Aging News and Research

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Early identification of dementia increasingly difficult

If grandma seems to forget things, will she end up demented? These days, memory loss is one of the very few symptoms that may signal which 70-year-olds risk developing dementia. This is shown in a doctoral thesis at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

15 May 2009

Catheter ablation effective for atrial fibrillation

Treating a common heart rhythm disorder by burning heart tissue with a catheter works dramatically better than drug treatments, a major international study has found.

15 May 2009

Obese, older and poorer Australians get more chronic diseases

According to researchers at the University of Adelaide, in the past 15 years chronic diseases among older, lower income and obese Australians have increased significantly.

15 May 2009

Don't punish people for just staying alive!

Among all the mixed messages on retirement flowing from the budget, the biggest policy development is the decision to extend the working age for Australians to 67. Without doubt, this change will be the enduring legacy of this budget, certainly for future retirees, and for the country as a whole.

14 May 2009

Implanted cardioverter defibrillators extend lives of heart attack survivors by a year

A landmark follow-up study found that heart attack survivors who receive implanted cardioverter defribillators (ICDs) live longer the longer they have them, according to the results of alate-breaking clinical trail presented today at the annual Scientific Sessions of the Heart Rhythm Society.

14 May 2009

Alzheimer's vaccine slows progression of inclusion body myositis

A potential vaccine for Alzheimer's disease also has been shown in mice to slow the weakening of muscles associated with inclusion body myositis, a disorder that affects the elderly.

13 May 2009

Medicare information for caregivers now available on NIHSeniorHealth

If you're caring for an older friend or family member, you've probably had questions about Medicare, the federal health insurance program for adults 65 and older and people under age 65 with disabilities.

13 May 2009

Research shows speech recognition problems independent of hearing loss

Older adults may have difficulty understanding speech because of age-related changes in brain tissue, according to new research in the May 13 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

12 May 2009

Healthy living helps older, overweight cancer survivors reduce functional decline

A home-based diet and exercise program reduced the rate of functional decline among older, overweight long-term survivors of colorectal, breast and prostate cancer, according to a study in the May 13 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical.

12 May 2009

Research shows link between appetite and elderly mortality

A new study by a Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researcher reveals a linkage between elderly people's appetite and mortality rates, with those who report impaired appetite more likely to die sooner.

12 May 2009

Oxidation of potassium channel in cells linked to loss of neuronal function in aging

Researchers at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School are one step closer to determining how human cells can be protected against the affects of age-related neurodegeneration including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

12 May 2009

New genetic clues to treatment of hypertension

An international research team has identified a number of unsuspected genetic variants associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and hypertension (high blood pressure), suggesting potential avenues of investigation for the prevention or treatment of hypertension.

12 May 2009

Building a bridge from Alzheimer's disease to diabetes and vice versa

Modern societies face the increasing burden of age-related diseases, in particular Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

12 May 2009

Seniors need more sun!

Spending more time in the sunshine could help older people to reduce their risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

11 May 2009

Discovery of major new treatment target in diseased arteries

Removing a single protein prevents early damage in blood vessels from triggering a later-stage, frequently lethal complication of atherosclerosis, according to research published online today in the journal Nature Medicine. By eliminating the gene for a signaling protein called cyclophilin A (CypA) from a strain of mice, researchers were able to provide complete protection against abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

11 May 2009

Many seniors at risk of malnutrition

As many as one in six people who took part in a study of older people who live at home were under-nourished and at risk of malnutrition, according to the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

7 May 2009

Georgia Governor signs bill to restructure state's health services

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) on Monday signed a bill (HB 228) that will split the state's Department of Human Resources into three separate entities: the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Department of Community Health, and a refocused Department of Human Resources, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Perdue said he is dedicated to having the new agencies fully functional by July 1.

6 May 2009

Neuroglobin making gene tied to Alzheimer's

Of dozens of candidates potentially involved in increasing a person's risk for the most common type of Alzheimer's disease that affects more than 5 million Americans over the age of 65, one gene that keeps grabbing Johns Hopkins researchers' attention makes a protein called neuroglobin.

6 May 2009

Australia warned - 'Dementia Tsunami' on the way

According to a new report Australia could be facing a 'Dementia Tsunami' in twenty years time.

6 May 2009

Drugs designed to tackle endoplasmic reticulum stress might be useful in treating heart disease

Researchers say they have evidence to explain what separates your average blood vessel plaque from those that are at high risk for triggering the development of dangerous - even fatal - blood clots.

5 May 2009