Health
New study reveals extreme weather's impact on seniors' attendance at doctor appointments
Whether it’s the dog days of summer or a cold snap in the dead of winter, extreme temperatures tend to bring people’s activities to a halt — including doctors’ appointments.
Seniors in particular are more likely to skip their scheduled medical visits if it’s too hot or too cold, according to a study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.
On days that are 90 degrees or hotter, for every 1 degree increase in temperature, the rate of missed appointments rises by 0.64%, as reported by researchers at the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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The rate of missed appointments is even higher on cold days, going up by 0.72% for every 1-degree decrease below 39 degrees.
“The key finding is that people are less likely to keep their doctors’ appointments when it is extremely hot or extremely cold,” said senior author Nathalie S. May, M.D., a professor at Drexel University College of Medicine, in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Seniors are more likely to skip their scheduled medical visits if it’s too hot or too cold outside, according to a new study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. (iStock)
In the study, the researchers analyzed more than one million appointments involving 91,560 adult patients from Jan. 2009 through Dec. 2019.
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The appointments were all made at 13 university outpatient clinics in Philadelphia, according to a university press release.
The appointment data was compared to temperature and precipitation records from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Based on the findings, the researchers are calling for telemedicine to become a permanent covered mode of health care delivery. (iStock)
Lakelyn Eichenberger, PhD, a gerontologist and caregiver advocate at Home Instead, an Honor Company in Omaha, Nebraska, said she was not surprised by the study findings.
“For many older adults, going to a doctor’s appointment takes considerable effort, especially for those with mobility issues, chronic conditions, complex medical needs or cognitive impairment,” Eichenberger, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital via email.
“When you add extreme or inclement weather, it presents even more challenges. For some, it might seem easier to skip the appointment altogether to avoid the risks that extreme conditions could pose.”
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Shana Johnson, a physician in Scottsdale, Arizona, who teaches at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix, also commented on the findings.
“Individuals with heart and lung conditions, including heart failure, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, have a hard time tolerating extreme heat,” said Johnson, who was also not involved in the study.
“The heat may exacerbate their symptoms, making breathing as well as dizziness and falls more likely.”
“For many older adults, going to a doctor’s appointment takes considerable effort.”
In her own practice, Johnson has seen many patients who had disabilities or difficulty walking.
“Transportation to the visit and walking safely were greatly affected by the weather,” she said.
“Cold temperatures, which often come with heavy rain or snow, make surfaces slippery, increasing the risk of falls and injuries.”
If the weather is poor, cancellations and no-shows tend to increase, she noted.
4 ways to prevent skipped appointments
“It is critical that we have alternative methods for the delivery of primary care during various scenarios,” Adrienne Willard, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the Drexel University College of Medicine, told Fox News Digital.
Experts recommend scheduling appointments during times when the weather is typically more favorable. (iStock)
Experts offered the following tips to ensure that seniors make it to essential appointments despite challenging weather conditions.
1. Plan ahead to ensure safety
Schedule appointments during times when the weather is typically more favorable, Eichenberger suggested.
“For example, avoid early morning appointments in winter when sidewalks might be icy, and avoid mid-afternoon appointments during the hottest part of the day,” she advised.
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“Monitor weather forecasts and reschedule appointments if extreme weather is expected — it’s better to err on the side of caution.”
Allow plenty of time to get ready and travel safely to your destination, Eichenberger said.
“Be prepared for weather-related delays or breakdowns during travel by carrying water to stay hydrated and snacks to avoid hunger and lightheadedness,” an expert advised. (iStock)
“Dress in layers during cold weather and wear appropriate footwear to prevent slips and falls,” she said.
“In hot weather, opt for light, breathable clothing and use sun protection, such as hats and sunscreen.”
2. Consider telehealth appointments when possible
Based on the findings, the researchers are calling for telemedicine to become a permanent, covered mode of health care delivery — as it was during the COVID pandemic.
Previous studies have shown that the availability of telemedicine reduces the chances of missed appointments by 13%, they noted.
“If the opportunity to choose an [insurance] plan that provides coverage for telemedicine presents itself, it may be a preferred option,” Willard told Fox News Digital.
Johnson agreed that telemedicine is the “most practical and immediate solution,” particularly for individuals with chronic conditions who are well-known to their providers.
“Telemedicine increases access to care providers and extends the reach of specialists to rural areas,” she said. “Telemedicine across state lines would extend that reach further.”
3. Find reliable transportation
For patients who still drive, ensure the car is serviced regularly to avoid car trouble, Eichenberger recommended.
If the patient no longer drives, it’s important to arrange for reliable transportation options.
“Telemedicine increases access to care providers and extends the reach of specialists to rural areas,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“This could include asking family members or friends for help — or using home care services, ride-sharing services or senior transportation programs.”
For those using public transportation, Eichenberger stressed the need to seek shelter while waiting for the bus to avoid being out in the weather.
