elderly

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'Sweetie' Talk Saps Seniors' Health

Condescending treatment builds poor self-image: study

(Newser) - Many believe they’re bridging a divide with the elderly by calling them “sweetie” or “dear”—what experts call “elderspeak.” But studies show that such language may actually be hurtful to older people, causing “negative images of aging” that can trigger a “downward...

Low B12 Levels Tied to Brain Shrinkage, Memory Loss

Many adults deficient in crucial nutrient

(Newser) - Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause memory loss, particularly in the elderly, reports the BBC. People short on the nutrient were 6 times more likely than individuals with normal levels to experience brain shrinkage, which is strongly linked to dementia, a new study shows. Forty percent of people are believed to...

Runners Live Longer: Study
 Runners Live Longer: Study
Aug 12, 2008 3:52 AM CDT

Runners Live Longer: Study

Health benefits extend into runners' 90s

(Newser) - Runners live longer and age more slowly than non-runners, a new study has found. Researchers tracked hundreds of older people for decades and discovered those who ran regularly remained active later into old age and were less likely to develop disabilities. Twenty years into the study 34% of the non-runners...

'Young Old People' Defend McCain From Age Attacks

'What was the question?' quips one

(Newser) - A group of fit Florida seniors have stepped up to the plate to defend candidate John MCain from criticism that he's too old to competently govern the country. "I think he could do the job in his 90s," said a supporter, one of several men born within days...

'Pre-Dementia' on the Rise
 'Pre-Dementia' on the Rise
Jul 29, 2008 5:33 AM CDT

'Pre-Dementia' on the Rise

Mild impairment strikes nearly a million elderly a year, especially men

(Newser) - Almost a million Americans each year develop a mild form of memory loss that is often a precursor to Alzheimer's, according to new research. Mild Cognitive Impairment—more serious than normal "senior moments"—was found to be more common in men, the Los Angeles Times reports. Doctors warn...

Don't Talk Down to Alzheimer's Patients: Docs

Trouble communicating leads to frustration, uncooperative behavior

(Newser) - Even after they lose the ability to communicate easily, Alzheimer’s disease patients remain aware of the world around them and know when they're being talked down to, a study shows. Video evidence suggests patients are twice as likely to accept help from caregivers, and to not shut down or...

A Medical Frontier: 100-Year-Olds In Surgery

Doctors disagree on whether to operate on the 'late elderly'

(Newser) - Life expectancy in the United States keeps rising: more than 90,000 Americans have celebrated a 100th birthday, and experts foresee more than 1 million centenarians by 2050. As lifespans have grown, so too have medical efforts to treat the very old, from hip replacements to chemotherapy. But as the...

GM Developing Futuristic Windshield

Looking forward to an aging driver, tech would compensate for poor eyesight

(Newser) - America’s driving population is aging, and GM aims to do something to help older motorists: develop a high-tech windshield that compensates for declining eyesight, the AP reports. The system, now in the research phase, uses lasers and infrared sensors to identify hazards in the road—or perhaps the edge...

Seniors Wield Canes in Martial- Arts Training

Exercise and self- defense meet in 'Cane Fu' classes

(Newser) - Call it cane fighting, combat cane or cane fu: in classes across the country, seniors are turning to a different kind of self-defense, the Wall Street Journal reports. While the practice serves as a healthy way to get exercise, it also provides comfort to elderly people interested in protecting themselves...

To Cheat Death, Eat Less
 To Cheat Death, Eat Less 
Jul 9, 2008 6:26 PM CDT

To Cheat Death, Eat Less

15% reduction in your diet at age 25 could add 4½ years to your life, researchers think

(Newser) - Call it the Refrigerator of Youth: Eating less could add nearly 5 years to your lifespan, LiveScience reports. Even scholars dismissive of anti-aging hype concede that a more moderate eating approach could bear fruit. "There is plenty of evidence that calorie restriction can reduce your risks for many common...

