‘Aging is a process where so many things are lost. Part of what seniors try to hold onto is their independence.’

May 1, 2012 - If a senior citizen’s driving raises concerns, approach the matter compassionately to preserve the person’s dignity and keep them and others safe, recommends a geriatric specialist with the Harris County (Tx) Hospital District. The decision to end driving for a senior can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life, affecting the person’s mental state and overall well-being. Read more...

Older Adults Maintain Youthful Brains by Staying Mentally, Socially Stimulated

Engagement is the secret to a brain that appears younger than its years

April 28, 2012 - Aging may seem unavoidable, but that's not necessarily so when it comes to the brain. It is what you do in old age that matters most when it comes to maintaining a youthful brain, now what you did earlier in life, according to new research. Read more...

Falls Too Often Fatal for Senior Citizens; Tips Offered to Prevent Falls

Falling is the leading cause of injury-related deaths among older Americans.

April 27, 2012 - For senior citizens - those 65 and older - falling can too often be fatal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among this age group, and some 40 percent of seniors fall at least once each year. Read more...

Medicare News

Say What? Most Insurance Covers Little of the Cost of Hearing Aids

Medicare generally doesn't pay anything, though hearing loss is a common concern among senior citizens - Medicare does cover surgery to install a cochlear implant

By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News

April 10, 2012 - Only a quarter of the 35 million U.S. adults who could benefit from hearing aids actually get them, and one of the main reasons is money. A hearing aid typically costs a few thousand dollars, sometimes much more, and most insurance plans don’t cover that. Medicare generally doesn't pay anything, though hearing loss is a common concern among its beneficiaries. Faced with a hefty expense, many people decide that hearing what’s going on around them is a luxury they can’t afford. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Age-Related Memory Loss Restored in Fruit Flies by Neuron Stimulation 

Intermediate-term memory is lost due to age-related impairment of the function of certain neurons; Scripps scientists found that stimulating these neurons can reverse these memory defects

April 3, 2012 – Researchers at the Jupiter, Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have discovered that the loss of memory that comes with aging is not necessarily a permanent thing. They have demonstrated the ability to restore those evaporated memories by stimulating key neurons – at least in fruit flies. Read more, animation on brain basics...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Antioxidants Used as Anti-Aging Treatment May Also Kill Cancer Cells; Be Better Than Chemo

Three antioxidants - resveratrol, genistein and baicalein - are used or studied as anti-aging treatments and to treat heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteopenia and osteoporosis and chronic hepatitis; resveratrol found in red wine is in 44 clinical trials as potential treatment for even Alzheimer’s disease

March 20, 2012 - Antioxidants have long been thought to have anti-aging properties, primarily by protecting a person's genetic material from damaging chemicals. The story, however, now appears to be much more complicated. Read more

Stress in Older Adults Who Sleep Poorly May Lead to Poor Health, Death Risk

Stress led to significantly larger increases of inflammation marker associated with poor health and death

March 1, 2012 - Older adults who sleep poorly have an altered immune system response to stress that may increase risk for mental and physical health problems, according to a study led by a University of Rochester Medical Center researcher. Read more...

Women Expecting Stressful Events See Cellular Aging Accelerate

Short telomeres in cellular aging associated with risk for chronic diseases - see second report below on several UCSF studies of stress damage on telomeres and repair by exercise

Feb. 27, 2012 - The ability to anticipate future events allows us to plan and exert control over our lives, but it may also contribute to stress-related increased risk for the diseases of aging, according to a study by UCSF researchers. Read more...

Nursing Home Dementia Patients Three Times as Likely to Fall if on Antidepressants

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) appear to cause risk to rise with higher doses

Jan. 19, 2012 - Nursing home residents with dementia who use average doses of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are three times more likely to have an injurious fall than similar people who don’t use these drugs. Read more...

Age 45 is the New 60, At Least Where It Concerns the Beginning of Mental Decline

New study disrupts assumption that cognitive decline begins about age 60, finds it is more like age 45 to 49

Jan. 9, 2012 - Baby boomers and younger adults in their 40s may have been waiting until they hit their 60s to start worrying about how to prevent mental decline. But, new research says that may be a little late. Their research shows cognitive decline beginning about age 45 and continuing with age. Read more...

