Gerontology News and Research

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Gerontology is the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging.

Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than others

On average, Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than people in other high-income countries, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The report finds that this health disadvantage exists at all ages from birth to age 75 and that even advantaged Americans -- those who have health insurance, college educations, higher incomes, and healthy behaviors -- appear to be sicker than their peers in other rich nations.

11 Jan 2013

GW nursing professors receive three-year $790,000 gerontology grant from HHS

Beverly Lunsford, a George Washington University assistant professor of nursing, believes a health care crisis is brewing.

20 Dec 2012

SIRT6 protein may play a critical role in blocking cancer and controlling cellular metabolism

A new study sheds more light on how an anti-aging gene suppresses cancer growth, joint University of Michigan Health System and Harvard Medical School research shows.

11 Dec 2012

SketchUp program helps open new communication doors with grandparents of autistic children

For three years, University of Utah researchers have been deploying a computer-based design program called SketchUp in workshops to teach and develop life skills for youth on the autism spectrum. An earlier study showed that using the program helps kids develop their spatial and visual acuity, as well as to leverage those strengths to build positive social interactions.

10 Dec 2012

Maintaining weight loss may improve cardiometabolic profile in postmenopausal women

When you're postmenopausal and overweight, losing weight is a good thing, but gaining back just a few pounds may actually be detrimental to your cardiovascular health.

10 Dec 2012

Study to discover how service members and veterans with SCI reintegrate into society

Record numbers of soldiers are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious spinal cord injuries (SCI). Medical advancements can help heal their physical wounds, but little is known about how these veterans re-engage with their communities and rebuild meaningful lives. "How do they transition back to family and community life? How do they adjust to their physical impairments? And how do they reconfigure their homes, their work and their lives?" asked Cathy Lysack, professor of occupational therapy and gerontology at Wayne State University.

1 Dec 2012

Vitamin D may be vital component for cognitive health of women

Two new studies appearing in the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences show that vitamin D may be a vital component for the cognitive health of women as they age.

30 Nov 2012

Florbetapir PET scans can detect brain amyloid deposits associated with Alzheimer’s

A test to detect brain amyloid deposits associated with Alzheimer disease (AD) provides doctors with useful information on treatment and further testing for patients with cognitive impairment, according to a study published online by the journal Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders.

28 Nov 2012

Walden University announces recipients of six Nurses of the Year scholarships

Walden University today announced the recipients of six Nurses of the Year scholarships. The scholarships were awarded to nurses who are making a positive difference in the lives of their patients, in their organizations and to the future of nursing.

28 Nov 2012

Exposure to air pollution influences cognitive function in older adults: Study

Living in areas of high air pollution can lead to decreased cognitive function in older adults, according to new research presented in San Diego at The Gerontological Society of America's 65th Annual Scientific Meeting.

16 Nov 2012

Virginia Tech researcher to talk about ‘Resilience in Ageing’ at AAG conference

Karen Roberto, director of the Center for Gerontology at Virginia Tech University, will deliver the keynote address next week at the Australian Association of Gerontology National Conference on "Resilience in Ageing: Insights from Older Adults and Their Families."

16 Nov 2012

Hurricane Sandy's aftermath leaves older adults particularly vulnerable

Older adults left in the wake of Hurricane Sandy will likely suffer disproportionately in the days ahead, based on data from other recent natural disasters.

3 Nov 2012

GAPA empowers grandmothers to care for their families affected by HIV/AIDS

New research presented today at the first Africa Regional Conference on Gerontology and Geriatrics concluded that Grandmothers Against Poverty & AIDS, a nonprofit grantee of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's SECURE THE FUTURE- programme, has been a driving force in empowering grandmothers whose families have been affected by HIV/AIDS to cope with the emotional and economic demands of caring for their families.

20 Oct 2012

Shingles vaccine reduces risk of herpes zoster disease in older patients

Older adults who get the shingles vaccine have a nearly 50 percent reduced risk of developing the often debilitating disease, finds a new evidence review from The Cochrane Library.

20 Oct 2012

Adults with HIV can benefit from cognitive training exercises

As more effective antiretroviral therapy has evolved over the past 30 years, HIV/AIDS has shifted from an acute to a chronic condition. But as patients live longer, research indicates that they are experiencing cognitive impairments at a higher rate than people without the disease.

17 Oct 2012

Healthy geriatrics do better when managed as outpatients

The burden of morbidity is significantly reduced in otherwise healthy geriatric individuals when they are part of an outpatient geriatric evaluation and management model of care, shows Taiwanese research.

15 Oct 2012

TRIL Centre announces Falls Awareness Day on Oct. 4

The TRIL Centre with Get Ireland Active announces Falls Awareness Day, Thursday 4th October 2012. One in three people over the age of 65 will fall every year in Ireland. Two-thirds of this group will fall again within six months, leading to risk of hospitalisation and significant health decline. As well as physical injuries suffered, the psychological and social consequences of falling can have a huge impact on the faller.

28 Sep 2012

Intensive rehabilitation may put off move to nursing facilities for elderly

Elderly, community-dwelling individuals who visit hospital with an acute illness are less likely to be transferred to skilled nursing facilities if they receive an intensified type of rehabilitation rather than usual rehabilitative care, report US researchers.

18 Sep 2012

ASU announces expansion of Doctor of Nursing Practice program

The College of Nursing and Health Innovation at Arizona State University has added a post-master's Innovation Leadership Concentration to its accredited Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. The concentration is the seventh offered in the program.

17 Sep 2012

American Psychological Association honors WSU researcher for contributions to aging

The American Psychological Association's Committee on Aging recently presented its Award for the Advancement of Psychology and Aging to Peter Lichtenberg, Ph.D., director of the Institute of Gerontology and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute at Wayne State University. Lichtenberg was recognized for his outstanding contributions to clinical geropsychology that integrate science, practice, education, public interest and public policy.

13 Sep 2012