Aging News & Information

Nursing Home Dementia Patients Three Times as Likely to Fall if on Antidepressants

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) appear to cause risk to rise with higher doses

Jan. 19, 2012 - Nursing home residents with dementia who use average doses of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are three times more likely to have an injurious fall than similar people who don’t use these drugs. Read more...

Age 45 is the New 60, At Least Where It Concerns the Beginning of Mental Decline

New study disrupts assumption that cognitive decline begins about age 60, finds it is more like age 45 to 49

Jan. 9, 2012 - Baby boomers and younger adults in their 40s may have been waiting until they hit their 60s to start worrying about how to prevent mental decline. But, new research says that may be a little late. Their research shows cognitive decline beginning about age 45 and continuing with age. Read more...

Senior Citizens are Happier Than Younger Adults but Why is Not Clear

Psychologist call for more rigorous research to undeerstand why elderly Americans are so happy

Jan. 9, 2012 - Older people tend to be happier. But why? Two psychologist explore the theories of what makes senior citizens so happy and conclude that existing research does not provide an adequate answer. In a new article in Perspectives on Psychological Science they call for more rigorous research. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Sea Snails Play Key Role in Strategy to Improve Memory Damaged by Aging

This snail has contributed to the understanding of learning and memory

Dec. 27, 2011 – Neuroscientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston are encouraged from test using sea snails that their innovative learning strategy to help improve the brain’s memory may someday help people who suffer impairments from aging, stroke, traumatic brain injury or congenital cognitive impairments. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Elderly Think as Fast as Young in Some Brain Tasks, Finds New Study

‘Many people think that it is just natural for older people’s brains to slow down as they age, but we’re finding that isn’t always true’

Dec. 27, 2011 - Both children and the elderly have slower response times when they have to make quick decisions in some settings. New research, however, suggests that much of that slower response is a conscious choice to emphasize accuracy over speed. Read more...

Socially Active Older Adults Have Slower Rates of Mental, Physical Decline

Engaged elderly may be more motivated to maintain their health, have better health information

By Sharyn Alden, Contributing Writer, Health Behavior News Service

Dec. 9, 2011 - Staying connected to other people through a wide variety of social activities can yield important health consequences as you age. That’s the message from a new study that found that older adults who maintain high levels of social activity or ramp up their social life as they age might be protected from increases in physical and cognitive issues over time. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

‘Death Is Always Cheaper’ – Capsules: The KHN Blog

Sapien artificial heart valve approved by FDA for use in old, frail patients to gain another year

By Christopher Weaver

Sapien Artificial Heart Valve -

Nov. 14, 2011 - Conventional health care wisdom says that a less invasive procedure will be less expensive: Fewer days in the hospital and an easier recovery should reduce costs, right? Well, it’s complicated. A new heart valve device and procedure approved by the FDA last week costs less than the standard treatment, but it can’t replace that procedure. Instead, it will allow an estimated 20,000 more patients - who would otherwise be inoperable due to frailty - to get the new valve. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Senior Citizens Lose Ability to Distinguish Between Odors: Can Be Dangerous

Smells blending together pose hazards from poor nutrition, dangerous chemicals, researchers find

Nov. 10, 2011 – Most senior citizens are aware that their sense of smell is not as good as it once was. A new study finds older people – beginning at about age 60 – have difficulty in distinguishing specific smells. It is not a laughing matter, however. The researchers say it puts senior citizens a greater risk from dangerous chemicals and poor nutrition. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Mayo Study Discovers Tactic to Attack Deadbeat Cells, Delay Age-Related Disorders

Potential for fundamental change in way we provide treatment for chronic diseases in older people

Nov. 2, 2011 – As we age, we accumulate cells that Mayo Clinic researchers call “deadbeat” cells. In a new study they show that by eliminating these worthless cells we can prevent or at least delay age-related disorders and disabilities. At least in mice models, they say these cells contribute to aging. Read more...

