Geriatrics News and Research

RSS

Certain personality traits may be important to healthy aging

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine's (BUSM) New England Centenarian Study have noted specific personality traits associated with healthy aging and longevity amongst the children of centenarians.

6 Apr 2009

Blood test that predicts seriousness of a head injury gains momentum

A blood test that can help predict the seriousness of a head injury and detect the status of the blood-brain barrier is a step closer to reality, according to two recently published studies involving University of Rochester Medical Center researchers.

31 Mar 2009

Simple balance test may predict cognitive decline in Alzheimer's Disease

A simple balance test may predict cognitive decline in Alzheimer's Disease, according to a study published in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

11 Mar 2009

Study looks at yoga and fear of falling in seniors

Indiana University researchers found promising results in an exploratory study involving yoga practice by older adults who expressed a fear of falling.

10 Mar 2009

New clinical support tool gives doctors the complete picture

During the course of a hospitalization, patients are seen by a variety of specialists in addition to the physician who has primary responsibility for their care.

8 Mar 2009

Daily naps may not be that good for older women

A new study appearing in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has found that older women who reported taking daily naps had a significantly greater risk of dying.

4 Mar 2009

Drug combo shows potential for treating extensively drug resistant tuberculosis

A combination of two FDA-approved drugs, already approved for fighting other bacterial infections, shows potential for treating extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), the most deadly form of the infection.

26 Feb 2009

Racial disparities in colorectal cancer screening persist

Colorectal cancer screening among patients with Medicare coverage is increasing, but a persistent gap remains between whites - who are screened most frequently - and all other racial and ethnic groups, according to a new study by researchers at UC Davis and the University of Washington.

20 Feb 2009

Higher blood sugar levels linked to lower brain function in diabetics

Results of a recent study conducted by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues show that cognitive functioning abilities drop as average blood sugar levels rise in people with type 2 diabetes.

16 Feb 2009

Higher blood sugar levels linked to lower brain function in diabetics, study shows

11 Feb 2009

Computerized brain exercises improve memory and attention

Study results to be published in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society show that computerized brain exercises can improve memory and lead to faster thinking.

11 Feb 2009

Race and ethnicity affect use of hospice services among patients with advanced cancer

Race and ethnicity appear to have an effect on whether a patient with terminal cancer uses hospice care services, according to a study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

10 Feb 2009

Improving brain processing speed helps memory

Mayo Clinic researchers found that healthy, older adults who participated in a computer-based training program to improve the speed and accuracy of brain processing showed twice the improvement in certain aspects of memory, compared to a control group.

10 Feb 2009

New guideline for prescribing opioid pain drugs published

A national panel of pain management experts representing the American Pain Society (APS) and the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) has published the first comprehensive, evidence-based clinical practice guideline to assist clinicians in prescribing potent opioid pain medications for patients with chronic non-cancer pain.

8 Feb 2009

Anticholinergic medications linked to cognitive decline in seniors

A study published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggested that the use of certain medications in elderly populations may be associated with cognitive decline.

27 Jan 2009

A tipple a day helps seniors keep disabilities at bay

It is well known that moderate drinking can have positive health benefits - for instance, a couple of glasses of red wine a day can be good for the heart.

19 Jan 2009

Proactive care saves lives of seniors

Can a patient-centered, care management program utilizing nurse care managers and interdisciplinary teams, supported by electronic tracking and care coordination systems reduce the rate of deaths and hospitalizations among chronically ill older adults?

15 Dec 2008