Geriatrics News and Research

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Research programs embody the promise of anti-aging medicine.

Sometimes the value of research lies as much in exposing false remedies as in discovering true breakthroughs. Scientists at the country's first school of gerontology and in laboratories around the University of Southern California do both, mindful of their responsibility to a society focused on healthful aging.

13 Dec 2010

Cognitively-impaired human research subjects need better protection

Practices for protecting human research subjects with Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions that make them incapable of giving informed consent are widely variable and in need of more concrete ethical and legal guidance, according to a study in IRB: Ethics & Human Research.

7 Dec 2010

New clues on surviving to be 100 years old

University of Georgia research has provided new clues on surviving to be 100 years old, finding that how we feel about ourselves and our ability to adapt to an accumulation of challenging life experiences may be as or more important than health factors.

2 Dec 2010

VCU receives $1 million to improve health care for geriatric patients

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine has received a Next Steps in Physicians' Training in Geriatrics grant totaling nearly $1 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to support programs to train medical students, residents and physicians in geriatrics.

1 Dec 2010

Sinai Hospital's endocrinologist helps people to manage diabetes

Nearly 27-million people live with diabetes and 57-million more are pre-diabetic. Not only can this disease be life threatening, but it can take a huge toll on families and on those who have it- if it's not treated properly.

30 Nov 2010

Survey on palliative care for patients with dementia

A new national survey conducted by researchers from Indiana University and the Regenstrief Institute has found that while palliative care may be available for those with dementia, there are significant barriers to providing or receiving services to relieve the pain, eating difficulties and other symptoms associated with dementia.

17 Nov 2010

New model of care for rural-dwelling adults

A novel project set in a rural community near Rochester, N.Y., to screen elderly people for unmet needs showed that, indeed, there is a great opportunity to match older adults with professional assistance. This new model of care for rural-dwelling adults is described this month in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

11 Nov 2010

Depression in nursing home residents often unrecognized

Depression affects approximately 30 to 40 percent of nursing home residents, but it often goes unrecognized, according to American Geriatrics Society, which can lead to lower quality of life or even suicide. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found a series of indicators, other than changes in mood that are associated with the development of depression in nursing home residents.

10 Nov 2010

Brain training improves real-world activities of older adults

A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) proves that the right kind of brain training can produce cognitive improvements that transfer to real-world skills. The study, available online and in the November 2010 issue of JAGS found that older drivers who completed 10 sessions of speed-of-processing training or reasoning training had an approximately 50 percent reduction in at-fault motor-vehicle collisions (MVC) compared to the control group.

8 Nov 2010

IU's cost-saving model of home-based care management for low-income older adults earns recognition

A model program developed at Indiana University to provide care to low-income older adults in their homes has earned recognition for its effective approach and cost-saving benefits in a leading national medical journal.

3 Nov 2010

New primary care models needed to improve care and outcomes for older adults

In an article published in November 3 edition of Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Chad Boult, MD, MPH, MBA, professor of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, calls for key improvements to primary care in order to improve the health of the nation's most costly patients-older adults with multiple chronic conditions.

3 Nov 2010

U.S. models of primary care improves quality of life in older patients with multiple chronic conditions

In a review of comprehensive primary care programs for older adults with multiple chronic conditions, authors identified three models that appear to have the greatest potential for improving quality of care and life for these patients, while reducing or not increasing the costs of their health care, according to an article in the November 3 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on aging.

3 Nov 2010

Study: Illnesses and injuries that restrict activity linked to worsening functional ability in older adults

A study by Yale School of Medicine researchers reveals that the illnesses and injuries that can restrict the activity of older adults or land them in the hospital are linked to worsening functional ability, especially among those who are physically frail. The report appears in JAMA's November 3 theme issue on aging.

3 Nov 2010

Miami Miller School receives grant to study impact of GenerationOne's mobile solution on heart failure patients

The James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program has awarded the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Geriatrics Institute a $100,000 grant for a year-long study on the impact of GenerationOne's Mobile Heath Solution on heart failure patients.

29 Oct 2010

Researchers find gene association between Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease progression

Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers have found that a gene associated with the onset of Type 2 diabetes also is found at lower-than-normal levels in people with Alzheimer's disease. The research, led by Giulio Maria Pasinetti, MD, PhD, The Saunder Family Professor in Neurology, and Professor of Psychiatry and Geriatrics and Adult Development at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, was published this month in Aging Cell.

13 Oct 2010

Faith-based interventions effective in changing behavior among older African-American women: Study

In a randomized controlled study based in Los Angeles, California, encouraging African-American women aged 60 or over to exercise, in conjunction with scripture reading and group prayer, led to a 78% increase in steps per week, equivalent to about three extra miles. This increase was four times greater than in the control group who were also encouraged to exercise but with no faith based interventions.

7 Oct 2010

Caring.com introduces interactive Alzheimer’s resource for caregivers

Caring.com today launched Steps & Stages, the first-ever interactive guide, support system, and customized e-mail newsletter that delivers specific, stage-appropriate advice for those providing care for a loved one with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia.

5 Oct 2010

Disenrollment from hospice increases costs of care for cancer patients

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that the costs of care for patients with cancer who disenrolled from hospice were nearly five times higher than for patients who remained with hospice. Patients who disenroll from hospice are far more likely to use emergency department care and be hospitalized. The results are published in the October 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

24 Sep 2010

Emergency physicians to present research studies at Research Forum 2010

The risks associated with boarding admitted patients in the emergency department – including patient mortality – as well as proposed solutions will be key themes of Scientific Assembly, the annual meeting of the American College of Emergency Physicians. In addition, emergency physicians will present more than 450 research studies during 2010 Research Forum, the premier, annual scientific research event focused on the latest advances in the practice of emergency medicine.

14 Sep 2010

Health risk assessments

At various points in our lives, we're curious about our health risks, wondering about our susceptibility for everything from high cholesterol to a deadly inherited disease. We might want to learn more about our risks when we reach a certain age or experience a bout of bad health; when we hear about a friend or co-worker coping with a dreaded illness; or read the latest headlines about disease research.

13 Sep 2010