Aging News & Information

The New Old Age – Senior Citizens Healthier, Perkier Than 30 Years Ago

Elderly cope better with everyday life: number needing help with personal care has fallen from 25% to 12%; only 4% need help taking a bath

Nov. 1, 2011 - Old people today have more sex, are more likely to be divorced, are cleverer and feel better, according to a long-term research project comparing what it is like to be old today with 30 years ago. "It's time to start talking about the 'new old age'," says Swedish researcher Ingmar Skoog. Read more...

Sex and Romance for Senior Citizens

Older Men With Higher Testosterone Levels Lose Less Muscle, Strength As They Age

Testosterone may help senior men preserve muscle and delay frailty; men lose more muscle and strength than women as they age

Oct. 27, 2011 - A recent study of men 65 and older finds elderly men with higher levels of testosterone lost less lean muscle mass, especially if they were losing weight. In these men, higher testosterone levels were also resulted in less loss of lower body strength. Loss of muscle mass and strength contribute to frailty and are associated with falls, mobility limitations and fractures. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Age Alone is Not Best Assessment of How Well Senior Citizens Tolerate Treatments

Older patients with acute leukemia do not tolerate and benefit from standard, aggressive therapies as much as younger patients, but it matters what kind of 70-year-old you are

Oct. 26, 2011 - In geriatric medicine, the adage that age is just a number holds true. New research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center uses a simple assessment tool to determine how well senior citizens diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) can handle treatment. Read more...

Signs of Aging Linked to Blocked Brain Blood Vessels Undetected by Current Technology

Shaky hands, stooped posture, slow walking - ‘We shouldn’t accept this as normal aging. We should try to fix it and understand it’

Sept. 19, 2011 - Many common signs of aging, such as hands that shake, stooped posture and walking slower, may be due to tiny blocked vessels in the brain that can’t be detected by current technology, according to a study in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Read more...

Older Drivers’ Safety Gains Better than Middle-Agers 9/26/11 - The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that in the last decade elderly drivers reduced their involvement in fatal and nonfatal crashes by a greater rate than middle-age drivers. But older drivers are still more likely to die in police-reported fatal crashes, and insurance collision claims suggest that drivers over the age of 70 are lagging behind overall driver safety gains, the institute reports. But each of three groups of older drivers -- ranging from 70 to 80 and older -- had greater reductions than drivers in the 35-to-54-year-old age group, the research showed. Chicago Tribune/Heraldextra.com

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Elderly 80+ Do As Well As Younger Patients After Open Skull Surgery for Hematoma

80-year-olds may be just as likely to return to their previous health state after surgery as those younger - with a little more rehab

Sept. 6, 2011 – Despite a popular belief that craniotomy – surgery requiring removal of part of the skull – should not be used on patients older than age 80, a new study finds these elderly patients can, with a bit more rehabilitation and hospitalization, fare as well as younger ones treated for removal of a hematoma following a head injury. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Menopause Does Not Increase Heart Deaths; Aging Alone is Culprit for Men and Women

John Hopkins study says older women and men have about same death rates from heart disease; each generation has better longevity

Sept. 6, 2011 – John Hopkins researchers challenge long-held beliefs about cardiovascular death risks in men and women with findings that menopause does not increase death rates for women and that older men and women have about the same rates of mortality risk from heart disease starting after age 45. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Aging Eyes with Yellowing Lens Linked to Sleepless Nights for Senior Citizens

Cataract could be factor in frequent insomnia among elderly; sleep quality has improved after cataract surgery

Sept. 1, 2011 - A natural age-related yellowing of the eye lens that absorbs blue light has been linked to sleep disorders in a group of test volunteers, according to a study in the September 1 issue of the journal Sleep. As this type of lens discoloration worsened with age, so did the risk of insomnia. Read more..

