Feature Channels: Seniors

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Veteran survives parachute accident, torn aorta, comes back to school to learn to heal

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Researchers at McMaster University are warning that even short periods of inactivity in older people—as little as two weeks—can lead to worsening physical health, which could have a dramatic impact on an aging population.

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Research on autism spectrum disorder in older adulthood lags significantly behind that of research in other age groups. A Canisius research team was awarded a federal grant to better understand the life outcomes of adults with autism spectrum disorder.

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In its first year, an innovative virtual program has substantially increased mistreated elderly Texans’ access to elder mistreatment and geriatric experts with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

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A new study shows wide variation in prescriptions of sedative drugs, called benzodiazepines, to people with Medicare coverage. Some counties, especially in southern and rural western states, had three times the level of sedative prescribing as others. The study also highlights gaps at the level of individual prescribers: Some primary care providers prescribed sedatives more than six times more often than their peers.

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Residents receiving care in for-profit nursing homes are almost twice as likely to experience health issues caused by substandard care compared with clients living in not-for-profit facilities or in homes in the community, according to a new report in the journal Gerontology.The researchers, led by Lee Friedman, associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences in the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, also found that community-dwelling adults 60 years old and older who need assistance with tasks related to daily living but do not live in a nursing home had the fewest number of clinical signs of neglect compared with those living in any type of nursing facility.

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Over time, older individuals who live in senior housing communities were found to be less likely to have high levels of hospitalization, finds a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.“Our findings suggest that the positive effects from the various support services available in the senior housing environment accrue over time in helping vulnerable elders better manage their health conditions,” said Sojung Park, assistant professor at the Brown School and lead author of “The Role of Senior Housing in Hospitalizations Among Vulnerable Older Adults With Multiple Chronic Conditions: A Longitudinal Perspective,” published in the October issue of the journal The Gerontologist.

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Among older Americans, the poorest are the most likely to have used prescription opioids, according to a University at Buffalo study providing new insights into unexplored contours of the opioid crisis. The study also raises important questions about access to pain management options for the disadvantaged in the current climate of the opioid epidemic.

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They may start as well-intentioned efforts to calm anxiety, improve sleep or ease depression. But prescriptions for sedatives known as benzodiazepines may lead to long-term use among one in four older adults who receive them, according to new research. That’s despite warnings against long-term use of these drugs, especially among older people.

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A new poll suggests that primary care providers could play an important role in promoting vision care for adults age 50 and older, especially for those most in need of eye exams, and those most sensitive to the cost.

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America is aging, with about 15 percent of the population over the age of 65. As Americans age, susceptibility to chronic conditions increases and level of overall health can decline.

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University of Iowa researchers have found that older people are less likely than younger people to realize when they’ve made a mistake. The finding offers new insight into how aging adults perceive their decisions and view their performance.

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Just two weeks without much activity can have a dramatic impact on health from which it is difficult to recover, according to researchers who studied overweight older adults at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

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Artist-in-residence Elizabeth Vander Kamp laughs with a patient during an Arts in Medicine visit.Many hospitalized patients, especially older adults, are at risk of developing delirium, a risk that is increased by the presence of cognitive, functional, visual or hearing impairment or depression. Performing arts programs that include storytelling and poetry may be beneficial in lowering that risk, suggests a study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

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Nearly a third of older adults have received a prescription for an opioid pain medicine in the past two years, but a new poll shows many didn’t get enough counseling about the risks that come with them, how to reduce use, when to switch to a non-opioid, or what to do with leftovers. Nearly three-quarters support limits on how many opioids a doctor can prescribe at once.

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In the U.S., it's estimated the number of people aged 65 and older will double over the next 30 years. With the first baby boomers now turning 73, the demand for cardiac care is expected to skyrocket, not just in the U.S. but elsewhere as well. Even though they have more cardiovascular problems, fewer women and people over 65 are recruited for randomized clinical trials than men and younger people. To find out, a team of researchers took a close look at the 25 most influential clinical trials for each year in the 20-year period from 1996 to 2015. They compared the age and sex of participants to data published in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-2016 on the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in America.

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Broken bones among older people increase their risk of death for up to 10 years, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

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A Johns Hopkins Medicine analysis of information gathered for an ongoing and federally sponsored study of aging and disability adds to evidence that a substantial majority of older adults with probable dementia in the United States have never been professionally diagnosed or are unaware they have been.

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A pilot study led by researchers from Tufts University and conducted at the Somerville Council on Aging in Somerville, Mass., translated for the first time the physical activity benefits of the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders study in a community setting.

