Senior Health – Page 10

Lack of Vitamin D Shows A Strong Link to Dementia

Researchers have found a strong link between Vitamin D insufficiency and memory loss that is associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The effect of the insufficiency is “substantial,” according to the experts from the University of California Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Rutgers University. They discovered that people with low vitamin D levels declined at… Continue reading Lack of Vitamin D Shows A Strong Link to Dementia

A Protein That Causes Muscle Loss

Researchers have discovered that a protein causes muscle weakness and loss during aging, according to a news release from the University of Iowa. The protein, ATF4, alters gene expression in skeletal muscle, causing reduction of muscle protein synthesis, strength, and mass. The Iowa study also identifies two natural compounds, one found in apples and one… Continue reading A Protein That Causes Muscle Loss

Flu Vaccine Reduces Deaths Among Nursing Home Residents

When the influenza vaccine is well matched to the prevailing strains of flu in a given season, patients in nursing homes are significantly less likely to be hospitalized or to die of pneumonia and other influenza related causes. The finding comes from a study of more than 1 million Medicare fee-for-service long-stay nursing home residents.… Continue reading Flu Vaccine Reduces Deaths Among Nursing Home Residents

Intestinal Bacteria Could Be Clue to Aging

Analyzing intestinal bacteria may help predict health outcomes of aging people – and lead to treatments that could help delay physical decline. Researchers from UCLA discovered changes within intestinal microbes that precede and predict the death of fruit flies. The findings were published in the journal Cell Reports. “Age-onset decline is very tightly linked to… Continue reading Intestinal Bacteria Could Be Clue to Aging

Blood Vessels and Cardiovascular Disease

Better treatments for vascular disease may be on the horizon with the discovery of an age-releated link to artery-related illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and stroke. “Aging affects everyone and causes changes throughout our bodies,” said Erika Boerman, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Missouri… Continue reading Blood Vessels and Cardiovascular Disease

Massage Therapy Could Help You Live Longer

Aging well requires you to constantly be in check with your mind and body. How often do you take time to really relax? If you sit staring at a computer screen all day at work, and then go home and “relax” in front of the TV for a couple hours, you’re still staring at a… Continue reading Massage Therapy Could Help You Live Longer

Choosing Nutrient-Dense Foods

In choosing what we eat, it’s important to focus on nutrients. Foods known as “nutrient-dense” have vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats, according to NIH SeniorHealth, a division of the National Institutes of Health. Here, the SeniorHealth experts tell you what foods you should focus on: Fruits and vegetables – These foods… Continue reading Choosing Nutrient-Dense Foods

Older People Are Getting Smarter, But Not Fitter

Older populations are scoring better on cognitive tests than people of the same age did in the past — a trend that could be linked to higher education rates and increased use of technology in our daily lives, say population researchers at International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. The study was published in August 2015… Continue reading Older People Are Getting Smarter, But Not Fitter

What Vaccinations Should You Get?

As we get older, it’s more important than ever to keep up with the immunization shots we need. Here, from the federal Centers for Disease Control and the SeniorHealth division of the National Institutes of Health, is a helpful list for adults 50 and over: An annual flu shot. Over 60 percent of seasonal flu-related… Continue reading What Vaccinations Should You Get?

A Better Understanding of Alcoholism

A cure for alcoholism and other addiction could be closer to realization thanks to researchers’ discovery of a neuron that determines whether one drink leads to two. A study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience by researchers at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, finds that alcohol consumption alters the structure and… Continue reading A Better Understanding of Alcoholism

Delaying Alzheimer’s by 10 Years

Medical research has yet to discover an Alzheimer’s treatment that effectively slows the disease’s progression, but neuroscientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara may have uncovered a mechanism by which onset can be delayed by as much as 10 years. A release from the university notes that the mechanism is a gene variant —… Continue reading Delaying Alzheimer’s by 10 Years

Increased Risk of a Heart Attack Right After Joint Replacement Surgery

Boston-based researchers found that osteoarthritis patients who had total knee or hip joint replacement surgery known as arthroplasty were at increased risk of heart attacks (myocardial infarction) in the early post-operative period. However, the good news is that long-term risk of heart attacks did not persist. Yet the not-so-good news is that the risk for… Continue reading Increased Risk of a Heart Attack Right After Joint Replacement Surgery

Bicycle Injuries and Older Riders

In recent years, the incidence of bicycle-related injuries has more than doubled, according to a new study led by researchers from UC San Francisco. The researchers used a national injury surveillance database to study trends in bicycle injuries from 1998 to 2013. They found that the rate of hospital admissions associated with bicycle injuries more… Continue reading Bicycle Injuries and Older Riders

Risks of Alternative Medicine for Senior Cancer Patients

Alternative medicines are widely thought to be at least harmless and very often helpful for a wide range of discomforts and illnesses. However, although they’re marketed as “natural,” they often contain active ingredients that can react chemically and biologically with other therapies. Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University in Phladelphia performed a comprehensive review of all… Continue reading Risks of Alternative Medicine for Senior Cancer Patients

Seniors Often Deny A Need for Hearing Aids

Although hearing loss is a common problem that accompanies aging, a majority of senior citizens who suffer from hearing loss choose to ignore treatment with hearing aids and are in denial about the negative effects of that decision. That conclusion was reached via research conducted by Sivantos, Inc., manufacturer of Siemens hearing aids. The company… Continue reading Seniors Often Deny A Need for Hearing Aids

Is Hospice Use Alone a Good Indicator of Quality of End-of-Life Care?

Hospice use is commonly accepted as an indicator of quality of end-of-life care. However, when researchers in the U.S. studied variations in patterns of hospice use between states, they found troubling trends. They discuss the variations in the timing and duration of hospice enrollment and their implications in an article published in August 2015 in… Continue reading Is Hospice Use Alone a Good Indicator of Quality of End-of-Life Care?

The Perils of Junk Food in Diets for Older Adults

The consumption of “junk food” has continued to increase over the last 20 years, including in anti-aging diets for older adults. In the beginning, the selection of junk food was found in a small area of the grocery store. Now, you’re presented with it in almost every corner, even at the checkout counter, which makes… Continue reading The Perils of Junk Food in Diets for Older Adults

Natural Remedies for IBS: Do They Work?

Should you use complementary health remedies to combat Irritable Bowel Syndrome? The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the National Institutes of Health, offers an overview: Probiotics There is some preliminary evidence that suggests these microorganisms may improve symptoms of IBS; however, benefits have not been conclusively demonstrated, and not all… Continue reading Natural Remedies for IBS: Do They Work?