[WEEKEND WARRIOR?] Exercising just 2 days per week can curb risk of neurodegeneration
"Is being a “weekend warrior” – concentrating moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) over 1–2 days -- associated with brain health, like MVPA over several days weekly? Yes, according to an analysis of 75,629 participants in the UK Biobank with validated accelerometry data. "
[POST-STROKE DISTRESS] Screening urged to detect psychosocial symptoms after stroke
"After a stroke, improved screening and assessment for psychosocial needs are essential to provide optimal care, according to a new statement from the American Stroke Association. The statement highlights nurses as key players in helping individuals manage emotional and social health challenges, or psychosocial health, after a stroke, but everyone should be aware of the potential consequences."
[I CAN'T GET NO...] Older adults deeply dissatisfied with US healthcare system
"As millions of Boomers transition into older adulthood, live longer than previous generations and seek ways to maintain wellness and independence as they age, a new survey shows deep dissatisfaction among US adults ages 65+ with healthcare and the related systems and services that do not meet their needs and preferences."
[BRAIN HEIST?] Vulnerability to financial scams tied to Alzheimer's risk
"Older adults who are more vulnerable to financial scams may have brain changes linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a recent study. The researchers focused on the entorhinal cortex, a brain region that acts as a relay station between the hippocampus -- the brain's learning and memory center -- and the medial prefrontal cortex, which regulates emotion, motivation and other cognitive functions. It is often the first region to show changes in Alzheimer's disease, typically becoming thinner as the disease progresses."
[MACHO MATCHA] Matcha may boost emotional wellness, sleep
"Matcha consumption could lead to significant improvements in social acuity, as evaluated by the perception of facial emotions, and sleep, as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, among older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or subjective cognitive decline, new research suggests."
Helping your brain ward off Alzheimer's symptoms
"Can training your brain to remember things help you ward off the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease? A new Canadian study suggests that yes, it can - even five years after you got the training."
Falling for financial scams? It may signal early Alzheimer’s disease
"New USC Dornsife research reveals a link between the thickness of a certain brain region and vulnerability to financial exploitation in older adults."
Variety is the spice of learning, memory study suggests
"Older adults learned a memory task best after practicing multiple related tasks, suggesting that diverse cognitive training supports mental sharpness as we age."
In France, one fracture per minute due to osteoporosis
"An estimated four million people in France are living with osteoporosis, the ‘silent’ disease that results in weak and fragile bones. For an individual with osteoporosis, a minor slip on the pavement from standing height can lead to a life-changing fragility fracture, including fractures of the spine or hip which are associated with long-term disability, loss of independence and early mortality. "
Waging war on ‘superbugs’ in aged care
"A new study explores the link between the widespread use of antibiotics in residential aged care and the resulting antibiotic resistant bacteria in the gut that can be passed on to other residents"
Cannabis and older adults: Poll shows current use patterns, beliefs and risks
Active Aging Leading, connecting and defining the active aging industry since 2001. ICAA provides world class information, education, resources and tools to help health and wellness professionals be more successful with their clients age 50 plus
Addressing Alzheimer’s in American Indian communities
"Trainees in the $11 million program will learn to identify early symptoms of dementia and preventative measures."
Cancer tool “unable to accurately predict” toxicity levels in UK patients
Active Aging Leading, connecting and defining the active aging industry since 2001. ICAA provides world class information, education, resources and tools to help health and wellness professionals be more successful with their clients age 50 plus
Music can reveal which areas of the brain are affected by aging
"Researchers are using works by Johann Sebastian Bach, along with MEG and MRI scans, to investigate how the brain compensates for age-related changes"
Light pollution a new Alzheimer’s risk factor
"Outdoor light exposure in the evening may be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s in people under age 65, Rush study finds"
$15.5 million NIH award funds development of national network to include nursing home residents in clinical trials
"A team led by research scientists from the Indiana University School of Medicine and Regenstrief Institute has received funding expected to total $15.5 million from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging to establish a national network structure to include more nursing home residents in clinical trials."
