Gerontology News and Research

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

Chronic psychological stress linked to increased risk of Alzheimer's

Chronic psychological stress throughout a lifespan might increase an individual's risk for Alzheimer's and dementia later in life, according to research from the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University.

28 Jul 2011

Ethnically diverse populations crucial for aging research

A new supplemental issue of The Gerontologist urges aging researchers to include representative samples of ethnically diverse populations in their work. The publication also identifies research priorities for moving the science of recruitment and retention forward, in addition to providing several strategies that scholars can employ in their work.

22 Jul 2011

Study finds 37% of Michigan's seniors struggling to meet basic living expenses

Michigan's older adults are more likely to be poor and at greater risk of not being able to afford their basic living expenses than U.S. Census data indicate. According to a recent analysis by the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology's Seniors Count! project, 37 percent of Michigan's seniors are living at or below a level of basic economic security.

21 Jul 2011

Family members, dementia patients can benefit from adult day care services

Adult day care services significantly reduce the stress levels of family caregivers of older adults with dementia, according to a team of Penn State and Virginia Tech researchers.

19 Jul 2011

Researchers identify gene linked to muscle endurance

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a gene for endurance, or more precisely, a negative regulator of it.

19 Jul 2011

Global research initiatives to standardize Alzheimer's biomarkers

As the Alzheimer's field moves closer to new and earlier tests for the disease, innovative global research initiatives are taking the first important steps to standardize Alzheimer's biomarkers, as evidenced by two presentations made today at the Alzheimer's Association(R) International Conference 2011 (AAIC 2011) in Paris.

18 Jul 2011

New antidepressant prescription linked to increased risk of falls in nursing home residents

Nursing home residents taking certain antidepressant medications are at an increased risk of falling in the days following the start of a new prescription or a dose increase of their current drug, according to a new study by the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

16 Jul 2011

Study: 82% of Georgia hospitals do not offer palliative care services

Hospitals across the nation are increasingly implementing palliative care programs to help patients manage the physical and emotional burdens of serious illnesses, but a new University of Georgia study finds that 82 percent of the state's hospitals do not offer palliative care services.

12 Jul 2011

Study suggests racial disparity in elder care options in the U.S. nursing homes

In the last decade, minorities have poured into nursing homes at a time when whites have left in even greater numbers, according to a new Brown University study that suggests a racial disparity in elder care options in the United States.

8 Jul 2011

Gene overexpression linked with Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome

Chronic stress has long been linked with neurodegeneration. Scientists at USC now think they may know why.

29 Jun 2011

New book aims to help address the issue of long term care and older people

A new book co-edited by Dr Alisoun Milne, Reader in Social Gerontology and Social Work at the University of Kent's School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, aims to help address the issue of long term care and older people.

23 Jun 2011

Twelve institutions receive NPCRC and American Cancer Society grants for palliative care research

The American Cancer Society and the National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC) are awarding $2 million in research grants to researchers at 12 institutions for studies aimed at reducing suffering for seriously ill patients and their family caregivers.

22 Jun 2011

TRIL Centre, Age Action Ireland announce falls awareness day on June 21

The TRIL Centre and Age Action Ireland announce a falls awareness day, Tuesday 21st June 2011, the longest day of the year.

17 Jun 2011

Early parental emotional abuse linked to higher number of sleep complaints in old age

Suffering from parental abuse as a child increases a person's chances of having poor sleep quality in old age, according to a research article in the current issue of the Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological and Social Sciences.

9 Jun 2011

Hartford Faculty Scholars Program grants two-year award to geriatric social work researchers

The prestigious Hartford Faculty Scholars Program has granted 11 geriatric social work researchers a two-year award that will provide career development, mentorship, and support for projects that will improve healthy outcomes for the country's aging population.

4 Jun 2011

GSA, NAM receive new MetLife Foundation's grant for aging fellowship program

The MetLife Foundation has awarded The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and New America Media (NAM) $100,000 in new grant funding for a fellowship program that will bring aging-focused reporters to GSA's Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston this November. Half of the invited participants will be chosen from ethnic media outlets.

25 May 2011

Life expectancy blood test not popular with experts

According to scientists and medical ethicist there are hidden dangers of a new blood test for determining how fast someone is ageing. The test costs £435 test and is due to go on sale to the general public in Britain later this year, measures the length of a person's telomeres, the structures on the tips of the chromosomes which get progressively shorter with age. Short telomeres are linked with age-related diseases and premature death.

17 May 2011