Newsflash Archive

Over two million Americans suffer from glaucoma, a sight-stealing disease that has no symptoms and, once vision is lost, the loss is permanent. What many people don’t realize is that this disease is entirely preventable and there are ways to …   Read More

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. Nearly 4 million Americans have the disorder, which affects 70 million worldwide. There is no cure and no early symptoms. Once vision is lost, it’s permanent.
New findings at Georgia Tech …   Read More

Yale School of Medicine researchers have found that the likelihood of becoming disabled with age increases with the following factors: having a chronic condition or cognitive impairment; low physical activity; slower gross motor coordination; having poor lower-extremity function; and being …   Read More

The headline of a new report on research led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is that annual prostate cancer screening does not reduce deaths from the disease, even among men in their 50s and 60s and …   Read More

A new study released today by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that hospital employees are only reporting fourteen percent of all medical errors and usually don’t change their …   Read More

A study led by the University of Kentucky researcher Elaine Wittenberg-Lyles found that hospice family caregivers are "second order patients" themselves and require their own unique care needs. The study, published in a recent issue of Qualitative Health Research and funded …   Read More

When it comes to making new year’s resolutions, keep in mind that it’s not only about losing weight. Good health, and good heart health in particular, is multi-faceted. And the problem is we don’t take good enough care of ourselves, …   Read More

Researchers in Norway report that patients who receive walking skills training after a total hip replacement for osteoarthritis show improved physical function and do better. Following the physical therapy program resulted in a positive effect on walking distance and stair …   Read More

It’s a conversation most of us are squeamish about having. But according to new recommendations by a team of physicians at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) and the University of California, San Francisco, doctors should routinely discuss the …   Read More

When a person with mild cognitive impairment is agitated or restless, caregivers can expect to find they are more edgy as well. According to research conducted at Virginia Tech, the more a caregiver's day is disrupted by the unsettled behaviors …   Read More

Each year, 325,000 hip fractures are reported in the United States. Of that number, approximately three-quarters are women. The combined number of all osteoporosis-related fractures is greater than the incidence of heart attacks, strokes and new breast cancer cases each …   Read More

America’s elderly population will nearly double by 2050, according to a Pew Research report. As baby boomers enter retirement, concern exists as to who will care for them as they age. Traditionally, children have accepted the caregiving responsibilities, but those …   Read More

According to the Centers for Disease Control, in the time it takes to read the headline on this story out loud—six seconds—someone in the world dies from a stroke. The CDC’s Million Hearts initiative has the goal of preventing a …   Read More

“With profound compassion and selflessness, these caregivers sustain American men, women, and children at their most vulnerable moments, and through their devoted acts, they exemplify the best of the American spirit. During National Family Caregivers Month, we pay tribute to …   Read More

In 2008, as part of a larger initiative aimed at reducing preventable hospital errors and lowering costs, Medicare stopped reimbursing for the treatment of injuries related to in-hospital falls. Geriatricians were quick to point out that could have an unintended and …   Read More

Each year more than one million patients receive cancer treatment in an outpatient oncology clinic. Despite advances in oncology care, infections acquired in both community and health care settings remain a major cause of hospitalization and death among cancer patients …   Read More

Here’s one instance when you may want to be a guinea pig! New research has shown for the first time that omega-3 in fish oil could "substantially and significantly" reduce the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis. According to the University of …   Read More

Conclusions drawn from a review of supplement use among over 38,000 women who participated in the Iowa Women's Health Study (IWHS) recently made startling headlines—that the use of multivitamins in general and of vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, zinc …   Read More

According to a University of Southern California study released at the recent Canadian Stroke Congress, nearly 60 percent of people who have a stroke experience one or more falls afterwards. Most of these falls happen in their own homes and …   Read More

Partners in Care, the private home health care agency in New York metropolitan area, is launching a series of free online seminars on "Navigating Elder Care" for caregivers of the infirmed and/or elderly. The first of the four-part series will focus …   Read More

It’s a situation that is likely being repeated in states across the country: Family members or friends caring for aging or disabled individuals in California are under both financial and emotional strain and are likely to face even greater burdens, …   Read More

Many women over 50 years old date, are sexually active and face many possible health risks. Yet most educational campaigns designed to prevent sexually transmitted diseases target only younger generations. Older women need and want more information about sexual health …   Read More

Who hasn't forgotten someone's name, misplaced their glasses or walked into a room and not remembered why they entered? Normal age-related memory decline affects more than half of all seniors, and those over 80 are the most vulnerable. A new UCLA …   Read More

A natural yellowing of the eye lens that absorbs blue light has been linked to sleep disorders in a group of test volunteers, according to a study in the September 1 issue of the journal SLEEP. As this type of …   Read More

According to a study by researchers at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, if you suffer from diabetes and hypertension, you may have an increased risk of developing open-angle glaucoma (OAG), the most common form of glaucoma in the …   Read More