Senior Citizens are Happier Than Younger Adults but Why is Not Clear

Psychologist call for more rigorous research to understand why elderly Americans are so happy

Jan. 9, 2012 - Older people tend to be happier. But why? Two psychologist explore the theories of what makes senior citizens so happy and conclude that existing research does not provide an adequate answer. In a new article in Perspectives on Psychological Science they call for more rigorous research. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Sea Snails Play Key Role in Strategy to Improve Memory Damaged by Aging

This snail has contributed to the understanding of learning and memory

Dec. 27, 2011 – Neuroscientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston are encouraged from test using sea snails that their innovative learning strategy to help improve the brain’s memory may someday help people who suffer impairments from aging, stroke, traumatic brain injury or congenital cognitive impairments. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Elderly Think as Fast as Young in Some Brain Tasks, Finds New Study

‘Many people think that it is just natural for older people’s brains to slow down as they age, but we’re finding that isn’t always true’

Dec. 27, 2011 - Both children and the elderly have slower response times when they have to make quick decisions in some settings. New research, however, suggests that much of that slower response is a conscious choice to emphasize accuracy over speed. Read more...

Socially Active Older Adults Have Slower Rates of Mental, Physical Decline

Engaged elderly may be more motivated to maintain their health, have better health information

By Sharyn Alden, Contributing Writer, Health Behavior News Service

Dec. 9, 2011 - Staying connected to other people through a wide variety of social activities can yield important health consequences as you age. That’s the message from a new study that found that older adults who maintain high levels of social activity or ramp up their social life as they age might be protected from increases in physical and cognitive issues over time. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

‘Death Is Always Cheaper’ – Capsules: The KHN Blog

Sapien artificial heart valve approved by FDA for use in old, frail patients to gain another year

By Christopher Weaver

Sapien Artificial Heart Valve -

Nov. 14, 2011 - Conventional health care wisdom says that a less invasive procedure will be less expensive: Fewer days in the hospital and an easier recovery should reduce costs, right? Well, it’s complicated. A new heart valve device and procedure approved by the FDA last week costs less than the standard treatment, but it can’t replace that procedure. Instead, it will allow an estimated 20,000 more patients - who would otherwise be inoperable due to frailty - to get the new valve. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Senior Citizens Lose Ability to Distinguish Between Odors: Can Be Dangerous

Smells blending together pose hazards from poor nutrition, dangerous chemicals, researchers find

Nov. 10, 2011 – Most senior citizens are aware that their sense of smell is not as good as it once was. A new study finds older people – beginning at about age 60 – have difficulty in distinguishing specific smells. It is not a laughing matter, however. The researchers say it puts senior citizens a greater risk from dangerous chemicals and poor nutrition. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Mayo Study Discovers Tactic to Attack Deadbeat Cells, Delay Age-Related Disorders

Potential for fundamental change in way we provide treatment for chronic diseases in older people

Nov. 2, 2011 – As we age, we accumulate cells that Mayo Clinic researchers call “deadbeat” cells. In a new study they show that by eliminating these worthless cells we can prevent or at least delay age-related disorders and disabilities. At least in mice models, they say these cells contribute to aging. Read more...

Aging News & Information

The New Old Age – Senior Citizens Healthier, Perkier Than 30 Years Ago

Elderly cope better with everyday life: number needing help with personal care has fallen from 25% to 12%; only 4% need help taking a bath

Nov. 1, 2011 - Old people today have more sex, are more likely to be divorced, are cleverer and feel better, according to a long-term research project comparing what it is like to be old today with 30 years ago. "It's time to start talking about the 'new old age'," says Swedish researcher Ingmar Skoog. Read more...

Sex and Romance for Senior Citizens

Older Men With Higher Testosterone Levels Lose Less Muscle, Strength As They Age

Testosterone may help senior men preserve muscle and delay frailty; men lose more muscle and strength than women as they age

Oct. 27, 2011 - A recent study of men 65 and older finds elderly men with higher levels of testosterone lost less lean muscle mass, especially if they were losing weight. In these men, higher testosterone levels were also resulted in less loss of lower body strength. Loss of muscle mass and strength contribute to frailty and are associated with falls, mobility limitations and fractures. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Age Alone is Not Best Assessment of How Well Senior Citizens Tolerate Treatments

Older patients with acute leukemia do not tolerate and benefit from standard, aggressive therapies as much as younger patients, but it matters what kind of 70-year-old you are

Oct. 26, 2011 - In geriatric medicine, the adage that age is just a number holds true. New research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center uses a simple assessment tool to determine how well senior citizens diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) can handle treatment. Read more...

