MONDAY, Dec. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults should take additional precautions to preserve their health and safety during winter, according to the American Geriatric Society's Foundation for Health in Aging.

The foundation has released a checklist of safety steps seniors can take to avoid the ill effects of colder weather.

Hypothermia, frostbite, falls, injury while shoveling snow, carbon-monoxide poisoning and driving accidents are on the list of dangers to look out for.

The foundation reminds older adults to dress for the weather. As people age, metabolisms slow and produce less body heat, but older adults may still have a hard time determining whether they are feeling the chill, says the foundation. Wearing two or three layers of loose-fitting clothing, as well as a hat, mittens, a coat, boots and a scarf to provide cover for the face are among the group's suggestions.

Older adults should stay indoors when it's very cold outside, especially if it is windy and wet. The foundation recommends keeping the thermostat indoors set to at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hypothermia is a condition in which the core body temperature drops to unhealthy levels. It can be fatal. The warning signs of hypothermia include: lots of shivering; cold skin that is pale or ashy; feeling very tired, confused and sleepy; feeling weak; problems walking; slowed breathing or heart rate. Unfortunately, older people do not shiver as much as they used to, so it is best to look for other warning signs, according to foundation recommendations.

Frostbite may also result from exposure to cold weather. Nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers and toes are all at risk. Keep an eye out for skin that is turning red or darkening and beginning to hurt. That's a sign to go inside. When skin is already frostbitten, it is often white, ashy or yellowish and feels numb and waxy. Immediate help is needed.

Aging bones may be more at risk during the winter, when icy sidewalks increase the chance of slipping and falling. The foundation recommends seeking out dry areas to walk if possible, putting new rubber tips on any canes or walkers, and wearing boots with non-skid soles.

Older people may find themselves shoveling snow, but the foundation suggests checking in with a physician before the season starts. Shoveling is heavy work that can affect older hearts. Hiring someone to shovel the snow may be a healthier option.

Indoors, fires can create an undetectable hazard: carbon monoxide. The odorless gas can build up with fatal results, according to the foundation. Before the season starts, people should have their chimneys cleaned and checked out. Opening a window a crack for circulation is also helpful.

People who are relying on space heaters for warmth should keep them at least three feet from anything flammable, such as curtains and furniture. Make sure all smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are ready for use.

Finally, winterizing cars and stocking them for bad weather can help reduce the risk of accidents. Emergency supplies inside the car should include a first-aid kit, blankets, extra warm clothes, a windshield scraper, rock salt, a bag of sand or cat litter, a shovel, booster cables, a flashlight and some water and food. Above all, drive carefully and slowly, after checking the weather reports, the foundation says.

More information

To learn more about how to stay safe in cold weather, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

FRIDAY, Dec. 28 (HealthDay News) -- The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil might play an important role in preventing Alzheimer's disease, according to a research team at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Publishing in the Dec. 26 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, the scientists demonstrated that the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) increases the production of LR11, a protein that is found at reduced levels in Alzheimer's patients. LR11 is known to destroy the protein that forms the plaques associated with the disease, the researchers explained.

The plaques are actually a buildup of a protein called beta amyloid, which is thought to be toxic to brain cells. Higher levels of LR11 prevent the manufacturing of the toxic proteins, which is why researchers believe the low levels found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients may be a contributing factor to the disease.

Alzheimer's is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that causes memory loss, dementia, personality change and ultimately death. The Alzheimer's Association estimates that 5.1 million Americans are currently afflicted with the disease. The association predicts that may increase to between 11 million and 16 million people by 2050.

The researchers tested the effects of DHA by adding it directly to human and animal neurons grown in the laboratory.

"We found that even low doses of DHA increased the levels of LR11 in rat neurons, while dietary DHA increased LR11 in brains of rats or older mice that had been genetically altered to develop Alzheimer's disease," lead researcher Greg Cole, associate director of UCLA's Alzheimer Disease Research Center, said in a prepared statement.

Fatty acids such as DHA are considered essential fatty acids, because the body cannot make them from other sources and must obtain them through diet. Years of research have shown that DHA is the most abundant essential fatty acid in the brain, Cole said, and that it is critical to fetal and infant brain development. Studies have also linked low levels of DHA in the brain to cognitive impairment and have shown that lower levels may increase oxidative stress in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.

