AT THIS HOUR

29: The percent of 5,691 older adults who say they avoid the doctor because they don’t want bad news, which is just about the half the portion of 7,312 younger folks under age 30 who say they only go to the doctor when either they are forced or when the over the counter medicine from the pharmacy hasn’t worked for a week.

Science: In 2025, the FDA approved the first blood tests for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease in adults 55+ with cognitive symptoms. These ~90-95% accurate tests detect amyloid plaques, reducing reliance on invasive spinal taps or expensive PET scans. The tests are becoming popular, prescribed sometimes without meaningful symptoms by some doctors and telehealth companies for as little as a few hundred dollars. “People are concerned about their memory - it’s become a consumer test - and there is growing concern among clinicians, health insurers and advocacy groups that the overuse of testing is leading or will lead to unnecessary use of infusion treatments. The storyhere.

Sport: Several inner city organizations now provide access to free golf instruction over the summer and even winter, some providing fun events to mimic Masters-like golf holes seen on TV, and many providing coaching about how to deal with the inevitable failures of golf, teaching socialization, mental fortitude, patience and sportsmanship. Some of the earliest examples of those programs listed here.

Policy: The new Substance Access Beneficiary Engagement Incentive, announced by the federal government’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, will allow healthcare practitioners participating in certain alternative payment models to offer hemp-based products to patients when it aligns with clinical guidance.

Perspective: Leon the doorman is profiled here in my essay about the son of polish immigrants who made an impact on a lot folks - Leon’s profile here.

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