Results for search "Aging: Misc.".
08 Aug
A new study finds breast cancer screening after the age of 70 may be leading to overdiagnosis, unnecessary procedures and anxiety.
Many older adults are savvy about telephone scams, but a sizable minority remain vulnerable, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that when they simulated a "government impersonation" scam -- contacting seniors and pretending to be federal employees -- over two-thirds knew how to handle the situation: They ignored it.
The rest, however, "engaged" with the "scammer." They either c...
Perhaps succumbing to fraudsters or facing mounting bills, older Americans begin losing wealth in the years preceding a definitive dementia diagnosis, new research shows.
For example, the median household net worth of the seniors in the study dropped by more than half in the eight years before they were diagnosed with dementia, but dipped much less for folks who retained their mental capa...
As people age, health issues tend to mount, but roughly a quarter of low-income adults over 65 have no medical insurance.
That’s the age when most Americans become eligible for Medicare, the federal health insurance for seniors. But many of the uninsured seniors are Hispanic Americans who aren't eligible for that coverage, or lower income people who may not be able to afford Medicare pr...
Good oral health is one of the keys to healthy aging, but a sobering new study shows that many U.S. nursing home residents have significant dental issues.
Close to two in every 10 residents have missing teeth, about 8% have broken teeth/cavities and another 11% report pain while chewing, researchers found.
“Inadequate oral health has far-reaching consequences that extend beyond t...
Premenopausal women who have surgery to remove the ovaries (oophorectomy) and fallopian tubes may face chronic medical conditions and a decline in physical functioning, new research warns.
“The study is important because it emphasizes information that we already know, and that is that …premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy [PBO] is not good for women's health, and it's associated with ...
A lot of older adults have digestive diseases that can be debilitating. They can also be linked to loneliness and depression, a new study says.
“These conditions are very common in ambulatory care,” said gastroenterologist Dr. Shirley Cohen-Mekelburg, who specializes in problems like ...
Hot weather can pose serious health risks for older adults.
Existing medical conditions, problems moving around and medications raise the risk of heatstroke, according to an expert at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Being prepared can help prevent heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
“As we age, we become less efficient at noticing and adjusting to the heat,” geriatr...
New Swedish research suggests that up to 5% of 70-year-olds have glaucoma, and half of those diagnosed didn't even know they had the disease.
“Of those who were diagnosed with glaucoma via the study, 15 people -- or 2.7% of all participants -- were unaware that they had the disease before being examined,” said study author
The two "freezing" episodes that Sen. Mitch McConnell experienced recently weren't strokes or seizures, the Capitol physician said in a new letter released Tuesday.
“My examination of you following your August 30, 2023, brief episode included several medical evaluations: brain MRI imaging, EEG study and consultations...
FRIDAY, Sept. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) – After Sen. Republican Leader Mitch McConnell froze for the second time during a Wednesday briefing in Kentucky, Congress’ attending physician has cleared him to continue working.
<...Men's testosterone levels remain pretty steady until age 70. After that, production of the male sex hormone starts to decline, new research indicates.
This begs the question: Is testosterone loss among seniors really a function of the normal aging process? Or might it reflect other health issues that often confront men as they get older?
Both may be true, say investigators, wi...
If you are in your 90s, is hip replacement surgery too dangerous for you?
That depends, new research shows: While elderly patients have more complications and higher death rates after such a procedure, the surgery can be “appropriately considered."
That's because the risks for total hip replacement depend not just on patients’ age, but also on their overall health and fitness. <...
Older people who take adult education classes may lower their risk for dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, Japanese research suggests.
Middle-aged folks and older people in adult education classes had a 19% lower risk of developing dementia within five years, the researchers found.
"We also found that nonverbal reasoning performance was well preserved in the adults taking edu...
The American middle-class squeeze has grown even worse in recent years, with many in the “forgotten middle” facing financial pressure and poor health as they near retirement age, a new study reports.
Essentially, the U.S. middle class has split in two, and those relegated to the lower-middle are facing tough times in retirement, said lead researcher
An estimated 26 million Americans 50 and older live alone, and researchers estimate that more than 4 million have dementia or cognitive impairment.
That means a large number of older Americans are at risk for medication mix-ups, unsafe driving, wandering and missing important medical appointments. And, a new study warns, the U.S. health care system is ill-equipped to address the needs of ...
Certain adult vaccines, including shingles and pneumonia shots, may also help seniors fight off Alzheimer's disease, new research reveals.
