Gerontology News and Research

RSS

Gerontology is the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging.

Obese older adults who survive heart surgery may live with greater degrees of functional decline

More than one-third of Americans are considered obese based on their Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI measures the ratio between your height and weight.

9 Nov 2017

HELP program for older adults reduces hospital readmissions rates

The Hospital Elder Life Program, or HELP, is an evidence-based treatment plan developed in the 1990s to prevent hospitalized older adults from developing delirium (the medical term for sudden confusion).

9 Nov 2017

Scientists to investigate potential role of airborne pollutants as triggers of Parkinson's disease

The Department of Defense has awarded a multi-institutional team of scientists a series of grants totaling $4.37 million to investigate the potential role of airborne pollutants as triggers of Parkinson's disease via the nose.

9 Nov 2017

Experts call for efforts to study elder abuse among veterans

Experts are calling on the Veterans Administration to promote research, clinical care, and education in the area of elder abuse, furthering the VA's mission of serving those who have served.

9 Nov 2017

Losing weight with diet, physical activity can improve blood flow in the brain of older adults with diabetes

Type 2 diabetes affects blood circulation. The disease stiffens blood vessels and reduces the amount of oxygen that circulates throughout your body. This includes your brain. When blood flow in the brain is impaired, it can affect the way we think and make decisions.

30 Oct 2017

Prescribed medications linked to dry mouth symptoms in older adults

For older adults, dry mouth can be a common side effect of prescribed medications. Having dry mouth means you don't have enough saliva, or spit, to keep your mouth wet. The condition can lead to problems chewing, eating, swallowing, and even talking. What's more, dry mouth puts you at higher risk for tooth decay and oral infections.

27 Oct 2017

Healthy heart may protect older adults from disability

A healthy heart is important to the well-being of older adults. The American Heart Association (AHA) defines "ideal cardiovascular health" based on four health behaviors (current smoking, body mass index, physical activity, and healthy diet and three health factors (total cholesterol, blood pressure), and fasting blood glucose level).

26 Oct 2017

Multiple sensory losses predict morbidity and mortality in older adults

The five senses are hearing, vision, smell, touch, and taste. When these senses begin to dim or are lost as we age, we face challenges dealing with everyday life. Losing one's senses can also cause serious health problems.

4 Oct 2017

Older adults with depression symptoms more likely to have trouble performing daily activities

Recently, researchers investigated whether depressive symptoms might make it harder for older adults to perform their regular daily activities. The researchers also wanted to find out whether living circumstances or marital status had any impact on whether depressive symptoms affected older adults' abilities to perform daily activities.

3 Oct 2017

Estrogen acts as upstream regulator for energy metabolism and muscle cell viability, study finds

According to a research conducted at the University of Jyväskylä, estrogen acts as a regulator of muscle energy metabolism and muscle cell viability. Menopause leads to the cessation of ovarian estrogen production concurrent to the deterioration of muscle function.

3 Oct 2017

Prognosis communication may be helpful to older adults with disabilities

Prognosis is the term for the most likely outcome of a medical condition. When it comes to health care, talking about your prognosis can be difficult for you, your family/friends, and even your healthcare providers.

15 Sep 2017

Hypometabolism in medial prefrontal areas linked to AD-related nutritional problems

A new study from the Multimodal Neuroimaging for AD Diagnosis study, which is a prospective study implemented at the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, provides that hypometabolism in the medial prefrontal areas is specifically associated with Alzheimer's disease-related nutritional problems, and decrease in fat mass may have a key role. This study is published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

15 Sep 2017

Lesser-known gene appears to play greater role in Alzheimer's and dementia-related memory decline

The notorious genetic marker of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, ApoE4, may not be a lone wolf.

15 Sep 2017

Research: Hospice referral at end of life should be based on older adult's pain, distressing symptoms

A team of researchers from Yale University has studied how soon older adults who were experiencing distressing symptoms and disability were admitted to hospice near the end of their lives . Their study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

14 Sep 2017

Older adults who had fallen more likely to experience car crashes, study finds

As we age, our ability to drive may help us live independently, shop for ourselves, and maintain social connections. Although car crash rates are low among older adults and are declining, older adults do still have higher rates of fatal crashes.

14 Sep 2017

Researchers identify factors that predict frailty transitions in older men

As we age, we may be less able to perform daily activities because we may feel frail, or weaker than we have in the past. Frailer older adults may walk more slowly and have less energy. Frailty also raises a person's risks for falling, breaking a bone, becoming hospitalized, developing delirium, and dying.

8 Sep 2017

Non-drug behavioral treatments to address symptoms may help older adults with multiple chronic conditions

When we have several chronic health conditions as we age, the symptoms we experience can reduce our quality of life.

31 Aug 2017

Researchers develop new assessment to predict risk of falls in long-term care patients

Researchers from Hebrew SeniorLife's Institute for Aging Research have developed and validated a new assessment to predict the risk of falls in long-term care patients. The study on the assessment titled "Fracture Risk Assessment in Long-term Care (FRAiL)" was published today in the Journal of Gerontology Medical Science.

31 Aug 2017

Prolonged sitting and TV watching linked to mobility disability risk in older adults

Older people who watched more than five hours of TV per day and reported three or fewer hours per week of total physical activity had more than a three-fold higher risk of being unable to walk or having difficulty walking at the end of an 8-year study.

30 Aug 2017

Experts explore ways to improve safety of care for nursing home residents with dementia

By 2050, the number of people 65 and older with dementia in the United States is expected to nearly triple – from 5 million to more than 13 million – increasing the numbers in assisted living and nursing homes.

16 Aug 2017

Gerontology News and Research

Obese older adults who survive heart surgery may live with greater degrees of functional decline

HELP program for older adults reduces hospital readmissions rates

Scientists to investigate potential role of airborne pollutants as triggers of Parkinson's disease

Experts call for efforts to study elder abuse among veterans

Losing weight with diet, physical activity can improve blood flow in the brain of older adults with diabetes

Prescribed medications linked to dry mouth symptoms in older adults

Healthy heart may protect older adults from disability

Multiple sensory losses predict morbidity and mortality in older adults

Older adults with depression symptoms more likely to have trouble performing daily activities

Estrogen acts as upstream regulator for energy metabolism and muscle cell viability, study finds

Prognosis communication may be helpful to older adults with disabilities

Hypometabolism in medial prefrontal areas linked to AD-related nutritional problems

Lesser-known gene appears to play greater role in Alzheimer's and dementia-related memory decline

Research: Hospice referral at end of life should be based on older adult's pain, distressing symptoms

Older adults who had fallen more likely to experience car crashes, study finds

Researchers identify factors that predict frailty transitions in older men

Non-drug behavioral treatments to address symptoms may help older adults with multiple chronic conditions

Researchers develop new assessment to predict risk of falls in long-term care patients

Prolonged sitting and TV watching linked to mobility disability risk in older adults

Experts explore ways to improve safety of care for nursing home residents with dementia

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

Latest News