Aging - Anti-Aging
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InfoMedSearch: Aging and Anti-Aging
PREVENT: FALLS, NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES, DEHYDRATION, HEAT STROKE
PROMOTE: MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Falls
NIH - Falls “A fall can change your life. If you're elderly, it can lead to disability and a loss of independence. If your bones are fragile from osteoporosis, you could break a bone, often a hip. But aging alone doesn't make people fall. Diabetes and heart disease affect balance. So do problems with circulation, thyroid or nervous systems. Some medicines make people dizzy. Eye problems or alcohol can be factors. Any of these things can make a fall more likely. … Falls and accidents seldom "just happen." Taking care of your health by exercising and getting regular eye exams and physicals may help reduce your chance of falling. Getting rid of tripping hazards in your home and wearing nonskid shoes may also help. To reduce the chances of breaking a bone if you do fall, make sure that you get enough calcium and vitamin D. “
NIH - Falls and Older Adults “More than one in three people age 65 years or older falls each year. The risk of falling -- and fall-related problems -- rises with age.”
Highlighted Articles
The functional effects of physical exercise training in frail older people : a systematic review. (Sports Med. 2008) “This systematic review suggests that older adults with different levels of abilities can improve their functional performance by regular exercise training.”
Astronaut Technology Could Prevent Elderly Falls “The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates 300,000 people annually suffer hip fractures, which are often caused by falls. An average of 24 percent of hip fracture patients age 50 and over die within a year of the fracture. Many fall victims who don't die within a year end up being disabled the rest of their lives. "It's a huge issue," said Elinor Ginzler of the AARP. "It significantly impairs your ability to stay independent, which is what people want." “
Brain injuries from falls a deadly risk for seniors “Arias said that as the numerous baby boom generation hits retirement age, more people will fall and either die or require expensive hospital care. "CDC has developed tips and suggestions for older adults, their caregivers, health care providers, and communities to help prevent falls," Arias said. These include reducing floor clutter and providing better lighting as well as regular exercise to maintain strength and balance. More information is available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/preventingfalls/.“
A typology of oral hydration problems exhibited by frail nursing home residents. (J Gerontol Nurs. 2006) "Dehydration remains a substantial problem for nursing home residents, often with poor health outcomes. … Dehydration events occurred in 31% (11 of 35) of residents during the 6-month period."
Strategies for ensuring good hydration in the elderly. (Nutr Rev. 2005) "Dehydration is a frequent etiology of morbidity and mortality in elderly people. It causes the hospitalization of many patients and its outcome may be fatal. Indeed, dehydration is often linked to infection, and if it is overlooked, mortality may be over 50%. Older individuals have been shown to have a higher risk of developing dehydration than younger adults. Modifications in water metabolism with aging and fluid imbalance in the frail elderly are the main factors to consider in the prevention of dehydration. Particularly, a decrease in the fat free mass, which is hydrated and contains 73% water, is observed in the elderly due to losses in muscular mass, total body water, and bone mass. Since water intake is mainly stimulated by thirst, and since the thirst sensation decreases with aging, risk factors for dehydration are those that lead to a loss of autonomy or a loss of cognitive function that limit the access to beverages."
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Aging and Anti-Aging
Anti-Aging
NEWS:
A Purposeful Life May Stave Off Alzheimer's “"More social activity, more physical activity, higher cognitive activities, high purpose in life -- all these psychosocial factors seem to be linked with longer life, decreased mortality, decreased disability and provide important clues to a public health approach to try to increase independence in older people in later life," Buchman said. Greg M. Cole, a neuroscientist at the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System, wondered if the study is really measuring depression, not a purposeful life. "I am unclear about how low scores on the purpose-in-life measures can be separated from mild depression," Cole said. "Depression has been repeatedly associated with increased Alzheimer's disease risk. So psychiatrists can make a distinction, but they seem likely closely related."”
Aerobic Exercise No Big Stretch For Older Adults But Helps Elasticity Of Arteries “An improvement was seen in the elasticity of the arteries of the group that performed the activity compared to those who didn't exercise. "There was an impressive drop in arterial stiffness after just three months of exercise. In that time we saw a 15 to 20 per cent reduction."”
