The president recently spoke in support of an increase in Social Security benefits, but this wasn't always his take on the matter.

Almost 60 million Americans rely on Social Security benefits to help pay their living costs each month. So whenever lawmakers even hint at cutting this vital program, it's enough to get countless Americans up in arms. And several years ago, that's exactly what happened when President Obama suggested lowering Social Security benefits by changing the way cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are calculated.

Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, launched 10 years ago by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the United Nations. It's purpose: To remind the world of the need to protect every senior citizen from physical, emotional, financial and, even sexual abuse.

More Americans are making smarter Social Security choices

Delaying the start of Social Security benefits is a smart strategy for most recipients, and one whose advantages are well documented. A delay strategy increases the total amount of money expected to be paid over most single workers' lifetime or for a couple's primary wage earner. An additional boost for married couples is that a delay strategy can increase the survivor's benefit paid upon the primary worker's death.

NEW DELHI: For elderly people, 15 minutes of daily exercise can lower the risk of death by 22 percent, new research indicates.

Avoid the penalties that can follow you for life.

In this series, “Social Security Secrets,” experts Larry Kotlikoff and Phil Moeller explain the most important things you need to know about this valuable retirement benefit. Kotlikoff and Moeller are co-authors of the New York Times best-seller Get What’s Yours: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security.

The more you think about and plan for your retirement, the better it's likely to be. And since it can be 20 or 30 years of your life or more, it's well worth learning about and following these retirement rules to live by.

Imagine if a child born today learned about Alzheimer’s in a history book rather than in a health class. Or if that child never had to watch a loved one suffer from this terrible disease. These are not far-fetched notions. Americans have consistently defied extraordinary odds to achieve the seemingly impossible. Finding a cure for Alzheimer’s should be no different.

A top Democrat wants to expand Medicare's benefits to provide hearing, vision and dental care to the nation's seniors.

Trying to get doctors to choose cheaper drugs

It sounds like a benign experiment: Reduce the prices that Medicare pays for some drugs, and see if that holds down their out-of-control price increases. But many doctors argue that such Medicare cost controls might lead to worse care.

The FDA released a consumer health information update on June 2 that provides women with tips on preventing heart disease.

Approximately 25 percent of women die from heart disease, the leading cause of death among women according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.