News Articles

• Your Zip Code Could Help or Harm Your Brain

  

  Specifically, it found that middle-aged and older people in poorer neighborhoods showed more brain shrinkage and faster mental decline than those in affluent neighborhoods. More...

• 4 in 10 Adults Over 50 Consult Online Reviews When Picking a Doctor

  

  Finding a new doctor can be a daunting task. For help, many older adults turn to online reviews, a new study finds. More...

• Healthy Living in Middle Age Really Pays Off in Senior Years

  

  Live well, live longer. New research offers more evidence that the mantra rings true: People who got regular exercise and ate a healthy diet in middle age had a reduced risk of serious health problems as seniors. More...

• Will High-Protein Diets Help the Middle-Aged Build Muscle?

  

  Middle-aged adults looking to boost their muscle mass do not need to bulk up on protein, a new study suggests. More...

• Loneliness in Mid-Life Linked to Higher Odds for Alzheimer's

  

  Middle-aged folks who feel persistently lonely appear to have a nearly doubled risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease, a new study reports. More...

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• Drug Used in Cancer Patients Might Help Treat Alzheimer's

  

  A drug with a 30-year track record as an effective tool for fighting cancer may significantly improve memory and thinking in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests. More...

• Exercise Boosts Blood Flow to Brain, Keeping it Sharp

  

  Regular aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which may help slow mental decline in older adults, a new, small study suggests. More...

• Furry Friends: 1 in 10 Older U.S. Adults Has Adopted a 'Pandemic Pet'

  

  It was bound to happen: As the pandemic wore on, many older Americans couldn't resist the urge to bring home a furry friend. More...

• Nearly All Seniors Take Meds That Raise Their Odds of Falling

  

  Two decades ago, about 57% of U.S. seniors took medications that increased their risk of falls. By 2017, that number had risen to 94%, and deaths caused by falls had more than doubled, a new study found. More...

• Some Folks Do Age Slower Than Others

  

  People really do vary in how fast they age, and the divergence starts in young adulthood, a new study suggests. More...

• 1 in 3 Older Thyroid Patients Takes a Med That Can Interfere With Tests

  

  Nearly one-third of seniors who take thyroid hormone also take drugs known to interfere with tests of thyroid function, a new study finds. More...

• Vision Problems Are On the Decline for American Seniors

  

  Serious vision problems among older Americans have declined sharply, and the improvement has been greatest among women, folks over 85 and seniors who are Black or Hispanic, a nationwide study shows. More...

• New Guidelines Mean Nursing Home Residents Can Hug Their Families Again

  

  After nearly a year of painful isolation, the U.S. government said Wednesday that vaccinated nursing home residents can hug their loved ones again and enjoy more indoor visits. More...

• Many More Older Americans Willing to Get COVID Vaccine: Poll

  

  Older Americans are far more willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine than they were last fall, a new survey shows. More...

• Alzheimer's Patients Are Being Given Too Many Meds

  

  Many older adults with dementia are prescribed dangerous combinations of drugs that raise their risk of overdose, falls and further mental deterioration, a new study finds. More...

• Most Older Americans Need Hearing Checks, But Many Aren't Getting Them

  

  Even though research has shown that at least 50% of older adults suffer some degree of hearing loss, a new study finds that most aren't getting their hearing checked. More...

• The Skinny on Wrinkle-Free Skin

  

  Wrinkles may be a natural part of getting older, but you can slow your skin's aging with changes to your lifestyle and environment, a skin expert says. More...

• Scientists Gain Insight Into Genetics of Glaucoma

  

  Researchers have identified 44 new genetic variants associated with glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness. More...

• Mediterranean Diet Could Keep Aging Brains Sharp

  

  Helping your brain stay sharp with age may be as simple as changing up the food on your plate at dinnertime, a new study suggests. More...

• Alzheimer's May Strike Women and Men in Different Ways

  

  The ravages of Alzheimer's may strike later in women than men, but once it takes hold women tend to deteriorate far faster than men, according to a new study. More...

• AHA News: Black, Hispanic Families Hit Hardest by Dementia

  

  While dementia risk in the United States has been relatively stable over the past two decades, racial disparities have remained high, according to research published last year in JAMA Neurology. More...

• Why Some 'Super Ager' Folks Keep Their Minds Dementia-Free

  

  Researchers may have uncovered a key reason some people remain sharp as a tack into their 80s and 90s: Their brains resist the buildup of certain proteins that mark Alzheimer's disease. More...

• New Hope for Better Treatments Against Macular Degeneration

  

  A number of new treatments for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a progressive eye disease, are under development. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in older people. More...

• Too Little Sleep Could Raise Your Dementia Risk

  

  Older adults who get little sleep each night may be at heightened risk of dementia or earlier death, a new study suggests. More...

• Why Adding on a Few Pounds as You Age Might Be Good for You

  

  Putting on a few extra pounds in your 50s may add years to your life -- if you start off at a normal weight and your weight gain doesn't tip into obesity, a new study suggests. More...

• 1 in 5 Older Americans Lack Space to 'Isolate at Home' If COVID Strikes

  

  If there is one thing the coronavirus pandemic has taught people, it is that how much living space you have matters when you or someone you love falls ill with COVID-19. More...