Attention, Couch Potatoes! Walking Boosts Brain Connectivity, Function “A group of "professional couch potatoes," as one researcher described them, has proven that even moderate exercise -- in this case walking at one's own pace for 40 minutes three times a week -- can enhance the connectivity of important brain circuits, combat declines in brain function associated with aging and increase performance on cognitive tasks.”
Balance Training Reduces Falls Risk in Older Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes. (Diabetes Care. 2010)
B vitamins found to halve brain shrinkage in old “Helga Refsum, who also worked on the trial, stressed that vitamins were given in extremely high doses. "This is a drug, not a vitamin intervention," she said. The pills, called "TrioBe Plus" contained around 300 times the recommended daily intake of B12, four times daily advised folate levels and 15 times the recommended amount of B6. Brain scans were taken at the beginning and the end of the trial to monitor the rate of brain shrinkage, or atrophy. The results, published in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) One journal, showed that on average the brains of those taking the vitamin treatment shrank at a rate of 0.76 percent a year, while those taking the dummy pill had an average brain shrinkage of 1.08 percent. People who had the highest levels of homocysteine at the start of the trial benefited the most from the treatment, with their brains shrinking at half the rate of those on the placebo.”
Berries May Slow Mental Decline From Aging
Brain exercises delay mental decline
Brain Fitness Games Improve Delayed Memory in Elderly Adults “Elderly adults who play brain fitness games that exercise global aspects of memory show improvements in the domain of delayed memory at 6 months compared with a slight decline in active controls, according to preliminary findings presented here at the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry 2010 Annual Meeting.”
Brain Fitness Programs May Help Frail Elderly Walk Faster, Study Suggests
Combination of Physical Exercise and Computer Use Protective Against MCI in Late Life “At this point the mechanism is unclear, he added. However, some researchers have suggested that mentally stimulating activities may enhance synaptic response, whereas physical exercise may increase blood flow to the brain and the 2 in combination may have a synergistic effect. However, added Dr. Geda, at this point the mechanism remains speculative.”
DASH Diet Fuels the Brain “A new study shows the DASH diet in combination with regular exercise improved mental activity by 30% in overweight adults compared with those who didn’t diet or exercise. The DASH diet was developed by the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension study and emphasizes low-fat dairy products and low-cholesterol foods as well as carbohydrates and fruits and vegetables. Researchers say high blood pressure affects about 50% of adults aged 60 and older and increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of mental decline like dementia. Lifestyle modifications, such as diet and exercise, have been shown to lower blood pressure and improve brain activity, but they say this is the first study to look at the combined effects of diet and exercise on brainpower in overweight people with high blood pressure.”
Dietary Formula That Maintains Youthful Function Into Old Age “Ingredients consists of items that were purchased in local stores selling vitamin and health supplements for people, including vitamins B1, C, D, E, acetylsalicylic acid, beta carotene, folic acid, garlic, ginger root, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, green tea extract, magnesium, melatonin, potassium, cod liver oil, and flax seed oil. Multiple ingredients were combined based on their ability to offset five mechanisms involved in ageing.”
Dietary Protein May Reduce Hip Fractures in the Elderly
High Levels of Vitamin D in Older People Can Reduce Heart Disease and Diabetes “Middle aged and elderly people with high levels of vitamin D could reduce their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43%, according to researchers at the University of Warwick. “
Higher Exercise Capacity Equals Improved Survival in Older Adults
Music-Based Exercise Class Cuts Seniors' Fall Risk
Older Walkers Cut Dementia Risk “The tests showed about 40% had either dementia or a mild cognitive impairment, which can lead to dementia. But people with more gray matter were only half as likely as others to have these problems. There was no benefit for people who walked fewer than 6 miles a week, researchers said. The journal Neurology published the study online.”
Older Women Need To Exercise “Normal-weight women who want to prevent weight gain as they age need to do an hour a day of moderate-intensity physical activity such as brisk walking, a study shows. Over the years, some experts have suggested it takes that much to control weight, but this is one of the first large-scale studies to examine the question.”
