Beth Newcomb

KTLA featured commentary from USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology faculty member Cary Kreutzer on the growing popularity of food-scanning apps used to guide grocery choices. Kreutzer cautioned consumers against relying on such tools without understanding how foods are evaluated. “Look at how they’re doing their scoring,” Kreutzer advised. “Look at who’s on their board. Do they have scientists or researchers that are helping put information together?”

The Washington Post included commentary from USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology faculty member Jennifer Ailshire on the growing challenges faced by older spousal caregivers. “You are locked in — in a 24-hour, 365 sense — in a way that other caregivers may not,” Ailshire said.

Time featured research discussing how ovarian aging relates to long-term health and age-related disease risk, including insight from USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology faculty member Bérénice Benayoun. “Menopause is the worst thing that happens for women’s health because it’s literally the start of everything that’s going to go wrong in an accelerated manner,” Benayoun said, highlighting the dramatic health impacts that follow the decline of ovarian function as women age.

YourTango referenced research involving USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology faculty member Mara Mather on how stress affects emotional processing. “These are the first findings to indicate that sex differences in the effects of stress on social behavior extend to one of the most basic social transactions — processing someone else’s facial expression,” Mather said.

Yahoo Lifestyle featured the ProLon fasting-mimicking diet developed by USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology faculty member Valter Longo, whose research focuses on how periodic fasting may support healthy aging. Longo has said the diet is designed to provide the benefits of fasting while still allowing people to eat.

MedicalXpress reported on a randomized clinical trial co-led by USC researchers showing that reminder emails significantly increased clinicians’ use of prescription drug monitoring databases designed to support safer prescribing. USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology faculty member Mireille Jacobson noted that while prescribing patterns did not change, increased database use could still lead to better-informed care.

Being Patient featured guidance from USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology faculty member Donna Benton on navigating life after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. “When we hear that diagnosis, it can be very shocking and our first reaction is, ‘This is it, this is the end,’ but there is a lot you can do at the early stages of Alzheimer’s,” Benton said.