Gerontology News and Research

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

Dental pulp stem cell transplants can contribute to peripheral nerve regeneration

Peripheral nerve injuries often are caused by trauma or surgical complications and can result in considerable disabilities. Regeneration of peripheral nerves can be accomplished effectively using autologous (self-donated) nerve grafts, but that procedure may sacrifice a functional nerve and cause loss of sensation in another part of the patient's body.

7 Jul 2015

Rapamycin drug reduces obesity, preserves lean body mass in older rats

Aging can cause many changes to the body, including obesity and a loss of lean mass. Now, a group of University of Florida Health researchers has discovered that an existing drug reduces body fat and appetite in older rats, which has intriguing implications for aging humans.

17 Jun 2015

USciences confers honorary doctor of science degree to GSA CEO

University of the Sciences conferred an honorary doctor of science degree to James C. Appleby P'87, RPh, MPH, at its 194th Commencement Ceremony on May 20, 2015. Appleby is executive director and CEO of The Gerontological Society of America, the nation's leading interdisciplinary professional membership organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging.

4 Jun 2015

Community Health Network, University of Indianapolis partner to establish clinical facility on campus

Community Health Network and the University of Indianapolis are joining forces to establish a clinical facility on campus where students and faculty will work alongside health and wellness professionals to serve patients and clients, transforming the educational experience and bringing important resources to an underserved part of the city.

3 Jun 2015

Veritas Genetics introduces genetic screen for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer risk

Boston-based Veritas Genetics is launching its mission to disrupt the genetic testing industry and bring personalized medicine and prevention to the forefront, allowing individuals to take more control of their health.

2 Jun 2015

Space Aging study may help identify novel genes linked to longevity

The plot of many a science fiction TV series or movie revolves around the premise that people traveling long distances in space age more slowly than their counterparts on Earth. Now, tiny worms who spent time aboard the International Space Station could help humans understand more about the effects of aging in space for real.

1 Jun 2015

New MSU research finds that use of tablets can help older adults cross the 'digital divide'

One way to help the elderly cross what's known as the "digital divide" is the use of tablets, those smaller, lighter, easy-to-use computers that seem to be taking the place of laptops.

29 May 2015

WSU study could help predict mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease

Mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, may be one of Alzheimer's earliest signs. The subtle changes of MCI include problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment and a subjective sense that mental function is getting worse.

20 Apr 2015

Researchers assess how chronic stress and relationship quality influence individual's blood pressure

While other studies have shown that stress and negative marital quality can influence mortality and blood pressure, there has not been research that discussed how it might affect married couples over time. Using systolic blood pressure as a gauge, researchers assessed whether an individual's blood pressure is influenced by their own as well as their partner's reports of chronic stress and whether there are gender differences in these patterns.

8 Apr 2015

Loneliness, social isolation can lead to increased health care use in older adults

Experiences of loneliness and social isolation can lead to increased health care use among older adults, according to new research from the University of Georgia College of Public Health.

1 Apr 2015

Less-toxic drug combined with fasting may kill cancer cells

Fasting in combination with chemotherapy has already been shown to kill cancer cells, but a pair of new studies in mice suggests that a less-toxic class of drugs combined with fasting may kill breast, colorectal and lung cancer cells equally well.

31 Mar 2015

Study: Mexican Americans spend high proportion of their later years with disability

Life expectancy for Hispanics in the U.S. currently outpaces other ethnic groups, yet a new study finds that Mexican Americans -- especially women who were born in Mexico -- are spending a high proportion of their later years with some form of disability, a fact that suggests a growing need for community assistance and long-term care in the future.

30 Mar 2015

Severe mortality-associated diseases less prevalent in members of long-lived families

Recent research from the Long Life Family Study (LLFS) confirms that severe mortality-associated diseases are less prevalent in the families of long-lived individuals than in the general population. The Journals of Gerontology, Series A will publish these findings in the article titled, "Are Members of Long-Lived Families Healthier than Their Equally Long-Lived Peers? Evidence from the Long Life Family Study" on March 5, 2015.

6 Mar 2015

Association for Gerontology in Higher Education announces new awardees

The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education -- the educational branch of The Gerontological Society of America -- is proud to announce its newest awardees. The presentation of the awards will occur at AGHE's 41st Annual Meeting and Educational Leadership Conference, taking place from February 26 to March 1 at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown in Nashville, Tennessee.

28 Feb 2015

Study lays groundwork for building consensus on successful aging

Scholars have long debated what successful aging is, how to measure it, and how to promote it. But the latest issue of The Gerontologist lays the groundwork for building consensus on the topic -- while pointing out that the answer may differ among academics and the general public, as well as across populations and demographic groups.

16 Feb 2015

OUP announces launch of new journal that focuses on worker aging and retirement

Oxford University Press is pleased to announce the launch of a new interdisciplinary journal, Work, Aging and Retirement, which is published in association with Lingnan (University) College of Sun Yat-sen University.

15 Feb 2015

NSF issues new recommendations for proper sleep durations

The National Sleep Foundation, along with a multi-disciplinary expert panel, issued its new recommendations for appropriate sleep durations. The report recommends wider appropriate sleep ranges for most age groups. The results are published in Sleep Health: The Official Journal of the National Sleep Foundation.

3 Feb 2015

Prevalence of falls among older adults on the rise

Over a 12-year period, the prevalence of self-reported falls among older adults appeared to be on the rise, according to a new nationally representative study.

19 Jan 2015

Abnormal attachment of sugar to BACE1 enzyme leads to formation of Aβ plaques in the brain

Researchers at the RIKEN-Max Planck Joint Research Center in Japan have demonstrated that hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer's disease can be reduced when sugars are prevented from binding to one of the key enzymes implicated in the disease. The new findings, reported in EMBO Molecular Medicine, show that abnormal attachment of a particular sugar to the enzyme BACE1 is a critical factor leading to the formation of Aβ plaques in the brain, and that plaques were reduced and cognitive performance improved when this action was prevented in mice through loss of the enzyme GnT-III.

17 Jan 2015

Individualized, patient-centered care needed to treat and monitor people with chronic pain

An independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health concluded that individualized, patient-centered care is needed to treat and monitor the estimated 100 million Americans living with chronic pain. To achieve this aim, the panel recommends more research and development around the evidence-based, multidisciplinary approaches needed to balance patient perspectives, desired outcomes, and safety.

14 Jan 2015