Latest Senior Health News

30May
2022

Frayed Relationships Could Leave Elderly Vulnerable to Scammers

Frayed Relationships Could Leave Elderly Vulnerable to ScammersTUESDAY, May 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults who are lonely or unhappy with their relationships may be more vulnerable to scammers, new research suggests.The study shows that "the quality of older adults’ interpersonal relationships has an impact on their financial vulnerability at a later time," said study co-author Duke Han, a professor of family medicine, neurology, psychology and gerontology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.Having social connections may help guard against financial abuse, in addition to its other benefits, according to the research."This study points to a specific factor -- social functioning -- that could allow us to predict, and ultimately prevent, vulnerability to financial exploitation before it happens," said...

Risk Factors for Dementia May Change With Age

20 May 2022
Risk Factors for Dementia May Change With AgeFRIDAY, May 20, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Dementia risk factors appear to shift with age, and experts say knowing that could help people make lifestyle changes to reduce their chances of developing the disease."Dementia is a complicated disease and risk prediction scores need to be tailored to the individual," said Emer McGrath of the National University of Ireland Galway, lead author of a new study. "Our findings support the use of age-specific risk prediction scores for dementia instead of a one-size-fits-all approach."For the study, the researchers analyzed data collected from nearly 4,900 Americans enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study. The participants were followed from roughly age 55 to 80, and were tracked from age 65 to see who developed dementia.Participants who had diabetes...

Could Eye Trouble Bring Lower Scores on Seniors'...

20 May 2022
Could Eye Trouble Bring Lower Scores on Seniors` Thinking Tests?FRIDAY, May 20 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Poor eyesight makes it harder to read and easier to trip. But it can also lead to a misdiagnosis of mild mental decline in older people, according to a new, small study. That can happen if someone's thinking abilities are assessed using vision-dependent tests, researchers explained. They noted that as many as 1 in 4 people older than 50 have undiagnosed vision problems such as cataracts or age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which could skew visual assessments of their mental sharpness. AMD doesn't cause complete vision loss but severely impairs the ability to read, drive, cook and even recognize faces. It has no effect on mental function (cognition).Visual impairments affect about 200 million seniors worldwide, said study leader Anne...

Frail, But Living at Home: Program Helps Elderly Stay Strong

19 May 2022
Frail, But Living at Home: Program Helps Elderly Stay StrongTHURSDAY, May 19, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- It’s never too late to start exercising -- and the right activities might help you stay independent in your home.While building healthy habits at an earlier age can have some long-term benefits, adding physical activity can help at all ages, new research suggests.A new study found that physically frail elderly people and low muscle mass (sarcopenia) were able to reduce their level of "mobility disability" by 22% over three years, using a program that included specific changes to their exercise habits and diets.The formula for success involved adding extra walking, along with strength, flexibility and balance exercises, to their daily routine. It also included increasing their protein intake, according to the paper published May 11 in the...

Study in Rats Offers Hope for New Parkinson's Therapy

19 May 2022
Study in Rats Offers Hope for New Parkinson`s TherapyTHURSDAY, May 19, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Experimental stem cell replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease shows promise in rats and will soon be tested in a human clinical trial, researchers say."We cannot be more excited by the opportunity to help individuals who suffer from [a] genetic form of Parkinson's disease, but the lessons learned from this trial will also directly impact patients who suffer from sporadic, or non-genetic forms of this disease," said study co-author Jeffrey Kordower. He is director of the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center at Arizona State University, in Tempe. Parkinson's disease causes damage to a specific type of neuron in the brain that produces a chemical messenger called dopamine.The lack of dopamine causes physical symptoms such as...
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