Aging News and Research

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Environment-cognition associations vary based on genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's

The neighborhood environment may positively or negatively influence one's ability to maintain cognitive function with age. Since older adults spend less time outside, the neighborhood environment increases in importance with age.

19 Feb 2020

UGA historian shines light on the evolutionary purpose of menopause

Menopause- that time in every woman's life when the ovaries no longer release an egg each month and menstruation ceases forever- is a rare thing among Earth's infinitely varied creatures.

18 Feb 2020

Tailoring care for older patients after emergency surgery can greatly improves outcomes

Tailoring care for older patients who have had emergency surgery can reduce complications and deaths, decrease the length of hospital stays and cut down on the need for alternate care at discharge, according to a new study led a University of Alberta researcher.

18 Feb 2020

Geriatric-specific characteristics linked to hospital readmission risk of elderly surgical patients

Researchers have examined new geriatric-specific characteristics that appear to raise the risk of elderly surgical patients having an unplanned hospital readmission within a month of initially leaving the hospital.

18 Feb 2020

Scientists use toxin from rattlesnake venom for chronic pain

Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) is the largest venomous snake in North America, reaching 8 feet and weighing up to 10 pounds. In the past, medical experts believe that the toxin in rattlesnake venom, crotoxin, is a promising compound for the treatment of chronic pain.

18 Feb 2020

Heart Research UK supports King’s College London project to eliminate 'zombie cells'

A project at King’s College London aiming to eliminate so-called ‘zombie cells’ using a new group of drugs has received a grant of over £125,000 from national charity Heart Research UK.

18 Feb 2020

Mediterranean diet promotes healthy aging with healthier gut microbiome

A new study published online in the journal Gut in February 2020 reports the striking health-promoting effects of switching to a Mediterranean diet for just one year. The results were due to an increase in the health and number of gut bacteria that favor a healthy diet.

17 Feb 2020

Oxidative stress induces sleep in fruit flies, research shows

Sleep-deprived fruit flies helped reveal what induces sleep. University of Oxford researchers Anissa Kempf, Gero Miesenböck, and colleagues reveal that fruit fly sleep is driven by oxidative stress, the imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body. Kempf

16 Feb 2020

A broken heart for Valentine’s Day turns to healing

A broken heart for Valentine's Day sounds like the plot of a romantic comedy. But for Rebekah Holl, a literal broken heart was her reality on Feb. 14, 2019.

16 Feb 2020

New 'smart' diaper can alert caregiver when it is time to change

For some infants, a wet diaper is cause for an instant, vociferous demand to be changed, while other babies may be unfazed and happy to haul around the damp cargo for lengthy periods without complaint. But if worn too long, a wet diaper can cause painful rashes, and miserable babies -- and parents.

16 Feb 2020

Subtle differences in cognitive performance predict progression to Alzheimer's pathology

Alzheimer's disease is progressive, but slow to develop -- or at least to reveal itself. In a new study, published online February 14, 2020 in the journal Biological Psychiatry, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues elsewhere, report that early, subtle differences in cognitive performance, such as fewer words recalled on a memory test, are a sign that harmful proteins are accumulating in the brain, even if levels of those proteins do not yet qualify as dangerous.

16 Feb 2020

A high number of lifetime sexual partners raises cancer risk

A new study seems to reinforce traditional common sense and good morals: people who play around with sex tend to have a higher risk of cancer. The study published online in the journal BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health in February 2020 shows that having ten or more sex partners increases the risk of cancer in both men and women. And in women, this pattern of sexual behavior increases the chances of a chronic debilitating illness.

13 Feb 2020

Discovery of compound that reverses the fertility clock

The reproductive years of a woman are at their peak before the age of 30. Beyond that, fertility starts to decline, and by the age of 40, fertility potential is about half the level it was before 30 years old. Many women experience fertility issues, but now a new study on mice may help reverse the clock on eggs, offering new fertility hope to older women.

13 Feb 2020