Omega-3 May Promote Youthful Biological Age
Physically Active Teenagers at Reduced Risk for Late-Life Cognitive Impairment “"Our study show that women who are regularly physically active at any age have lower risk of cognitive impairment than those who are inactive but that being physically active at teenage is most important in preventing cognitive impairment," study investigator Laura E. Middleton, PhD, said in a statement.”
Physical Exercise, Aging, and Mild Cognitive Impairment (Arch Neurol. 2010) “Conclusion In this population-based case-control study, any frequency of moderate exercise performed in midlife or late life was associated with a reduced odds of having MCI.”
Regular Exercise Helps Prevent Elderly People From Falling “Regular exercise lowered the risk of falls by 17 to 35 per cent, the review showed. Tai chi was the most effective type of exercise, reducing the rate of falls by 37 per cent and the risk of falls by 35 per cent. Other preventative measures, such as taking vitamin D or improving home safety, had little effect.”
Resveratrol May Slow Aging in Humans
Running Boosts Brainpower “Running may do more than improve your cardiovascular fitness and overall physique. It might actually make you smarter. Scientists reporting in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences say that running has a profound impact on the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory. Adult mice that voluntarily used running wheels increased their number of brain cells and performed better at spatial learning tests than non-exercising mice, they discovered.”
Weights Improve Seniors' Brain Function “"We were able to demonstrate that simple training with weights that seniors can easily handle improved ability to make accurate decisions quickly," Dr. Liu-Ambrose was quoted as saying. "Additionally, we found that the exercises led to increased walking speed, a predictor of considerable reduction in mortality." Previous studies have shown that aerobic exercise training, such as walking or swimming enhances brain and cognitive function. However, seniors with limited mobility are unable to benefit from this type of exercise. Cognitive decline among seniors is a pressing health care issue and is a key risk factor for falls. Approximately 30 percent of B.C. seniors experience a fall each year, and fall-related hip fractures account for more than 4,000 injures each year at a cost of $75 million to the health care system.”
Women's Study Finds Longevity Means Getting Just Enough Sleep “Kripke said the study should allay some people's fears that they're not getting enough sleep. "This means that women who sleep as little as five to six-and-a-half hours have nothing to worry about since that amount of sleep is evidently consistent with excellent survival. That is actually about the average measured sleep duration for San Diego women." Researchers uncovered other interesting findings as well. For example, among older women, obstructive sleep apnea (pauses in breathing during sleep) did not predict increased mortality risk. "Although apneas may be associated with increased mortality risk among those under 60, it does not seem to carry a risk in the older age group, particularly for women," Kripke said.”
You don't have to hurt as you age! Eat broccoli and avoid arthritis
ARTICLES:
How much physical activity do older adults need?
Living to 100: What's the Secret?
JOURNAL ARTICLES:
Beneficial effects of docosahexaenoic acid on cognition in age-related cognitive decline (Alzheimer's and Dementia 2010) “Twenty-four week supplementation with 900 mg/d DHA improved learning and memory function in ARCD and is a beneficial supplement that supports cognitive health with aging.”
Blueberry Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults (dagger). (J Agric Food Chem. 2010) “The findings of this preliminary study suggest that moderate-term blueberry supplementation can confer neurocognitive benefit and establish a basis for more comprehensive human trials to study preventive potential and neuronal mechanisms.”
Cognitive and Cardiovascular Benefits of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Aging and Cognitive Decline. (Curr Alzheimer Res. 2010) “Collectively, data reveal a potentially beneficial role for DHA in preventing or ameliorating cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease in the aged.”
Cognitive function in elderly marathon runners: Cross-sectional data from the marathon trial (apsoem). (Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2010) “These results suggest that extensive endurance exercise training might be beneficial for maintaining cognitive function in elderly persons. Our data demonstrate that beneficial endurance training effects are not linked to the upregulation of the examined neurotrophins. Since we found reduced BDNF-levels in subjects with a positive family history of Alzheimer's disease, we speculate that BDNF-reduction might precede cognitive impairment.”
