The Generational Gap Goes Global

Facing Up to the Demographic Dilemma

This is a thought provoking article on the challenges and opportunities aging populations present to businesses.  Under Article Tools you can click the PDF button for a reprint rather than page through multiple web pages.  It still fascinates me to watch businesses in the US shed competent people of all ages while ignoring future workforce and critical skills needs.

Stay Active Stay Healthy

Arch Intern Med — Abstract: Physical Activity at Midlife in Relation to Successful Survival in Women at Age 70 Years or Older, January 25, 2010, Sun et al. 170 (2): 194

Methods – A total of 13 535 Nurses’ Health Study participants who were free of major chronic diseases at baseline in 1986 and had survived to age 70 years or older as of the 1995-2001 period made up the study population. We defined successful survival as no history of 10 major chronic diseases or coronary artery bypass graft surgery and no cognitive impairment, physical impairment, or mental health limitations.

Conclusion – These data provide evidence that higher levels of midlife physical activity are associated with exceptional health status among women who survive to older ages and corroborate the potential role of physical activity in improving overall health.

BNP and NT-proBNP Predicts HF in Older Patients

Medical News: Peptide Predicts Heart Failure in Older Patients – in Cardiovascular, CHF from MedPage Today

The researchers identified 190 pg/mL as the NT-proBNP threshold for increased risk. Among study participants with baseline levels less than 190 pg/mL, an increase greater than 25% to a level above 190 pg/mL had a twofold increased risk of heart failure (HR 2.13, 95% CI 1.68 to 2.71) and cardiovascular death (HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.43 to 2.53) compared with participants whose NT-proBNP levels remained below 190 pg/mL.

Among study participants with elevated baseline NT-proBNP levels, an increase greater than 25% also doubled the risk of heart failure (HR 2.06, 95% CI 1.56 to 2.72) and cardiovascular disease (HR 1.88, 95% CI 1.37 to 2.57).