Dems Ready to Slap McCain on Medicare Bill

GOP senator absent with 1 vote needed to save doctor payments

(Newser) - Democrats are preparing to attack John McCain for hurting doctors, the elderly, and veterans—all by not showing up, The Hill reports. Medicare legislation to stave off a 10.6% cut in physician payments is one vote short in the Senate, and the presumptive GOP nominee, repeatedly absent when it...

Antipsychotic Drugs Triple Health Risks in Elderly

Dementia research finds even brief use is dangerous

(Newser) - Elderly dementia patients given antipsychotic drugs, even briefly, are three times as likely to end up hospitalized or dead within a month, new research has found. The study looked at 40,000 elderly Canadians, half of them in nursing homes, and found that the drugs increased the risk of...

In Japan, Elders Outnumber Kids

Too many senior citizens, not enough children means trouble ahead

(Newser) - Monday was Children’s Day in Japan, but the holiday has a bitter irony in a land where the number of children has been waning for 27 years. Kids account for only 13.5% of Japan’s population, while the elderly make up 22%, the Washington Post reports.

Get Old, Get Happy
 Get Old, Get Happy 
Apr 19, 2008 5:50 AM CDT

Get Old, Get Happy

Researchers find people get happier as they age

(Newser) - Happiness really does come with age, researchers have discovered in one of the widest-ranging studies ever of happiness in America. Measures of happiness steadily climbed among study participants into their mid-60s. Levels dipped only slightly after that, and people in their 80s still tended to be happier than people under...

Nursing Homes Pressure Patients to Forgo Lawsuits

Elderly required to sign away their right to sue

(Newser) - Nursing homes are pushing patients to give up the right to sue, writing binding arbitration clauses into standard contracts for admission, the Wall Street Journal reports. The homes say the practice lets them concentrate resources on care instead of costly litigation, which soared in the '90s, but critics charge that...

Older (White) Americans Live Longer, Larger

Study sees age, wealth increasing, but gap remains between races

(Newser) - Americans over age 65 have better financial security, are better educated and expected to live far longer than ever, a study finds—but huge gaps remain between results for whites and those for blacks and Latinos. "The life expectancy gap between whites and blacks has narrowed but is still...

Mental Decline Strikes 1/3 of Seniors
Mental Decline Strikes 1/3
of Seniors
Mar 18, 2008 12:53 PM CDT

Mental Decline Strikes 1/3 of Seniors

Alzheimer's will afflict 1 in 8 baby boomers, report projects

(Newser) - Cognitive problems ranging from forgetting what day it is to full-blown dementia are affecting one-third of the nation's seniors, reports a new study by the National Institute on Aging. The report says 22% of those over 71 have mild impairment, added to 16% suffering dementia, the Washington Post reports. An...

Americans Get More Liberal With Age
Americans Get More Liberal With Age
Mar 10, 2008 1:00 PM CDT

Americans Get More Liberal With Age

Long-term study shows elders trending left

(Newser) - The older a person gets, the more conservative he or she is likely to be, right? Wrong, say scientists who studied more than 46,000 people who responded to a US government survey from 1972 to 2004. In fact, a lead researcher tells LiveScience, "More people are changing in...

Robot Dogs Cheer Up Elderly
Robot Dogs Cheer Up Elderly
Mar 1, 2008 8:02 AM CST

Robot Dogs Cheer Up Elderly

Study says robo-mutt relieved loneliness as effectively as a real dog

(Newser) - Robot dogs are almost as effective as the real thing in cheering up elderly nursing home residents, a new study at St. Louis University has found. Once the patients had some time to get used to him, researchers say robot mutt AIBO lowered loneliness levels about as well as a...

'Miracle' HGH's Awful Truth: It May Not Work

Testimonials aside, study shows hormone benefits few patients

(Newser) - Here’s the list of people human growth hormone is proven to help: the elderly, AIDS and tuberculosis patients, and people with hormone deficiencies. Baseball players aren’t on that list, Newsweek reports, and neither are thousands of ordinary people who believe HGH slows the aging process. “There’s...

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