By Black Headline News
BREAKING: In this episode of BHN Talk Radio Show, Julia Ann Dudley Najieb, Cheryl Smith and Brigitte Jones warn the public about the latest strong hurricane to hit Florida in a few days; the hurricane, Milton will hit the west coast of Florida just 11 days after Helene.
News hosts were shocked to learn about the famous actor, John Amos, who died of congestive heart failure at a hospital in Inglewood, California on August 21, 2024, at the age of 84, although his death was not announced until October 1, 2024.
SPOTLIGHT: The Oakland Black Cowboy Association celebrated 50 years this weekend as hundreds of Black Oaklanders flocked to De Fremery Park to enjoy music, good food, a shared love of horses and to celebrate and honor the contribution of Black cowboys to the history and settling of the American West.
OBCA President Wilbert McAlister said what he likes most about the parade is seeing the community come together.
“The smiles on children’s faces, the smiles on young adults when they see the child happy and in a safe environment. The smiles on grandma … and grandpa, when they see the grandchildren having clean, safe, fun and they’re not worried and nervous and scared,” said McAlister, a grandparent himself.
HEALTH WATCH: Geriatrics refers to medical care for older adults, an age group that is not easy to define precisely. Gerontology is the study of aging, including biologic, sociological, and psychological changes. “Older” is preferred over "elderly," but both terms are equally imprecise. It is important to avoid terms and attitudes that suggest bias against older adults (ageism). Although there is no set age to define older age, > age 65 is often used because this is the age that determines eligibility for Medicare insurance in the United States. However, some people with medical conditions require geriatrics expertise at a younger age. For example, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) sets the age for eligibility beginning at 55 for people who meet the need for nursing home level of care.
The percentage of the US population that was ≥ 65 increased from 5% in 1920 to almost 17% in 2020. That percentage is projected to increase further.
In 2019, life expectancy at age 65 was an additional 18.2 years for men and 20.8 years for women. Overall, women live about 4 to 5 years longer than men. These differences in survival have changed little despite changes in women’s lifestyle (eg, increased smoking, increased stress) over the late 20th century and into the 21st.
Aging (ie, pure aging) refers to the inevitable, irreversible decline in organ function that occurs over time even in the absence of injury, illness, environmental risks, or poor lifestyle choices (eg, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, substance abuse). Initially, the changes in organ function (see table Selected Physiologic Age-Related Changes) do not affect baseline function; the first manifestations are a reduced capacity of each organ to maintain homeostasis under stress (eg, illness, injury). The cardiovascular, renal, and central nervous systems are usually the most vulnerable (the weakest links).
Diseases interact with pure aging effects to cause geriatric-specific complications (now referred to as geriatric syndromes), particularly in the weak-link systems—even when those organs are not the primary ones affected by a disease.
FEATURE INTERVIEW: Dr. Sharon A. Brangman, MD
A leader in the field of geriatrics, Sharon A. Brangman, MD, serves as Chair of the Department of Geriatrics, Director of the Center for Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and is a Distinguished Service Professor at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. Last year, Dr. Brangman was elected to serve as a Trustee of the McKnight Brain Research Foundation.
Since 2010, Dr. Brangman has held leadership roles at the national level, including President and Chair of the American Geriatrics Society and the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs, serving as President from 2015-2017.
Dr. Brangman is a widely published researcher and was the Co-Principal Investigator on the Recruitment Accelerator for Diversity in Aging Research project, which was funded by the National Institute of Aging. She has also been recognized for her work by the American Red Cross of Central New York, the Syracuse Community Health Center (2011), and the prestigious Arents Award from Syracuse University (2019), which is the highest honor given to an alum. Dr. Brangman received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Syracuse University and a medical degree from Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. She completed her residency and fellowship in internal medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. She is also passionate about social justice and diversity and inclusion.
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With news publishers, Cheryl Smith, Julia Ann Dudley Najieb and Brigitte Jones, get the latest breaking, political and other news from a Black perspective, new episodes live on Tuesdays: 4:00 PM PST/6:00 CST/7:00 EST. Listen on demand here or watch shows live here.
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