Oysters, one of the foods highest in zinc, may or may not be an aphrodisiac as some people claim. However, oysters could definitely boost your immune system response, according to a study done at Oregon State University and published online in March 2015 in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. The researchers report that… Continue reading Zinc Deficiency & the Immune System in Older Adults
Category: Senior Health
Aging is part of the cycle of life. Senior living can be full of health, growth, and well-being. Learn more about senior health and key health issues here.
Older Men Have More Senior Moments Than Women Do
A Mayo Clinic study of brain aging found that being male was associated with worse memory and lower hippocampal volume in people who were cognitively normal at baseline, while the gene APOE ?4, a risk factor for Alzheimer disease, was not, according to an article published online March 16 2015 by JAMA Neurology. A release… Continue reading Older Men Have More Senior Moments Than Women Do
Age-related Discrimination by Doctors Is Bad for Our Health
Being discriminated against by the healthcare profession or system can cause much more than just mere distress to older people. Such experiences can literally be bad for their health. One in every three older Americans who are on the receiving end of age-related discrimination in the healthcare setting will likely develop new or worsened functional… Continue reading Age-related Discrimination by Doctors Is Bad for Our Health
Aging of Brain May Be Related to Blood-Vessel Activity
Older brains may be more similar to younger brains than previously thought, researchers say. Researchers from Cambridge University, UK, and the Medical Research Council’s Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to show that changes in the aging brain may be due to changes in blood vessels, not to neurological activity. The… Continue reading Aging of Brain May Be Related to Blood-Vessel Activity
Anticholinergic Drugs Linked to Risk Of Pneumonia in the Elderly
In a study of more than 3,000 older patients living in the community, not in nursing homes, taking commonly used medications with anticholinergic effects was associated with a significantly higher risk for developing pneumonia. The study was done by the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle, Washington and published in March 2015 the Journal of… Continue reading Anticholinergic Drugs Linked to Risk Of Pneumonia in the Elderly
A Call to Action for End-of-Life Care in Nursing Homes
End-of-life care for nursing home residents has long been associated with poor symptom control and low family satisfaction. With more than one in four older Americans dying in a nursing home — including 70 percent of Americans with advanced dementia — an editorial by Kathleen Unroe, M.D., MHA, Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University Center for… Continue reading A Call to Action for End-of-Life Care in Nursing Homes
Meditation May Help Fight Brain Aging
Researchers from UCLA have founded that meditation seems to help preserve the brain’s “gray matter” – i.e. tissue that contains neurons. The scientists looked specifically at the association between age and gray matter, according to a news release from the university, comparing 50 people who had meditated for an average of 20 years and 50… Continue reading Meditation May Help Fight Brain Aging
Hospital Report Cards Have No Impact on Surgery Outcomes
If you’re an older person having a major operation these days, it is very likely that your hospital is receiving a “report card” on their performance. These reports are designed to prompt hospitals to improve in areas where they perform poorly. Unfortunately, those “report cards” do not seem to be making things better for patients.… Continue reading Hospital Report Cards Have No Impact on Surgery Outcomes
Spinal Surgery Can Help Patients Over 80
Patients over 80 can still benefit from spinal surgery, according to a new study. The finding has broad significance, since the U.S. population age 80 and older is increasing rapidly, with a jump of 22 percent between 2000 and 2010. Along with that goes an increase in the number of patients with acute spinal conditions.… Continue reading Spinal Surgery Can Help Patients Over 80
The Secrets of “SuperAger” Brains
“SuperAgers” 80 and above have distinctly different looking brains than those of normal older people, according to research done at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago and published January 28th 2015 in the Journal of Neuroscience. The study begins to reveal why the memories of these cognitively elite elders don’t suffer the usual ravages of time. A… Continue reading The Secrets of “SuperAger” Brains
Difficulty In Hearing Linked To Brain
The hearing difficulty experienced by older people concerns not just the auditory system but also changes in “attention processes” in the brain, according to researchers. In reaching that conclusion, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany, examined the alpha waves – brain currents – of 20- to 30-year-old… Continue reading Difficulty In Hearing Linked To Brain
“Old People” Stereotypes Can Affect Cognitive Skills
Negative stereotypes about age can actually affect older adults’ memory and cognitive performance, according to new research. A research team from the University of Kent, in the UK, analyzed 37 international research studies for the effect of what is called Age Based Stereotype Threat (ABST). They said the phenomenon affects both men and women. Even… Continue reading “Old People” Stereotypes Can Affect Cognitive Skills
The “Mini-Brain” That Helps Us Function
Researchers from the Salk Institute have discovered that we unconsciously maintain our balance via a cluster of neurons that acts as a “mini-brain.” In their study, published in the journal Cell, the scientists “map the neural circuitry of the spinal cord,” according to a news release from the institute. The investigators said that the “circuitry”… Continue reading The “Mini-Brain” That Helps Us Function
Antibiotic for UTI + Diuretic = Risk of Death in Older Patients
The combination of the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, frequently prescribed for urinary tract infections, with the diuretic spironolactone, widely used for heart failure, more than doubles the risk of death for older patients, reports a study published in February 2015 in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). A release from CMAJ notes that more than 20 million prescriptions… Continue reading Antibiotic for UTI + Diuretic = Risk of Death in Older Patients
Progress in Fighting Diseases of Aging?
Scientists have found a new way to increase the length of human telomeres, protective caps on chromosomes that have been linked to aging and disease. The researchers, from the Stanford University School of Medicine, said the cells treated with the new method behave as if they are much younger than untreated cells. Thanks to the… Continue reading Progress in Fighting Diseases of Aging?
Patient’s Age Isn’t A Factor in Ear Surgery
A patient’s age isn’t a factor in a procedure to improve the quality of a cochlear implant, according to researchers from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. The finding was published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. According to a news release from the university, a cochlear implantation improves speech perception, but a… Continue reading Patient’s Age Isn’t A Factor in Ear Surgery
Some OTC Drugs Linked to Dementia
Researchers say that taking some commonly used drugs at a higher dose for a longer time carries a significantly increased risk for developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s. The drugs include such familiar remedies as nonprescription diphenhydramine (Benadryl). The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, is the first to show such a link. And it’s the first… Continue reading Some OTC Drugs Linked to Dementia
Falls Becoming More Frequent in Older Adults
Falls among older adults appear to have been increasing over a 12-year period, according to a new study. And the increase isn’t due to rising numbers of older people. The findings from the nationally representative study were published in JAMA Internal Medicine. About one third of older adults fall each year, and falling is the… Continue reading Falls Becoming More Frequent in Older Adults