Most elders use sleep meds, but only half discuss use with their doctors: study
By
Amy Novotney
Nov 05, 2021
Older adults frequently use medication to treat sleep difficulties, but only about half discuss it with their physicians, study results presented at Psych Congress 2021 this week found. In fact, the majority...
CBT is ‘highly effective’ for chronic insomnia in the oldest adults, new study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 16, 2021
Despite the medical complexity and advanced age of study participants, cognitive behavioral therapy reduced insomnia severity, improved sleep efficacy, and decreased the time it took to fall asleep, geriatrician-researchers...
‘Not necessarily benign’: Geriatricians address safety as seniors turn to CBD for chronic conditions
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 29, 2021
Seniors increasingly are using cannabidiol, or CBD, to help manage a variety of chronic disease symptoms. A new paper from the Gerontological Society of America tackles key questions about safety and side...
Calming music at bedtime improves elders’ sleep quality in study
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 22, 2021
Investigators found that older adults sleep better when they listen to music for 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime — especially if this habit is repeated for weeks.
Phone therapy relieves seniors’ insomnia and pain, Kaiser study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 25, 2021
At 12 months, fully 56% of participants who received phone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy were still in remission from insomnia, compared with 26% of the control group.
Falls and chronic conditions beget more falls, Medicare survey data show
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 12, 2021
Older people who report at least one fall are twice as likely to have another fall in the same year, and chronic conditions raise the risk even higher, a new review shows.
Clinical briefs for Tuesday, Sept 29
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 29, 2020
U.S. COVID-19 cases rise in 27 states for two straight weeks … New evidence ties weakened bones to poor cardiovascular health … Rates of heart disease fall in higher income groups from 2010 to 2016...
COVID-19 driving up scripts for anti-anxiety, depression and insomnia medications
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 20, 2020
Anti-anxiety drug use, for one, spiked 34% in February and March, according to a new report. Prescriptions had fallen in the years prior to the pandemic.
COVID-19 causing insomnia among many caregivers: These tips may help
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 14, 2020
Stress-related insomnia troubled more than a third of medical caregivers during peak periods of coronavirus activity in China, say researchers. An insomnia expert has solutions.
New advice for managing chronic pain: go low and slow
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 02, 2020
Treatment should start with low-risk, non-invasive strategies and slowly introduce pain medications, including opioids as needed, say Mayo Clinic geriatricians.