Drivers over age 65 are the fastest-growing segment of the driving population, and eye care providers—ophthalmologists and optometrists—are playing an increasingly important role in assessing their ability to drive safely. Kellogg researcher David C. Musch, PhD, MPH, recently led a multidisciplinary …   Read More

According to a study in the current issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, a small amount of exercise shields older animals from memory loss following a bacterial infection. The findings suggest moderate exercise may lead to several changes in the …   Read More

A new robot using high-precision tactile sensors and flexible motor control technology has taken Japan one step closer to its goal of providing high-quality care for its growing elderly population. Developed by researchers at RIKEN and Tokai Rubber Industries (TRI), …   Read More

Chronic psychological stress throughout a lifespan might increase an individual’s risk for Alzheimer’s and dementia later in life, according to research from the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at
Utah State University. The research, led …   Read More

Inherited forms of Alzheimer's disease may be detectable as many as 20 years before problems with memory and thinking develop, scientists reported at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Paris. Identifying Alzheimer's in its earliest stages is a …   Read More

The US Food and Drug Administration today approved Boostrix vaccine to prevent tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (commonly known as whooping cough) in people ages 65 and older.
Currently, there are vaccines approved for the prevention of tetanus and …   Read More

According to researchers at The Ohio State University, taking a specific natural form of vitamin E may be particularly helpful as a prevention step for people considered at the highest risk for a major stroke: those who have previously suffered …   Read More

Retirement is often viewed as a time to relax, travel, participate in leisurely activities and spend time with family. However, for many older adults, chronic health problems and poor planning often hinder the enjoyment of retirement. Now, University of Missouri …   Read More

According to a study published in the current issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, a high intake of certain nutrients with antioxidant properties reduces the risk of early AMD, or age-related macular degeneration, in people who have a high genetic risk. …   Read More

People lose 30 percent of their muscle strength between the ages of 50 and 70 years. However, maintaining muscle strength in old age is enormously important in order to maintain mobility and to be able to lead an independent life …   Read More

Choosing an experienced surgery center could reduce the risk of blood clots and death after hip or knee arthroplasty.

Patients who undergo elective total hip or total knee arthroplasty at hospitals with lower surgical volume had a higher risk of …   Read More

A Kaiser Permanente study challenges concerns about the effectiveness of administering pneumococcal and shingles vaccines together. Giving both the pneumococcal and the herpes zoster vaccines to patients during the same visit is beneficial and does not appear to compromise the …   Read More

According to new research published in Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association, residents of the Stroke Belt, a southern portion of the US with significantly elevated stroke morality rate, also have a greater incidence of cognitive …   Read More

Even healthy adults with a safe driving record tend to make more driving errors as they age, including potentially dangerous mistakes, such as failing to check blind spots, according to a study published online by the American Psychological Association in …   Read More

Following a stroke, people are at high risk of falls, with the highest rates occurring upon discharge from the hospital. Because falls may lead to a series of cascading negative events, such as fractures, a fear of falling, activity restriction …   Read More

Feeding tubes can be a necessary medical intervention for certain serious conditions, and advanced dementia is often counted one of them because it is a terminal illness that often affects a patient's ability to eat. According to research from Brown …   Read More

According to research led by a team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and published in a recent edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine, tai chi, the ancient Chinese meditative exercise, may improve quality of life, mood and exercise …   Read More

Scientists at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow are developing a technique based on a new discovery that could pave the way toward detecting Alzheimer's disease in its earliest stages and help to develop urgently needed treatments. The technique uses the …   Read More

Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco have pinpointed a reason older adults have a harder time multitasking than younger adults: They have more difficulty switching between tasks at the level of brain networks.
Juggling multiple tasks requires …   Read More

New research from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and published in the Journal of Neuroscience reveals how two receptors in older brains react to the stress hormone cortisol, already known for its link to another unpleasant consequence—the accumulation of …   Read More

According to a recent study conducted at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel and published in the online edition of Accident Analysis and Prevention, because of a limited field of view elderly drivers are only half as likely …   Read More

There are 50 million family members providing care to older adults in the United States, according to the MetLife Foundation and national caregiving associations. When older adults are hospitalized and discharged, their families face numerous choices about where they will …   Read More

No one likes talking about it, but constipation is a pervasive health issue for many. Too often, people reach for laxatives as a quick fix and can get so used to them that they lose the ability to “go” without …   Read More

The March 2011 issue of the journal Health Affairs highlights an evidence-based model of geriatric care management developed, implemented and tested by researchers and clinicians from Indiana University, the Regenstrief Institute and Wishard Health Services, located on the Indiana University-Purdue …   Read More

According to a research study led by Michael Wolf, PhD, an associate professor of medicine and learning sciences at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and published in a recent issue of issue of the Archives of Internal …   Read More