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UCLA researchers have found that the PGC-1α gene, previously known to control human metabolism, also controls the equilibrium of bone and fat in bone marrow and also how an adult stem cell expresses its final cell type. The findings could lead to a better understanding of the disruption of bone-to-fat ratio in bone marrow and its health consequences, and point to the gene as a therapeutic target in the treatment of osteoporosis and skeletal aging.

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A new national study reveals major gaps in whether Americans over age 55 get help for their hearing loss – gaps that vary greatly with age, race, education and income. In all, just over a third of older adults who say they have hearing loss are using a hearing aid to correct it, the study finds. But those who are non-Hispanic white, college-educated or have incomes in the top 25 percent were about twice as likely as those of other races, education levels or income ranges to have a hearing aid.

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The Diabetes Emergency Relief Coalition, composed of the Endocrine Society and seven other leading diabetes care and research organizations, received an American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) 2018 Gold Power of A Award for helping to provide critical diabetes supplies to regions impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the Society announced today.

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A new study in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology shows that a greater desire by older asthma patients for involvement in medical decision-making was associated with a better quality of life

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A new study that focuses on improving housing design to keep older people warm over winter and cool over summer, could help Australians live independently for longer.

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Older adults seem to be more motivated by scheduled workouts, including the role of a fitness coach or a significant person involved in their exercise goals, when compared to those getting exercise only through spontaneous physical activity.

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The latest research and features on sex in the Sex and Relationships News Source

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The latest research, features, and experts on HIV and AIDS.

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People who eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, nuts and fish may have bigger brains, according to a study published in the May 16, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Research finds more than half of Medicare beneficiaries have a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea, but few have been assessed for the sleep disorder.

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A new poll busts stereotypes about the sex lives of older Americans – and reveals gender and health-related divides on key aspects of sexual health, while highlighting the need for more people to talk with their health providers about sexual issues.

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The American Psychological Association is honoring Mental Health Awareness Month in May with a range of activities aimed at providing important insights into the status of mental health for minority and vulnerable communities and finding solutions and sharing resources to address critical gaps in comprehensive care and policy.

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By treating living cells like tiny absorbent sponges, researchers have developed a potentially new way to introduce molecules and therapeutic genes into human cells.

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The Latest News On Marijuana Research

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Rush has launched the first comprehensive epilepsy clinic in Chicago dedicated to treating epilepsy in older adults, serving a population that is often not optimally treated.

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Few older adults use medical marijuana, a new national poll finds, but the majority support its use if a doctor recommends it, and might talk to their own doctor about it if they developed a serious health condition. And two-thirds say the government should do more to study the drug’s health effects.

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Treating some elderly people with levothyroxine may put them at increased risk of death, new research from Israel reports. The results will be presented on Tuesday, March 20, at ENDO 2018, the 100th annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Chicago, Ill.

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A sizable percentage of elderly patients with blood-related cancers such as leukemia and multiple myeloma are apt to show signs of diminished cognitive functioning

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Stony Brook University Hospital will be offering its Stepping On program, which can reduce the risk of falling by 50 percent, for the second year at the Stony Brook Southampton campus to help older adults stay healthy and active.

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A study of more than 200,000 Medicare patients who had common surgical procedures shows that, compared to the general population, they underwent far fewer minimally invasive operations, whose benefits include lower rates of complications and readmissions, along with shorter hospital stays.

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A study conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago found that while the younger adults showed memory improvement from transcranial direct current stimulation, the older adults did not.

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Jo Cleveland, M.D., professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, knows from experience that making lifestyle changes can be difficult for older adults. But she says there are four areas in which seniors can take some non-drastic steps to improve their chances of “aging optimally.”

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Falling is no joke when you're a senior citizen or have balance issues. Vanderbilt engineers are working on a 'smart cane' that could help physical therapists spot and treat problems sooner.

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Older individuals who are securely attached to God experience increased optimism over time, and those with confidence in God’s forgiveness often experience higher self-esteem and satisfaction, according to a Baylor University study.

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A new study of nursing homes in California, the nation’s largest system, found that some nursing homes inflate their self-assessment reporting to improve their score in the Five-Star Quality Rating System employed by Medicare to help consumers.

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Significant, quick reduction in scoliosis curves with two yoga poses

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Lauri Andress, an assistant professor in the West Virginia University School of Public Health, is working to disrupt the current model for how seniors in rural Appalachia access healthy food.

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Geriatric patients seen by transitional care nurses in the emergency department (ED) are less likely to be admitted to the hospital, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

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In 2017, researchers from Rush University Medical Center completed the third wave of the PINE study, shedding a light on how cultural determinants impact the health outcomes and disparities among Chinese older adults.

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Researchers at Wake Forest University say adults 60+ whose New Year’s resolution is to lose weight succeed with an inexpensive and accessible solution: classes at community fitness centers such as the YMCA.