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Health |
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Briana Scroggins for The Wall Street Journal
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Life and Death and Loneliness
Baby boomers are aging alone more than any generation in U.S. history, and the resulting loneliness is a looming public health threat, Janet Adamy and Paul Overberg report. About one in 11 Americans age 50 and older lacks a spouse, partner or living child, census figures and other research show. That amounts to about eight million people in the U.S. without close kin to provide companionship in old age. And their share of the population is projected to grow.
How can loneliness impact health? Research suggests that those who are isolated are at an increased risk of depression, cognitive decline and dementia, and that social relationships influence their blood pressure and immune functioning, as well as whether people take their medications. Loneliness is as closely linked to early mortality as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day or consuming more than six alcoholic drinks a day. Loneliness is even worse for longevity than being obese or physically inactive.
Readers, is there a solution? Robot companions fill in in some situations. Share your thoughts by responding to this email.
– Stefanie Ilgenfritz, Health & Science Bureau Chief, WSJ
Reach me at stefanie.ilgenfritz@wsj.com or Twitter: @stefaniei
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Surgery vs. Monitoring for Prostate Cancer: The latest findings suggest there are benefits of prostate-removal surgery for men with more-advanced cancer, but those in earlier stages may want to wait, Peter Loftus writes,
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Hospital Beds Get Digital Upgrade: A leading manufacturer is embedding sensors in the low-tech product to monitor vital signs of patients, the latest sign of hospitals’ digital transformation, Melanie Evans writes.
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Who Will Care for the Elderly in Rural America? The strains on the country’s caregiving system are especially acute in non-metropolitan areas, where 1 out of 4 Americans 65 and older live. Volunteers are stepping in, Clare Ansberry writes in Turning Points.
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| On Genetically Edited Babies |
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“The technology is still not at the stage where you can do this in a responsible way." (Read more)
| — Feng Zhang, one of the inventors of the Crispr-Cas9 gene-editing tool, who has called for a moratorium on genetically editing human embryos to create a pregnancy. |
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| New CEO For Hepatitis C Drug Maker |
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Gilead Sciences Names Roche Executive Daniel O’Day CEO: The industry veteran will be tasked with helping revive sales and recover from a disappointing deal. Jonathan D. Rockoff and Joseph Walker had the scoop.
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Nearly one in 10 Americans has diabetes. But because of rising insulin prices many of them struggle to afford the drugs they need and some diabetics ration their dosage. This episode of Moving Upstream examines how diabetics are finding unconventional ways to get their insulin, including trading diabetes medications with online friends.
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$30 Billion |
Estimated valuation of Juul Labs, maker of the popular Juul vaping device, if an investment by Altria Group happens, according to people familiar with the matter. (Read more)
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MiMedx Called on Two Lawmakers for Help Before Its Accounting Scandal (Read more)
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FDA Withdraws Proposal That Would Have Exposed Generic-Drug Makers to Liability (Read more)
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McDonald’s to Trim Antibiotics from Its Beef (Read more)
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LEAVE THIS BOX EMPTY |
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