Scientists Explain Why Senior Citizens Lose Energy; Hope to Slow Aging Process

Discovered major declines in enzyme known as the Lon protease, as human cells grow older and body fights oxidative damage

Aug. 31, 2011 – What senior citizen has not wondered why their energy declines as they age? In a new study, scientists think they may have found the answer to why humans lose energy with age and hope this will point the way to new diets or pharmaceuticals to slow the aging process. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Older Men at High Risk of High Blood Pressure If Not Getting Ample Deep Sleep

Reduced level of dreamless, deep sleep is powerful predictor of hypertension; as important to health as diet and exercise

Aug. 29, 2011 – Older men with low levels of slow wave sleep (SWS) - one of the deeper stages of sleep – are at high risk of developing high blood pressure, according to new research in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. Average age of the men in the study was 75. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Faster Young Brains Fail to Beat Older Adults With Wiser Brains

Older brain has experience and knows that nothing is gained by jumping the gun

Aug. 25, 2011 - In a matched test, the brains of older people were not as fast as those in a group of younger people, but they performed just as well because their brains are wiser, say Canadian researchers. Read more...

Explosion of Older Drivers Pressures Eye Care Professionals to Make Tough Calls

Few eye care providers consider themselves the most-qualified to identify unsafe drivers, few report unsafe drivers

Aug. 23, 2011 – With baby boomers pouring into the senior citizen ranks, and the oldest Americans living longer and healthier lives, the drivers over age 65 is the fastest growing segment of drivers. This explosion of older drivers is challenging the ophthalmologists and optometrists, who are the deciders when it comes to determining the visual abilities for driving of America’s oldest drivers. Read more...

Older Women with Sleep-Disordered Breathing at Risk of Cognitive Decline, Dementia

Findings suggest potential role for supplemental oxygen for sleep-disordered breathing in elderly

Aug. 9, 2011 - Older women with sleep-disordered breathing, as indicated by measures of oxygen deficiency (hypoxia), were more likely to develop cognitive impairment or dementia than women without this disorder, according to a study in the August 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). This is a common condition among senior citizens, affecting up to 60 percent. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Yale Researchers Reveal How Seniors Lose Memory and How to Get It Back

Clinical trial testing guanfacine's (hypertension medicine) ability to improve working memory in elderly set to begin - see video

July 27, 2011 - Yale University researchers can't tell you where you left your car keys- but they can tell you why you can't find them. The neural networks in the brains of the middle-aged and elderly have weaker connections and fire less robustly than in youthful ones, Intriguingly, the research published July 27 in the journal Nature suggests that this condition is reversible. Read more, see video...

Aging News & Information

Senior Citizens Really Can’t See the Forest for the Trees, Study Finds

Changes in attention and visual perception are correlated with aging

E E E E E E E E E E E E E E

E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E

July 25 2011 – When looking at a picture of many trees, young people will tend to say: "This is a forest". The older we get, however, the more likely we are to notice a single tree before seeing the forest. This suggests that the speed at which the brain processes the bigger picture is slower in older people. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Knocking a Hole in ‘Senior Moment’ – Study Says We Control Forgetfulness

Freud was correct: in the same way we control our motor impulses, we can control our memory

July 6, 2011 - Have you heard the saying “You only remember what you want to remember”? Well, maybe it was not just a senior citizen making an excuse for a lost fact. Now there is evidence that it may well be correct. Research from Lund University in Sweden shows that we can train ourselves to forget things. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Why Does Hair Turn Gray? Communications Problem Between Hair Follicle and Stem Cells

Findings also offer insight into human tissue regeneration

June 14, 2011 – Recent research may hold the answer to a question that has perplexed millions of senior citizens: why does hair turn gray? The new study has shows that Wnt signaling - already known to control many biological processes in human development - between hair follicles and melanocyte stem cells can dictate hair pigmentation. Read more....

Sex and Romance for Senior Citizens

Older Age Does Not Cause Testosterone Levels To Decline In Healthy Men

Second study finds older men more likely to lose the ability to orgasm due to gabapentin

June 14, 2011 - A decline in testosterone levels as men grow older is likely the result - not the cause - of deteriorating general health, say Australian scientists, whose new study finds that age, in itself, has no effect on testosterone level in healthy older men. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Senior Citizens with Sleep Problems May Have Suffered Emotional Abuse in Childhood

Research points specifically to emotional abuse, rather than physical abuse or emotional neglect

June 8, 2011 - Many senior citizens who suffer through sleepless nights in old age may find the root of their problem goes back to a very early age – when they were emotionally abused by their parents. Read more...