Prior vaccination with the shingles vaccine, pneumococcus vaccine or the tetanus and diphtheria shot, with or without an added pertussis vaccine, are associated with a 25% to 30% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers from...
Older adults who use certain heartburn medications for years may have a heightened risk of developing dementia, a new study suggests.
The study, published Aug. 9 in the journal Neurology, is the latest to point to potential hazards from prolonged use of medications called proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs. They include such well-known brands as Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec, and th...
The trauma and unhappy family dynamics of childhood may follow kids into old age, affecting both their mind and body, according to new research.
“We looked at self-reported disability, as well as objectively measured physical and cognitive impairment, and learned that early-life stressful experiences can have ramifications all the way into older age,” said senior author
Yoga is known for its benefits to both the mind and body. And a gentle form of yoga may be an ideal early intervention technique for older women at risk of Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.
In a small study involving kundalini yoga, participants reported that its stress-relieving effects translated to more efficient memory.
“Women tend to practice yoga more readily...
While both the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are considered safe and highly effective, new research finds the Moderna shot has been the safest and most effective for seniors.
“The results of this study can help public health experts weigh which mRNA vaccine might be preferred for older adults and older subgroups, such as those with increased frailty,” said lead study author
Most older adults think that screening for dementia is a good idea, according to a new poll on aging. But few actually take that step.
Only about 20% of those aged 65 to 80 had a screening test in the past year to see if their memory and thinking abilities have started to decline, according to the University of Michigan's National Poll on Healthy Aging.
“As many as half of Am...
Writing letters, taking classes and playing mentally stimulating games like chess in your older years could lower your risk of dementia over the next decade, a new study suggests.
Researchers in Australia found that journaling, using a computer, taking education classes and other "literacy enrichment" activities might lessen the risk of developing dementia by 11%. Playing games, car...
Vicki Bickford is a professional caregiver, but lately she's been worried more and more about her own aging.
Bickford, 66, has aggressive arthritis that has required hip replacements and has now spread to her knees, as well as degenerative disc disease in her spine.
She's made modifications to help her stay in her home -- sliding glass doors, a ramp, a day basement -- but it has cos...
Older adults who regularly spend time with family and friends may have bigger brains to show for it, a new study suggests.
Healthy brain aging is a complex matter, and researchers are still trying to understand which factors keep the mind sharp and which ones feed declines in memory and thinking.
But a number of studies have suggested that social life matters. Social stimulation is ...
The couch potato life may not be a happy one.
When older adults become more sedentary, their overall quality of life takes a hit, new research cautions.
Sitting still is your enemy, the study suggests. Even slow walking can help improve your mental and physical health, say the British researchers who tracked more than 1,400 adults age 60 and up.
“We set off to look at ...
Getting regular exercise can help protect against mental decline in an aging brain. But poor sleep can take away those benefits.
A new study found that people who were more active but slept less than six hours on average had faster cognitive (mental) d...
When frail patients go into cardiac arrest and need cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during surgery, they're more likely to die than those who are stronger, a new study shows.
Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston studied the impact of frailty on survival in these cases where previously frailty was not considered as a factor.
“CPR should not be considered fut...
Researchers have found significant new evidence of a link between a decreased sense of smell and the risk of developing depression later in life.
Known as hyposmia, or at its most profound, anosmia, the condition has been associated previously with Alzheimer's disease in older adults.
“We've seen repeatedly that a poor sense of smell can be an early warning sign of neurodegenerat...
A new study finds that women with a common form of irregular heartbeat may be at greater risk for cognitive decline than men.
Atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, is linked with a higher risk for mental decline and dementia, possibly because it also more than doubles a person's risk for mini-strokes. These episodes, which often go unnoticed, can lead to impaired brain function. In addition, wom...
The median age of Americans hit a record high of nearly 39 in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
In 2000, the median age was 35, and in 1980 it was 30 -- meaning half of Americans were older, half younger. These findings add to the evidence that like many European and Asian countries, the United States is graying, reducing the workforce, and stressing economic and social programs....
Alzheimer's disease is a devastating diagnosis, and if a close relative has had it you may worry whether you will be next.
According to the National Institutes of Health, it is estimated that over 6 million Americans over 65 suffer from Alzheimer's. Since this is primarily a disease that comes with age, t...
Taking daily low-dose aspirin increases the risk of anemia in the elderly, a new clinical trial suggests.
Not only does it raise anemia risk by more than 20% in people 70 or older, it is also associated with a decline in blood iron levels, researchers report.
“This finding about anemia and aspirin is noteworthy because, in many older people, anemia has other consequences such as f...
