Critter Corner: Is There a Drug that Treats Aging?
Dear BeBe,
I know you are an older cat at 17. I’m also getting old — way too quickly. There seems to be a pill for everything. Is there anything out there that can slow down aging?
Thanks for your help!
A. “Jing” Tufast
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Dear Jing,
There very well may be a drug to treat aging available in the not-so-distant future. And, I’m hoping they are working on one for cats also!
Earlier this week, doctors at the Mayo Clinic and the Scripps Research Institute published a review article in the Journal of American Geriatrics calling and outlining designs for human clinical trials on the first class of drugs developed specifically to treat aging.
Senolytics, developed at the Mayo Clinic, is the first class of drug developed from the ground up to delay or treat aging.
Here’s how it works: Normally, cells die a “complete” death. Senescence is when a cell sort of zombifies: After senescence, the cell doesn’t replicate or do anything useful. Senescent cells can cause health problems, and have been associated with failing heart health, osteoporosis, general run-of-the-mill frailty, and even cancer. The new senolytic drugs target a specific gene that, once triggered, convince these “zombie” cells to die off, without harming otherwise healthy cells.
Good news is that senolytics appeared to reverse the effects of aging in mice. Developers of senolytics are advocating for immediate progress into human testing. “[Once] clinical trials are completed and the potential adverse effects of senolytic drugs are understood fully,” they write, “it is conceivable that the rapidly emerging repertoire of senolytic agents might transform medicine as we know it.”
Hope they develop these drugs soon, so I can stay youthful and you can too!
Purrs and snuggles,
BeBe
Surprising New Evidence About the Incredible Benefits of Coffee!
Every morning, when Michael rolls out of bed, he has one thing on his mind. It’s the one thing that he believes helps him stay awake and alert, and enables him to function at his best all day. It’s not a prescription or over-the-counter drug, or a vitamin or holistic treatment, but it may as well be, with all the benefits it provides Michael and others who consume it.
Before he reaches his office, Michael goes to the Starbuck’s across the street. The barista knows his order by heart, and gets his large dark coffee ready for him. He grabs another few cups at work during the day. Feeling both fueled and happy, he knows he can have a productive work day.
Similar to Michael, about 83% of adults in the U.S. drink coffee. It’s a great way to start your day, finish off a big meal, or provide a little pick-me-up in the afternoon. Too much of anything can of course be harmful, and too much caffeine can cause jitters, nervousness, insomnia, dehydration, and a host of other health problems. However, despite the possible downsides, a recent study shows that moderate coffee consumption may actually help you live longer and with less disease! There are other studies that show that moderate coffee consumption can also reduce the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and provide benefits for a host of other diseases – all while boosting energy and improving moods.
The recent study showing that coffee can actually increase your life expectancy was published in the Annals Of Internal Medicine on July 10, 2017. In this study, researchers:
• looked at over half a millions patients (521,330 participants) in 10 different European countries;
• ranked participants by coffee consumption: 3+ cups of coffee per day, 1 – 2 cups of coffee per day, and non-coffee drinkers; and
• followed participants for over 16 years and analyzed mortality and cause-of-death data.
Higher coffee intake was significantly correlated with lower death rates from many causes, and this relationship did not vary by country. Drinking 3 or more cups of coffee a day reduced mortality from ALL causes by 12% for men and 7% for women. Some causes of mortality were majorly reduced — men who drank at least 3 cups of coffee a day had an almost 60% lower risk of death from digestive diseases than men who did not drink coffee, and women had a 40% reduction in death from digestive disease.
Women also enjoyed a huge benefit from coffee drinking in terms of cardiovascular health — reducing risk of death from heart disease and stroke significantly.
Interestingly, the benefit in this study was the same for decaffeinated coffee as for caffeinated coffee . . . so if (like me) you love the taste of coffee (or want the extra life span benefits of drinking coffee) but don’t want the caffeine rush or risk of caffeine addiction by drinking that many cups of coffee a day — decaf provides similar benefits.
Here are five other things that a few cups of coffee a day may help prevent:
1. Alzheimer’s and Other Types of Dementia
A study published in the June 2012 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease shows consuming 3-5 cups of caffeinated coffee per day avoided the onset of Alzheimer’s disease for all participants in the two-to-four years of study follow-up. Coffee appeared to be the major or only source of caffeine for the individuals studied. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Miami, and these researchers say this controlled study provides the first direct evidence that caffeine/coffee intake is associated with a reduced risk or delayed onset of dementia.
The study followed 124 patients, aged 65 years and older, and found that of those participants who had blood caffeine levels above a critical level, NOT ONE single participant developed dementia during the 4-year study period. For patients with lower blood caffeine levels, half of them did develop dementia in the same time period.
One of the researchers cautioned that “We are not saying that moderate coffee consumption will completely protect people from Alzheimer’s disease . . . However, we firmly believe that moderate coffee consumption can appreciably reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s or delay its onset.” In fact, according to these researchers, “moderate daily consumption of caffeinated coffee appears to be the best dietary option for long-term protection against Alzheimer’s memory loss.”
