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
General Information
NEWS:
As Problems Accumulate, Frailty May Set In “So is frailty inevitable? Eventually, if people live long enough, it's likely they will become increasingly frail. But "it can be delayed," Brangman and others said. Much of it is rooted in unhealthy habits picked up in early and middle age -- "especially a lack of physical exercise, smoking and poor nutrition," said Heppenstall. "To prevent it, we should emphasize regular physical activity in all adults at all ages, as well as a balanced diet," she said. Exercise on a regular basis will at least delay frailty, agreed Brangman. "What we are trying to do is avoid that period of time when people are dependent and debilitated and have a lot of disability and need to be institutionalized." “
As People Live Longer, More Will Develop Cataracts
Better Vitamin D Status Could Mean Better Quality of Life for Seniors
Both High, Low Levels of Vitamin D in Older Women May Be Problematic “The industry-sponsored Vitamin D Council, in fact, recommends a "minimal acceptable" blood level of 50 ng/ml. But, Ensrud noted, "Our study did not find that higher vitamin D status [more than 30 ng/ml] was associated with lower subsequent risks of frailty or death. In fact, higher levels of vitamin D were associated with increased likelihood of frailty." "Our results indicate that well-designed large randomized trials of sufficient duration are needed to accurately quantify health effects of vitamin D supplementation, including whether or not supplementation reduces the incidence or progression of frailty in older adults," Ensrud concluded.”
Delirium Linked to Death and Other Poor Outcomes in Elderly Patients
Dementia in Extreme Elderly Population Expected to Become Epidemic “Dr. Corrada explained, "Our findings show dementia incidence rates almost double every five years in those 90 and older." Researchers found the overall incidence rate based on 770 person-years of follow-up was 18.2% per year. Rates increased with age from 12.7% per year in the 90-94 age group, to 21.2% per year in the 95-99 age group, to 40.7% per year in the 100+ age group. Incidence rates were very similar for men and women. Previous results from The 90+ Study found higher estimates of dementia prevalence in women (45%) compared to men (28%), a result also seen in other similar studies.”
End-Of-Life Care at Home Can Improve Quality of Life for Patients and Families “The study determined that those who died in hospitals experienced more physical and psychological discomfort than those who died at home. According to a survey by the National Hospice and Palliatative Care Organization, 80 percent of terminally ill patients prefer to live out their last days at home as opposed to a hospital. … "Patients who died at home were less likely to die in pain. They had less psychological suffering and their loved ones saw that their overall quality of life was better," Wright said. The families of patients also experienced increased psychological stress when their terminally ill loved ones died in a hospital setting. Family members had a fivefold higher risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder if their loved one died in the intensive care unit compared to at home," Wright said.”
Eyeglass Change Might Keep Elderly From Falling
Green Tea Drinking in Elderly Linked to Lower Risk for Depression
Guinness Records' oldest living man still enjoys good health after 113 years
Healthy Adults May Need Less Sleep As They Age According To Study
Healthy Older Adults With Subjective Memory Loss May Be at Increased Risk for MCI and Dementia “Forgot where you put your car keys? Having trouble recalling your colleague's name? If so, this may be a symptom of subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), the earliest sign of cognitive decline marked by situations such as when a person recognizes they can't remember a name like they used to or where they recently placed important objects the way they used to. Studies have shown that SCI is experienced by between one-quarter and one-half of the population over the age of 65. … A new study, published in the January 11, 2010, issue of the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, finds that healthy older adults reporting SCI are 4.5 times more likely to progress to the more advanced memory-loss stages of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia than those free of SCI.”
If you're 70 and overweight, you may live longer “The new study suggests that in the elderly, these boundaries may be too narrow. While no one is questioning that extra fat poses health risks in young and middle-aged adults, it may cushion the impact of frailty and old age, Yoshikawa told Reuters Health. "We're not advocating that people get obese," said Yoshikawa, who was not involved in the new study. But "if you are five or 10 pounds heavier, it's better than being five or 10 pounds lighter." So far, nobody knows exactly how BMI affects lifespan in older people. Some researchers speculate that it acts as an energy reserve that can help the elderly cope with illness.”
Japanese Women Extend Life Expectancy to New High
Maintaining Regular Daily Routines Is Associated With Better Sleep Quality in Older Adults
Memory lapses are common and increase with age; when do they signal Alzheimer's?