Features for Senior Citizens

Older Baby Boomers Win National Driving Test; Senior Citizens Not Included in Testing

GMAC Insurance study finds about 1 in 5 unfit for road; Kansas drivers most knowledgeable, men best women

June 3, 2011 – Senior citizens could have won this one – the crown as the smartest drivers on the American roads – but they excluded people age 65 and older from the competition, giving the crown to the baby boomers that are just about to become seniors. These boomers, ages 60-65, repeated as the age group with the highest average score in the 2011 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test. Read more...

Features for Senior Citizens

Senior Citizens Lead the Way as More Americans Turn to Prayer for Better Health

Seniors lag in percentage increase in prayer over years – they were already there!

May 23, 2011 – Praying for better health dramatically increased among American adults over the past three decades, rising 36 percent between 1999 and 2007, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association. The study focused on new data comparing 2002 to 2007 that found senior citizens are by far more likely to turn to prayer in coping with health issues than younger people. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Drug Stopping Degradation of Pathways to Brain’s Hippocampus May Delay Alzheimer’s

Study shows the memory of aging senior citizens fails to record new information; meshes with the old

May 13, 2011 - It's something many seniors just accept: that the older we get, the more difficulty we have remembering things. We can be introduced to new friends at a party and will have forgotten their names before the handshakes are over. We shrug and nervously reassure ourselves that our brains' "hard drives" are just too full to handle the barrage of new information that comes in daily. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Senior Women Who Survive Breast Cancer Have a Greater Risk of Falling

Cancer therapies may affect balance, says new study in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

March 10, 2011 – Researchers have found that women who are senior citizens and survived breast cancer appear to fall more often than their peers. They note that the combined effects of chemotherapy and endocrine therapy may increase the risk of bone fractures in breast cancer survivors. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Senior Citizens Most Involved with Social Activity Least Likely to Become Disabled

Seniors reporting a high level of social activity about twice as likely to remain free of a disability involving activities of daily living

Feb. 17, 2011 - Afraid of becoming disabled in old age, not being able to dress yourself, or walk up and down the stairs? Staying physically active before symptoms set-in could help. But so could going out to eat, playing bingo and taking overnight trips, according to a new study of senior citizens with an average age of 82. Read more...

Researchers Add Colon Cancer to List of Physical Problems Possible from Lack of Sleep

Inadequate sleep previously associated with higher risks of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and death

Feb. 8, 2011 - A new study finds individuals who averaged less than six hours of sleep at night had an almost 50 percent increase in the risk of colorectal adenomas - a precursor to cancer tumors - compared with those sleeping at least seven hours per night. Untreated adenomas colon polyps can become malignant. Read more...

Senior Citizens Do Not Adapt as Fast as Young People to Unexpected Events, Study Finds

Seniors less able to overcome habitual responses, slower in learning to adapt, didn't improve as much when asked to vary their learned routine

Jan. 18, 2011 – Does experience give seniors an edge in reacting to sudden change or are younger people quicker to respond? A new study from Concordia University, Montreal, shows that when a routine task is interrupted by an unexpected event, younger adults are faster at responding. Read more...

Testing “Fountain of Youth” Pill on Senior Citizens to Restore Aging Immune System

UCSF study of seniors finds low levels of lenalidomide boosted key cytokines, greatly increasing immunity

Dec. 14, 2010 - UCSF researchers have identified an existing medication that restores key elements of the immune system that, when out of balance, lead to a steady decline in immunity and health as people age. Read more...

Research by National Institute on Aging Helps Older Drivers Stay Safe and Independent

Research into “useful field of view” (UFOV) has led to the development of special testing and training programs to help senior citizens retain or regain their driving skills

By National Institute on Aging

Dec. 8, 2010 - For many older people, no longer being able to drive a car is one of the most devastating experiences associated with growing old. It can mean loss of independence and is often accompanied by loss of self-esteem and social isolation. Read more...