Learning that your loved one has Alzheimer's disease can be frightening and leave you feeling lost and unsure.
To help you better understand the condition and what you can do to manage it, experts detail what causes Alzheimer's disease. In this guide, you'll learn about the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that scientists think may interact to contribute to the development of ...
Alzheimer's robs its victims of their memories and there is no cure, but there are things you can do to prevent Alzheimer's disease.
With Alzheimer's, two types of brain proteins, called tau tangles and beta-amyloid plaques, grow out of control. According to Harvard Health, these proteins destroy brain cells and cause
Testosterone replacement therapy is safe for most men with heart problems who also have been diagnosed with a low testosterone disorder, a new clinical trial has concluded.
The trial found that testosterone replacement did not raise these patients' incidence of heart attack, stroke or heart-related death in a group of men with both heart problems and hypogonadism -- a condition in which l...
The benefits of friendships and activity aren't just for the young.
Staying socially active can also help older adults age their best, according to new research that pinpoints volunteering and recreational activities as important for seniors.
“Although the study's observational nature prohibits the determination of causality, it makes intuitive sense that social activity is asso...
An amino acid found in meat, fish and energy drinks might be a key regulator of aging in animals, a new study suggests.
However, experts warn that no one should start seeing Red Bull as a fountain of youth.
Researchers found that deficiencies in the amino acid, called taurine, seemed to be a prime driver of aging in lab mice: Their taurine levels naturally declined with age, but giv...
Kids with poor impulse control — a common characteristic of ADHD — may be at higher risk for health, social and criminal problems as adults, a new study indicates.
Researchers found that having attention and behavior problems in childhood was linked to less money, lower educational achievement and poorer health in adulthood when compared to those who could regulate their behavior as ...
Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been tied to an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Now, research suggests that erectile woes during late middle age may also be linked to a man's chances of developing memory issues later on.
“Because subtle changes in erectile function were related to memory decline, our results suggest that neglecting this aspect of se...
Older adults may have a second vaccine option for RSV following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of a Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday.
The other shot for adults 60 and up is made by GSK. It was approved May 3.
Both should be available by fall, before the seasonal spread of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), The New York Times reported.
The Pfizer ...
A key to living to 100 may be the viruses living in a centenarian's guts.
“This snapshot of how the virome interacts with gut microbiomes could tell us about how microbial and viral ecology evolves over the lifetime of a person,” said Ramnik Xavier, director of immunology and co-director of the infectious ...
You'll likely lose some of your memory and thinking abilities as you age, but nutrients called flavanols might help thwart that decline, a new study suggests.
Not getting enough flavanols -- natural compounds found in fruits, vegetables and even chocolate -- could be driving that age-related memory loss, researchers say.
This research is the pinnacle of 1...
For people who've lost some mental sharpness, to either aging or disease, a technique that gently "zaps" the brain circuitry is showing early promise.
That's according to a new analysis of more than 100 studies assessing the technique, called transcranial alternating current stimulation, or tACS. It involves using electrodes on the scalp to send weak electrical pulses to specific brain ar...
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system and leaves patients suffering from a host of symptoms, and now new research finds life stressors can make those symptoms even worse.
Poverty, abuse and divorce in childhood and adulthood can significantly impact the level of disability someone with MS experiences, according to researchers from Michigan Me...
The American population is older than it used to be, according to new U.S. Census data.
With fewer young children, more baby boomers and even more centenarians, the country's median age is higher — at 38.8 — and the share of people aged 65 and up more substantial, the
A federal website intended to help people choose a nursing home not only contains inaccurate information, but those inaccuracies appear to be at least partially driven by race, a new study reports.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established the Nursing Home Care Compare website in the 1990s to publicly report patient safety indicators for every nursing facility ...
Drinking heavily while younger puts you at risk for muscle loss and frailty later in life, new research suggests.
These findings are another reason to cut back on the booze, according to the research team from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the United Kingdom.
“Losing muscle as we age leads to problems with weakness and frailty in later life,” said professor
Older Americans are increasingly likely to log into “patient portals” to access their health care information — but confidence levels vary.
About 78% of people aged 50 to 80 now use at least one patient portal, according to the new University of Michigan (U-M) National Poll on Healthy Aging.
Five years ago, just 51% in this age range used patient portals, the researchers sai...
You've heard of eating your spinach to stay strong, but how about loading up on your flavonols?
New research suggests that plant-based foods rich in these important dietary compounds could lower your chances of developing frailty as you age.
Apples and blackberries are among the fruits that contain a particular flavonoid called quercetin that may be the most important to prevent fra...