These researchers report that in addition to Alzheimer’s disease, moderate caffeinated coffee intake appears to reduce the risk of several other diseases of aging, including Parkinson’s disease, stroke, Type II diabetes, and breast cancer. However, they caution that supporting studies for these benefits have all been observational (uncontrolled), and controlled clinical trials are needed to definitively demonstrate therapeutic value.
Another 2012 study tracking the health and coffee consumption of more than 400,000 older adults for 13 years was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and found that coffee drinkers had reduced risk of dying from heart disease, lung disease, pneumonia, stroke, diabetes, infections, and even injuries and accidents.
2. Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s is the second-most-common neurodegenerative disease, following Alzheimer’s. Parkinson’s is caused by the death of certain neurons in the brain. As these neurons die, the risk of losing control over motor functions increases.
Luckily, caffeinated coffee has been shown to help prevent Parkinson’s. Several studies show that caffeine is responsible for lowering the risk of Parkinson’s and may even reduce that risk up to 60%!
3. Cancer
Liver cancer ranks third for cancer-related deaths, while colorectal cancer ranks fourth. In addition, Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and it is growing very quickly (about 80% of all new cancer diagnoses.) In fact, the prevalence of basal cell carcinoma is soon to be equivalent to all other cancers combined.
In the case of liver cancer, studies show that coffee reduces the risk up to 40%! One study mentioned that coffee has been shown to reduce the effects of chemical carcinogenesis in liver tissue. Several other studies show that four or more cups of coffee per day can reduce the risk of cirrhosis up to a whopping 80%. Another study showed that for those who drink four to five cups of coffee a day, the risk for colorectal cancer is reduced.
When it comes to basal cell carcinoma, a study following more than 110,000 participants found that three cups of coffee a day reduces the incidence of the most common malignant tumor on earth by 17%. That’s millions and millions of skin cancers potentially prevented. Sadly, coffee did not appear to have a protective benefit against melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma.
How? Caffeine has long been known to trigger apoptosis — increasing the skin’s ability to clear away old and damaged cells, thus sloughing off precancerous and cancerous cells that are no longer healthy.
4. Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95% of all diagnosed diabetes cases in adults. One meta-study looked at more than 450,000 individuals and found that each cup of coffee was linked to a 7% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
5. Depression
People between the ages of 45 and 60 have a higher chance of becoming depressed, and approximately 4.1% of the U.S. is struggling with clinical depression. Women are more often diagnosed with depression in the U.S., although a recent study found that alternative symptoms could be the reason that more men haven’t been diagnosed.
A Harvard study looked at how coffee affects the chance of women being diagnosed as clinically depressed. The study found that women who drank four or more cups of coffee a day actually had a 20% lower risk of being depressed. A different study looked at a sample of 208,424 people and found that the same number — four or more cups of Joe per day — was linked to a 53% decrease in suicide.
Just as you should ask your doctor or a nutritionist before you decide to up you coffee intake to stave off disease and maximize your longevity, it is crucial to contact your lawyer to plan for your future and for the future of your loved ones. Our firm is dedicated to helping protect seniors and their loved ones by preserving dignity, quality of life, and financial security. As always, if you have not done Long-Term Care Planning or Estate Planning, or had your older documents reviewed in the past several years (or if you have a loved one who is nearing the need for long-term care or already receiving long-term care), please call us as soon as possible to make an appointment for a no-cost initial consultation:
Fairfax Elder Law Attorney: 703-691-1888
Fredericksburg Elder Law Attorney: 540-479-1435
Rockville Elder Law Attorney: 301-519-8041
DC Elder Law Attorney: 202-587-2797
575,000 People Are Using This Medicare Benefit. Are You?
Q. My friend Kate’s 93-year-old mother, Sue, was recently in palliative care. Sue had her Advance Medical Directive in place and the doctor had access to them. The documents clearly conveyed that she didn’t want aggressive measures to prolong her life. Sue also signed a HIPAA Waiver allowing the doctor to share confidential medical information with her daughter Kate. When Sue got very sick about six months before her death, the doctor talked with Kate about Sue’s end-of-life wishes, and Kate was very surprised and didn’t agree with her mom’s wishes, but nothing could be done at that point. I know things could have been much easier if my friend had a conversation with her mother (and a doctor) in advance, before the traumatic event happened.
I would hate for the same thing to happen to me if the time comes for such actions to be taken with my mother or father. Instead of being blindsided, I would like to sit down with my parents and figure out what they would want, and then make sure all of our legal documents are in order. I think it would help if our physician were present, to help us make educated decisions and feel more at ease about them. But, doctor’s rates are really high, and I’m not sure if they offer such services, or are trained for such discussions. I heard something about Medicare covering this type of thing, but when I called our family’s doctor, she didn’t know about it. Can you tell me more about these discussions . . . are doctors trained to have them? Are they really covered by Medicare? Thanks!