Features for Senior Citizens

Families Should Check Driving Ability of Senior Citizens During Family Holidays

Consumer Reports Health offers tips for determining when to take the keys away from an older driver

Dec. 7, 2010 - The holidays can be a good time to get the family together to discuss a senior’s driving ability and agree on next steps, according to Consumer Reports Health, which provides advice on how to judge an older driver’s ability. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Regular Exercise Increases Muscle Stem Cells to Renew Aging Muscles, Study Says

‘We can let ourselves dream about creating a new drug for humans — one that could increase muscle mass and ameliorate the negative effects of aging’

Dec. 1, 2010 – In most of the analysis seeking answers to the magical longevity of centenarians there are references to their physical activity and strength but there have been few answers as to how this happens – how their muscles overcome natural aging. Now, researchers from Tel Aviv University think they can explain why senior citizens who have exercised throughout their lives age more gracefully. Read more...

Exercising to Piano Music Appears to Help Reduce Falls Among Senior Citizens

Program may help fall prevention and rehabilitation in community-based setting such as senior centers

Nov. 23, 2010 - Introducing a music-based multitask exercise program for community-dwelling senior citizens people may lead to improved gait (manner or style of walking), balance and a reduction in the rate of falling, according to a report posted online yesterday that will be published in the March 28 print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read more...

Caregiver & Elder Care News

Even Short Falls Can Be Deadly For Senior Citizens Age 70 and Older

These elderly people are three times as likely to die following low-level falls

Nov. 1, 2010 - While simple falls, such as slipping while stepping off a curb, may seem relatively harmless, they can actually lead to severe injury and death in elderly people, according to a new study published in The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Getting Older Leads to Emotional Stability, Happiness, Says Stanford Study

Are American senior citizens who say they're happy simply part of an era that predisposed them to good cheer? Or do most people – whether born and raised in boom times or busts – have it within themselves to reach their golden years with a smile?

By Adam Gorlick, Stanford

Oct. 28, 2010 - It's a prediction often met with worry: In 20 years, there will be more Americans over 60 than under 15. Some fear that will mean an aging society with an increasing number of decrepit, impaired people and fewer youngsters to care for them while also keeping the country's productivity going. Read more...

Shake, Rattle and Roll with Daily Vibration Exercise May Help Aging Bones Stay Healthy

Vibration therapy lacks cardiovascular benefit of exercise for senior citizens, but it can improve muscle strength and weight loss - See video in story on how it works

Oct. 25, 2010 - A daily dose of whole body vibration may help reduce the usual bone density loss that occurs with age, Medical College of Georgia researchers report. The study supports the growing use of this technique by trainers and rehab specialists. Read more, watch video...

Entertainment for Senior Citizens

Suzanne Somers Hits Theaters Telling How She Beat Aging, Cancer with Healthy Lifestyle

Women’s health advocate about to turn 64 also explains how men can maintain their vigor, libido, energy, and lust for life

Oct. 12, 2010 – Suzanne Somers, once best known as an humorous entertainer, has built a new career as a women’s health advocate seen often on television shows telling how she has triumphed in the battles against aging and illness. The beauty, who turns 64 on October 16, is now bringing one of her most popular presentations on aging and wellness to movie theaters across the country. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Psychologist Thinks She Can Shock Senior Citizens Into Remembering Names

The difficulty in remembering proper names is exacerbated as we get older

Oct. 6, 2010 – What senior citizen does not want to be able to remember the names of friends and acquaintances better? Psychologist Ingrid Olson thinks she has found the answer - she found that electric stimulation of the right anterior temporal lobe of the brain improved the recall of proper names in young adults by 11 percent. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Mental Decline in Aging May Be More Gradual Than Many Have Thought

But - ‘Now convincing evidence that even vocabulary knowledge and what's called crystallized intelligence decline at older ages’

Sept. 14, 2010 – A new look at tests of mental aging reveals a good news-bad news situation. The bad news is all mental abilities appear to decline with age, to varying degrees. The good news is the drops are not as steep as some research showed, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association. Read more...

