Gerontology
You can reach 110 – if you survive the perilous 90s
July 4th, 2018 The chances of reaching the ripe old age of 110 are within reach – a you survive the perilous 90s and make it to 105 when death rates level out, according to a study of extremely old Italians led by the University of California-Berkeley, and...
Chronic inflammation in middle age linked to increased frailty when older
May 2nd, 2018 A study, led by Johns Hopkins Medicine investigators, of nearly 6,000 Americans followed for 24 years from middle to late adulthood found that having chronic inflammation in middle age may be linked to an increased risk of frailty and overall poorer...Neglect widespread in English care homes
The largest-ever survey of care home staff in England, led by University College London (UCL) researchers, has found that neglectful behaviours are widespread. For the study, care home staff were asked anonymously about positive and negative...
'Fateful Life Events' affect ageing and mortality risk
April 11th, 2018 A sudden substantial financial loss in middle-age or older people, is associated with an up to 50% higher risk of death, found a US study. The Northwestern Medicine and University of Michigan study found that when people lose 75% or more of their...
'Boomerang generation' reduces parents' quality of life
March 21st, 2018 Adult children who return to live with their parents, the so-called “boomerang generation”, cause a significant decline in parents' quality of life and well-being, according to research from the London School of Economics and Political...
Discovering why the 'super-agers' live long and well
February 28th, 2018 'Super-agers' have long puzzled scientists, but now researchers say they are unpicking why some people live beyond 80 – and still appear to be in fine fettle, with cognitive capacities on a par with adults decades younger. The Guardian reports...
Heavy drinking and smoking linked to visible ageing
January 10th, 2018 Heavy drinking and smoking are linked to four visible signs of physical ageing, and looking older than one's years, found a long-term Danish observational study. The research was from the National Institute of Public Health, University of...Mushrooms producing high amounts of antioxidants
Mushrooms may contain unusually high amounts of two antioxidants that some scientists suggest could help fight ageing and bolster health, according to a team of Penn State researchers. In a study, researchers found that mushrooms have high...
Healthy gut is a biomarker for healthy ageing
October 25th, 2017 In one of the largest microbiota studies conducted in humans, researchers at Western University, Lawson Health Research Institute and Tianyi Health Science Institute in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China have shown a potential link between healthy ageing and...Reaction time variation may be a marker of mortality in old age
An individual's variation in reaction times, when completing a single cognitive task across several trials, has been identified in an Australian study as an independent predictor of mortality in old age. A common indicator of neurobiological...Nutritional, physical and cognitive interventions reverse frailty in the elderly
A combination of nutritional, physical and cognitive interventions can reverse physical frailty in elderly people, found a four-year study from the National University of Singapore. Physical frailty is common among the elderly and is strongly...
Walkies! The influence of dogs on the sedentary elderly
June 21st, 2017 Elderly people with dogs appear to meet internationally recognised exercise goals simply by walking their pet, suggests a small UK study. Researchers matched 43 older adults with dogs to another 43 without dogs and measured their time spent...
Regular exercise significantly boosts brain power in the over 50s
April 26th, 2017 A combination of aerobic and resistance exercises can significantly boost the brain power of the over 50s, finds the most comprehensive review of the available evidence to date, by Australian researchers. The improvement occurs irrespective of the...
Weak grip a strong predictor of metabolic disease and disability
April 19th, 2017 A simple test to determine a person's grip strength is a robust predictor of developing metabolic disorders in middle or older age, a cross-continental study has found. The test locations, demographics and methodology all were selected for a...Poor smell linked to increased risk of dying
In a Swedish study of adults aged 40 to 90 years who were followed for 10 years, poor smell was linked with an increased risk of dying. During the study, 411 of 1,774 participants (23%) died. After controlling for demographic, health-related and...