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A recent article published in Cochrane Database System Review evaluated the effectiveness of topical NSAIDs treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain among older adults. The authors performed a systematic review of the literature addressing topical NSAID use for chronic musculoskeletal pain and selected studies that evaluated treatment efficacy for more than 8 weeks and had a minimum of 10 participants. 34 studies (a total of 7688 participants) were identified using the specified search criteria. The authors found that topical NSAIDs were capable of providing effective pain relief for knee and hand osteoarthritis, but limited data was available for other chronic conditions.

In the Journal of Pain Symptom Management a recently published study examined pain medication adherence among older adult cancer patients in hospice care. The objective of the study was to determine "if pain-related factors and non-pharmacologic interventions affect medication adherence in older cancer patients in community-based hospices." A total of 65 older adults from 13 community-based hospices participated in the study. The authors determined that "patients were the most adherent to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory/acetaminophen orders and medications for neuropathic pain."

A recent article published in Pain Medicine featured a translational pain management intervention for older adults. The intervention titled Translating Research into Practice (TRIP) was "designed to promote the adoption of evidence-based pain practices for older adults with cancer in community-based hospices." The intervention employed a randomized controlled trial and was implemented in 16 mid-western hospices. The authors collected and analyzed qualitative focus group data from the hospice staff. The authors noted challenges implementing the program at certain sites and concluded that "future research should explore intervention approaches that rely less on research team members and can be more fully implemented by organizational [...]

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine published a recent study that addressed the use of mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) as a treatment for lower back pain. The authors performed a systematic review of MBSR for lower back pain by searching select online databases. The authors identified 3 RCTS, 2 of which focused primarily on addressing lower back pain among older adults (age >65). Each identified RCT was considered low risk with significant potential for short-term relief of chronic back pain conditions. The study results indicate that MSBR may be effective in treating pain intensity and disability among patients with chronic lower back [...]

In a thought a provoking blog based upon research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Paula Span discusses the difficulty in surrogate decision making when a loved one is nearing the end of their life. Though typically assumed to be a communication error, the disconnect between what doctors tell loved ones about the patients chances and what they hear may more likely be caused by an optimistic bias in favor of a good outcome. The caretakers do understand what they are being told, they simply tend to believe their loved one will beat the odds. Read more below: http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/weighing-the-chances-at-lifes-end/#more-11997 [...]

Irving Kahn has been a stock broker since 1928  (a year before the great depression) and has been trading stocks ever since.  Scientist have conducted studies on him in order to identify the secret behind his longevity. They discovered that Mr. Kahn has a gene that may explain why he and his siblings have lived past the age of 100. Check out the link below to learn more about his incredible story. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2075099/Meet-105-year-old-stockbroker-started-work-year-Great-Depression.html