Falling Indoors or Outdoors Makes a Difference in Dealing with Risk Levels for Senior Citizens

‘Almost half of all falls occurred outdoors, and people who fell outdoors had the same or better health than those who did not fall at all’

Sept. 8, 2010 – Falls are well recognized as a major danger for senior citizens – nearly 40 percent of seniors living outside of institutions fall every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of these suffer severe injuries, including hip fractures and brain injuries. But, in the effort to better understand these risks and reduce them, little attention has been paid to where the falls happened - indoors or out. Read more...

Rare Aging Disease in Children, Progeria, Linked to Aging in General Population

There may be a tie between the deadly heart disease of Progeria and the heart disease that affects us all as we age

Sept. 7, 2010 – The rare fatal genetic heart disease characterized by the heart-breaking appearance of accelerated aging in children, and causing an average lifespan of just 13 years, is known as Progeria. A new study finds that progerin, the abnormal protein that causes Progeria, is also present in people without the disease and it increases with age. Read more...

Senior Citizens Most Likely to Forget Who They Told What, Reluctant to Admit Mistakes

Researchers say this ‘destination amnesia’ can be embarrassing and even dangerous - 'I know I told you that!'

Aug. 30, 2010 - Senior citizens often forget with whom they have shared – or not shared -  information, according to a new study. The researchers call it “destination memory failure,” or “destination amnesia.” But, even more alarming, they find these seniors extremely reluctant to admit they are wrong. Read more...

Features for Senior Citizens

Seniors Account for Just 3 Percent of $99 Billion Annual Cost of Motor Vehicle Crashes

CDC Study Finds Cost amounts to nearly $500 for each U.S. licensed driver in one year

Aug. 28, 2010 – Senior citizens are too often assumed to be problem drivers, although, there is plenty of evidence to challenge that assumption, including new information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new analysis, using 2005 statistics, finds the cost of medical care and productivity losses associated with injuries from motor vehicle crashes in that one year exceeded $99 billion – only about 3 percent of that attributable to senior citizens age 65 or older. Read more...

More Exercise, Less Calories Delays Aging by Repairing Link Between Nerve Cells, Muscles

Finding in lab mice may illuminate a reason for the beneficial effects of these regimens on aging

Aug. 2, 2010 – Earlier studies have established that exercise plus restricting calorie intake helps delay the mental and physical deterioration caused by aging. Harvard researchers think they may know how. They have uncovered a mechanism through which caloric restriction and exercise delay aging by rejuvenating connections between nerves and the muscles that they control. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

SIRT1 Gene Important for Memory But Increasing Level Shows No Improvement

Much-studied protein involved in aging, and tied to red wine ingredient resveratrol, is required for recall in mice; but over-expression fails to improve performance

July 22, 2010 - A protein implicated in many biological processes also may play a role in memory, according to a study led by the University of Southern California and the National Institute on Aging. These findings, published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience, agree with research published online by Nature on July 11. Both studies found that mice lacking the protein SIRT1 exhibited impaired memory and learning, suggesting SIRT1's importance to those functions. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

New Strategy to Fight Alzheimer’s May Come From Control of a Gene Associated with Aging

SIRT1 gene found to control production of peptides that form amyloid plaque in AD brains

July 22, 2010 – Drugs to activate the SIRT1 gene may lead to a way to fight Alzheimer’s disease, according to MIT biologists that have discovered the first link between the amyloid plaques that form in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and this gene previously implicated in the aging process. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Senior Citizens Show Significant Visual Memory Improvement After Brain Training

‘The brains of older adults, like those of young people, are ‘plastic’ – the brain can change in response to focused training’

July 15, 2010 - A commercial brain fitness program has been shown to improve memory in senior citizens, at least in the period soon after training. The findings among this group with an average age of 72 are the first to show that practicing simple visual tasks can improve the accuracy of short-term, or “working” visual memory. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Elderly Drivers Do Not Lose the Ability to Detect Hazards, More Aware Than Youngest

However, older drivers claim other road users were responsible for putting them at risk and rarely considered themselves as responsible for hazardous events

May 26, 2010 – There is encouraging news about the driving abilities of senior citizens: A new study finds that advanced age does not affect older drivers' ability to perceive hazards and that older drivers are more sensitive to potential hazards than young-inexperienced drivers. Read more...

