Alzheimer’s Drug May Someday Help Head Trauma Victims

A new class of Alzheimer’s disease drugs may prevent long-term damage from traumatic brain injury, suggests a study of mice by Georgetown University Medical Center researchers. The drugs — gamma-secretase inhibitors — are designed to target amyloid plaque that accumulates in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to background information in the study. “No... Read more

Formal “brain exercise” won’t help healthy seniors

Healthy older people shouldn’t bother spending money on computer games and Web sites promising to ward off mental decline, the author of a review of scientific evidence for the benefits of these “brain exercise” programs says. “These marketed products don’t confer any additional benefit over and above being socially and intellectually active in one’s normal daily... Read more

Medicare Drug Plan ‘Doughnut Hole’ Could Impact Seniors’ Health

American seniors who reach the no-coverage “doughnut hole” in the Medicare Part D drug plan are less likely to use prescription drugs than those with an employer-based plan, a new study finds. The finding raises concerns about health consequences and increased costs from hospitalizations and doctor visits resulting from this lack of drug coverage, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh... Read more

Insulin May Protect Against Alzheimer’s

Insulin may slow or prevent the memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s disease, a new study says. Laboratory research led by a team from Northwestern University found that insulin acts as a shield that deflects the toxic proteins that attack the wiring in the brain responsible for forming memories. “Therapeutics designed to increase insulin sensitivity in the brain could provide new avenues... Read more

Seniors Who Exercise Help Their Health

Sedentary seniors can improve their motor function and decrease their risk for insulin resistance by starting an exercise program that includes both aerobics and resistance training, new Canadian research suggests. “For a long time, the standard recommendation for people of moderate age — those under 65 — has been 150 minutes a week of aerobic type activity,” noted study co-author... Read more

Moderate Alcohol Consumption May Protect Against Disabilities

Healthy people 50 and older who drink alcohol moderately are less likely to suffer physical disabilities that cause so many seniors to lose their independence, a new study says. The study authors said their research showed that healthy older adults who were light-to-moderate drinkers had 25 percent lower odds of being unable to carry out daily activities such as walking, dressing, eating, running errands... Read more

Positive Outlook Cuts Chances of Dementia

Sociable people who don’t sweat the small stuff may be more likely to remember the small stuff as they age, suggests new research exploring the link between personality and the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. “Older people who are active, outgoing and relaxed may be less likely to develop dementia,” said study author Hui-Xin Wang, with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm,... Read more

Drinking coffee reduces risk of Alzheimer’s: study

Middle-aged people who drink moderate amounts of coffee significantly reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a study by Finnish and Swedish researchers showed Thursday. “Middle-aged people who drank between three and five cups of coffee a day lowered their risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by between 60 and 65 percent later in life,” said lead... Read more

Cold Weather May Raise Blood Pressure in Elderly

When the temperature drops outside, blood pressure appears to rise in older adults, a new study shows. The systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressures both rose and fell with the change of seasons in the 8,801 people, aged 65 or older, looked at in the study by the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale of Paris. The average systolic blood pressure, for example,... Read more

Glaucoma Associated With Reading Impairments in Elderly

Having glaucoma may lead to reading problems in older adults, a new report shows. A study by the Johns Hopkins University’s Wilmer Eye Institute found people with glaucoma in both eyes (bilateral) read 29 words per minute slower than those without glaucoma. They also were almost twice as likely to have reading impairment. Those with glaucoma in one eye (unilateral) had rates about on par with... Read more

Next Page »