Seniors/Aging News

TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A potentially deadly intestinal infection is on the rise outside of hospital settings, especially among the elderly, researchers warn.

A new study of more than 1,000 cases of hospitalization due to H1N1, or swine flu, in California gives a clearer picture of who is apt to develop severe cases of the disease

TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A potentially deadly stomach infection is on the rise outside of hospital settings, especially among the elderly, researchers warn.

Without general anesthesia, modern surgery and medical intervention would be crippled. But what do doctors really know about the long-term effects of these mysterious drugs?

MONDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged adults whose parents have Alzheimer's disease are at increased risk for high blood pressure, evidence of arterial disease and markers of inflammation -- all of which may be associated with later development of Alzheimer's disease.

FRIDAY, Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Illness and surgery don't contribute to long-term cognitive decline in seniors and don't accelerate progression of dementia, researchers say.

FRIDAY, Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors with dementia are diagnosed with flu less often, have shorter hospital stays and are 50 percent more likely to die than those without dementia, says a U.S. study that looked at flu and pneumonia in adults 65 and older.

THURSDAY, Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Want to improve that osteoarthritis in your knee? New research suggests that regular Tai Chi exercise can reduce pain and help your knee function better.

WASHINGTON - Medicare officials are backing off a policy that pushed many doctors to use a $2,000 injectable drug for a potentially blinding eye disorder, over a similar treatment that costs about $50.

MONDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- A French study finding that people with Alzheimer's disease and diabetes have less memory loss than those without diabetes should be regarded with caution, American experts say.

Despite our stable agrarian society and medical advances that help us live into old age, the effects of natural selection are still at work on the modern human species, researchers say

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic leaders moved on Friday to build support among the elderly for a massive overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system, saying the measure would immediately start closing a gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage.

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDay News) -- An unprecedented worldwide study has clinched the case that the gene behind Gaucher disease, a rare neurological disorder, is also involved in Parkinson's disease.

TUESDAY, Oct. 13 (HealthDay News) -- A new look at some old data adds convincing evidence that high body fluid levels of the antioxidant urate slow the progressive nerve damage of Parkinson's disease.

ATLANTA - Swine flu continues to be most dangerous to kids and younger adults and is largely bypassing the elderly, according to the latest and most solid government health information.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Warfarin, a common blood thinner used for preventing heart attacks and blood clots may also cause problems for individuals who suffer some form of trauma, particularly the elderly.

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Macaque monkeys that received gene therapy for symptoms of Parkinson's disease saw a significant improvement in their motor function without the side effects associated with current standard therapy, researchers say.

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Dialysis may not be worth undertaking for many older Americans in nursing homes who suffer kidney failure in addition to other ailments, a study finds.

LOS ANGELES - A surprising number of frail, elderly Americans in nursing homes are suffering from futile care at the end of their lives, two new federally funded studies reveal.

BOSTON (Reuters) - Uninformed relatives responsible for the care of advanced Alzheimer patients often seek overly aggressive treatments, and doctors treating frail elderly with kidney failure should be wary of using dialysis, according to two studies reported Wednesday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Long-term tests on monkeys using Oxford BioMedica's gene therapy ProSavin suggest it can treat Parkinson's disease without causing the jerky, involuntary movements associated with current drugs, researchers said on Wednesday.

PARIS (AFP) - A gene therapy for Parkinson's disease that has been tested on lab monkeys is showing good early results in a small-scale trial on humans, French researchers said on Wednesday.

MONDAY, Oct. 12 (HealthDay News) -- The ability to perceive relationships between objects (visuospatial skills) may decline years before a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Poor vision is enough a hardship for the elderly. But such vision problems, when they can't be corrected, also appear to be tied to a shorter lifespan, according to a new study.

FRIDAY, Oct. 9 (HealthDay News) -- A recent report linking professional football to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease set off alarms in locker rooms across the nation, but the news for aging athletes isn't all bad. Retired pro football players have fewer heart disease risk factors than other men in the same age group, a U.S. study has found.