_ Dental Health Oral Health Senior HealthTaking Care of Aging Teeth By thirdAGE articleAs we age, most of us become more susceptible to health risks – and that includes oral-health problems. Seniors are … Read More→
_ Senior HealthThe Best Ways to Avoid Falls By Jane Farrell articleMany things can cause a fall. Your eyesight, hearing, and reflexes might not be as sharp as they were when … Read More→
_ Aging Well Senior HealthWhat's So Funny? That Depends on Your Age By Jane Farrell articleMean jokes on TV sitcoms aren’t funny to older people, according to a researcher from the University of Akron. The … Read More→
_ Alzheimer's Disease and other Dementias Brain Health Senior HealthImmune System Affects Cognitive Decline By Jane Farrell articleScientists have discovered that cognitive decline over the years may be connected to a weakening immune system. The study, by … Read More→
_ Senior HealthEasy Bruising: Common as You Get Older By Jane Farrell articleBy Mayo Clinic Staff Yet another bruise. What caused that dark, unsightly mark on your leg? You don’t recall bumping … Read More→
_ Senior HealthWalking Patterns and Balance Problems By Jane Farrell articleResearchers have learned how to precisely predict the way a foot falls from one step to the next – and … Read More→
_ Cancer Center Senior HealthA Cellular "Switch" That Could Battle Aging and Cancer By Jane Farrell articleScientists have found a new “switch” in cells that may be key to healthy aging. Cells are constantly dividing, replacing … Read More→
Aging Well Senior HealthAsking About an Older Person’s Appetite Can Be a Lifesaver By Jane Farrell articleA simple question about appetite can provide insights into older people’s general health that may help reduce their risk of … Read More→
_ Aging Well Senior HealthLonger Lives, Fewer Age-Related Illnesses By Sondra Forsyth articleLiving 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.
_ Senior Health StrokeStroke Rates Have Dropped 40% for People 65+ By Sondra Forsyth articleA 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.
Medical Care Senior HealthOrthopedic Surgery Safe at 80+ By Sondra Forsyth articleOver 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).
_ Senior HealthOlder Adults Can Safely Donate Kidneys By Sondra Forsyth articlePrevious 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.
Aging Well Senior HealthWhat’s Really Keeping You From Aging Well? By Sondra Forsyth articleBy 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.
Healthy Diet & Nutrition Senior HealthNutrition Screenings for Older Adults By Sondra Forsyth articleAs 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.
_ High blood pressure / hypertension Senior HealthDiuretics Risky for Older Adults By Sondra Forsyth articleAdults 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.
_ Aging Well Senior Health Stress Management Stress-Free LivingStress Hormone Linked to Frailty By articleLow 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.
_ Glaucoma Senior Health Vision HealthWhat You Must Know About Glaucoma By Sondra Forsyth articleBy 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.
Alzheimer's Disease and other DementiasThirdAge Health Close-Up: NPH, the Curable Dementia By Sondra Forsyth articleBy 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."