Aging News and Research

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Healthy diet can reduce age-related eye problems

While 20/20 vision is a symbol of visual acuity, between now and the year 2020, more and more people will experience some extent of vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other sight-robbing diseases.

2 Jul 2010

First analyses on impact of Medicare Part D presented at UMB's 2010 Academy/Health Annual Meeting

Some of the first analyses on the impact of Medicare Part D, as well as new insights on drug adherence patterns by chronic disease patients, will be presented today and tomorrow at the 2010 Academy/Health Annual Meeting by several University of Maryland, Baltimore teams of pharmaceutical health services researchers.

1 Jul 2010

Biomerix receives FDA 510(k) Clearance to market Ventral Hernia Repair Mesh

Biomerix Corporation announced today that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) Clearance to market its Biomerix Ventral Hernia Repair Mesh, the latest addition to its innovative portfolio of soft tissue repair devices. The Biomerix Ventral Hernia Repair Mesh, with two distinctly different sides, is the first and only device featuring the Biomerix Biomaterial on one side, designed to promote tissue ingrowth, and a resorbable protective film on the other side, designed to minimize tissue attachment to the device in case of direct contact with the viscera.

1 Jul 2010

WHO's Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities helps create healthy urban environments for older residents

Today, WHO launches the Global Network of Age-friendly Cities as part of a broader response to the rapid ageing of populations. Populations in almost every corner of the world are growing older. The greatest changes are occurring in less-developed countries. By 2050, it is estimated that 80% of the expected 2 billion people aged 60 years or over will live in low or middle income countries. The Network aims to help cities create urban environments that allow older people to remain active and healthy participants in society.

30 Jun 2010

Study: Near-normal glucose control does not delay risk of organ damage in diabetes patients

In people with longstanding type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for heart attack and stroke, lowering blood sugar to near-normal levels did not delay the combined risk of diabetic damage to kidneys, eyes, or nerves, but did delay several other signs of diabetic damage, a study has found. The intensive glucose treatment was compared with standard glucose control.

30 Jun 2010

Lack of reimbursements limit drug-eluting stent market across Latin America

According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, despite the rising popularity of drug-eluting stents (DES) across Latin America, bare-metal stents (BMS) will continue to represent a significant portion of the overall coronary stent market through 2014. This trend is especially evident in Brazil, where the public healthcare system does not provide any reimbursement for DES procedures.

30 Jun 2010

When it comes to decision making, older adults fare as well as juniors

Many people believe that getting older means losing a mental edge, leading to poor decision-making. But a new study from North Carolina State University shows that when it comes to making intuitive decisions - using your "gut instincts" - older adults fare as well as their juniors.

30 Jun 2010

Herniated disk can cause low back and leg pain in adults

A literature review, led by Dr. Joseph Lee, published in the June 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) suggests that a herniated disk is one of the most frequent causes of low back and leg pain in adults, but surgery is not for everyone. Between 60 and 80 percent of people will experience low back pain at some point in their lives.

30 Jun 2010

Geriatric population soars while NIH devotes modest resources to aging research

With a nudge from the new health care law and pressure from Medicare, hospitals, doctors and nurses are struggling to prepare for explosive growth in the numbers of high-risk elderly patients. More than 40 percent of adult patients in acute care hospital beds are 65 or older. Seventy million Americans will have turned 65 by 2030.

30 Jun 2010

Aging of workforce a threat to health care sector: Report

As the nation prepares to provide care for the increasing proportion of older adults and the widespread implications of healthcare reform, healthcare workers are aging out of the sector, revealing an increased need for skilled workers, according to a new report by the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College.

29 Jun 2010

Ovarian transplant procedure increases lifespan, restores fertility in aging mice

Scientists have discovered that when they transplant ovaries from young mice into aging female mice, not only does the procedure make the mice fertile again, but also it rejuvenates their behaviour and increases their lifespan. The question now is: could ovarian transplants in women have the same effect?

29 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 29, 2010

In this Kaiser Health News consumer column, Michelle Andrews writes: "Sarah Rose Nordgren works 25 to 30 hours a week as a waitress at an upscale restaurant in Chapel Hill, N.C. She also tutors high- schoolers on their college entrance essays and has an editorial internship at a book publisher. But if something were to go seriously wrong with her health, she'd be in trouble because none of her three jobs offers health insurance" (Kaiser Health News).

29 Jun 2010

Older adults spend more time watching TV, but find it less enjoyable

We usually scold our children and teenagers for watching too much TV. It turns out that their grandmas and grandpas spend even more of their time watching TV, and it is not good for them either, according to researchers at the Stein Institute for Research on Aging and Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

29 Jun 2010

Older adults experience more supportive friendships, less conflict with children and siblings

Part of what makes those relationships so golden during the golden years is that people of all ages are more likely to forgive and respect one's elders, according to research from Purdue University.

29 Jun 2010

Researchers suggest factors that predict pre-Alzheimer's condition

Mild cognitive impairment is often seen as a transition stage between the cognitive decline of normal aging and the more serious problems of Alzheimer's disease. But what leads to mild cognitive impairment?

29 Jun 2010

High-phenolic-content olive oil modifies genes that promote inflammation

Health conscious consumers have long known that virgin olive oil is a good choice when it comes to preparing meals and dipping breads. Now, a team of researchers, including one with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), has found that phenolic components in olive oil actually modify genes that are involved in the inflammatory response.

29 Jun 2010

Literature review discusses herniated disks and treatment options for low back pain

29 Jun 2010

New brain-to-computer chip technology revolutionizes neurological therapy

By stimulating certain areas of the brain, scientists can alleviate the effects of disorders such as depression or Parkinson's disease. That's the good news. But because controlling that stimulation currently lacks precision, over-stimulation is a serious concern - losing some of its therapeutic benefits for the patient over time.

29 Jun 2010

Health Canada approves Solta Medical's Thermage CPT, Fraxel re:store Dual systems

Solta Medical, Inc., the pioneer in fractional resurfacing and non-invasive skin tightening and a market leader in aesthetic skin treatments, today announced Health Canada approval of its Thermage CPT™ and Fraxel re:store® Dual systems. These products are now available to physicians in Canada. In the fall of 2009, the company received U.S. FDA clearance to market and sell both the Thermage CPT and Fraxel re:store Dual systems. Both systems are now available in over 100 countries worldwide.

28 Jun 2010

Data shows proportion of total sales from drugs dropped to below 7%

The pharmaceutical industry continues to rely heavily on sales from an aging portfolio of drugs, whilst the proportion of total sales from newer drugs has dropped, according to data released today from the 2010 Pharmaceutical R&D Factbook complied by CMR International, a Thomson Reuters business.

28 Jun 2010