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Why being able to predict the length of your life matters
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A new study on life expectancy found that nearly half of older Americans miscalculate how long they have left to live. - photo by Kelsey Dallas
Older Americans aren't very good at assessing how long they should expect to live, which complicates their end-of-life care decisions, according to medical researchers.

"Patients want to know (their) prognosis to prepare logistically and financially, to prepare psychologically or spiritually, to prepare friends and family, to make the most of the time they have left, and to make health-related decisions," said Dr. Elizabeth Eckstrom, a geriatrics researcher at Oregon Health and Sciences University, to Reuters.

A new study, released this week by the journal JAMA Internal Medicine (paywall), found that 45 percent of Americans age 64 and older miscalculated their life expectancy. Researchers compared people's guesses to the objective calculations doctors can make with data, arguing that when patients have an imperfect idea of how long they'll live, they miss out on the opportunity to make health care decisions on their own terms.

"Doctors and patients often consider life expectancy when deciding which preventive measures or treatments will do the most good. This projection might, for example, lead a cancer patient to skip toxic chemotherapy if they're not likely to live long enough to benefit from it, or it might encourage someone with diabetes to make lifestyle changes that might improve the last few decades of life," Reuters reported.

Having clearer conversations about life expectancy would allow patients to make the best end-of-life care plan for them, researchers argued. However, earlier surveys have suggested that many people avoid considering their death altogether.

One in four Americans age 75 and older have given "not very much thought" or "no thought" to their end-of-life wishes for medical treatment, according to a 2013 study from Pew Research Center. That figure rises to 27 percent among all U.S. adults aged 18 and older, Pew noted.

"There has been only modest change over time in the level of public attention to, and preparation for, end-of-life medical decisions," Pew reported.

Medicare hopes to jumpstart conversations about life expectancy and death with a new initiative, which would pay doctors for holding conversations about these issues with their patients, as Deseret News National reported in August.

The "proposed plan would reimburse medical professionals for appointments dedicated to end-of-life-care planning, allowing doctors to take the lead in starting conversations with patients and creating a healthier nationwide dialogue about death," the article noted.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.