A. Doctors are now talking to seniors and their loved ones about advance care planning on a regular basis. In fact, end-of-life consultations are now being paid for by Medicare, and being used by more than a half a million people.
Last year, the first year health care providers were allowed to bill for advance care planning discussions, nearly 575,000 Medicare beneficiaries took part in the conversations, according to Kaiser Health News. Nearly 23,000 providers submitted about $93 million in charges, including more than $43 million covered by Medicare.
This was much higher than expected. In fact, it was almost double the 300,000 people the American Medical Association projected would receive the service in the first year.
Advance Care Conversations with Physicians are a Good Thing for Seniors and Their Loved Ones
“I think it’s great that half a million people talked with their doctors last year. That’s a good thing,” said Paul Malley, president of Aging with Dignity, a Florida non-profit that promotes end-of-life discussions. “Physician practices are learning. My guess is that it will increase each year.”
Despite the numbers, advance care planning talks are not being used by most eligible Medicare providers and patients. Nationwide, slightly more than 1% of the more than 56 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled at the end of 2016 received the benefit, according to calculations by health policy analysts at Duke University.
In addition, the cost is not completely free, the benefit pays about $86 for the first 30-minute office visit and about $75 for additional sessions. However, beneficiaries will have not have any cost sharing liability for advance care planning provided in conjunction with their annual wellness visits. In some cases, patients who have already considered their options may need only one advance care planning conversation with their physician. However, experts state that frequently beneficiaries may require a series of conversations with their physician or other health professionals to clearly understand and define their end-of-life wishes.
Why Isn’t Everyone Taking Advantage of the Advance Care Discussions?
According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey, among all adults who said they had not had a discussion with their doctor or other health care provider about end-of-life care wishes, half said that they would want one. However, some physicians don’t know that this is a service and don’t know how to get paid for it. It’s been a struggle for CMS to get the word out to them.
Are Physicians Trained to Have Such Discussions?
A national poll from 2016 found that although 99% of the physicians feel end-of-life and advance care planning discussions are important, nearly half reported they do not know what to say and less than a third reported any prior training for these conversations. However, since then, communication skills experts are creating end-of-life conversation training opportunities and models to address these training gaps for medical learners from the student level to practicing physicians. Organizations such as Vitaltalk and the American Academy on Communication in Healthcare are supporting intensive in-person courses and expanding online resources for greater access. Those completing courses report having an increased sense of preparedness for end-of-life conversations.
The Conversation Is Only Part of Advance Care Planning
Advance care planning involves multiple steps designed to help individuals learn about the health care options that are available for end-of-life care; determine which types of care best fit their personal wishes; share their wishes with family, friends, and their physicians; and record those wishes in legal documents.
Talking about end-of-life issues is an emotional and difficult task for most of us, but it is an important first step to making sure your wishes are clear. I hope you have the opportunity to speak with your parents and their doctor about end-of-life care. However, regardless of whether your parents ever have this discussion with their doctor, it is vital that your parents develop incapacity planning documents, including Advance Medical Directives and HIPAA Waivers, to ensure their wishes are legally enforceable. A general financial power of attorney is also a critical part of incapacity planning. If your parents have not yet done incapacity planning, the best time to get started is now! Have them call us today to make an appointment for a no-cost initial consultation:
Fairfax Incapacity Planning Attorney: 703-691-1888
Fredericksburg Incapacity Planning Attorney: 540-479-143
Rockville Incapacity Planning Attorney: 301-519-8041
DC Incapacity Planning Attorney: 202-587-2797
Critter Corner: Does Medicare Cover Diabetes Screenings and Treatments?
Dear Magic,
My mother is pre-diabetic, and we’re worried that she could develop diabetes. Does Medicare cover diabetes screenings and treatments?
Di Abeeties
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Dear Di,
Unfortunately, a large number of Americans are affected by diabetes. If left uncontrolled, it can lead to some really bad outcomes, including kidney problems, glaucoma and other eye disorders, foot ulcers, amputation of feet or legs, stroke, diabetic coma,
and even death. The good news is that people with diabetes can avoid many of these negative outcomes if their disease is diagnosed, treated, and controlled.
You mentioned that your mother is pre-diabetic. Medicare will pay for two diabetes screening tests in a 12-month period. After the initial screening, your mother’s doctor will determine when to do the second test.
And if she develops the disease, Medicare covers a wide variety of medications, home testing equipment, supplies and self-management training to help her cope with it. Medicare pays for self-management training to help your mother learn how to successfully manage the disease. However, her doctor must prescribe this training for Medicare to cover it.
Medicare also covers medical nutrition therapy services to help her learn which foods to eat and how to follow an individualized diabetic meal plan.
For more information on Medicare and diabetes, read the brochure “Medicare’s Coverage of Diabetes Supplies and Services” at www.medicare. gov/Publications.
For details on other things covered by Medicare, visit Medicare.gov, read your plan materials or call your benefits administrator for more information.
Hop this is helpful,
Magic