Feature Channels: Seniors

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Progressive resistance muscle training improves strength in older adults and enhances their ability to do daily tasks such as walking, climbing steps or getting out of a chair.

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The Center of Excellence (COE) on Brain Aging at NYU Langone Medical Center inaugurates a new facility this week at 145 East 32 Street. The state-of-the-art, 15,000 square foot facility empowers collaboration, uniting the COE's existing clinical care centers with well-established clinical research programs focused on healthy brain aging, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson disease, and other neurodegenerative cognitive disorders.

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Seniors are sharpening their recall and other mental processes at The Brain Emporium, a community center program opened and run by Case Western Reserve University Psychologist T.J. McCallum. McCallum and graduate students custom design a regimen of computer games and programs for each individual's needs and wants.

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UCLA scientists and colleagues from UC Riverside and the Human BioMolecular Research Institute have found that a form of vitamin D, together with a chemical found in turmeric spice called curcumin, may help stimulate the immune system to clear the brain of amyloid beta, which forms the plaques considered the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

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When cells experiencing DNA damage fail to repair themselves, they send a signal to their neighbors letting them know they're in trouble. The discovery, made at the Buck Institute for Age Research, shows that a process dubbed the DDR (DNA Damage Response) also controls communication from cell to cell. The research has implications for both cancer and aging.

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Over 50 rheumatoid arthritis investigators from across the country recently met in San Diego to share information and present data and results from their innovative RA projects and to brainstorm ways to work more closely together to find a cure for RA.

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The bottom-line message from a decades-long study of monkeys on a restricted diet is simple: Consuming fewer calories leads to a longer, healthier life.

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The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and two collaborating centers report that rapamycin, a compound first discovered in soil of Easter Island, extended the expected lifespan of middle-aged mice by 28 percent to 38 percent. In human terms, this would be greater than the predicted increase in extra years of life if cancer and heart disease were both cured and prevented.

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Each year, one of every three people over age 65 suffers a fall, resulting in nearly 16,000 deaths. Falls in the elderly cause 1.8 million emergency room visits and 433,000 hospitalizations for injuries such as bruises, fractures and head trauma. Dr. Anita Chopra, a UMDNJ geriatrician, can discuss newly published research on falls as well as ways to protect the elderly from injuries caused by falls.

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According to a new study from researchers at Duke University, total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures performed in older patients with osteoarthritis of the knee result in long-term, significant improvement of physical functioning and motor skills when compared to patients who do not receive TKA.

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U.S. seniors performed significantly better than their counterparts in England on standard tests of memory and cognitive function, according to a new study.

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Middle-aged women who had migraine headaches with aura (sensory disturbances, such as with vision, balance or speech) had a higher prevalence of brain lesions when they were older, compared to individuals without similar types of headaches, according to a study in the June 24 issue of JAMA.

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Depression in older adults too often goes unrecognized and untreated, resulting in untold misery, worsening of medical illness, and early death. A new study has identified one important remedy: Adding a trained depression care manager to primary care practices can increase the number of patients receiving treatment, lead to a higher remission rate of depression, and reduce suicidal thoughts.

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National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers Senior Housing Locator, powered by SNAPforSeniors, will assist members in national search for housing providers and support long-distance caregivers.

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Researchers at Rush University Medical Center have found that less frequent participation in social activities is associated with a more rapid decline in motor function in the elderly. The data raise the possibility that motor decline can be slowed, and its adverse health consequences possibly delayed, by supporting social engagement -- a relatively low-cost solution to a large public health problem.

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Orthopaedic surgeons offer safety tips for outdoor exercise.

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Jeffrey Lafferman, MD is a geriatric psychiatrist who specializes in outpatient and inpatient services.

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A team of UNC researchers has proven that a key protein called p16INK4a is present in human blood and is strongly correlated both with chronological age and with certain behaviors such as tobacco use and physical inactivity, which are known to accelerate the aging process.

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A recent study by researchers from the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center shows that possessing a greater purpose in life decreases the risk of death among community-dwelling older persons.

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Frail elderly women with unexplained weight loss may benefit from supplementation with the body's appetite-stimulating hormone, ghrelin, or with similar agents, according to a new study. Results of the study, which was funded partially by the National Institutes of Health, were presented at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

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In the past decade, the concept of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has provided a way of identifying people at elevated risk of developing Alzheimer disease. MCI has been difficult to put in practice at times, but all the same has opened a window of opportunity for early detection, intervention, and some clinical trials. At the 7th Annual MCI Symposium, held 27-28 March in downtown Miami, Florida, 24 speakers covered the waterfront on this topic.

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Researchers at The Wistar Institute have defined a key target of an evolutionarily conserved protein that regulates the process of aging. The study provides fundamental knowledge about key mechanisms of aging that could point toward new anti-aging strategies and cancer therapies.

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Oxidative stress has been linked to aging, cancer and other diseases in humans. Paradoxically, researchers have suggested that small exposure to oxidative conditions may actually offer protection from acute doses. Now, scientists at the University of California, San Diego, have discovered the gene responsible for this effect.

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Dr. Stephen Scheinthal, F.A.C.N., a geriatric psychiatrist and associate director of the UMDNJ-New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging (NJISA), is available to discuss the importance of maintaining an active and productive lifestyle as an older adult, in recognition of Older Americans' Mental Health Week, May 24-30.