The research team acknowledged that their work does not identify a dosage of DHA that people could take to prevent Alzheimer's, but they recommend eating more fatty fish or taking a supplement. They did not recommend taking DHA to try to slow the progression of Alzheimer's.

More information

To learn more about Alzheimer's disease, visit the National Institute on Aging.

THURSDAY, Dec. 27 (HealthDay News) -- People who are intermittently or totally uninsured in the decade prior to reaching Medicare eligibility experience substantial improvements in health once such coverage kicks in, a new study reveals.

In fact, previously uninsured people appeared to experience greater relative health gains during their post-65 Medicare years than did previously insured patients, particularly those diagnosed with heart disease and diabetes.

The findings suggest that Medicare dramatically reverses a trend toward rapid health deterioration among the previously uninsured "near-elderly," the study authors said.

"Our study shows that near-elderly adults -- those 55 to 64 -- who are uninsured have much greater declines in health before age 65," said co-author Dr. John Z. Ayanian, a professor of health care policy and medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, both in Boston. "But once they become eligible for Medicare at 65, they do relatively better than people who were continuously insured before, in terms of improving their health."

The findings were reported in the Dec. 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

To assess changes in health status among people before and after they entered into Medicare coverage, the authors analyzed data collected by the Health and Retirement Study, a national survey started in 1992.

Slightly more than 7,200 men and women participated. All were between the ages of 51 and 61 at the study's start, ensuring that the study cohort would include participants who would reach the age of Medicare eligibility (65) at some point through 2004.

Starting at age 55, the participants completed questionnaires on a biannual basis regarding their health insurance status, indicating whether they had lacked coverage at any point in the prior two years.

Those with continuous coverage prior to age 65 were classified as "insured." Among those reporting coverage gaps, men and women who had lacked insurance for more than half of the period between ages 55 and 64 were classified as "persistently uninsured." Those with some coverage beyond that threshold were classified as "intermittently uninsured."

Continuing until the age of 72, all participants were also asked to assess their general health status, reporting on their physical function abilities, mental health, pain experience, mobility, and depressive symptoms. The researchers ranked the responses, and assigned patients scores for all health issues.

Patients were also asked to indicate if they were diabetic and to report all incidences of heart attack, hospitalization for heart failure, and debilitative angina -- chest pain.

The study authors found that slightly more than 5,000 of the survey participants -- almost 70 percent -- had been continuously insured before receiving Medicare. Just over 2,200 were either intermittently or continuously uninsured between 55 and 64.

More than 60 percent of all the participants said they had been diagnosed with high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and/or diabetes prior to 65. Almost 70 percent of these patients had been insured, while the remainder were not.

Health status for the uninsured worsened at a much faster rate in the pre-Medicare years than for the insured, with the uninsured ultimately entering Medicare with far lower overall health scores than the insured.

However, once covered by Medicare, the health of the previously uninsured improved markedly, regardless of whether prior coverage had been non-existent or spotty. In fact, the uninsured group experienced no further declines in overall health during the Medicare years.

As a result, by age 70, the difference in overall health between the uninsured and the insured was half what had been expected, based on pre-Medicare trends. Agility and depression were two areas in which the previously uninsured showed greater significant improvement.

The researchers noted that much of the post-Medicare improvement in health among the previously uninsured was concentrated in the approximately 60 percent of people who'd been diagnosed with heart disease and/or diabetes before age 65.

Ayanian and his colleagues suggested that much of the improvement found among previously uninsured patients might derive from the improved management of blood pressure, glucose levels, and cholesterol levels. They concluded that offering earlier health coverage for people 55 and older would lead to substantial economic and social rewards.

"This clearly shows the benefits of Medicare coverage at age 65 for people who have been uninsured in their late 50s and early 60s, and it suggests that health coverage should be extended to all near-elderly adults before they become eligible for Medicare," Ayanian said.

Ayanian said the American College of Physicians has endorsed making Medicare coverage available to people before the age of 65.

David Schulke, executive vice president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan American Health Quality Association, said the study highlights a basic flaw in the current system.

"There is lasting harm done to the health of people who are uninsured, and they are sicker when they enter the Medicare program," he said. "This suggests that there will be a savings to the Medicare program if insurance coverage is created by Congress for people under the age of 65, because health care of the otherwise uninsured will improve, and they won't be so debilitated by the time they become eligible."

More information

To learn more about Medicare and the near-elderly, visit the Urban Institute  .