Muscle Loss in Senior Citizens Due to Blood Vessels Failing to Dilate; Drugs May Help

Post-meal blood vessel expansion occurs in young, not old; Muscles of young people look 50 years older by making muscle blood vessels behave as they do in seniors

May 20, 2010 - Why do people become physically weaker as they age? And is there any way to slow, stop, or even reverse this process, breaking the link between increasing age and frailty? Researchers say they can answer both questions. Read more...

Caregiver & Elder Care News

Failing to Take Medications Regularly as Prescribed Increases Falls by Senior Citizens

Health care providers should discuss this subject with their patients

May 19, 2010 - Older adults increase their chances of falling by not taking their medications as directed, according to an article in the latest edition of the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological and Medical Sciences. This new information comes from a recent study of Boston-area residents over age 70, which found that those who sometimes neglected their medications experienced a 50 percent increased rate of falls compared with those who did not. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Most Satisfied with Elective Plastic Surgery Appear to be Older, Depression Patients

This may reflect more realistic expectations among older patients, the researchers say

May 17, 2010 - Older patients and in particular those being treated for depression are more likely to be satisfied with the results of their elective facial plastic surgery, whereas overall optimism and pessimism do not appear related to satisfaction with surgical outcomes, according to a report in the May/June issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Cochlear Implants Help Senior Citizens Hear But Help Younger Patients Slightly More

Seniors performed more poorly than younger patients on some speech perception tests at the one-year follow-up

May 17, 2010 – A study of senior citizens concludes that older adults appear to benefit significantly from cochlear implants, but not as much as younger patients who had similar levels of hearing impairment before surgery, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Sleep Apnea Linked to Increased Risk of Stroke; Doubles Danger for Older Men

Men with moderate to severe sleep apnea were nearly three times more likely to have a stroke than men with no or mild sleep apnea - watch video

April 9, 2010 - Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition common among senior citizens, appears to increase the risk of stroke for middle-aged and older people, especially men. Overall, sleep apnea more than doubles the risk of stroke in men, according to a landmark study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. Read more..watch video.

Aging Motorcyclists Hit the Road and Emergency Rooms; Lead in Injuries, Deaths

Increased injury severity for older riders may be related to the reduced capacity to withstand injury as the body ages

Mark Gestring, M.D., director, Trauma Program, University of Rochester

April 5, 2010 – A new study finds the 50 to 59-year-old age group the fastest growing among injured motorcycle riders. The researchers also found the average age of cycle riders getting older, with the impact of this trend very evident in emergency rooms daily. Doctors are finding that these aging road warriors are more likely to be injured or die as a result of a motorcycle mishap compared to their younger riders. Read more...

AMA Issues Older Driver Safety Guide to Help Slow Leading Cause of Injury Deaths in Seniors

Per mile driven, fatality rate for drivers 85+ is nine times higher than for drivers 25 to 69

March 17, 2010 - To help protect the lives of senior citizens and make our roads safer, the American Medical Association (AMA) has released a new Physician's Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers. Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of injury-related deaths in adults over 65. Per mile driven, the fatality rate for drivers 85 years and older is nine times higher than for drivers 25 to 69 years old. Read more... watch videos

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Osteoporosis Drug, Forteo, Appears to Heal Common Injury to Senior Citizens From Falls

Newly approved drug improves healing after rotator cuff surgery; common problem for falling seniors and young athletes

March 10, 2010 - Tears in the shoulder's rotator cuff, a common injury among senior citizens due to falls, are painful and restricting. Surgery to repair the damage is successful for pain management, but in many patients it does not result in full recovery of function due to poor healing. New research shows an approved therapy for osteoporosis, Forteo (teriparatide), may speed healing and improve patient outcomes. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Rate of Aging for Older People May Depend On How Old They Feel Like They Are

If you feel old beyond your chronological years you are probably going to experience a lot of the downsides associated with aging

March 2, 2010 - The saying "You're only as old as you feel" really seems to resonate with older adults, according to research from Purdue University. "How old you are matters, but beyond that it's your interpretation that has far-reaching implications for the process of aging," said Markus H. Schafer, a doctoral student in sociology and gerontology who led the study. Read more...

