Life Expectancy News and Research

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Life expectancy is the expected (in the statistical sense) number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by e''x'', which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged ''x'', according to a particular mortality experience.

Increase in rates of short telomeres predicts longevity in mammals

A team of researchers from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), headed by CNIO Director Mar-a Blasco, has demonstrated in a pioneering study on mammals that longevity is defined at a molecular level by the length of telomeres. The work-which is published today in the online edition of the journal Cell Reports-opens the door to further study of these cellular components in order to calculate the rate at which cells age and thus be able to determine life expectancy for a particular organism.

28 Sep 2012

New report: Population aging will have broad economic consequences for the U.S.

The aging of the U.S. population will have broad economic consequences for the country, particularly for federal programs that support the elderly, and its long-term effects on all generations will be mediated by how -- and how quickly -- the nation responds, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council.

26 Sep 2012

Risk for cardiovascular disease begins early in life

A new multi-national survey reveals the extent of misconceptions about when is the right time to start taking action to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD). In a four-country survey sample of 4,000 adults, 49 per cent answered age 30 years or older when asked at what age they believe people should start to take action about their heart health to prevent conditions such as heart disease and stroke.

24 Sep 2012

Smoking, obesity and lack of insurance may be shortening life span for some Americans

The New York Times reports that the nation's life-expectancy trend has reversed by four years since 1990 for the country's least-educated whites.

21 Sep 2012

Worldwide improvements in survival rates after general anesthetic

Survival after a general anaesthetic and within 48 hours of surgery has greatly improved worldwide over the past 50 years, according to the second Article in The Lancet surgery-themed issue.

21 Sep 2012

Death rates after surgery found to be too optimistic

National estimates of death following general surgery have been too optimistic, suggests the first large-scale study to explore surgical outcomes across Europe published in the first Article in a special Lancet theme issue on surgery.

21 Sep 2012

Diet, lack of AgRP-neurons can lead to obesity and diabetes

The absence of a specific type of neuron in the brain can lead to obesity and diabetes in mice report researchers in The EMBO Journal. The outcome, however, depends on the type of diet that the animals are fed.

19 Sep 2012

Mushroom compound lengthens lives of dogs with cancer, has human potential

Dogs with splenic hemangiosarcoma had significantly delayed metastatic progression and lived longer than any previously recorded time after treatment with an extract of the mushroom Coriolus versicolor, report US investigators.

19 Sep 2012

Self-harmers are three times as likely to die prematurely

People who have a history of self-harm are more than three times as likely to die prematurely as the general population, and not just from the obvious causes, with deaths due to natural causes at least two times greater than anticipated and the risk also much higher for individuals living in socially deprived areas, according to a UK study published Online First in The Lancet.

18 Sep 2012

Thalidomide effective in treating disabling cough among people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

In the first clinical trial to demonstrate an effective treatment for constant, disabling cough among people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that taking thalidomide significantly reduced the cough and improved quality of life.

18 Sep 2012

Results from largest ever health and lifestyle survey of cities and conurbations across Europe

Researchers have announced the results of the largest ever health and lifestyle survey of cities and conurbations across Europe - including five British urban centres.

From The University of Manchester 17 Sep 2012

Progress on child survival rate since 2000

The pace of reducing child deaths has accelerated sharply since 2000, according to new data released by UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the UN Population Division.

14 Sep 2012

Keep moving, socializing to prolong life in old age

Maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle, to include physical exercise and leisure and social activities, prolongs life even among the elderly, show results of a Swedish study involving individuals aged 75 years and over.

10 Sep 2012

Study measures cost-effectiveness of on-site rapid HIV testing in drug abuse treatment programs

Less than half of community-based substance abuse treatment programs in the United States currently make HIV testing available on-site or through referral. A new study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College shows the cost-effectiveness of integrating on-site rapid HIV testing into drug treatment programs.

10 Sep 2012

$Simple interventions boost vertebral fracture osteoporosis care$

Simple interventions boost vertebral fracture osteoporosis care

Use of osteoporosis investigation and treatment is significantly increased in older patients with asymptomatic vertebral fracture by use of physician- and patient-targeted interventions, Canadian research suggests.

7 Sep 2012

All seniors can enjoy benefits of exercise: Study

A study carried out by Dr. Louis Bherer, PhD (Psychology), Laboratory Director and Researcher at the Institut universitaire de g-riatrie de Montr-al (IUGM), an institution affiliated with Universit- de Montr-al, has shown that all seniors, even those considered frail, can enjoy the benefits of exercise in terms of their physical and cognitive faculties and quality of life and that these benefits appear after only three months.

7 Sep 2012

EphA4 receptor may be promising target for future ALS drug

Leuven scientists (VIB/KU Leuven) are using zebrafish as a model in their search for genes that play a role in the mechanism of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As a result, they have identified a molecule that could be the target for a future ALS treatment.

28 Aug 2012

Six common myths about prostate cancer

When it comes to prostate cancer, there's a lot of confusion about how to prevent it, find it early and the best way - or even whether - to treat it. Below are six common prostate cancer myths along with research-based information from scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to help men separate fact from fiction.

23 Aug 2012

Bile duct cancer chosen as next indication for PCI Biotech

PCI Biotech (PCIB) the Norwegian biopharmaceutical company, reported today that it has chosen bileduct cancer as the next indication for the use of its PCI (photochemical internalisation) localised cancer therapy. In this indication PCI Biotech’s proprietary photosensitiser Amphinex® will be used in combination with the generic cytotoxic agent gemcitabine. The aim is to start the clinical Proof of Concept study within end of 1H 2013.

21 Aug 2012

Affordable Care Act: an interview with Val J. Halamandaris, President of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC)

The intent of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to provide all Americans with medical insurance. Thirty-five million additional people will be covered, in part by government premiums and in part by making it easier for them to buy their own insurance.

17 Aug 2012