RSSAging & Elderly Health
Preventing Alzheimer's: 7 Risks to Consider
Deborah Kotz
Ask most people to name their biggest fear about growing old and chances are they won't say gray hair and wrinkles, but the devastating loss of their mental capacity. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of all dementias. Here's evidence concerning various factors thought to either raise or lower your Alzheimer's risk
Colonoscopy: Is It Time to Go Virtual Colonoscopy
Robert J. Mayer, MD
Is a virtual colonoscopy the colon cancer screening test that everybody should be getting instead of a regular colonoscopy? I thought it was kind of experimental
TNF Inhibitors Offer Relief to Those With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Eric Matteson, MD, Mayo Clinic
I've heard of doctors using TNF inhibitors to treat rheumatoid arthritis. What exactly are TNF inhibitors and are they safe to use?
The Longevity Revolution
Longevity Revolution Will Restructure Life Around the World
Fred Pearce, New Scientist Magazine
Humans are living longer and the implications of this may overwhelm all other factors shaping the species over the coming decades. The longevity revolution affects every country, every community and almost every household. It promises to restructure the economy, reshape the family, redefine politics and even rearrange the geopolitical order over the coming century
Is Hefty the New Healthy?
Harvard Health
Some studies suggest that extra weight helps older people live longer, but they may be misleading. Weight still matters, but so does the waist. Here's why
Olive Oil the Fountain of Health
Betsy Berthin
Would you believe me if I told you there is an Israeli women who credits her longevity to drinking a glass of olive oil every day? She's allegedly 120 years old. Whether you believe her age or not, studies have shown that there olive oil adds more to the Mediterranean diet than just great taste. It's a fountain of health.
Cultivate a Healthy Brain Lifestyle As You Age
Mark Miller
Brain health lifestyle can help us stay sharp as we age, and ward off the possible onset of dementia or Alzheimer's disease. While the science in this area is advancing rapidly, the message isn't getting out as quickly as it should
Regular Exercise Helps Protect Aging Brains
Harvard Women's Health Watch
If your New Year's resolve to become more physically active has started to flag, the findings of several studies may help renew your commitment.
Redefining Old Age
Scientists Changing Definition of Old Age
Lindsay Lyon
Researchers are learning that the aging process -- not only how long we live but how well -- is remarkably elastic, and that it can be manipulated. The lives of lab animals have been dramatically stretched in several ways -- by tweaking their genes, feeding them drugs, changing their diets -- that seem to make them age more slowly while prolonging good health.
Preserving and Improving Memory As We Age
Harvard Health Letters
The fact is, when significant memory loss occurs among older people, it is not due to aging but to organic disorders, brain injury, or neurological illness. Studies have shown that you can help prevent cognitive decline and reduce the risk of dementia by maintaining good general health habits
The High Cost of Growing Older
Emily Brandon
No doubt, healthcare will be one of your biggest expenses in retirement. Qualifying for Medicare coverage at age 65 will quell some cost and coverage worries. But although Medicare is far more affordable than private health insurance coverage for seniors, the government health insurance program still leaves retirees with significant out-of-pocket costs.
Oh, My Aching Knees!
Live Right Live Well
Will taking glucosamine and chondroitin supplements help my aching knees?
Youthful Skin Forever
Elizabeth Parker - Live Right Live Well
Cleopatra was known for soaking her skin in a rose petal and milk bath to keep it soft. The ancient Greeks used honey and the Romans olive oil as natural skin moisturizers. So what's the real deal? Here, eight skin care essentials from the experts to increase your chances of having great-looking skin
Hair Loss: What Really Works
Wendy Korn Hepp - Live Right Live Well
Seeing more scalp lately? Join the club. Over 80 million Americans (60 percent men, 40 percent women) are losing their hair, and hair loss is triggered by age, hormones and genetics. And yet there is a multibillion-dollar-a-year industry promoting hair growth with promises that don't work. Here's what does
Modern Car Features for the Aging Driver
Rachel L. Sheedy
Shopping for a new car? Sure, that snazzy two-seater convertible looks like fun. But if you plan to keep the car for a while, look for design features that can help make driving safer and easier as you age. Here's a look at auto design features geared for older and elderly drivers
The Aging Mouth - And How to Keep it Younger
Harvard Health Letters
Teeth, gums, and the rest of your oral cavity need extra care and attention if you want them to stay healthy in your later years. Aging isn't always pretty, and your mouth is no exception
Home Care
There's No Place Like Home: Elderly Qualify for Wide Range of Services
Jane Bennett Clark
However independent they hope to be, most adults who grow old at home eventually need help with housekeeping and transportation -- and sometimes with daily activities, such as dressing and bathing
The Dawning of a Ripe Old Age
Longevity Researchers
If there were a pill that could add two decades to your life, would you swallow it? Not if you're like most people scientist Matt Kaeberlein asks -- they see it as an invitation to purgatory. But when the University of Washington longevity researcher dangles the prospect that those extra years would be spent spry and hale, not enfeebled and ill, they listen up.
