older age

I’ve Been in Physical Therapy For Over Three Months

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Less is more.

We’ve turned the idea of “exercise” into something so loaded these days, only to be validated by a specific kind of intensity. Just uttering the word exercise now can ignite an all-or-nothing mindset, filled with protein obsessions, endless wearable fitness trackers, or even a costly membership to an elite wellness club. I Won’t Be Shamed — Physical Therapy Is Still Exercise – https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/physical-therapy-still-a-workout-49448831

I used to be a runner. Quite a few years ago my knees told me not to run anymore.

I joined the Y and did the elliptical and treadmills until my knees complained some more. I moved my exercise routine to the resistance machines. Then Covid hit, I cancelled my membership and the months turned into years away from the gym.

I found some resistance bands in the house and started some simple exercises at home. I rejoined the Y and started back with the resistance machines.

Earlier this year my employer offered access to online virtual physical therapy. I took advantage of this benefit from https://www.hingehealth.com/ and have been in physical therapy now for over three months. Less pain (especially my cervical spine, the result of a near fatal encounter with a car), less stiffness, better flexibility, and gradually improving strength. The beauty of the program is availability on demand and it is 100% HEP (home exercise program). Sessions are 10-12 minutes long and you don’t have to leave the house.

Less is more.

One Toke Over the Line

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A wave of recent research points to reasons for concern for older users, with cannabis-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations rising, and a Canadian study finding an association between such acute care and subsequent dementia. Older people are more apt than younger ones to try cannabis for therapeutic reasons: to relieve chronic pain, insomnia, or mental health issues, though evidence of its effectiveness in addressing those conditions remains thin, experts said. As Cannabis Users Age, Health Risks Appear To Grow – https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/cannabis-medical-use-older-adults-health-risks/

Then…

And now…

“Our brains are more sensitive to psychoactive substances as we age.” Dr. Benjamin Han

Don’t you know I’m just waiting for the train that goes home, sweet Mary.

Diet and Healthy Aging

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In the journal Nature Medicine this week there was an important open-access publication about a large combined cohort of over 105,000 health professionals prospectively followed for 30 years. Only 9.3% reached the age of 70 years with “healthy aging” —without 11 major chronic diseases and no impairment of cognitive or physical function or mental health. Our Diet and Healthy Aging Eric Topol, MD – https://erictopol.substack.com/p/our-diet-and-healthy-aging

Dr. Eric Topol’s assessment of this study is well balanced and thoughtfully written. His bio is here: https://www.scripps.edu/faculty/topol/

Healthy aging in this study is described as reaching age 70 without developing any of 11 major diseases: cancer (except for non-melanoma skin cancers), diabetes, heart attack, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

My Half-Birthday is coming up soon. I’ll be 70.5 years young. The biggest take home lesson for me is this:

Beer is better for you than pizza.

Ah, Houston, we’ve had a problem (Scary Charts 03.10.25)

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Source – https://www.apolloacademy.com/there-is-a-significant-need-for-retirement-savings-in-the-us/

Short of forcing people to save for retirement, Social Security remains the safety net for those who lack access to retirement vehicles or don’t have the means to save. – How Many Americans Don’t Save For Retirement? https://awealthofcommonsense.com/2025/03/how-many-americans-dont-save-for-retirement/

TBH, Social Security is a much higher portion of our retirement income than I had planned for.

Baby Boomers Are Aging Into the Group Most Affected by Hoarding Disorder

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Studies have estimated that hoarding disorder affects around 2.5% of the general population — a higher rate than schizophrenia. The mental illness was previously considered a sub-type of obsessive-compulsive disorder, but in 2013 it was given its own diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the DSM-5.

For Seniors With Hoarding Disorder, a Support Group Helps Confront Stigma and Isolation – https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/hoarding-disorder-support-groups-pennsylvania-baby-boomers/

Yikes.

Antidepressant Use Associated With Cognitive decline in Patients with Dementia

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In this cohort study, use of antidepressants was associated with faster cognitive decline in patients with dementia, in particular SSRIs (i.e., citalopram, sertraline and escitalopram) and mirtazapine. These effects appeared to be more pronounced in patients with more severe dementia. Compared with sertraline, escitalopram presented faster cognitive decline, while citalopram was linked to a slower cognitive decline. Additionally, higher dispensed doses of SSRIs were associated with greater cognitive decline, as well as increased risks of severe dementia, all-cause mortality, and fracture. Our study cannot distinguish whether these findings are due to the antidepressants or the underlying psychiatric indication. Mo, M., Abzhandadze, T., Hoang, M.T. et al. Antidepressant use and cognitive decline in patients with dementia: a national cohort study. BMC Med 23, 82 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-025-03851-3

If I develop dementia no SSRI’s for me please.

Men Are Bad at Retirement

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When envisioning retirement, many men imagine traveling, playing with grandchildren and driving that sexy convertible they can finally afford. The reality? For those over 70, 94% of adults watch television every day, with nearly 10% spending more than nine hours a day staring at the shows.

Men die earlier, with an average life expectancy of 73.5 years, according to a 2021 study. That’s about five years earlier than women in the U.S. One study found that men who considered themselves “traditional” men — unemotional and self-reliant — were more likely to ignore medical problems, and suffered worse health outcomes than women. And the problem gets worse as they get older. About 74% of men 55 and older go to the doctor for an annual check-up, compared to 43% of men age 35-54 and 26% of men age 18-34. Why So Many Men are Bad at Retirement https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-so-many-men-are-bad-at-retirement?

This is an interesting article. Just more reasons why I’m not retired.

Retire. Watch TV all day long. Repeat.

Yikes.

There Are Health Related Benefits to Working Past Age 65

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“Our perceptions of working after age 65 have changed over time, and these data suggest that most older adults who are still able to work after the traditional retirement age derive health-related benefits from doing so,” said poll director Jeffrey Kullgren, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., a primary care physician at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and associate professor of internal medicine at U-M. “As we learn more about how loneliness, lack of social connection and isolation intertwine with physical and mental health in older adults, the role of work is important to consider.”Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan. “As more Americans work later in life, poll shows positive health impacts, especially for those over 65.” ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250211141049.htm (accessed February 12, 2025)

National Poll on Healthy Aging Team. The Intersection of Work, Health, and Well-Being. University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. January/February 2025. Available at https://dx.doi.org/10.7302/25186