New research unveils cellular pathways to Alzheimer’s and alternative brain aging
"A new study has found an answer for a long-lasting question in aging research - Is Alzheimer’s disease-dementia a form of accelerated aging or is there a different path that can lead us to healthier brain aging? In an international effort, the researchers mapped 1.65 million cells from 437 aging brains, and uncovered distinct paths of cellular change in the aging brains, with one leading to Alzheimer’s disease and the other to an alternative form brain aging. They also point to specific cell signatures predicted to advance disease once they appear in the aging brain. These findings offer new insights into the disease’s development and how it is different from healthy brain aging. As these changes in brain cells may occur many years prior to the development of symptoms and memory loss, this discovery opens the door to personalized prevention medicine that could alter disease progression and improve outcomes for individuals at risk."
[BRAIN BOOST] Healthy lifestyle counteracts diabetes-related brain aging
"Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes are associated with accelerated brain aging, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. However, this may be counteracted by a healthy lifestyle."
[GET REAL] In-person contact linked to lower loneliness levels in older adults
"In-person contact helps lead to lower levels of loneliness in older people, but other ways of staying in touch, such as phoning, emailing or texting were not as effective, a recent study found. The findings have implications for the health and well-being of many older people, according to the authors."
[MAN UP] Marriage linked to optimal aging in men, not women
"A recent study that followed more than 7,000 Canadians, middle-aged and older, for approximately three years found that married men or men who became married during the study period were twice as likely to age optimally compared to their never-married male peers. "
[HOT NEWS] CVS supports at-risk individuals during extreme heat
"CVS Health recently launched an initiative to support people most vulnerable to the health impacts of extreme weather events, starting with extreme heat. The initiative is focusing first on extreme heat events to provide timely excessive heat alerts and tailored outreach to at-risk patients, and will expand in the fall to patients susceptible to reduced lung function, asthma and cardiac problems resulting from exposure to high levels of air pollution, according to CVS."
[A STRETCH?] Flexibility could lower risk of death
"New research suggests that levels of flexibility may affect survival in middle-aged individuals. After analyzing data on 3,139 people (66% men) with a mean age of 58, investigators obtained a body flexibility score, called Flexindex. This score was derived from a combination of the passive range of motion in 20 movements (each scored 0–4) involving 7 different joints, resulting in a score range of 0–80."
New research led by UTHealth Houston sheds light on the behavioral and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
"A study offering insights into understanding and managing the behavioral and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias led by a team of UTHealth Houston researchers has been published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association."
Growth from adversity: How older adults bounced back from COVID-19 pandemic
"FAU Nursing study explores challenges and resilience in a South Florida retirement community"
Fun meets fitness: Cedars-Sinai debuts Bingocize
"A new 10-Week forever fit program combines bingo fun with exercises tailored for older adults"
NUS launches Centre for Environment and Ageing Well to design living environments that foster well-being for people of all ages
"Established through a generous philanthropic gift of S$5 million, the new centre adopts place-based approaches to address age-related challenges in Asia"
New textbook sheds light on aging
"A new textbook provides an overview on the present understanding of aging – from the basic biology of aging to age-related diseases and to the role of lifestyle and the environment. The Springer textbook Aging: How Science Works is based on Professor Carsten Carlberg’s popular lectures at the University of Eastern Finland, with Professor Stine Ulven and Dr Eunike Velleuer as co-authors."
Multiple sclerosis appears to protect against Alzheimer’s disease
"Findings could point to new strategies to treat Alzheimer’s"
Same person. Different place. Twice the odds of a dementia diagnosis.
"National study shows wide variation across the U.S. in likelihood of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, even after many factors are taken into account"
Massive biomolecular shifts occur in our 40s and 60s, Stanford Medicine researchers find
"Molecular shifts in our 40s, 60s"
Marriage strongly associated with optimal health and well-being in men as they age
"No association was found between marriage and optimal aging among women — though older women who were widowed or divorce fared worse than their never-married peers"
A new type of degenerative brain disease underlying dementia is very common among the oldest old
"A study at the University of Helsinki found brain changes associated with a novel degenerative brain disease causing dementia as common as one in every two individuals over the age of 85."
As election approaches, national poll shows which health topics concern older adults most
"All types of health care costs, and financial scams, rise to the top in University of Michigan study"
Declining senses can impact mental health and loneliness in aging adults
"Most people — up to 94% of U.S. adults — experience at least some dulling of their senses with age, finding themselves squinting at screens, craving stronger flavors, and missing snatches of conversations more and more frequently. Researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine are looking into how these changes can go beyond mere inconvenience and actually worsen overall mental health in older adults."
