Living Well

Aging Well

Needed: Activity Apps for Older Adults

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Commercially available activity-monitoring apps, Web sites, and wearable devices allow for easy self-management of health and wellness. This technology may be particularly helpful for older adults, who can improve their cognitive function through proper diet and exercise. However, in spite of the growing popularity of and potential benefits of tracking monitors, product designers rarely consider those over 65 to be a viable user group.

Exercise
Heart Health
Stress Management
Stress-Free Living

Why Stress & Overexertion Trigger Heart Attacks

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Scientists believe they have an explanation for the axiom that stress, emotional shock, and overexertion may trigger heart attacks in vulnerable people. Hormones released during these events appear to cause bacterial biofilms on arterial walls to disperse, allowing plaque deposits to rupture into the bloodstream, according to research published in published in June 2014 in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

Aging Well

Latest Developments in Aging Research

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The 43rd Annual Meeting of the American Aging Association (AGE), held May 30th to June 2nd 2014 at the Westin Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio, Texas, featured the latest scholarship and research findings in the field of aging research from more than 70 leading experts. The event has long been recognized as a launching pad for researchers to share cutting-edge discoveries into the underlying mechanisms of the causes of aging as well as the possible breakthroughs in finding ways to increase healthspan.

Aging Well

Seniors Have Roomies, Too

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By Judy Santamaria, MSPHMost of us know that loneliness isn't good for us -- but as we age, many of us find our circle of friends and family diminishing in size for various reasons. Sometimes consciously, sometimes not, loneliness can creep in, and begin to affect our spirits in a less-than-healthy way. Recently, I've been hearing about some really interesting ways seniors are stacking the deck in their own favor to combat loneliness associated with aging, and I wanted to share a few of them with you here.

Skin
Skin Health

Indoor Tanning Ups Melanoma Risk

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If you or your teenage children or grandchildren believe that getting an indoor tan will prevent burns from outdoor sun exposure, you’re courting the deadliest form of skin cancer. That’s the finding of researchers at the University of Minnesota who published their study May 29th 2014 in the JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The team reports that indoor tanning raises the risk of developing melanoma even if a person has never had burns from either indoor or outdoor tanning.

Travel

Germs on a Plane

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If you’re planning a summer trip that involves air travel, be sure to bring along plenty of hand sanitizer. According to data presented in May 2014 at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, disease-causing bacteria can linger on surfaces in airplane cabins for up to a week.

Aging Well

Long-Term Care in America

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The Associated Press-National Opinion Research Center (NORC) for Public Affairs Research conducted a follow-up study to the 2013 survey regarding Americans’ understanding and attitudes about long-term care. The earlier research has shown that most people n the Boomer and Beyond cohort are expecting their families to take care of them as they age and that few people are ware of the true costs of long-term care. The current study shows that this has not changed significantly.

Aging Well

Successful Aging: Toward a Broader Definition

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An aging population poses challenges for governments around the globe as nations grapple with how to satisfy the physical, social and economic needs of older adults. About 40 million adults 65 years and older live in the United States while 126 million adults 65 years and older live in China - the country with the largest population of senior citizens.

Aging Well

Geroscience, The Study of Age-Related Health Issues

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A new collection of articles appearing in May 2014 in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences focuses on how the basic biology of aging drives chronic disease. Together, they highlight the value of the emerging field of geroscience, which uses an integrated approach to the study of diseases and disability associated with growing older.

Skin
Skin Health

Is It Shingles?

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Shingles is one of the most common conditions for American adults: more than 50 percent have had it by the time they reach 80. However, it’s most frequent in the years between 60 and 80. How can you tell if you have this bothersome, painful problem, and what should you do about it? The experts at the SeniorHealth division of the National Institutes of Health have some answers:

Aging Well
Well-being

A Sense of Purpose May Add Years to Your Life

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Feeling that you have a sense of purpose in life may help you live longer, no matter what your age, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The research has clear implications for promoting positive aging and adult development, according to lead researcher Patrick Hill of Carleton University in Canada:

Aging Well

Hand Grip Reveals the Speed of Aging

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A hand grip test shows wide differences between the rates of aging among different population groups, according to new research by demographers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria. The study was published on May 7th 2014 in the journal PLOS ONE

Aging Well

FDA’s Adult Stem Cell Research

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Scientists who are part of the Food and Drug Administration’s MSC Consortium, are studying adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that could eventually be used to repair, replace, restore or regenerate cells in the body, including those needed for heart and bone repair. According to the FDA, the investigational work is unprecedented: Seven labs at FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research formed the consortium to fill in gaps in knowledge about how stem cells function.

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