Cognitive performance among the elderly in relation to the intake of plant foods. The Hordaland Health Study. (Br J Nutr. 2010) “For individual plant foods, the positive cognitive associations of carrots, cruciferous vegetables, citrus fruits and high-fibre bread were most pronounced. The only negative cognitive association was with increased intake of white bread. In the elderly, a diet rich in plant foods is associated with better performance in several cognitive abilities in a dose-dependent manner.”
Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids and fish and risk of age-related hearing loss. (Am J Clin Nutr. 2010) “CONCLUSIONS: There was an inverse association between higher intakes of long-chain n-3 PUFAs and regular weekly consumption of fish and hearing loss. Dietary intervention with n-3 PUFAs could prevent or delay the development of age-related hearing loss.”
Dietary Calcium and Magnesium Intake and Mortality: A Prospective Study of Men (American Journal of Epidemiology 2010) “This population-based, prospective study of men with relatively high intakes of dietary calcium and magnesium showed that intake of calcium above that recommended daily may reduce all-cause mortality.”
Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Mild Cognitive Impairment (Arch Neurol. 2010) “Conclusions This study provides support, using rigorous controlled methodology, for a potent nonpharmacologic intervention that improves executive control processes for older women at high risk of cognitive decline.”
Effects of a Physical Training Programme on Cognitive Function and Walking Efficiency in Elderly Persons with Dementia (Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2010)
Effects of Exercise Programs to Prevent Decline in Health-Related Quality of Life in Highly Deconditioned Institutionalized Elderly Persons (Arch Intern Med. 2010) “Conclusion Adapted exercise programs can slow down the decline in health-related quality of life among heterogeneous, institutionalized elderly persons. “
Exercise Capacity and Mortality in Older Men. A 20-Year Follow-Up Study (Circulation 2010) “Conclusions—Exercise capacity is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in older men. The relationship is inverse and graded, with most survival benefits achieved in those with an exercise capacity >5 METs. Survival improved significantly when unfit individuals became fit.”
Healthy Brain Aging: A Road Map (Clinics in Geriatric Medicine 2010)
Interventions to Reduce Cognitive Decline in Aging. (Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv. 2010)
Long-term Outcomes of Exercise: Follow-up of a Randomized Trial in Older Women With Osteopenia (Arch Intern Med. 2010) “Mainly home-based exercises followed by voluntary home training seem to have a long-term effect on balance and gait and may even protect high-risk elderly women from hip fractures.”
Physical Activity and Incident Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Persons (Arch Intern Med. 2010) “Conclusion Moderate or high physical activity is associated with a reduced incidence of cognitive impairment after 2 years in a large population-based cohort of elderly subjects.”
Physical Activity at Midlife in Relation to Successful Survival in Women at Age 70 Years or Older (Arch Intern Med. 2010) “Conclusion These data provide evidence that higher levels of midlife physical activity are associated with exceptional health status among women who survive to older ages and corroborate the potential role of physical activity in improving overall health.”
Physical activity predicts gray matter volume in late adulthood (Neurology 2010) “Greater amounts of walking are associated with greater gray matter volume, which is in turn associated with a reduced risk of cognitive impairment.”
Plasticity of Brain Networks in a Randomized Intervention Trial of Exercise Training in Older Adults (Front Aging Neurosci. 2010) “Therefore the study provides the first evidence for exercise-induced functional plasticity in large-scale brain systems in the aging brain, using functional connectivity techniques, and offers new insight into the role of aerobic fitness in attenuating age-related brain dysfunction.”
Positive Effects of Physical Training in Activity of Daily Living-Dependent Older Adults. (Exp Aging Res. 2010)
Promoting successful cognitive aging: a comprehensive review. (J Alzheimers Dis. 2010)
Resistance Training and Executive Functions (Arch Intern Med. 2010) “Conclusion Twelve months of once-weekly or twice-weekly resistance training benefited the executive cognitive function of selective attention and conflict resolution among senior women.”
Senior Fitness: Why It's Never Too Late to Start
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