Gerontology News and Research

RSS

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

Winner of the 2009 Donald P. Kent Award

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) - the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging - has chosen Barbara Berkman, DSW, PhD, of Columbia University as the 2009 recipient of the Donald P. Kent Award.

14 Oct 2009

HST Global announces alliance for R&D of Nutraceutical and Medical Food formulation platform

HST Global, Inc. today announced a strategic R&D alliance with Dr. James W. Forsythe for the research and development of HST’s exclusive Nutraceutical and Medical Food formulation platform.

9 Oct 2009

University of Florida to study whether exercise can prevent disability in older people

The University of Florida will receive $29.5 million in federal stimulus funds over the next two years from the National Institute on Aging to begin a six-year study on whether a program of structured physical activity can prevent or delay major movement disability in older adults.

3 Oct 2009

Fetal exposure to H1N1 flu can increase risk of heart disease

People exposed to a H1NI strain of influenza A while in utero were significantly more likely to have cardiovascular disease later in life, reveals a new study to be published in Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease on Oct. 1.

1 Oct 2009

Study reveals that Americans have limited knowledge about long-term care

Overall, Americans did not do well on a survey of their long-term care knowledge. Most know what long-term care is and how much it costs, but their scores fall short regarding how many people will need it and how they will pay for it. The MetLife Long-Term Care IQ Survey, taken by 1,021 individuals aged 40 to 70 in 2009, compared results with a similar 2004 study.

30 Sep 2009

CIHR and CMAJ honour eight Canadian Health Researchers

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) today honoured eight outstanding Canadian individuals and teams with the first ever CIHR-CMAJ Top Canadian Achievements in Health Research Awards, which recognize and celebrate Canadian health research and innovation excellence.

29 Sep 2009

10th Annual Clinical Team Conference to focus on clinical care

More than 1,400 hospice and palliative care professionals and researchers have gathered in Denver for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization's 10th Annual Clinical Team Conference that begins today at the Hyatt Regency Denver.

25 Sep 2009

Students live with elder residents as part of the Learning by Living project

A geriatric training method pioneered by Marilyn R. Gugliucci, PhD, president of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (the educational branch of The Gerontological Society of America) has proved successful enough that she plans to implement it on a national level.

25 Sep 2009

Models of care developed by nurses discussed at a briefing on health care reform

Two innovative and highly successful models of care developed by nurses were the centerpiece of a briefing today on health care reform. The event, which brought together women's health leaders and health care experts, focused on the ways in which innovative health care models can help to improve efficiency, reduce costs and ensure quality care for patients and their families.

17 Sep 2009

Hairstylists’ role in identifying elderly clients for medical check up

Hairstylists may have a unique opportunity to help steer their elderly clients to needed health services, according to a small, exploratory study.

9 Sep 2009

Alzheimer’s disease researcher joins UBC's European Scientific Advisory Board

United BioSource Corporation (UBC) announced this summer at ICAD 2009 that Bengt Winblad, MD, PhD has joined its European Scientific Advisory Board for CNS Clinical Trials. Professor Winblad is one of the world’s leading Alzheimer’s disease researchers and currently serves as Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Chief Physician at the Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

5 Sep 2009

Research to reverse aging and extend human longevity

Researchers are studying ways of extending our healthy years, perhaps one day reversing the physiological aging process to the point where the human life span is virtually limitless. Is the prospect of living from now into eternity a cherished dream or a fearsome nightmare? In the latest life and health article by Vision.org titled, "Who Wants to Live Forever," the topic of aging and the human life span are discussed further and many questions arise on the topic of becoming immortal.

2 Sep 2009

Japanese health care: Lower costs and nearly no bankruptcy

The New York Times, in a series of ongoing stories about health care delivery in other countries, interviewed John Creighton Campbell, of the University of Michigan and visiting researcher at the Tokyo University Institute of Gerontology who has studied Japan's health care system.

26 Aug 2009

Virginia Tech researchers to help pre-diabetic adults begin resistance training for preventing diabetes

Systematic, progressive resistance training - also called strength training - is a safe and efficient way for middle-aged and older adults to improve their health. A Virginia Tech led research team that includes experts in behavior, exercise, physiology, and medicine is designing a program to help pre-diabetic adults begin and, most important, maintain resistance training in order to prevent diabetes.

26 Aug 2009

University of Southern California's gerontology students participate in an interactive senior sensitivity training program

Gerontology students at University of Southern California had an opportunity to "become senior citizens" on Friday thanks to Trading Ages(TM), an interactive senior sensitivity training program sponsored by SCAN Health Plan.

24 Aug 2009

The Gerontologist discusses perceptions of different groups about cognitive health

A new special issue of The Gerontologist has identified for the first time how ethnically, culturally, linguistically, and geographically diverse groups think about aging and brain health.

21 Aug 2009

Amazonian tribe sheds light on causes of heart attacks and strokes in developed countries

Heart attacks and strokes — the leading causes of death in the United States and other developed countries — may have been rare for the vast majority of human history, suggests a study to be published in PLoS ONE on Tuesday, August 11.

10 Aug 2009

For struggling single mothers, 3-generation households better than 2

Living in a three-generation household can significantly enhance the economic well-being of children, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Southern California and the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

3 Aug 2009

Some blood pressure drugs may help protect against dementia, study shows

A particular class of medication used to treat high blood pressure could protect older adults against memory decline and other impairments in cognitive function, according to a newly published study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

23 Jul 2009

Close caregiver relationship may slow Alzheimer's decline

A study led by Johns Hopkins and Utah State University researchers suggests that a particularly close relationship with caregivers may give people with Alzheimer's disease a marked edge over those without one in retaining mind and brain function over time. The beneficial effect of emotional intimacy that the researchers saw among participants was on par with some drugs used to treat the disease.

22 Jul 2009