Data Collection / Research

Does High Blood Pressure Influence COVID-19 Outcomes?

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As we navigate the COVID-19 global pandemic, it is clear that older adults and people with underlying medical conditions are at greater risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. According to the CDC, 8 out of 10 deaths reported in the US have been in adults 65 and older. People with underlying medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes are also prone to develop more serious complications from COVID-19, but what about high blood pressure? Does high blood pressure affect COVID-19 outcomes?

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is highly prevalent in the United States,.... Read More

             

The Case for Racial Equity in Aging Has Never Been Stronger

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by Robert Espinoza and Jean Accius. This article originally appeared on the blog of the American Society on Aging.

In early April, as the COVID-19 crisis spread across the world, two notable developments took hold. First, the United States became the pandemic’s epicenter, reporting more confirmed cases and deaths than in any other nation. Second, it became clear that black and Latino people in the United States were being hospitalized and dying from the virus at disproportionate rates.

Given that older adults and people with serious medical conditions are at greatest risk of.... Read More

             

HIV/AIDS’ Effect on Aging: Still Unclear

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by John-Manuel Andriote. This article originally appeared on Next Avenue.

Craig Washington has never spent a night in the hospital because of HIV. Not even the time in the early ’90s when he got cryptosporidiosis, one of the opportunistic infections that can wreak havoc on someone with a weakened immune system.

The Atlanta-based social worker and therapist’s good health is especially impressive for a 60-year-old man diagnosed with HIV back in 1985 — the year the HIV antibody test first became available.

“For the most part,” said Washington, “I have been very blessed, very fortunate, that my health is pretty good and a lot of the day-to-day energy level I’ve been able to sustain.” He attributes his.... Read More

             

Racial/ethnic Inequities become increasingly pronounced in light of COVID-19 pandemic

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This article originally appeared on the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) blog.

NHCOA will be hosting two upcoming telephone town halls, in English and Spanish, to give space for communities to engage in education and advocacy around COVID-19. Learn more and register here.

It is becoming increasingly clear, based on evolving data, that COVID-19 is having a more devastating impact on Blacks, Latinos and American Indians across the nation. These inequities further highlight the existing health inequities that are borne out of systematic and structural racism that has existed for centuries in the United.... Read More

             

Poor, Older Black Americans are an Afterthought in the COVID-19 Crisis

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by Christina N. Harrington. This article originally appeared on Next Avenue.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick recently said that he and other older Americans would be willing to risk death due to the coronavirus in order to protect the U.S. economy. What followed was a backlash by people warning that even the thought of sacrificing the elderly is unacceptable. Of even greater concern, though, is what this agenda would mean for poor, older black Americans — people like my 89-year-old grandmother — who already are an afterthought in this country and stand to be impacted the most by the pandemic.

America has always had a problem with those at the margins. Individuals with intersectional marginalized identities.... Read More

             

Innovative Center Improves Alzheimer’s Awareness Through Contextual Research on Arab Americans

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by Hassan Abbas. This article originally appeared in The Arab American News.

DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The Michigan Center for Contextual Factors in Alzheimer’s Disease (MCCFAD) is a newly formed Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR), housed at the University of Michigan and funded by the National Institute on Aging.

The center partners with Michigan State University, Wayne State University and Eastern Michigan University to address issues that surround Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). It shares what is known about ADRD to create awareness, share resources and ultimately promote good health and well-being. It especially engages with the Middle Eastern/Arab American (ME/AA) communities in Metro Detroit and Latino communities in Grand Rapids.

As part of its.... Read More

             

National Nutrition Month: Highlight on the Elder Index and Food Insecurity

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Developed by the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, the Elder Index tool is used to measure the income older people need to meet their daily living expenses while staying independent in their own homes. The Elder Index tool is specific to household size, location, housing and health status, unlike the Federal Poverty Level, another index used to assess income level.

Additionally, the Elder Index accounts for the cost of healthcare, transportation, miscellaneous essentials, and food. After attending the webinar “Promoting Better Communities for Older.... Read More

             
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