Seniors News and Research

RSS

Low blood levels of vitamin D linked to heart attacks and strokes

According to new research people who have low levels of vitamin D in their blood are at an increased risk for heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

7 Jan 2008

Elective surgery puts seniors at risk for long-term cognitive problems

According to new research from the U.S. patients over the age of 60 who opt to have elective surgeries put themselves at an increased risk for long-term cognitive problems.

3 Jan 2008

A tipple or two a day a good thing for the over-65s

Scientists in Britain say for the over-65s one or two drinks every day may be a good thing.

3 Jan 2008

Elderly patients at greater risk for developing cognitive problems after surgery

Patients over the age of 60 who have elective surgeries such as joint replacements, hysterectomies and other non-emergency, inpatient procedures, are at an increased risk for long-term cognitive problems, according to a new study led by Duke University Medical Center researchers.

3 Jan 2008

AstraZeneca submits sNDAs for SEROQUEL XR for bipolar symptoms

AstraZeneca has announced that the company has submitted two separate supplemental New Drug Applications (sNDAs) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for once-daily SEROQUEL XR (quetiapine fumarate) Extended-Release Tablets to seek approval for the treatment of manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder and the treatment of depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder.

3 Jan 2008

Health improves for previously uninsured adults after receiving Medicare coverage

Previously uninsured adults who received Medicare coverage reported improvements in health, especially those with cardiovascular disease or diabetes, according to a study in the December 26 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

28 Dec 2007

Seniors who walk regularly lower their risk for dementia

Seniors who walk regularly and also do other forms of moderate exercise are protecting themselves against a certain form of dementia.

20 Dec 2007

Vitamin B-12 function may be diminished by excessive folate

In a study of adults aged 20 and over, researchers at Tufts University showed that homocysteine and methylmalonic acid are at much higher levels in individuals who have a combination of vitamin B12 deficiency and high blood folate levels than in individuals who are also vitamin B12 deficient but have normal folate levels.

20 Dec 2007

Study finds outcomes of high-risk cancer operations in 80-year-olds worse than reported

New research published in the December issue of The Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that outcomes of high-risk cancer operations in 80-year-olds are considerably worse than reported in case studies and published survival statistics, which may lead to unrealistic expectations about the safety of these operations in the elderly.

20 Dec 2007

No need for reduced alcohol consumption in later life

Provided they stick to the same guidelines about alcohol consumption as younger adults, regular moderate drinking poses no additional risks to the over 65s, and may even bring health benefits, according to two studies from the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England.

20 Dec 2007

New scheme to revolutionise system of prescribing medicines

Patients could be saved millions of trips to their GP under a new scheme that has the potential to revolutionise the system of prescribing medicines.

18 Dec 2007

Elderly at risk for physical disabilities exercise, improve physical function

Elderly adults at risk for physical disabilities are able to adhere to a regular program of moderate exercise for one year, a recent study of 213 men and women suggests.

18 Dec 2007

Brain malfunction explains dehydration in elderly

As Australia faces another hot, dry summer, scientists from Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute have warned that elderly people are at risk of becoming dehydrated because their brains underestimate how much water they need to drink to rehydrate.

17 Dec 2007

Message to the elderly: It's not too late to improve your health through diet and exercise

A new study by a NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center physician-scientist has an important message for the elderly: It's not too late to improve your health through diet and exercise, even if you've had an unhealthy lifestyle in the past!

14 Dec 2007

Use of thiazolidinediones by seniors linked with increased risk of heart problems

Older patients treated with the diabetes medications known as thiazolidinediones (which include rosiglitazone) had a significantly increased risk of heart attack, congestive heart failure and death, compared with the use of other hypoglycemic drugs, according to a study in the December 12 issue of JAMA.

13 Dec 2007

Study finds Avandia may increase risk of heart failure

A popular class of drugs for treating type 2 diabetes is under scrutiny again. A new Canadian study released by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) finds that drugs such as Avandia increase the risk of heart failure, heart attacks and death.

13 Dec 2007

GlaxoSmithKline response to JAMA article on ICES retrospective analysis

The following is GlaxoSmithKline's response to the retrospective analysis by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) titled "Thiazolidinediones and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Older Patients with Diabetes".

13 Dec 2007

Geriatric care intervention appears to provide some benefits for low-income seniors

A home-based geriatric care program for low-income seniors resulted in higher-quality medical care, improvement in quality of life and fewer emergency department visits, but did not appear to prevent decline in physical functioning, according to a study in the December 12 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

13 Dec 2007

Improving health care for older adults

Most older adults obtain their health care in the offices of busy primary care physicians or, in the case of those without physicians, in even busier hospital emergency departments.

13 Dec 2007

Hypertension associated with risk for mild cognitive impairment

High blood pressure appears to be associated with an increased risk for mild cognitive impairment, a condition that involves difficulties with thinking and learning, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Neurology.

10 Dec 2007