As we age, most of us become more susceptible to health risks – and that includes oral-health problems. Seniors are liable to worn and discolored teeth, and without the right oral care, they can get diseases that cause the gums to recede (hence the phrase “long in the tooth”). According to the federal Centers for… Continue reading Taking Care of Aging Teeth
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.
The Best Ways to Avoid Falls
Many things can cause a fall. Your eyesight, hearing, and reflexes might not be as sharp as they were when you were younger. Diabetes, heart disease, or problems with your thyroid, nerves, feet, or blood vessels can affect your balance. Some medicines can cause you to feel dizzy or sleepy, making you more likely to… Continue reading The Best Ways to Avoid Falls
What’s So Funny? That Depends on Your Age
Mean jokes on TV sitcoms aren’t funny to older people, according to a researcher from the University of Akron. The study, co-authored by Jennifer Tehan Stanley, assistant professor of psychology, looked at the responses of young, middle-aged and older adults to different forms of humor. Younger and middle-aged adults were more inclined to laugh at… Continue reading What’s So Funny? That Depends on Your Age
Immune System Affects Cognitive Decline
Scientists have discovered that cognitive decline over the years may be connected to a weakening immune system. The study, by researchers from the Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel, breaks new ground in the understanding of a connection between the brain and the immune system. Until recently, scientists believed that the barrier between blood and brain prevents… Continue reading Immune System Affects Cognitive Decline
Easy Bruising: Common as You Get Older
By Mayo Clinic Staff Yet another bruise. What caused that dark, unsightly mark on your leg? You don’t recall bumping into anything. Lately, however, you seem to be bruising frequently. Is this cause for concern? Easy bruising is common with age. Although most bruises are harmless and go away without treatment, easy bruising can sometimes… Continue reading Easy Bruising: Common as You Get Older
Walking Patterns and Balance Problems
Researchers have learned how to precisely predict the way a foot falls from one step to the next – and that could lead to better diagnosis and treatment of balance problems. The investigators, from The Ohio State University, made the discovery based on watching people walk naturally on a treadmill. From that, they developed a… Continue reading Walking Patterns and Balance Problems
A Cellular “Switch” That Could Battle Aging and Cancer
Scientists have found a new “switch” in cells that may be key to healthy aging. Cells are constantly dividing, replacing tissue in organs such as the lungs, skin and liver. But that process eventually stops when a “timekeeper,” called a telomere, becomes too short and thus prevents any further division. (Telomeres are found at the… Continue reading A Cellular “Switch” That Could Battle Aging and Cancer
Asking About an Older Person’s Appetite Can Be a Lifesaver
A simple question about appetite can provide insights into older people’s general health that may help reduce their risk of dying, according to a study published in September 2014 in the journal Appetite. Emeritus Professor Mark Wahlqvist from Monash University’s Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine and the Monash Asia Institute led a team investigating… Continue reading Asking About an Older Person’s Appetite Can Be a Lifesaver
Longer Lives, Fewer Age-Related Illnesses
Living long and well may eventually be more possible, thanks to a surprise result of the work of scientists at The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia. While developing a new cancer drug, the researchers discovered that mice lacking a specific protein live longer lives with fewer age-related illnesses. The mice, which lack the TRAP-1 protein, demonstrated less age-related tissue degeneration, obesity, and spontaneous tumor formation when compared to normal mice. The teams findings could change how scientists view the metabolic networks within cells.
Stroke Rates Have Dropped 40% for People 65+
A new analysis of data from 1988-2008 by researchers at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine has revealed a 40% decrease in the incidence of stroke in Medicare patients 65 years of age and older. The decline is greater than anticipated considering this population’s risk factors for stroke. Not only that, but the drop applies to both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. The team also found that deaths resulting from stroke declined during the same period. The findings are published in the July 2014 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
Orthopedic Surgery Safe at 80+
Over the past decade, a greater number of patients age 80 and older have been undergoing elective orthopedic surgery. A study published in July 2014 in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) found that these surgeries are generally safe with mortality rates decreasing for total hip (THR) and total knee (TKR) replacement and spinal fusion surgeries, and complication rates decreasing for total knee replacement and spinal fusion in patients with few or no comorbidities (other conditions or diseases).
Older Adults Can Safely Donate Kidneys
Previous studies linking older age with kidney and heart disease have raised concerns about the safety of living kidney donation among older adults. However, in the first study to look closely at this issue, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report that older kidney donors (55 years and above) enjoy similar life expectancy and cardiovascular health as very healthy older people who did not donate their kidneys.
What’s Really Keeping You From Aging Well?
By Dr. Kevin J. McLaughlin
During my experience as a health care provider, I have realized that, when it comes to aging well, many older women are worried about developing cancer, especially breast cancer, more than any other age-related diseases.
Nutrition Screenings for Older Adults
As older adults typically have one or more chronic health conditions that can affect dietary intake, malnutrition has been identified as a serious for this population. For this reason, nutrition screenings should be a mandatory part of the comprehensive geriatric analysis (CGA), according to a review article published on July 3rd 2014 in the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition’s (A.S.P.E.N.) Nutrition in Clinical Practice journal.
Diuretics Risky for Older Adults
Adults over 65 with high blood pressure who have recently begun taking thiazide diuretics are at a greater risk for developing metabolic-related adverse events including acute kidney injury, according to research done at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco. The study was published in June 2014 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Stress Hormone Linked to Frailty
Low levels of cortisol in the morning and high levels in the evening are associated with declining grip strength and walking speed, which are indications of frailty in older adults. That is the finding of research done at Helmholtz Zentrum München in Neuherberg in Germany and published in the March 2014 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
What You Must Know About Glaucoma
By Sondra Forsyth
In April of 2013, I went for my annual eye exam. I’ve worn glasses or contacts for distance correction ever since elementary school but over the years, other than the usual age-related need for “readers”, I’ve never had any vision problems. This time, though, I saw a look of concern flash across the optometrist’s face when she did the test for ocular pressure.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
ThirdAge Health Close-Up: NPH, the Curable Dementia
By Sondra Forsyth
During 2004, when Alicia Harper was 69, her husband began to notice heartbreaking changes in the way his smart, vibrant wife was behaving.
"She was becoming disconnected," Nildo, now 83, says. "She was confused and always forgetting things. And when we would visit with any of our four children and eight grandchildren, she didn't seem to feel anything for them. I just assumed she had the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease. I took her to several doctors and they thought so, too."