Gerontology News and Research

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

Hartford Foundation awards $800,000 grant for training in geriatric social work

The prestigious Hartford Doctoral Fellows and Hartford Faculty Scholars programs have awarded $800,000 in combined new grants to ten researchers in the field of geriatric social work.

4 May 2010

Rush Center for Urban Health Equity to focus on disparities in heart and lung disease

Rush University Medical Center has been awarded a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish the Rush Center for Urban Health Equity. The aim of the Center is to find ways to promote changes to eliminate the disparities in heart and lung disease affecting inner city residents, in particular those who are low-income persons of color.

4 May 2010

Short-term calorie restriction improves function of T-cells

Scientists funded by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found that volunteers who followed a low-calorie diet or a very low-calorie diet not only lost weight, but also significantly enhanced their immune response. The study may be the first to demonstrate the interaction between calorie restriction and immune markers among humans.

30 Apr 2010

Posit Science challenges BBC study on cognitive training programs

Posit Science, the leader in clinically proven brain fitness programs, contests the interpretation and methodology used in a British Broadcasting Corporation-sponsored study published in the journal Nature.

21 Apr 2010

Calorie restriction may help people to lead longer and healthier lives

Organisms from yeast to rodents to humans all benefit from cutting calories. In less complex organisms, restricting calories can double or even triple lifespan. It's not yet clear just how much longer calorie restriction might help humans live, but those who practice the strict diet hope to survive past 100 years old.

16 Apr 2010

Secrets to happiness, depression in centenarians identified

Researchers from Iowa State University's gerontology program have helped identify what predicts happiness and long life in centenarians, as well as what causes depression in 80-somethings and above.

9 Apr 2010

Study refutes widely held belief that intentional weight loss in older adults leads to increased risk of death

A new study by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is the first to refute the widely held belief that intentional weight loss in older adults leads to increased risk of death.

5 Apr 2010

Challenges facing all health professions highlight need for comprehensive policy

Now that the Administration and Congress have enacted historic health reform legislation, they must work together to establish a comprehensive and coordinated national health workforce policy to ensure health reform's successful implementation, according to Dr. Steven A Wartman, president and CEO of the Association of Academic Health Centers.

2 Apr 2010

ThisCaringHome.org: Interactive web site for caregivers of Alzheimer's

It is estimated that Alzheimer's disease affects 5.3 million Americans and that number is expected to double by 2050. Caregivers shoulder a particularly heavy burden as the illness alters the dementia patient's behavior, mood and judgment, impeding his or her ability to engage in normal, everyday activities.

27 Mar 2010

New study questions effectiveness of national Silver Alert program

A group of Miami University researchers studying the national Silver Alert program for locating missing adults with dementia or other cognitive impairments question the program's effectiveness and safety, given the speed in which it's being implemented throughout the country.

26 Mar 2010

New software may help improve safety among senior drivers

Psychologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Center for Research in Applied Gerontology are testing software to determine if it could help senior adult drivers avoid car crashes by improving their reflexes and reaction time

24 Mar 2010

Downsizing and demotions at workplace can be a health hazard for older people

Downsizing and demotions at the workplace can be a health hazard for people over age 50, according to research reported in a recent issue of the Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological and Social Sciences (Volume 65B, Number 1).

19 Mar 2010

MetLife data indicates middle boomers should be treated as separate demographic groups

For decades, American Baby Boomers have been characterized as a bloc of people who think and act as one monolithic generation. However, recent data from the MetLife Mature Market Institute®, show that Young, Middle and Older Boomers grew up during disparate “eras” and are now at different stages in their lives. They should, perhaps, be treated as separate demographic groups.

4 Mar 2010

Maintaining a sense of being younger gives an edge

The saying "You're only as old as you feel" really seems to resonate with older adults, according to research from Purdue University.

3 Mar 2010

Adult day health programs help senior participants maintain their health and independence

A recent study by San Francisco’s Institute on Aging documents that adult day health programs play a vital role in helping senior participants maintain their health and independence. Since the 1970s, adult day health care has been promoted as an alternative to nursing home care for seniors with chronic illness, disability, or dementia.

3 Mar 2010

Individuals with higher midlife BMI scores have lower cognitive ability: Study

The adverse affects of being overweight are not limited to physical function but also extend to neurological function, according to research in the latest issue of the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological and Medical Sciences (Volume 65A, Number 1).

24 Feb 2010

MetLife Mature Market Institute provides history of generations born since early 1900s

A series of publications from the MetLife Mature Market Institute provide a history of the generations born since the early 1900s. There are almost as many members of Gen Y (born 1977-1994) in the U.S. in comparison to the largest group, the Baby Boomers.

19 Feb 2010

AGHE to hold conference to discuss on gerontological and geriatric education and training

The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education - the educational branch of The Gerontological Society of America - will hold its 36th Annual Meeting and Educational Leadership Conference from March 4 to 7, 2010, at The Peppermill in Reno, NV. This conference provides a forum for professionals in the field of aging to present their work and share ideas about gerontological and geriatric education and training.

18 Feb 2010

Study calls for improved decision-making in using feeding tubes in dementia patients

Researchers from Brown University and Harvard Medical School are calling for improved decision-making in the use of feeding tubes for hospitalized nursing home residents with advanced dementia.

10 Feb 2010

Toronto Rehab scientists develop SoleSensor to help older people stay on their feet

In an aging society, falling is a growing problem. Just one bad fall can mark the start of a downward spiral in an older person's health and quality of life. The cost of treating falls also puts a heavy burden on the health care system. Toronto Rehab scientists have developed a simple footwear insole called SoleSensor(TM), which has proven to improve balance and prevent falls.