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Older drivers may be less cautious when driving at night under brighter road conditions, according to a new study released today by Canadian researchers.

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Researchers from Dalhousie, McMaster, and McGill universities are leading a new study will increase the understanding of common health problems affecting seniors in one of the most comprehensive studies on aging ever undertaken.

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Elder abuse has devastating consequences, yet is rarely recognized as a national social issue. A 15-second elder abuse information piece, featuring actor William Mapother of TV's "Lost", now airing in movie theaters nationwide, is poised to raise awareness. This is the first time a single, uniform message on elder abuse will be released nationally.

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An estimated 35 percent of U.S. adults age 40 and older have vestibular dysfunction (inner ear balance disorders), and those who do may have a higher risk of falling, according to a report in the May 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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A full third of American adults, 69 million men and women over age 40, are up to 12 times more likely to have a serious fall because they have some form of inner-ear dysfunction that throws them off balance and makes them dizzy, according to Johns Hopkins experts.

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Researchers at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School are one step closer to determining how human cells can be protected against the affects of age-related neurodegeneration including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The findings, published this past month in Nature Neuroscience, link the oxidation of potassium channels, which control a variety of cell functions and are essential to neuronal function, to the loss of neuronal function in aging.

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Interactions between prescription medications and over-the-counter medications are somewhat common. A University of Michigan pharmacist discusses what can be done to avoid unwanted side effects.

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From examining long-term care challenges to delving into ethical wills and addictions among the elderly, the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM) 25th annual conference will offer insight to its members into a range of topics.

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Exercise programs that lend strength, flexibility and balance might be one of the best ways to prevent falls among people age 65 and older, according to a Cochrane review of more than 100 studies.

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When an older person is injured in a fall, the cost is significant, both in quality of life and medical expense. Wireless body sensor networks that monitor gait, being developed by University of Virginia researchers, could offer a solution on both fronts.

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Wireless body sensor networks that monitor gait, being developed by University of Virginia researchers, could help keep seniors independent longer and reduce long-term health care costs.

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Health care providers can expect a significant increase in age-related macular degeneration as the baby boom generation reaches retirement age, according to a new study by researchers at RTI International and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Motivation and expectation may be factors in helping older adults regain lost functional ability after hospitalization, say researchers with the Birmingham VA and UAB. In findings published in March in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers found that patients hospitalized for surgery returned to normal baseline function more quickly and more completely than did patients hospitalized for illness.

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Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers have discovered that adult animals with hearing loss actually re-route the sense of touch into the hearing parts of the brain.

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Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a new energy-making biochemical twist in determining the lifespan of yeast cells, one so valuable to longevity that it is likely to also functions in humans.

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Our internal 24-hour clock or circadian rhythm creates a daily oscillation of body temperature, brain activity, hormone production and metabolism. Now researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Northwestern University report finding how the biological circadian clock mechanism communicates with processes that govern aging and metabolism.

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A new study indicates that some aspects of peoples' cognitive skills "“ such as the ability to make rapid comparisons, remember unrelated information and detect relationships "“ peak at about the age of 22, and then begin a slow decline starting around age 27.

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Although not having many close friends contributes to poorer health for older adults, those who also feel lonely face even greater health risks, new research says. Older people who are able to adjust to being alone don't have the same health problems. The study is the first to examine the relationships between health and two different types of isolation.

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Michael O. Thorner, M.D., a clinician and researcher at the University of Virginia Health System, is scheduled to discuss his latest anti-frailty research today at the Society for Endocrinology's annual meeting in Harrogate, England. Thorner will be presenting the 2009 Dale Medal lecture, given each year by the recipient of the society's highest honor.

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Women who maintain a healthy weight and who have lower perceived stress may be less likely to have chromosome changes associated with aging than obese and stressed women, according to a pilot study that was part of the Sister Study. The long-term Sister Study is looking at the environmental and genetic characteristics of women whose sister had breast cancer to identify factors associated with developing breast cancer.

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Older air traffic controllers can head off mid-air collisions at least as well as younger controllers, using experience to compensate for age-related declines in mental sharpness, a new study finds. The evidence that experience triumphs over the normal changes of aging could help to overturn myths about older workers that are contributing to the draining of the pool of skilled professionals.

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When walking is difficult because of arthritis, balance problems, pain or injury, don't avoid a cane or walker because they are dreaded symbols of old age. Instead, consider the devices as a way to help avoid injury and maintain independence.

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A torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a type of knee injury, doesn't have to permanently sideline active adults age 50 and older, according to the March issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

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Over 700,000 patients annually are diagnosed with Vertebral Compression Fractures (VCF), or collapse of a vertebra due to trauma, osteoporosis, or benign and/or malignant lesions. According to an article that appeared in the peer-reviewed journal American Family Physician, VCF affects approximately 25% of all postmenopausal women in the U.S., with prevalence of the condition increasing with age and reaching 40% of women eighty or older.

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Naked mole rats might not win any beauty contests, but they may hold the secret to successful aging. These rodents from East Africa have extraordinarily long lifespans with good health almost until the end. Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio have found that naked mole rat tissues are remarkably efficient at discarding damaged proteins.

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Large-scale study USC and Mayo Clinic study is the first to link a commercially available software program to improvement on unaffiliated standard measures of memory and to better performance on everyday tasks.