Good morning and welcome to agebuzz… Headlining today’s topics:

-Non-Breaking News: Yogurt Consumption Can Strengthen Your Bones

-Balancing Act: The Value Of Tai Chi For Older Individuals

-Stop Watch: If You’re Over 75 It May Not Make Sense To Be On A Statin

-Tender Age: Should The Age Of Your Physician Make A Difference?

-On The Job: Baby Boomer Begins Again As An Intern

-Bitten By The Same Bug: 55 Years Of Collecting Insects

-The Last Word

Non-Breaking News: Yogurt Consumption Can Strengthen Your Bones: You’ve probably heard that dairy consumption is associated with strong bones. What you may not have heard is that a new study has found that yogurt is an especially valuable food for increasing bone density and reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Researchers at Trinity College in Dublin recently published the results of their observational study that underscore the significant bone promoting nutrients that can be found in yogurt, well beyond those of other dairy products. While the study results need to be confirmed through a randomized clinical trial, in the meantime you may want to just increase your intake of yogurt. So pull out your container of Chobani and read about the study Here. If you want to see the actual study results in the journal Osteoporosis International, Click Here.

Balancing Act: The Value Of Tai Chi For Older Individuals: The statistics are serious: 1 in 3 seniors suffers a dangerous fall each year, and falls are a leading cause of death in adults over 65. So it seems imperative that you and your older loved ones do whatever you can to improve balance and gait and minimize the risk of falling. If you could combine that effort with something that’s relaxing and improves your overall functioning, all the better. And that’s exactly what the value of Tai Chi is for seniors. An ancient Chinese martial art, Tai Chi involves low impact, slow-motion purposeful movement and poses that require physical and mental concentration. At The Center For Translational Research in Mobility and Falls in Boston, there have been groundbreaking studies demonstrating the value and efficacy of Tai Chi as a way to improve gait, balance and even functional ability in those over 65. So take a deep breath and read and watch a brief video about the benefits of Tai Chi Here.

Stop Watch: If You’re Over 75 It May Not Make Sense To Be On A Statin: Last November, the US Preventive Task Force concluded that for adults over 75, with no history of heart attack or stroke, there was insufficient evidence to assess the risks versus the benefits of taking a statin as a way to lower cholesterol and prevent a cardiovascular episode. Whenever someone considers taking a medication, you always want to make sure the benefits of the drug outweigh the potential side effects that may accompany it. Now, in a new online analysis in JAMA, scientists have reported that comparing those over 75 taking a statin, who had no cardiac history, versus those not taking a statin, there was no difference in the number of heart attacks, coronary heart disease or reduction in deaths for any reason. In essence, the statin seemed to have no impact in those patients over 75. Given that statin use may cause muscle damage and fatigue, if you’re over 75 you may want to contact your physician and discuss your use of a statin. Read the conclusions of the US Preventive Task Force Here and the JAMA online analysis Here. 

Tender Age: Should The Age Of Your Physician Make A Difference?: When scheduling a doctor’s appointment, your inclination may be to see the most senior physician you can, with the assumption that those who have practiced the longest have the best knowledge and skills. However, a new study published in the British Medical Journal may just shake up your assumptions. According to this new observational study of US acute care hospitals, patients with older physicians had a higher mortality rate than those cared for by younger physicians- the one exception being older physicians who have a high volume practice. It’s not clear why this is the case, but it may have to do with outdated skills or decreased clinical knowledge in older doctors. Read more about this provocative study Here. And speaking of acute care hospitals, researchers at the Harvard T.S. Chan School of Public Health were surprised to find that older patients have a lower death rate at major academic hospitals than those hospitalized at community, non-teaching hospitals. While this does not mean you should avoid community hospitals, it does suggest that there are practices or protocols at teaching hospitals that could enhance the quality of care at more local, smaller facilities. Read more about this Harvard study Here.

On The Job: Baby Boomer Begins Again As An Intern: It sounds like a Hollywood movie: a restless retiree realizes that perhaps he left the work world too soon and begins searching for something new. He winds up as the oldest summer intern among dozens of millennials. At first, awkwardness ensues but eventually they each learn to appreciate what the other has to offer and it becomes a life-changing experience for all. Sounds like Robert De Niro in “The Intern?” Well it’s the real-life experience of Paul Critchlow. Since it’s now summer intern time, find out what this 70-year-old first-time intern learned last summer as he plunged back into work with colleagues decades younger by Reading Here. And if you’re intrigued about plunging back in yourself, perhaps putting your skills to work for non-profits or government agencies, check out the organization ReServe by Clicking Here.

Bitten By The Same Bug: 55 Years Of Collecting Insects: Charlie and Lois O’Brien perfectly fit the definition of “love bugs.” They’ve been married for 55 years, have traveled the world together and work in the same field: entomology. So bugs are their business, and their business has been extraordinarily successful. Now in their 80s, the two have collected over one million unique bugs in a collection currently valued at $10 million. Watch this sweet video about their lives together Here. And to read about their enormous generosity to Arizona State University, to which their collection has been donated, Click Here. 

THE LAST WORD: “There is only one difference between a long life and a good dinner: that, in the dinner, the sweets come last.” Robert Louis Stevenson