The Better Health While Aging Podcast

Get practical health tips from a geriatrician and other experts! We discuss common health problems that affect people over age 60, the best ways to prevent and manage those problems, and we also often address common concerns and dilemmas that come up with aging parents and other older loved ones.

078 – Interview: The Biology of Aging & Longevity

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with geriatrician and geroscientist John Newman, MD PhD, about the biology of aging and his research on ketogenic diets and geriatric syndromes. Dr. Newman is an assistant professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and in the Division of Geriatrics at UCSF. He also works on improving the hospital care of older adults. They discuss:

How aging biology research helps us understand fundamental aging processes that affect all animals
The complex relationship between aging and disease, and what is the geroscience hypothesis
Cellular hallmarks of aging, and biomarkers to assess physiological age
How we can assess someone’s physiological age
Why biomarkers of aging aren’t as useful as functional assessments of older people
How insulin, fasting, and other aspects of metabolism are related to aging
What Dr. Newman has learned from studying ketones and aging in mice
What is known about ketogenic diets in humans
What’s been shown to improve healthspan and lifespan (in mice)
Why metformin, a diabetes drug, is a “really good drug”
Why things that slow aging in the lab may not work in humans or under real-world conditions

[Read more…]

077 – Interview: Making Advance Care Planning Easier Through PREPARE

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with geriatrician Rebecca Sudore, MD, an expert in helping older adults address advance directives, end-of-life planning, and other aspects of advance care planning. Dr. Sudore is the creator of PREPARE, an easy-to-use online program designed to help older adults talk about what matters most with family members and health professionals. She is also a Professor in the UCSF Division of Geriatrics. They discuss:

Why Dr. Sudore created California’s first easy-to-read advance directive form in 2005
What families in focus groups told her, about making decisions for someone else
Why it’s important to address more than legal forms and end-of-life situations
Why older adults need to discuss what matters to them, with family and with their health providers
How PREPARE uses short videos and worksheets to help older adults think through what matters, and share their values with others
Her research proving that PREPARE does help older adults address planning
Why many older adults don’t address advance planning, and how we might change this
Advance care planning for Alzheimer’s and other dementias
Tips on getting reluctant older parents to talk about their wishes and address their planning
How to find an easy-to-use advance directive for all 50 states on the PREPARE website

[Read more…]

076 – Flu Shots for Older Adults: What to Know (2018 Update)

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

In This Episode:

Dr. K explains what all older adults and family caregivers should know about annual vaccination against influenza. She also reports on the statistics from last year’s flu season. This episode covers:

What is influenza, and how many people are affected every year
Why older adults are at higher risk of harm from the flu
How the vaccine works
The two key ways you can protect yourself from the flu
How pneumococcal vaccination helps protect against flu complications
What to know about flu shots designed for older adults
Which influenza vaccine she thinks is best for most older adults
What to do if your older relative is unable or unwilling to get vaccinated
What to know about the intranasal flu vaccine available for people age 2-49

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075 – Preventing Falls: 4 Approaches to Ask Your Doctor About

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

In This Episode:

Dr. K reviews her four most used fall prevention approaches, which are routine in geriatrics care but are often overlooked by busy primary care providers. She covers:

The three questions about falls that PCPs should be asking older adults
How the CDC’s STEADI fall prevention algorithm can help you understand what your health provider should be doing
Why medication review is an essential part of fall prevention
The importance of checking blood pressure sitting and standing
How a physical therapy evaluation can help
The recent research suggesting Tai Chi helps prevent falls
How to get a good home safety assessment done
Why Vitamin D is no longer recommended for fall prevention (but is still worth taking)

[Read more…]

074 – Interview: How the Village Model Supports Aging in Place & Community

by Leslie Kernisan, MD MPH Leave a Comment

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with UC Berkeley Professor Andrew Scharlach about his work studying the Village Model and other approaches to supporting aging in place. He is an expert on creating aging-friendly communities and formerly directed Berkeley’s Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services. They discuss:

What is a Village and what’s usually included in the Village model
How Villages differ from Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs)
The grassroots history of the first Village and the growth of the Village model
Why aging in community may be a better goal than aging in place
Why Professor Scharlach and his colleagues decided to study Villages, and what they’ve learned so far
How Villages appear to benefit their members
How the goals and ambitions of Villages have evolved over time
How Villages manage funding and other challenges
Whether Villages are a good fit for people who are frail or declining
Whether Villages really do prevent unwanted relocations

[Read more…]

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