Seniors News and Research

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Contrary to common wisdom, sleeping pills may not increase fall risk

In nursing homes across the country, elderly people with insomnia often go untreated, because of the perception that sleeping pills increase the risk of falls and injuries that are a bane of old age.

6 Apr 2005

Congress must act now to avert crisis and keep Medicare program strong

A survey of physicians released by the American Medical Association (AMA) indicates that steep Medicare payment cuts to physicians, nurses and other health professionals will hurt access to care for America's seniors and disabled.

5 Apr 2005

UK study links heart conditions with common ‘hidden’ hormone disorders in the elderly

A study of nearly 6000 elderly people in Birmingham has shown that ‘hidden’ thyroid disorders are common in over-65s and that there is a strong link between one type of abnormality and irregular heartbeat. The work will be presented at the British Endocrine Societies 2005 meeting in Harrogate on Wednesday.

5 Apr 2005

Light therapy effectively treats mood disorders

A study commissioned by the American Psychiatric Association and led by a psychiatrist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine has found that light therapy effectively treats mood disorders, including seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and other depressive disorders.

4 Apr 2005

HHS awards $97 million contract to Sanofi Pasteur to speed the production process for new influenza vaccines

United States Department of Health and Human Services has awarded a $97 million contract to Sanofi Pasteur to speed the production process for new influenza vaccines for the U.S.

3 Apr 2005

New trial for treatment of liver disease

The Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) Clinical Research Network is launching its first two clinical trials for the study of NASH, a liver disease that resembles alcoholic liver disease but occurs in patients who drink little or no alcohol.

3 Apr 2005

Stress may enhance the body's ability to fight the flu

Short bouts of intense social stress improved the ability in the mice to recover from the flu. The stress apparently did so by substantially boosting the production of specialized immune cells that fought the virus.

3 Apr 2005

Not enough evidence that multivitamins prevent infections in the elderly

Role of multivitamins and mineral supplements in preventing infections in elderly people: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials BMJ Online First.

3 Apr 2005

Vets need to take more precautions over MRSA

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has warned that vets should take hospital-style precautions to avoid passing the MRSA "superbug" to animals, and should use sterile gloves, scrub suits and masks during operations to protect the animals.

29 Mar 2005

Seniors like to "nip and tuck"

Research by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has found that pensioners now have the money and the motivation to go under the knife in a bid to look a few years younger. Men and women in their seventies and eighties are fuelling the boom in cosmetic surgery

28 Mar 2005

Fish is brain food

Researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) found that a diet high in docosahexenoic acid, or DHA--an omega-3 fatty acid found in relatively high concentrations in cold-water fish--dramatically slowed the progression of Alzheimer's disease in mice.

28 Mar 2005

Why it's important for older people to exercise

Researchers now have the physical evidence to show why it's important for older people to exercise. And it comes with the discovery that, in aging racehorses, regular aerobic workouts decreased the prevalence of muscle damage that can be caused by exertion.

28 Mar 2005

Retirement communities need to do more to help residents cope with loneliness and depression

As the nation’s population ages, greater numbers of people are moving into assisted living and other retirement communities. While these facilities offer many advantages to the elderly, a recent research article concludes that they should consider doing more to alleviate the loneliness and depression that their residents often experience.

28 Mar 2005

NHS target driven culture is failing patients

The new tick box, target driven culture of the NHS is neglecting the quality of patient care, warns a senior doctor in this week's BMJ.

28 Mar 2005

NIAID investigates safety of H5N1 avian influenza vaccine

Fast-track recruitment has begun for a trial to investigate the safety of a vaccine against H5N1 avian influenza, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) announced today.

23 Mar 2005

You're never too old to quit smoking

According to US Government officials you're never to old to quit smoking, announcing that Medicare will immediately start covering the cost of counselling for certain beneficiaries who want to quit tobacco.

22 Mar 2005

Being physically active in middle age helps people maintain higher physical function later in life

“Participation in a physically active lifestyle appears to be critical to preserving high physical function in relatively fit, healthy, middle-aged men and women,” according to Dr. Melvyn Hillsdon of University College London and colleagues.

21 Mar 2005

Ongoing specialist care can improve heart attack survival

When a good network of care involving access to specialists and family physicians is established, it can significantly improve the number of lives saved from heart disease, especially in rural areas, according to a University of Alberta two-year study.

16 Mar 2005

New computer mouse adapter that enables people who suffer from hand tremors to eliminate excessive cursor movement

IBM have announced its researchers have invented a new computer mouse adapter that enables people who suffer from hand tremors to eliminate excessive cursor movement, thereby allowing more normal use of a personal computer.

16 Mar 2005

Drug-resistant bacteria on uncooked poultry products varies by commercial brand

The presence of drug-resistant, pathogenic bacteria on uncooked poultry products varies by commercial brand and is likely related to antibiotic use in production, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

16 Mar 2005