older adults' health

First, two CDC studies confirm RSV causes serious illness in older adults and highlight the potential benefit of RSV vaccines in preventing severe illness in this population. Next, adults 65 years and older accounted for 63% of all COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in the first half of 2023, yet more than 75% of those hospitalized had not received the recommended bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. Finally, a CDC study of long-term care facility residents found bivalent COVID-19 vaccine coverage was lowest among residents in the South and Southeast and among Black and Multiracial residents.

This episode discusses four MMWR reports. The most recent data from 2020 and 2021 were examined to determine the percentage of older adults who reported falling during the previous year and unintentional fall-related death rates. In 2020, approximately 14 million older adults reported falling during the past year. In 2021, nearly 39,000 older adults died due to an unintentional fall, which is about 100 older adults per day dying from falls. Older women were more likely to report a fall than older men, while older men had higher fall death rates.

While caregiving provides numerous benefits, it can negatively affect caregivers' mental and physical health because caregivers often provide care while neglecting their own health care needs. A recent CDC study found that nearly 1 in 5 caregivers report fair or poor health; almost 2 in 5 caregivers have at least two chronic diseases; and 1 in 8 caregivers aged 45 or older self-reported worsening memory loss.

CDC study finds self-reported worsening memory loss among people 45+ differed for racial and ethnic groups, ranging from 5% among Asian and Pacific Islander adults, to nearly 17% among American Indian and Alaska Native adults. Memory loss that worsens over time can be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.

Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia, affects an estimated 6.5 million Americans aged ≥65 years. A growing body of evidence has identified potential modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), including high blood pressure, not meeting the aerobic physical activity guideline, obesity, diabetes, depression, current smoking, hearing loss, and binge drinking. A new CDC study examined the status of these modifiable risk factors among adults aged ≥45 years and found that the most common were high blood pressure and not meeting the aerobic physical activity guideline; each was found in nearly half of adults.

Caregiving can negatively affect caregivers' physical and mental health. Unpaid adult caregivers age 45 and older reported greater Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) than noncaregivers. Caregivers with SCD were more than likely than those without SCD to report chronic health conditions, a history of depression, and frequent activity limitations.

Arthritis prevalence is on the rise, with an estimated 58.5 million US adults reporting doctor-diagnosed arthritis, according to a new CDC analysis. Dr. Kristina Theis, epidemiologist and lead author on the report, discusses the report's findings, including the increase in US adults with arthritis, how adults with arthritis can manage their symptoms, and how providers, public health professionals, and community members can help.

This episode discuses three MMWR COVID-19 reports. The first report describes how vaccination provides better protection from reinfection than does natural immunity among people who were previously infected with COVID-19. The second report highlights the rapid increase in Delta variant cases in Mesa County, Colorado, including breakthrough cases for people who have been vaccinated. The last report emphasizes how all COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing COVID-19 related hospitalizations in older adults.

This episode discusses four MMWR COVID-19 reports. The first two reports describe vaccination coverage and intent among adults. Another report shows that workplace investigations of COVID-19 outbreaks can help identify employee cases and contacts. The last report highlights that over half of surveyed public health workers reported depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

This episode discusses six MMWR COVID-19 reports. The first report highlights how COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths declined among older adults, likely due to higher vaccination in this age group. The second report describes declines in routine child and adolescent vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The third report describes COVID-19 vaccination coverage among pregnant people. Another report describes the rapid expansion of national genomic surveillance to monitor COVID-19 variants in the U.S. The fifth report brings to light how emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts among adolescents, especially girls, have increased during the pandemic. The last report describes how the mental health of parents and unpaid caregiver of adults has been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Entrevista con la Dra. Louise Murphy, epidemióloga sénior y experta en la materia, del Programa de los CDC contra la Artritis sobre la conexión entre la artritis y la salud mental, en especial entre la ansiedad y la depresión.

Interview with CDC's senior epidemiologist and arthritis subject matter expert, Dr. Louise Murphy, about the connection between arthritis and mental health, namely depression and anxiety.

Caregivers who are part of the baby boomer generation reported having more chronic disease, more disability, and lower self-rated health compared to non-caregivers-putting them at risk of needing care themselves.

La salud del celebro y la salud física son especialmente importantes a medida que envejecemos. ¿Sabía que algunas personas con afecciones crónicas están en mayor riesgo de enfermedad de Alzheimer? Descubra 8 maneras de mantener su cuerpo sano que también podrían mantener su cerebro sano.

Brain health and physical health are especially important as we age. Did you know some people with chronic health conditions are at greater risk for Alzheimer's disease? Find out about 8 ways to keep your body healthy that may also keep your brain healthy.

Loneliness and social isolation puts older adults at risk for several serious medical problems including dementia. It is an underrecognized risk to the public's health. Dr. Craig Thomas, director of CDC's Division of Population Health, is interviewed about a new report on this topic.

Although caregiving has many benefits, it's important to recognize that caregivers may be compromising their own health. One in five adults report being a caregiver for a family member or friend, and 21% say they are in fair or poor health, according to a large, long term study of more than 252,000 adults.

Regular physical activity is linked to a lower risk of many chronic diseases, including heart disease, some cancers, and even Alzheimer's disease. People may feel better each time they are active. Find out how much activity people should be getting, and the type of activities recommended for older adults.

Hacer actividad física con regularidad está asociado a un menor riesgo de presentar muchas enfermedades crónicas, como las enfermedades cardiacas, algunos cánceres e incluso la enfermedad de Alzheimer. Es posible que las personas se sientan mejor cada vez que están activas. Entérese cuánta actividad deberían hacer y el tipo de actividades que se recomiendan para los adultos mayores.