Aging News and Research

RSS

Researchers reveal how podocytes may regenerate themselves during normal kidney function

Damage to podocytes -- a specialized type of epithelial cell in the kidney -- occurs in more than 90 percent of all chronic kidney disease. Now researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have uncovered an unexpected pathway that reveals for the first time how these cells may regenerate and renew themselves during normal kidney function.

6 Dec 2011

Medicare tightening payments for 'big ticket' cardiology and orthopedic procedures in 11 states

In an effort to rein in costs, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will in 2012 perform an audit before paying for certain cardiology and orthopedic procedures in key states, including Florida.

6 Dec 2011

Most older drivers don't plan for the future when they may be unable to drive safely

Florida is home to one of the highest percentages of residents ages 65 and older in the United States, but very few of them have thought ahead to a time when they will no longer be able to drive a vehicle safely or considered how they will get around without a car, according to a new survey developed by Florida State University and the Florida Department of Transportation.

3 Dec 2011

White tea, witch hazel and rose have potential health and beauty properties

Age-old remedies could hold the key to treating a wide range of serious medical problems, as well as keeping skin firmer and less wrinkled, according to scientists from London's Kingston University.

2 Dec 2011

MergerTech launches $50M venture capital fund for healthcare IT

MergerTech Advisors is excited to announce the launch of 'MergerTech Capital', a new $50 million venture capital fund. The fund will focus on the investment and development of healthcare IT product and services firms, building on the sectors' substantial potential for extraordinary growth and creativity.

2 Dec 2011

Conference to explore acute ischemic stroke treatment

Designed to serve a multidisciplinary audience of physicians, clinicians, and scientists interested in cerebrovascular disease, this 2.5-day conference will explore the state-of-the-art and future directions of research and clinical practice leading to enhanced medical care in the acute treatment of ischemic stroke.

1 Dec 2011

New marker may provide more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's, FTLD

New research finds a marker used to detect plaque in the brain may help doctors make a more accurate diagnosis between two common types of dementia - Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

1 Dec 2011

Timely acute care reduces total stroke and TIA costs

New research published in the journal Age and Ageing suggests that timely acute care immediately after a stroke reduces the level of disability in stroke survivors and the associated need for long-term care, therefore reducing aftercare costs.

1 Dec 2011

Alzheimer's disease affects women more than men

Many women suffer memory loss and/or confusion at some point in their lives, but as many as 5 million Americans suffer from a much more serious disease, Alzheimer's. According to statistics from the National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia in older people. Alzheimer's is a progressive brain disease; it is irreversible and causes a decline in memory and cognitive skills.

1 Dec 2011

Babraham Institute receives BBSRC grant to study effects of ageing on immune system

Efforts to understand the effect of ageing on the immune system received a boost today as the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) announced investment in a new £3.6 million research project.

30 Nov 2011

Viewpoints: GOP leaders, Obama share link to mandate; expensive benefits for seniors

I don't want to focus on the differences between Romney and Gingrich. I want to focus on the commonalities. Because these two men have a lot in common with not only each other but also with President Obama. Both Gingrich and Romney, for instance, supported a universal health care plan backed by an individual mandate requiring all Americans of means to purchase health-care insurance - just as Obama does.

30 Nov 2011

Direct link between fish consumption, brain structure and Alzheimer's risk

People who eat baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

30 Nov 2011

KI, Mayo Clinic to collaborate on education, research and innovation

Mayo Clinic and the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet will sign a long-term agreement to collaborate on education, research and innovation. The two institutions, recognized for leadership in medical research, training and patient care, will pursue joint investigations in regenerative medicine, individualized medicine, metabolism, neurosciences and aging research.

30 Nov 2011

New trends in HIV/AIDS prevalence

According to a latest report released this Monday, Toronto has more HIV and AIDS cases than ever before, with an estimated one in 120 adults in the city now HIV-positive. In all of Ontario, the number of people living with HIV-AIDS grew by 31 per cent between 2003 and 2008 and that number continues to expand.

29 Nov 2011

Growth hormone replacement increases bone formation in abdominally obese women

In a new study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), growth hormone replacement for six months was found to increase bone formation in abdominally obese women.

29 Nov 2011

More neural connecting pathways in the language network than originally thought

While it has long been recognized that certain areas in the brain's left hemisphere enable us to understand and produce language, scientists are still figuring out exactly how those areas divvy up the highly complex processes necessary to comprehend and produce language.

29 Nov 2011

Scientists decode how Machado-Joseph disease arises

Neurodegenerative diseases represent one of the greatest challenges of our aging society. However, investigation into these diseases is made particularly difficult due to the limited availability of human brain tissue. Scientists from the Life & Brain Research Center and Neurology Clinic of Bonn University have now taken a roundabout path: They reprogrammed skin cells from patients with a hereditary movement disorder into so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) and obtained functional nerve cells from them.

24 Nov 2011

Einstein, Montefiore experts available to discuss effects of radiation dose and exposure

Experts from Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University are available for interviews on topics ranging from effects of radiation dose and exposure to MRI imaging to detect brain damage in soccer players due to "heading" and cancer post-treatment imaging during the annual Radiological Society of North America Scientific Assembly.

24 Nov 2011

Knocking out one copy of IGF1 receptor fails to increase life span of male mice

Scientists studying longevity thought it might be good to lack a copy of a gene, called IGF1 receptor, that is important in insulin signaling. Previous studies showed invertebrates that lacked the copy lived longer, even if their bodies were less responsive to insulin, the hormone that lowers blood sugar.

24 Nov 2011

New IOM report assesses breast cancer risk posed by environmental factors

Although women have little or no control over some of the risk factors for breast cancer, such as those related to aging and genetics, they may be able to reduce their chances for developing the disease by avoiding certain environmental risks. BREAST CANCER AND THE ENVIRONMENT: A LIFE COURSE APPROACH, a new report from the Institute of Medicine, assesses the breast cancer risk posed by various environmental factors, identifies actions that offer potential to reduce women's risk for the disease, and recommends targets for future research.

23 Nov 2011