're a TTY user, you can call 1-877-486-2048 instead.[7] When you call, you'll reach an automated system first that walks you through some options.[4] After that, you can either get the information you need from the automated system or speak with a live agent who can help answer your specific questions.[4] Besides calling, Medicare also has a live online chat service available 24/7.[6] This lets you get help in text format if you prefer not to make a phone call. If you prefer to write, you can mail Medicare at: Medicare Contact Center Operations PO Box 1270 Lawrence, KS 66044[2] It's a good idea to call when you're in a comfortable position and have time to wait on hold if needed, since the lines can get busy.[1] Once you're connected with someone, write down their name and the time of your call so you have a record of when you spoke with them.[1] Help with your insurance? https://tally.so/r/n012P9