Sleep apnea raises the risk of chronic illness and premature death by as much as 40% for middle-aged and older men, according to an article in HealthDay that summarizes the findings of a recent study. Even moderate sleep apnea was found to increase the risk of premature death by 17%. The study also showed that decreased levels of oxygen during sleep apnea are the cause of the health problems---such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke---and of premature death. Given the alarming findings of the decade-long study, the researchers stressed the need for physicians to pay attention to their patients' sleep patterns. A common condition, sleep apnea affects one in four men and one in ten women; symptoms include loud snoring, interrupted breathing, and interrupted sleep.

In this article in the New York Times, Catholic nuns near Rochester, New York, reveal their method of dealing with the ends of their own lives, namely "with discernment." The Sisters have been modeling the factors that studies have shown can influence "successful aging and a gentle death":  a network of caring relationships, intellectual stimulation, interest and purpose in life, and engagement in spiritual belief. Also, the Sisters and their doctor have learned that it's easier to make individual decisions about end-of-life issues at home in the convent than in the bustle of the hospital, that choosing aggressive medical treatments in the hospital usually isn't the best way to end one's life. The doctor concludes that these Sisters have the best deaths of any people he has seen.

According to a Reuters article, a recent 4-year study in France of over 6,000 community-living elderly people determined that use of certain drugs increased these people's risk of falling. The study participants' average age was "nearly 74." Long-acting benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety drug), increased the risk, compared with short- and intermediate-acting benzodiazepines. Similar risks were reported among this age group for regular use of antispasmodics and muscle relaxants, tranquilizers, and a particular type of antihistamine (anticholinergics, which block nerve response).