Mild Cognitive Impairment Affects 16% of Nondemented Elderly, More Prevalent Among Men
Mild Memory Loss Is Not a Part of Normal Aging, New Research Finds “"The very early mild cognitive changes once thought to be normal aging are really the first signs of progressive dementia, in particular Alzheimer's disease." said Robert S.Wilson, PhD, neuropsychologist at Rush University Medical Center. "The pathology in the brain related to Alzheimer's and other dementias has a much greater impact on memory function in old age than we previously recognized." “
New study of centenarians links certain genetic variations to a long lifespan
Older Adults Experience “destination Amnesia” And Over-Confidence With False Beliefs “"Destination amnesia is characterized by falsely believing you've told someone something, such as believing you've told your daughter about needing a ride to an appointment, when you actually had told a neighbour." Why are older adults more prone to destination memory failures? The ability to focus and pay attention declines with age, so older adults use up most of their attentional resources on the telling of information and don't properly encode the context (ie. who they are speaking to) for later recall.”
Poor Hand-Grip Strength Associated With Poor Survival
Researchers Identify Secrets to Happiness, Depression Among Oldest of Old
Strong Grip May Mean Longer Life
Study Finds Brain Bleeding Is Common With Aging “"Drugs that interfere with platelets and blood clotting, such as aspirin, are known to be associated with microbleeds seen in brain imaging studies," Fisher said. "Our findings suggest that aspirin and other platelet medications may have a different effect on the aging brain than on younger brains." Results from the UCI study also indicate that leakiness of brain blood vessels increases with age, he said, despite the fact that a specific barrier (known as the blood-brain barrier) exists to prevent leakiness. The areas of bleeding found in the study were very small and certainly not life-threatening, Fisher said. How they might affect intellectual and neurological function is a subject for further exploration.”
Tai Chi Relieves Arthritis Pain, Improves Reach, Balance, Well-Being, Study Suggests
True or False: Old Folks Are Crankier Than Young Folks “The brain contains approximately 100 billion neurons. A common misconception is that tens of thousands of neurons in the brain die each day. In reality, few neurons die over a person's lifetime, but they do shrink. This shrinkage may partially explain why mental functioning slows in middle and older age. In addition to the shrinkage of neurons, starting in middle age the brain begins producing smaller quantities of many neurotransmitters -- chemical messengers that relay information between nerve cells. Brain blood flow is also reduced 15-20% between age 30 and age 70, although the shrinkage of neurons may account for the reduced flow because less tissue requires less blood. Although memory function may decline with age, emotional stability increases, according to a study reported in the Journal of Neuroscience (Volume 26, page 6422). Forget the myth that older people are crankier than younger ones. In fact, the reverse is true: Age brings increased emotional equanimity.”
Vitamin D Supplementation Can Reduce Falls in Nursing Care Facilities
We're Living Longer, But Not Healthier
ARTICLES:
Androgen deficiency in the aging man
Can Vitamin Supplements Protect Your Brain? “Your best defense may be to avoid any vitamin deficiencies. (See the chart below.) These are more common as we age. … No vitamin supplement can ever replace a healthy diet, which provides vitamins, minerals, and a host of other naturally occurring nutrients necessary for your body and brain. You can take a daily multivitamin to ensure that you are getting the recommended daily amounts of all vitamins. But for now, there is not enough evidence to recommend taking extra supplements to revitalize the brain.”
Forgetfulness — 7 types of normal memory problems
Your Aging Brain: What’s Normal, What’s Not
JOURNAL ARTICLES:
A cognitive training intervention increases resting cerebral blood flow in healthy older adults. (Front Hum Neurosci. 2010)
Association Between Acute Care and Critical Illness Hospitalization and Cognitive Function in Older Adults (JAMA. 2010) “Objectives To determine whether decline in cognitive function was greater among older individuals who experienced acute care or critical illness hospitalizations relative to those not hospitalized and to determine whether the risk for incident dementia differed by these exposures. … Conclusions Among a cohort of older adults without dementia at baseline, those who experienced acute care hospitalization and critical illness hospitalization had a greater likelihood of cognitive decline compared with those who had no hospitalization. Noncritical illness hospitalization was significantly associated with the development of dementia.”