Aging - Sailing Past 90 With Lots Left to Do
Katherine Hobson
Age is often seen as an enemy to be battled or outwitted -- never mind that it's impossible to avoid and that the alternative to growing older is, well, dying younger. However, while there is no guarantee that following the example set by these folks when you're young or middle-aged will help you live a long and rich life, doing so will certainly make the journey more enjoyable
Beware: Your Job May Be Killing You
Katherine Hobson
In an attempt to live longer, you may have given up trans fats or learned to love the elliptical trainer. But there's evidence that another factor may be just as important: your job. Whether or not you're employed, how secure you are in your job, how much you enjoy your work -- all may influence your health and longevity
One Family's Saga of Alzheimer's Care
Kerry Hannon
We lost him a little at a time. In 2000, my dad, then 80, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and it began: He moved off ever so slowly, calling back at us as he went, trying to keep us in his sight
Top Cosmetic Treatments for Aging Skin
January W. Payne
No one likes looking older...which is why we spend billions of dollars every year on over-the-counter products, prescription creams and fillers, and, most drastically, cosmetic surgery. Do any of these actually work to reduce the signs of aging? In many cases, yes -- at least temporarily. Here's a quick guide to some of the most popular treatments and procedures
Alzheimer's Disease Is Sharply Rising, But You Can Lower Your Odds
Sarah Baldauf
Nations around the globe are staring down a rising tide of people who will grapple with the ravages of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. According to Alzheimer's Disease International, some 35.6 million people worldwide will have a form of dementia in 2010. That number is expected to nearly double every 20 years. Research is mounting that diet, exercise, and social and mental engagement play a protective role.
Staying Attuned to Blood Pressure
Harvard Health Letters
Maybe your blood pressure has been normal for as long as you can remember, but that doesn't mean you should let it slip beneath your health radar. The older we get, the greater our chances of developing high blood pressure (also known as hypertension). Even if you don't have high blood pressure by age 55, your chances of developing it eventually are 90 percent.
What Causes Ice-Cream Headache
Celeste Robb-Nicholson, M.D.
Ice-cream headache, also known as "brain freeze" or cold-stimulus headache, is a headache some people get when they consume a cold food or beverage quickly. The pain is usually in the forehead or both temples, and it usually lasts less than five minutes. The cause is ...
Vitamin D Deficiency Common But Easily Treated With Supplements
It's well established that vitamin D helps with calcium absorption and helps keep bones strong. There's also evidence that vitamin D helps reduce the risk of common cancers, muscle and joint pain and perhaps even multiple sclerosis. For some people, it's difficult to get proper amounts of vitamin D from the usual sources, which are diet and sunshine. Dr. Philip Hagen of the Mayo Clinic provides suggestions in this article to compensate for Vitamin D defiency.
Osteoporosis - Bone Up On Bone Health
by Randy Boyer and Andrea Donsky
Osteoporosis is a silent condition in which bones become less dense and more likely to fracture. It's a major health threat for an estimated 10 million Americans with the disease and 34 million Americans with low bone mass. Often called a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences, bone density decreases partly because hormone levels (such as estrogen and testosterone) decrease as people age.
8 Facts to Know About Palliative Care: Misconceptions abound
Sarah Baldauf
The term "palliative care" often conjures tones of a death knell, but the reality of what such services provide -- and when they can and should be recruited -- might be surprising. While death might ultimately become a part of the conversation, recruiting such care is not just about dying.
Can You Avoid Arthritis Knee Pain by Building Thigh Muscles
Deborah Kotz
Millions of older women suffer the pain and stiffness of arthritis, especially in their knee joints, which can severely curtail everyday activities like climbing stairs or getting out of a car. It turns out there may be a way to protect our knees and avoid the discomforts of aging: strong thigh muscles.
Long-Distance Caregiver: Careful Planning Key to Protecting Aging Parents
Christopher J. Gearon
Adult children often first realize that Mom or Dad needs help when there's a sudden hospitalization or a frantic call from an overwhelmed parent. In many instances, a child will discover evidence of a parent's deterioration during a visit. If you're too far away to monitor a parent, you have a couple of options ...
Finding Health Coverage Before Medicare: A Primer
Susan B. Garland
It's bad enough that your retirement savings are evaporating. But if you lost your job, retired early, or are turning to self-employment, you'll need to budget for health coverage. And the tab could be hefty. However, You do have options if you need to find insurance on your own ...
Mayo Clinic: Hip Pain May be Relieved by Treatments Other Than Surgery
Edward Laskowski, M.D.
Hip pain can be a sign of many medical conditions. Some disorders, such as severe arthritis could, in time, require a hip replacement. But others, such as bursitis, can be managed with much less invasive treatment options. Exercise may help in some situations, but not all. Before you pursue treatment for hip pain
Calorie-Restricted Diets and Other Ways to Avoid Aging
Deborah Kotz
University of Wisconsin researchers found that feeding rhesus monkeys 30 percent fewer calories over a 20-year period seemed to slow down the aging process, protecting them from age-related illnesses like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Animals fed less "appear to be biologically younger than the normally fed animals," the study authors wrote.
Alzheimer's Caregiving: Day-to-day Challenges
Harvard Health Watch
Bath time, mealtime, and bedtime are among the hardest parts of the day. The Alzheimer's disease has a profound emotional impact on the family members who must cope with a loved one's irrevocable decline.
Research Finds that Many Older People Can't Get Up After a Fall
Harvard Health Letters
About 35 percent of people over age 65 fall in their homes at least once each year. That figure increases to 50 percent for those ages 75 and over. Most of the resulting injuries are minor, but falls can also cause major lacerations, fractures, head trauma, and other injuries that may lead to hospitalization, disability, nursing home care, and premature death.
Falls in Older Individuals May Be Preventable
Eric Tangalos, M.D. - Mayo Clinic Medical Edge
With a little effort and some medical problem solving, many falls might be preventable. The Rand Corporation, a nonprofit research group, conducted a large study called Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders (ACOVE). One focus of the study was falls and how to prevent them. The research wasn't a single study, but an analysis of hundreds of previously published studies. Some of the key findings from ACOVE and updates that have been published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society include ...
A New Model for Aging in Place
Howard Gleckman
As all of us age, we face a difficult choice: Should I stay in my home, or move to a senior community or perhaps an assisted-living facility? Now, a growing number of neighborhood networks are providing the resources to help the elderly remain independent for as long as possible.