• No Gym Required: How Seniors Can Exercise During Lockdown

  

  At-home workouts can help strengthen muscles, improve balance, increase blood flow to the heart, boost the immune system and reduce stress, according to Summer Cook, an associate professor of kinesiology and an expert on senior fitness at the University of New Hampshire, in Durham. More...

• Frustrations Mount for U.S. Seniors Seeking Access to COVID Vaccines

  

  Exasperation is building among seniors across the United States, many of whom are encountering similar roadblocks trying to line up a potentially life-saving vaccination, experts say. More...

• AHA News: Keeping Your Brain Sharp Isn't About Working More Puzzles

  

  Mental decline is one of the most feared aspects of growing older. People will do just about anything to prevent it, from swallowing supplements touted as memory boosters to spending hours solving Sudoku and crossword puzzles. But do these things really keep the aging brain sharp? The short answer is, not really. More...

• Aphasia Affects Brain Similar to Alzheimer's, But Without Memory Loss

  

  A rare brain disease that causes loss of language skills doesn't lead to memory loss, a new study finds. More...

• Weight Training Benefits Older Women, Men Equally, Study Shows

  

  A new study compared the results of women and men aged 50 to 90 who started resistance training exercise programs, finding that though men were more likely to gain absolute muscle size, their gains were on par with women's relative to body size. More...

• Get Fit in Middle Age to Boost Your Aging Brain

  

  Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in middle age and beyond might help keep your brain healthy, a new study suggests. More...

• 'Stepped' Approach to Exercise Can Help With Arthritic Knees

  

  Millions of Americans suffer from the pain of arthritic knees. But an innovative exercise regimen may help relieve discomfort and improve knee function, a new study finds. More...

• Older and Getting Surgery? Get Fit Beforehand

  

  Getting fit before surgery can limit the amount of muscle older adults will lose during their recovery, researchers say. More...

• How to Talk to Your Doctor About Arthritis Pain

  

  Chronic pain can be excruciating, debilitating and hard to describe. Yet the best way to get the right treatment for the exact pain you're experiencing is to put those symptoms into words, so your doctor can pinpoint a diagnosis and help you find relief. More...

• High-Dose Vitamin D Won't Prevent Seniors' Falls: Study

  

  High doses of vitamin D may increase seniors' risk of falls, rather than reduce it, according to a new study. More...

• Could Dirty Air Help Speed Alzheimer's?

  

  Older adults exposed to air pollution might have a heightened risk of abnormal "plaque" accumulation in the brain, a new study suggests. More...

• Delirium May Be Only Sign of Severe COVID in Elderly: Study

  

  They may have confusion with an altered level of consciousness, disorientation, inattention and other mental disturbances, but none of the other typical signs of the coronavirus infection, such as fever and cough, researchers say. More...

• Most Americans Over 50 Would Get COVID Vaccine: Poll

  

  The majority of older Americans say they're likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but many would want to wait a bit before getting the shot, a new survey reveals. More...

• Sitting Raises Women's Odds for Heart Failure

  

  Too much sitting or lying down significantly increases older women's risk of hospitalization for heart failure, even if they get recommended amounts of physical activity, a new study warns. More...

• Amid Lockdowns, Online Exercise Classes Help Seniors Feel Less Alone

  

  The classes reduce loneliness and social isolation, according to a new study. And early results suggest that's true even after the coronavirus pandemic forced those classes to meet virtually. More...

• When Your Spouse Gripes About Aging, It Might Harm Your Health

  

  In older couples, one spouse's negative thoughts about aging can affect the other spouse's health, a new study indicates. More...

• Upbeat Outlook Could Shield Your Brain

  

  Researchers analyzed data from almost 1,000 middle-aged and older U.S. adults who took part in a national study. The upshot: Being upbeat pays dividends. More...

• Staying Active as You Age Not a Guarantee Against Dementia

  

  Researchers found no link between middle-aged folks taking part in leisure activities and their risk of dementia over the next two decades, according to findings published online Oct. 28 in the journal Neurology. More...

• Fading Sense of Smell Could Signal Higher Death Risk in Older Adults

  

  If you're a senior who can't smell onions, smoke, chocolate or natural gas, it's time to see your doctor. More...

• Exercise Boosts Physical, Mental Well-Being of Older Cancer Survivors

  

  Active older adults -- cancer survivors included -- are in better physical and mental health than their sedentary peers, a new study finds. More...

• Older Adults Turning to Pot for Common Health Problems

  

  Marijuana is fast becoming a favorite medication among older Americans, a new study finds. Cannabis is being used to ease problems such as pain, sleep disturbances and psychiatric conditions like anxiety and depression, researchers say. More...

• Staying Social Can Boost Healthy 'Gray Matter' in Aging Brains

  

  Older adults who get together with friends, volunteer or go to classes have healthier brains, which could help them ward off dementia, according to a new study. More...

• Is Apathy an Early Sign of Dementia?

  

  Older adults who aren't interested or enthusiastic about their usual activities may have a higher risk of developing dementia, new research suggests. More...

• Many Older Americans With Heart Failure Take 10 or More Meds

  

  When older people hospitalized for heart failure are sent home, they are often given a whopping 10 medications to take for a variety of conditions. But is this "polypharmacy" practice necessary, or does it just place a bigger burden on already frail patients? More...