Association of C-Reactive Protein With Cognitive Impairment (Arch Neurol. 2010) “Conclusions High hsCRP may be a marker of memory and visuospatial impairment in the elderly. The role of APOE 4 requires further exploration. “
Back muscle strength and spinal mobility are predictors of quality of life in middle-aged and elderly males. (Eur Spine J. 2010)
Biology of aging brain (Indian J Pathol Microbiol. 2010)
Brain Aging in the Oldest-Old (Curr Gerontol Geriatr Res. 2010)
Changes in Mobility Among Older Adults with Psychometrically Defined Mild Cognitive Impairment. (Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2010)
Comparative 25-OH-vitamin D level in institutionalized women older than 65 years from two cities in Spain and Argentina having a similar solar radiation index (Nutrition 2010) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TB0-4XDKCCR-2&_user=10&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=6820099a8ef51ea4a27f69aa715cf532
Correlation of Longitudinal Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers With Cognitive Decline in Healthy Older Adults (Arch Neurol. 2010)
Dementia incidence continues to increase with age in the oldest old: the 90+ study. (Ann Neurol. 2010)
Dietary intake of vitamin D and cognition in older women (Neurology 2010) “Weekly dietary intake of vitamin D was associated with cognitive performance in older women.”
Electrolytes in the aging. (Adv Chronic Kidney Dis. 2010)
Exceptional Parental Longevity Associated with Lower Risk of Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Decline. (J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010) “OBJECTIVES: To determine whether offspring of parents with exceptional longevity (OPEL) have a lower rate of dementia than offspring of parents with usual survival (OPUS). … CONCLUSION: OPEL develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease at a significantly lower rate than OPUS. Demographic and medical confounders do not explain this result. Factors associated with longevity may protect against dementia and Alzheimer's disease.”
Handgrip strength and mortality in the oldest old population: the Leiden 85-plus study (CMAJ 2010) “Interpretation: Handgrip strength, a surrogate measurement of overall muscular strength, is a predictor of all-cause mortality in the oldest old population and may serve as a convenient tool for prognostication of mortality risk among elderly people.”
Healthy Brain Aging: A Road Map. (Clin Geriatr Med. 2010) “Increasing evidence points to the potential risk roles of vascular factors and disorders (eg, midlife obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes, high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and cerebrovascular lesions) and the potential protective roles of psychosocial factors (eg, higher education, regular exercise, healthy diet, intellectually challenging leisure activities, and active socially integrated lifestyle) in the pathogenic process and clinical manifestation of dementing disorders. Optimal control of vascular risk factors, secondary prevention of stroke, and manipulation of lifestyle factors have demonstrated efficacy in prevention of stroke and myocardial infarction. Thus, adding dementia prevention and brain function preservation as goals to already existing or planned prevention efforts is appropriate and necessary. Age must be taken into account when assessing the likely effect of such interventions against dementia, which underscores the need to begin prevention efforts early in patients' lives.”
Increasing incidence of dementia in the oldest old: evidence and implications. (Alzheimers Res Ther. 2010)
Is there pure vascular dementia in old age? (J Neurol Sci. 2010)
Long Working Hours and Cognitive Function (American Journal of Epidemiology 2010) “This study shows that long working hours may have a negative effect on cognitive performance in middle age.”
Mild parkinsonian signs are associated with increased risk of dementia in a prospective, population-based study of elders. (Mov Disord. 2010)
Neurogenesis in the aged and neurodegenerative brain. (Apoptosis. 2010)
Odor Identification and Mortality in Old Age. (Chem Senses. 2010)
Outcome over seven years of healthy adults with and without subjective cognitive impairment (Alzheimer's & Dementia 2010)
Patterns of Loss of Basic Activities of Daily Living in Alzheimer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study of the French REAL Cohort (Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2010) “For 53% of women, the sets of losses were included within each other or were identical, adding losses in physical ambulation, grooming, bathing, dressing, toilet and feeding, respectively. For 47% of men, a similar sequence was identified, with loss of dressing occurring secondly.”
Physical Frailty Is Associated with Incident Mild Cognitive Impairment in Community- Based Older Persons. (J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010) “CONCLUSION: Physical frailty is associated with risk of MCI and a rapid rate of cognitive decline in aging.”
Selenoproteins and the aging brain. (Mech Ageing Dev. 2010)
Serum C-reactive protein is linked to cerebral microstructural integrity and cognitive function (NEUROLOGY 2010)
Serum Phospholipid Docosahexaenonic Acid Is Associated with Cognitive Functioning during Middle Adulthood. (J Nutr. 2010)
The physical environment influences neuropsychiatric symptoms and other outcomes in assisted living residents. (Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2010)
Trajectories of Brain Aging in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Regional and Individual Differences. (Neuroimage. 2010)
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