(ARA) - Americans are now living longer than ever before. In
fact, one of the fastest growing segments is people over the age
of 85 who will represent 20 percent of the population by the
year 2040. Because we are living longer, certain conditions
specific to senior citizens are also on a steady rise.
Dehydration, falls, fractures, cognition loss and attention
deficits are now becoming more commonplace. In a recent paper
titled “Salt Appetite Across Generations” presented at a medical
conference in Switzerland, Israeli researchers from the
University of Haifa confirmed that in older people, a reduced
sense of thirst results in a greatly increased risk of serious
dehydration. They also noted that the appetite for salt does not
diminish with age and suggested that this be used to help
sustain hydration and prevent the dangerous symptoms that result
from dehydration. Another study by Dr. Michael H. Alderman and
Dr. Hillel W. Cohen of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine,
published in the American Journal of Hy