State of Aging and Health in America: Data Brief Series are topic-specific documents focusing on public health issues related to older adults. These briefs provide public health professionals with the most recent data available on health and aging related conditions, including the importance of brain health, the management of chronic conditions, and caregiving burdens, to help identify needs and mitigate the future effects of a growing older population.
News and Updates for Healthcare Professionals
Data Briefs
NIH releases strategic plan to accelerate nutrition research over next 10 years
What if each of us had individualized dietary recommendations that helped us decide what, when, why, and how to eat to optimize our health and quality of life? This precision nutrition approach — developing targeted and effective diet interventions in a diverse population — is among the ambitious goals set out by the 2020-2030 Strategic Plan for National Institutes of Health Nutrition Research.
COVID-19 Guidance for Older Adults
Older adults, 65 years and older, are at higher risk for severe illness. COVID-19 is a new disease and we are learning more about it every day. Information is available in multiple languages.
Comprehensive Guide on Hypertension
Introducing the Comprehensive Guide on Hypertension, the most-up-to-date hypertension management compendium developed by the world-renowned leaders in hypertension!
Hypertension is a leading cause of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and is a major cause of end stage renal disease. Educating health care professionals about hypertension helps assure a strong team in the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.
This comprehensive curriculum focuses on all aspects of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of hypertension. It offers newer science around secondary hypertension, resistant hypertension and treatment special conditions reinforces the ability to better treat patients.
Are You Aware? Quick Facts About Kidney Disease
Fewer Than a Third of Patients With High Blood Pressure Are Tested for Urine Albumin in Clinical Practice
In the United States, nearly half (45%) of adults have high blood pressure, or hypertension,1 a principal or contributing cause of death for more than 472,000 people in 2017.2 Hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are closely linked. Hypertension is not only among the most important risk factors for CKD but is almost always present in people with CKD, occuring in 85% to 95% of those with advanced CKD (stages 3–5).3
Albuminuria, or protein in the urine, is associated with duration and severity of hypertension and is a risk factor for CKD and CKD progression, cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and stroke, and early death.4 Despite guidelines to screen for albuminuria in all patients with hypertension,5,6 urine albumin testing is not frequently done in clinical practice. In the Veterans Health Administration system, although the percentage of patients with urine albumin results was higher with increasing age, less than one-third of patients with hypertension were tested for albuminuria in 2018 (figure).
Laboratory tests for albuminuria are reliable, simple, and relatively inexpensive. Testing is an important step to identifying CKD and evaluating risk for cardiovascular disease and kidney disease progression. This is especially needed among patients with hypertension.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hypertension Cascade: Hypertension Prevalence, Treatment and Control Estimates Among US Adults Aged 18 Years and Older Applying the Criteria From the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association’s 2017 Hypertension Guideline—NHANES 2013–2016. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2019.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death, 1999–2017. CDC WONDER Online Database. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2018. Accessed January 7, 2019.
- Rao MV, Qiu Y, Wang C, Bakris G. Hypertension and CKD: Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999–2004. Am J Kidney Dis. 2008;51(4 suppl 2):S30–S37.
- Matsushita K, Ballew SH, Astor BC, et al. Cohort profile: the Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium. Int J Epidemiol. 2013;42(6):1660–1668.
- Krammer HJ, Townsend RR, Griffin K, et al. KDOQI US Commentary on the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline. Am J Kidney Dis. 2019;73(4):437–458.
- Mancia G, De Backer G, Dominiczak A, et al. 2007 Guidelines for the Management of Arterial Hypertension: the Task Force for the Management of Arterial Hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). J Hypertens. 2007;25(6):1105–1187.
Curriculum on Alzheimer's Disease----NEW COVID-19 American Sign Language Videos
Free Curriculum on Alzheimer's Disease
NEW: Online Module 2: Alzheimer's and Other Dementias - The Basics
As Alzheimer’s disease gains more national attention as a public health crisis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Alzheimer’s Association, and Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health have an updated, flexible resource to help prepare the future public health workforce.
A Public Health Approach to Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias is a free curricular resource created for use by university faculty. The curriculum introduces students of public health and related disciplines to information about Alzheimer’s and other dementias, as well as to public health approaches to address Alzheimer’s as a multilayered, growing public health challenge.
Module 1
NEW -- Module 2
Curriculum Features:
- Modules are peer-reviewed and ready to use.
- Modules can be used together or individually.
- Faculty can easily adapt and incorporate the modules into existing course content.
- Curriculum content is linked to public health competencies.
Each module includes a faculty guide and a PowerPoint presentation with talking points, as well as selected case studies, video resources, sample test questions, and engaging learning activities for the classroom.
COVID-19: Guidance for Older Adults
NEW: Videos in American Sign Language
Older adults are at higher risk of getting sick and having significant health complications from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
COVID-19 Guidance for Older AdultsExpert U.S. panel develops NIH treatment guidelines for COVID-19
“Living document” expected to be updated often as new clinical data accrue.
[ Full article ]EHC Program Update: Treatments for Chronic Pain Final Reports Now Available
Systematic Reviews Now Available
Opioid Treatments for Chronic Pain
(Systematic Review, released on April 16, 2020)
The review assesses the effectiveness and harms of opioid therapy for chronic noncancer pain, alternative opioid dosing strategies, and risk mitigation strategies.
Nonopioid Pharmacologic Treatments for Chronic Pain
(Systematic Review, released on April 16, 2020)
The review evaluates the benefits and harms of nonopioid drugs in randomized controlled trials of patients with specific types of chronic pain, considering the effects on pain, function, quality of life, and adverse events.
Noninvasive Nonpharmacological Treatment for Chronic Pain
(Systematic Review, released on April 16, 2020)
The review assesses noninvasive nonpharmacological treatments for common chronic pain conditions.
Large-scale analysis links glucose metabolism proteins in the brain to Alzheimer’s disease biology
NIH-funded research reveals protein network changes that may be druggable targets, biomarkers.
Alzheimer’s trial screening data links high amyloid levels with early stage disease
First paper from NIH-funded “A4” study supports amyloid as target for prevention.