Elderly Women Right Up There with Young Male Athletes in a Risk of Shoulder Dislocation

New reports has more evidence of the serious consequences of falls by senior citizens – women in particular

March 1, 2010 - The shoulder joint is the most mobile joint in the body and consequently one of the most commonly dislocated joints. It is no surprise to that most dislocations occur during sports and young males are at the highest risk. What is surprising is that another group that rates highly on the risk scale for a dislocate shoulder are elderly women. Read more...

Hand-Grip Strength Associated with Death, Disability Risks Also Applies to the ‘Oldest Old’

Researchers find that handgrip strength has a greater impact on mortality as people age

Feb. 8, 2010 – A weak handgrip has long been associated with premature death, disability and other health problems in middle-aged and older people. A new study of those called the “oldest old” – age 85 or older – finds it again associated with poor chances of survival and as a useful tool to assess mortality. Read more...

Falls by Senior Citizens Caused by Poor Central and Side Vision, Study Finds

Recommends advising patients 60 and older, even with normal vision, on their increased fall risk and need to take extra precautions

Feb. 1, 2010 – Falls by senior citizens are common and a major concern of many in the medical field. It has been well established seniors with reduced central vision – the ability to see clearly in front of them, which is often diminished by age-related macular degeneration (AMD), are more likely to fall. Now, a new study finds falls are also common among the elderly with poor peripheral vision. Read more...

Healthy People Need Less Sleep as They Age; Seniors Should Not Be Sleepy in Daytime

Senior citizens slept about 20 minutes less than middle-aged adults, who slept 23 minutes less than young adults in study

Feb. 1, 2010 – Healthy senior citizens without sleep disorders can expect to have a reduced "sleep need" and to be less sleepy during the day than healthy young adults. A new study indicates that during a night of eight hours in bed, total sleep time decreased significantly and progressively with age. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Older Brains of Senior Citizens Make Good Use of ‘Useless’ Information in Decision-Making

Older adults show 30% advantage over younger adults; may be the wiser decision-makers because they pick up so much more information

Jan. 26, 2010 - The aged brain of a senior citizen has a weakened ability to filter out irrelevant information, which sounds like bad news for older people. A new study, however, suggests this may actually give the older folks a memory advantage over younger people. Read more...

Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors

Fractures that Plague Senior Citizens Can be Reduced by Taking Calcium with Vitamin D

Large study supports growing consensus that combined calcium and vitamin D is more effective than vitamin D alone in reducing fractures

Jan. 14, 2010 – The risk of bone fractures, a major cause of disability, loss of independence and death for senior citizens, can be reduced for people of any age and any sex by taking calcium with vitamin D supplements on a daily basis, according to a study of nearly 70,000 patients. Read more...

Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors

Vitamin C Cures Fast Aging Mice from Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Failure, High Cholesterol

Clearly indicates that healthy individuals do not require a large amount of vitamin C in order to increase their lifespan, scientist says

Jan. 4, 2010 – Vitamin C has been found to cure mice from abnormalities caused by Werner syndrome (accelerated aging) gene, including cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart failure and high cholesterol in new research published in the FASEB Journal. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Long-Running Study of Twins Helps Discover Factors Causing Skin to Age

Up to 40 percent of aging-related changes are due to non-genetic factors

Dec. 21, 2009 - Smoking, being heavier, not using sunscreen and having had skin cancer appear to be associated with sun damage and aging of skin on the face, according to report based on a study of twins in the December issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read more...