Gerontology News and Research

RSS

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

Listening to religious music decreases anxiety about death among older Christians

A new article published online in The Gerontologist reports that among older Christians, listening to religious music is associated with a decrease in anxiety about death and increases in life satisfaction, self-esteem, and sense of control over their lives. In particular, listening to gospel music is associated with a decrease in anxiety about death and an increase in sense of control.

19 Apr 2014

Research: Spending time online has potential to ward off depression among retirees

Spending time online has the potential to ward off depression among retirees, particularly among those who live alone, according to research published online in The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.

18 Apr 2014

New set of criteria for diagnosing sarcopenia in older adults

Sarcopenia - the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength - may put up to 50 percent of seniors at greater risk for disability, yet there is no consensus within the medical community for how this condition should be measured.

16 Apr 2014

Life-space mobility reflects physical function and sense of autonomy in older adults

Physical function and sense of autonomy are independent determinants of life-space mobility in older people. This was found in a study conducted at the Gerontology Research Center of the University of Jyv-skyl-. In this project, 848 older men and women that lived independently in the Jyv-skyl- region in Central Finland were interviewed at their own home.

10 Apr 2014

Physical function, sense of autonomy are independent determinants of life-space mobility in older people

Physical function and sense of autonomy are independent determinants of life-space mobility in older people. This was found in a study conducted at the Gerontology Research Center of the University of Jyväskylä. In this project, 848 older men and women that lived independently in the Jyväskylä region in Central Finland were interviewed at their own home.

9 Apr 2014

President of Ukrainian Osteoporosis Association wins CNS Medal for contribution to cause of osteoporosis prevention

Today, Dr Vladyslav Povoroznyuk, President of the Ukrainian Osteoporosis Association, was awarded the first Committee of National Societies (CNS) Medal. The CNS Medal recognizes an individual CNS representative who has made an important contribution to the cause of osteoporosis prevention through active participation in CNS activities and by expanding IOF's messages and outreach in his/her country.

7 Apr 2014

Religion and spirituality have distinct but complementary influences on health

Religion and spirituality have distinct but complementary influences on health, new research from Oregon State University indicates.

29 Mar 2014

A diet rich in animal protein may protect against age-related decline

Elderly individuals who consume higher levels of animal protein may be reducing their risk of physical, social and intellectual decline in the future, show study findings.

13 Mar 2014

Eating high-protein diet in middle age is as deadly as smoking

That chicken wing you're eating could be as deadly as a cigarette. In a new study that tracked a large sample of adults for nearly two decades, researchers have found that eating a diet rich in animal proteins during middle age makes you four times more likely to die of cancer than someone with a low-protein diet - a mortality risk factor comparable to smoking.

5 Mar 2014

Research roundup: Medicaid peer support; doctor Jokes; ACA's asset rules for coverage

Since 2009, the eight states (Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin) participating in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Maximizing Enrollment program have worked to streamline and simplify enrollment systems, policies, and processes for children and those eligible for coverage in 2014. ... States [focused] on five key areas: 1) applications, 2) eligibility determinations, 3) renewals and transfers, 4) notices, and 5) business processes.

3 Mar 2014

Twin brains reveal similar progressions of neuropathological changes

Despite widespread use of a single term, Alzheimer's disease is actually a diverse collection of diseases, symptoms and pathological changes.

3 Mar 2014

Study investigates associations between self-rated physical fitness and dementia risk

How would you rate your own physical fitness? Is it good, satisfactory or maybe even poor? Surprisingly, your answer may reveal your future risk of getting dementia.

26 Feb 2014

Health effects of childhood obesity may be long-lasting and profound

Childhood obesity rates have nearly tripled in the previous 30 years and researchers are asking the important question of how this epidemic will impact the future health of these obese children and public health in general. A University of Colorado Cancer Center article recently published in the journal Gerontology shows that even in cases in which obese children later lose weight, the health effects of childhood obesity may be long-lasting and profound.

14 Feb 2014

UAB's Continence and Urogynecology Care Clinics reaccredited with Center Of Excellence designation

The National Association For Continence has reaccredited the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Continence and Urogynecology Care Clinics as a Center of Excellence for Continence Care.

11 Feb 2014

Home-based hospice practices for hospitalized patients could improve end-of-life care

A study by researchers at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Alabama at Birmingham says using home-based hospice practices for terminally ill, hospitalized patients could reduce suffering and improve end-of-life care.

23 Jan 2014

EnVivo Pharmaceuticals starts encenicline Phase 3 study in patients with Alzheimer's disease

EnVivo Pharmaceuticals, a company dedicated to developing a broad range of novel therapies for central nervous system diseases, today announced it has initiated COGNITIV AD, a Phase 3 clinical program evaluating its novel alpha-7 (α7) potentiator, encenicline-hydrochloride (EVP-6124), in patients with Alzheimer's disease. The program is being conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment agreement with the FDA.

22 Jan 2014

Elderly people with high serum vitamin E levels less likely to suffer from memory disorders

Elderly people with high serum vitamin E levels are less likely to suffer from memory disorders than their peers with lower levels, according to a study published recently in Experimental Gerontology.

7 Jan 2014

Special journal issue provides new ways to address current struggles in geriatric medical education

Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, the Official Journal of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, has published Special Issue - Building Capacity in Geriatrics: Innovative Approaches in Medical Education to provide new and innovative ways to address the current struggles in geriatric medical education.

6 Dec 2013

Social activity maintains mobility and reduces mortality risk in older people

Social activity and health correlate in old age, but less is known about what explains this association. The results of a study carried out in the Gerontology Research Center showed that part of the association between social activity and mortality was mediated by mobility among older men and women.

28 Nov 2013

Improving the quality of cancer care among aging population

As 10,000 baby boomers reach 65 each day, the incidence of cancer is increasing, estimated to increase by 67% between 2010 and 2030, bringing attention to the nation's response to cancer care. Cancer is diagnosed at a higher rate, accounts for more survivors, and results in more deaths than in younger patients.