4. Have the essentials on hand
“Be prepared for weather-related delays or breakdowns during travel by carrying water to stay hydrated and snacks to avoid hunger and lightheadedness,” Eichenberger said.
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If traveling by car, she recommends keeping an emergency kit with essentials such as water, snacks, blankets and a first-aid kit — as well as any necessary medications that need to be taken throughout the day.
Potential limitations
The researchers acknowledged some limitations of the study — particularly that it relies on limited data sets.
“We acknowledge that the data collected on maximum daily temperatures from one central location may not capture urban heat island effects throughout the city,” Drexel College of Medicine clinical associate professor Janet H. Fitzpatrick, M.D., one of the lead authors of the study, told Fox News Digital via email.
“It is critical that we have alternative methods for the delivery of primary care during various scenarios.”
“In addition, patients with multiple medical problems impacted the ability to explore how individual diseases affect the associations between extreme weather and missed appointments.”
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Other research has pointed to additional factors — such as the day of the week, previous no-shows and the use of automated reminders — as impacting the rate of attendance, according to a university press release.
The researchers recommend considering the availability of transportation in future studies assessing missed appointments.
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A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
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Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
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“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
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Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
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Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
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A drug that has long been used to treat seizures has shown promise as a potential means of Alzheimer’s prevention, a new study suggests.
The anti-seizure medication, levetiracetam, was first approved by the FDA in November 1999 under the brand name Keppra as a therapy for partial-onset seizures in adults. The approval has since expanded to include children and other types of seizures.
Northwestern University researchers recently found that levetiracetam prevented the formation of toxic amyloid beta peptides, which are small protein fragments in the brain that are commonly seen in Alzheimer’s patients.
The medication was found to prevent the formation of amyloid-beta 42 in both animal models and cultured human neurons, according to the study findings, which were published in Science Translational Medicine.
The effect was also seen in post-mortem human brain tissue obtained from individuals with Down syndrome, who are at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
The medication was found to prevent the formation of amyloid-beta 42 in both animal models and cultured human neurons. (iStock)
“While many of the Alzheimer’s drugs currently on the market, such as lecanemab and donanemab, are approved to clear existing amyloid plaques, we’ve identified this mechanism that prevents the production of the amyloid‑beta 42 peptides and amyloid plaques,” said corresponding author Jeffrey Savas, associate professor of behavioral neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in a press release.
“Our new results uncovered new biology while also opening doors for new drug targets.”
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The brain is better able to avoid the pathway that produces toxic amyloid‑beta 42 proteins in younger years, but the aging process gradually weakens that ability, Savas noted.
“This is not a statement of disease; this is just a part of aging. But in brains developing Alzheimer’s, too many neurons go astray, and that’s when you get amyloid-beta 42 production,” he said.
The effect was also seen in post-mortem human brain tissue obtained from individuals with Down syndrome, who are at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease. (iStock)
That then leads to tau (“tangles”) — abnormal clumps of protein inside brain neurons — which can kill brain cells, trigger neuroinflammation and lead to dementia.
In order for levetiracetam to function as an Alzheimer’s blocker, high-risk patients would have to start taking it “very, very early,” Savas said — up to 20 years before elevated amyloid-beta 42 levels would be detected.
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“You couldn’t take this when you already have dementia, because the brain has already undergone a number of irreversible changes and a lot of cell death,” the researcher noted.
The researchers also did a deep dive into previous human clinical data to determine whether Alzheimer’s patients who were taking the anti-seizure drug had slower cognitive decline. They reported that the patients in that category had a “significant delay” in the span from cognitive decline to death compared to those not taking the drug.
“This analysis supports the positive effect of levetiracetam to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s pathology,” the researcher said. (iStock)
“Although the magnitude of change was small (on the scale of a few years), this analysis supports the positive effect of levetiracetam to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s pathology,” Savas said.
Looking ahead, the research team aims to find people who have genetic forms of Alzheimer’s to participate in testing, Savas said.
Limitations and caveats
The study had several limitations, including that it relied on animal models and cultured cells, with no human trials conducted.
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Because the study was observational in nature, it can’t prove that the medication caused the prevention of the toxic brain proteins, the researchers acknowledged.
Savas noted that levetiracetam “is not perfect,” cautioning that it breaks down in the body very quickly.
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The team is currently working to create a “better version” that would last longer in the body and “better target the mechanism that prevents the production of the plaques.”
“You couldn’t take this when you already have dementia, because the brain has already undergone a number of irreversible changes and a lot of cell death.”
The medication’s common documented side effects include drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, irritability, headache, loss of appetite and nasal congestion.
It has also been linked to potential mood and behavior changes, including anxiety, depression, agitation and aggression, according to the prescribing information. In rare cases, it could lead to severe allergic reactions, skin reactions, blood disorders and suicidal ideation.
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Funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of Health and the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.
Fox News Digital reached out to the drug manufacturer and the researchers for comment.
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