-
Life Expectancy Estimates After Dementia Diagnosis
The clock is running for people who've been diagnosed with dementia, but the time they have left depends on their age. Average life expectancy for people with dementia is largely based on their age at diagnosis, researchers found in a new evidence review. Dementia reduces...
-
Fitness More Important Than Weight for Longevity
When it comes to living a longer life, staying active may matter far more than what the scale says. Per the largest study yet on fitness, body weight, and longevity published recently in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers found that people who are...
-
Study: Gabapentin May Not Increase Fall Risk
A pain-relieving medication might be safer for seniors than first thought. A new study published Jan. 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine says Gabapentin is widely used to help treat chronic pain and nerve pain, particularly as an alternative to opioid painkillers. However,...
-
When to Drink Coffee for Longevity, Heart Benefits
For many, coffee is a beloved morning ritual, fueling the day ahead. But what if the time you drink it could influence how long - and how well - you live? New research published Jan. 8 in the European Heart Journal suggests that when you enjoy your cup of Joe might be just...
-
Study Finds Volunteering Slows Biological Aging
If you want to slow your biological aging in 2025, try volunteering. A study of 2,605 men and women aged 62 and older, published in the January edition of Social Science & Medicine, found that those who volunteered one to four hours per week experienced slower biological...
-
10 Resolutions That Can Add Years to Your Life
With the holiday festivities coming to a close, it's time to open the door to a new year. Hopefully, it will be a year filled with happiness and health. While you set about making resolutions to make the coming year one of the best ever, include some of these science-backed...
-
Jimmy Carter Boosted a Life-Saving Cancer Drug
Former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday at age 100, may have had a mixed legacy of political achievements, but in the field of cancer treatments, he helped put immunotherapy on the map. Carter's remarkable recovery in 2015 from advanced melanoma - previously a...
-
Alzheimer's Agitation Drug Trial Data Mixed
Axsome Therapeutics said on Monday it would seek marketing approval next year for its oral drug to treat agitation in patients with Alzheimer's disease, after it succeeded in three out of four late-stage studies. But shares of the New York-based drug developer fell about 8%...
-
Antibiotics Do Not Increase Dementia Risk in Seniors
Seniors with an infection can take antibiotics without fear of harming their brain health. Antibiotics don't appear to increase the risk of cognitive decline or dementia in older adults, researchers report in the journal Neurology. "Given that older adults are more frequently...
-
Cold Weather Deaths Rising in the US
It's a perhaps unexpected consequence of climate change that periods of deep cold now occur more frequently during American winters, despite an overall trend to warmer temperatures year round. That uptick in cold snaps, along with other possible factors, has been linked to a...
-
Study Links Moderate Drinking to Lower Mortality
A large new analysis finds that people who drink moderate levels of alcohol have a lower risk of dying from any cause than those who never drink. The new study findings contradict recent research that concluded that drinking has no health benefits at all and is linked to a...
-
New Research Points to Possible Parkinson's Drug
Parkinson's is a relentless disease for which few treatments, and no real cure, exists. Now, researchers say they are on the trail of a potential new therapy for the disabling neurological illness. It's early research, still in the animal-testing stage, as explained by...
-
Sleep Apnea May Accelerate Brain Aging
Sleep apnea is known to wreak havoc with the body, contributing to heart problems, diabetes and liver disease.The sleep disorder also appears to have direct effects on brain health, a new study shows.People with sleep apnea appear to experience accelerated aging of the...
-
Taxi Drivers May Be Protected Against Alzheimer's
Taxi and ambulance drivers need to have quick wits and nimble reflexes to cut through traffic effectively. Turns out that these traits might also protect them from Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study published Dec. 16 in the BMJ. "The same part of the brain that's...
-
Poll: Friendships Key to Seniors' Mental Health
Close friendships are incredibly important to the mental health of middle-aged folks and seniors, a new study finds. Older adults with worse mental or physical health were twice as likely to say they don't have any close friends, according to results from the University of...
-
Private Medicare Plans Must Cover Biogen's ALS Drug
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has directed private insurers providing Medicare Advantage plans to cover Biogen's amyotrophic lateral sclerosis drug Qalsody after finding instances of coverage denial. Qalsody received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's...
-
Some Breast Cancer Patients Can Avoid Surgery
Some early breast cancer patients can safely avoid specific surgeries, according to two studies exploring ways to lessen treatment burdens. One new study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, examines whether removing lymph nodes is always necessary in early...
-
Common Blood Test Could Spot Multiple Diseases
A blood draw is a typical part of a person's regular check-up. But that blood sample might hold a lot more useful information about a person's health than doctors are currently getting. A new study shows that a routine part of a blood test called the complete blood count...
-
Blood Pressure Fluctuations Harmful to Brain
Keeping your blood pressure in check is important for more than just heart health - it can also keep your brain sharp as you age. A new study published Dec. 11 in the journal Neurology shows that seniors whose blood pressure spikes and drops over time might be more likely to...
-
Young People at Greatest Risk From Heat Deaths
Heat waves caused by climate change have been thought to pose the greatest risk to the world's elderly, but a new study from Mexico suggests that's not the case at all. Instead, three-quarters (75%) of heat-related deaths are occurring there among people younger than 35,...
-
Ultra-Processed Foods May Add Fat to Your Thighs
Eating lots of ultra-processed foods appears linked to a buildup of fat in the thighs, which in turn raises a person's odds for arthritis in the knees, new research shows. "In an adult population at risk for but without knee or hip osteoarthritis, consuming ultra-processed...
-
Lung Cancer Survival Improved By 26 Percent
More people with lung cancer are living longer, but it remains America's deadliest cancer, a new state-by-state report shows. "There is more work to do, but I am incredibly optimistic about the future of lung cancer care," said Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the...
-
Increasing Exercise After 40 May Add 5 Years to Life
If you're over 40 and raise your levels of exercise to that of the top 25% of your peers, you might gain an average of five more years of life, a new study calculates. For over-40 folks in the lowest level of daily activity, a similar move could bring an average 11 extra...
-
Prostate Cancer Overtreatment Common in Older Men
Overtreatment of prostate cancer is increasing in the United States among men with limited life expectancy, a new study reports. Procedures like radiation therapy and prostate surgery are being employed more often in these men, causing side effects like incontinence and...
-
How to Support Our Veterans
This Veterans Day our country pauses to honor those who have served in the U.S. military. It is a day to remember and reflect upon the sacrifices of our veterans and thank them for their service. Veterans come from all walks of life and have fought in different wars and in...