According to a new study from researchers at Duke University, total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures performed in older patients with osteoarthritis of the knee result in long-term, significant improvement of physical functioning and motor skills when compared to patients who do not receive TKA.

Published in the July 2009 issue of Medical Care, the study examined physical functioning and gauged outcomes in a national sample of Americans aged 65 and older for up to four years-a longer period than previous TKA studies. Relative to the untreated comparison group, recipients of total knee replacements experienced significant improvement in function, including a 17.5% increase in mobility, a 39.3% improvement in motor skills; and a 46.9% decrease in limitations in activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing oneself.

The number of total knee replacements performed in the United States has increased dramatically since 1990; currently 581,000 such procedures are performed every year. This number is expected to increase markedly as Baby Boomers age.

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Men are twice as likely as women to not protect their skin in the sun, despite more men dying from melanoma than women, according to research due to be released at the British Association of Dermatologists annual conference in Glasgow next month.

The shocking survey of 1213 adults formed part of the Northern Ireland Omnibus Survey published in September 2008, a regular survey of the lifestyle and views of the people of Northern Ireland*.

It also found that people in their teens and early twenties are less likely than any other age group to use sun protection, despite increasing numbers of melanoma being diagnosed in this age group.

One in ten people surveyed (10%) take no protective measures at all against sun exposure (compared to 8% in 2000).

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Depression in older adults too often goes unrecognized and untreated, resulting in untold misery, worsening of medical illness, and early death. A new study has identified one important remedy: Adding a trained depression care manager to primary care practices can increase the number of patients receiving treatment, lead to a higher remission rate of depression, and reduce suicidal thoughts.

The two-year outcomes of the multicenter Prevention of Suicide in Primary Care Elderly: Collaborative Trial (PROSPECT) study are published online in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Lead author of the study is Dr. George S. Alexopoulos, director of the Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division and professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College.

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At a meeting sponsored by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the Medicare Diabetes Screening Project (MDSP), former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, experts in diabetes research and education, and representatives of senior-serving organizations from a four-state area gathered in Washington, DC to draw attention to the need for increased screening for diabetes among older adults ages 65 and older insured by Medicare.

“Diabetes is a major health threat for seniors and a driver in escalating Medicare costs,” said Daschle. “Screening and early diagnosis are critical to managing diabetes effectively and to prevent the onset of the disease for those at risk. And yet, less than 10 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are screened annually for diabetes, even though Medicare offers a free diabetes screening benefit. We have to do better.”

“When diabetes is undiagnosed and untreated, it can be devastating, and new government statistics show that older adults are especially vulnerable,” said Nancy Whitelaw, Senior Vice President and Director, Center for Healthy Aging of NCOA. “That’s why it is crucial that we create awareness of the benefits that Medicare offers for diabetes screening, and coach our seniors to ask their health care providers about being tested for diabetes, and if diagnosed, take up ways to improve their self-management of this dangerous disease.”

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The European Congress on Anti-Aging & Aesthetic Medicine (ECAAAM) is proud to welcome the support of the University of Mainz for its 2nd annual event (15th - 17th October, Mainz, Mainz Congress Centre). ECAAAM is a cutting edge congress that provides medical professionals, scientists and industry personnel with the training and education they need to treat age-related dysfunctions, disorders and diseases.

The support from the University demonstrates that ECAAAM is a valuable event in the European medical calendar, and illustrates the importance of this medical speciality to treat the effects of aging via non invasive and safe invasive techniques.

The University of Mainz Medical Center and the Faculty of Medicine of The Johannes Gutenberg University warmly welcomes the speakers, participants and experts in the field that convene in Mainz for ECAAAM. As the world’s population is progressively aging, anti-aging medicine is an area of increasing medical need. Aesthetic medicine is one of the fastest growing areas of medicine and accommodates substantial demand by the public in the developed world. Being highly innovative, a large body of new research results and subsequent therapeutic procedures is published every year. Professor Dr Grabbe, Director, Dermatological Clinic of the University Hospital commented “This conference will contribute to the exchange of ideas, new research results, innovative therapeutic procedures and medical information on this exciting field”.

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