Signs of Aging Linked to Blocked Brain Blood Vessels Undetected by Current Technology

Shaky hands, stooped posture, slow walking - ‘We shouldn’t accept this as normal aging. We should try to fix it and understand it’

Sept. 19, 2011 - Many common signs of aging, such as hands that shake, stooped posture and walking slower, may be due to tiny blocked vessels in the brain that can’t be detected by current technology, according to a study in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Elderly 80+ Do As Well As Younger Patients After Open Skull Surgery for Hematoma

80-year-olds may be just as likely to return to their previous health state after surgery as those younger - with a little more rehab

Sept. 6, 2011 – Despite a popular belief that craniotomy – surgery requiring removal of part of the skull – should not be used on patients older than age 80, a new study finds these elderly patients can, with a bit more rehabilitation and hospitalization, fare as well as younger ones treated for removal of a hematoma following a head injury. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Menopause Does Not Increase Heart Deaths; Aging Alone is Culprit for Men and Women

John Hopkins study says older women and men have about same death rates from heart disease; each generation has better longevity

Sept. 6, 2011 – John Hopkins researchers challenge long-held beliefs about cardiovascular death risks in men and women with findings that menopause does not increase death rates for women and that older men and women have about the same rates of mortality risk from heart disease starting after age 45. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Aging Eyes with Yellowing Lens Linked to Sleepless Nights for Senior Citizens

Cataract could be factor in frequent insomnia among elderly; sleep quality has improved after cataract surgery

Sept. 1, 2011 - A natural age-related yellowing of the eye lens that absorbs blue light has been linked to sleep disorders in a group of test volunteers, according to a study in the September 1 issue of the journal Sleep. As this type of lens discoloration worsened with age, so did the risk of insomnia. Read more..

Scientists Explain Why Senior Citizens Lose Energy; Hope to Slow Aging Process

Discovered major declines in enzyme known as the Lon protease, as human cells grow older and body fights oxidative damage

Aug. 31, 2011 – What senior citizen has not wondered why their energy declines as they age? In a new study, scientists think they may have found the answer to why humans lose energy with age and hope this will point the way to new diets or pharmaceuticals to slow the aging process. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Older Men at High Risk of High Blood Pressure If Not Getting Ample Deep Sleep

Reduced level of dreamless, deep sleep is powerful predictor of hypertension; as important to health as diet and exercise

Aug. 29, 2011 – Older men with low levels of slow wave sleep (SWS) - one of the deeper stages of sleep – are at high risk of developing high blood pressure, according to new research in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. Average age of the men in the study was 75. Read more...

Aging News & Information

Faster Young Brains Fail to Beat Older Adults With Wiser Brains

Older brain has experience and knows that nothing is gained by jumping the gun

Aug. 25, 2011 - In a matched test, the brains of older people were not as fast as those in a group of younger people, but they performed just as well because their brains are wiser, say Canadian researchers. Read more...

Explosion of Older Drivers Pressures Eye Care Professionals to Make Tough Calls

Few eye care providers consider themselves the most-qualified to identify unsafe drivers, few report unsafe drivers

Aug. 23, 2011 – With baby boomers pouring into the senior citizen ranks, and the oldest Americans living longer and healthier lives, the drivers over age 65 is the fastest growing segment of drivers. This explosion of older drivers is challenging the ophthalmologists and optometrists, who are the deciders when it comes to determining the visual abilities for driving of America’s oldest drivers. Read more...

Older Women with Sleep-Disordered Breathing at Risk of Cognitive Decline, Dementia

Findings suggest potential role for supplemental oxygen for sleep-disordered breathing in elderly

Aug. 9, 2011 - Older women with sleep-disordered breathing, as indicated by measures of oxygen deficiency (hypoxia), were more likely to develop cognitive impairment or dementia than women without this disorder, according to a study in the August 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). This is a common condition among senior citizens, affecting up to 60 percent. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Yale Researchers Reveal How Seniors Lose Memory and How to Get It Back

Clinical trial testing guanfacine's (hypertension medicine) ability to improve working memory in elderly set to begin - see video

July 27, 2011 - Yale University researchers can't tell you where you left your car keys- but they can tell you why you can't find them. The neural networks in the brains of the middle-aged and elderly have weaker connections and fire less robustly than in youthful ones, Intriguingly, the research published July 27 in the journal Nature suggests that this condition is reversible. Read more, see video...

Aging News & Information

Senior Citizens Really Can’t See the Forest for the Trees, Study Finds

Changes in attention and visual perception are correlated with aging

July 25 2011 – When looking at a picture of many trees, young people will tend to say: "This is a forest". The older we get, however, the more likely we are to notice a single tree before seeing the forest. This suggests that the speed at which the brain processes the bigger picture is slower in older people. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Knocking a Hole in ‘Senior Moment’ – Study Says We Control Forgetfulness

Freud was correct: in the same way we control our motor impulses, we can control our memory

July 6, 2011 - Have you heard the saying “You only remember what you want to remember”? Well, maybe it was not just a senior citizen making an excuse for a lost fact. Now there is evidence that it may well be correct. Research from Lund University in Sweden shows that we can train ourselves to forget things. Read more...