msnbc.com: Aging

FDA panel favors Pfizer's new arthritis drug

Wed, 9 May 2012 23:11:13 GMT

Federal health advisers said Wednesday that a first-of-a-kind drug from Pfizer appears to be safe and effective for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, though they recommended follow-up studies to gauge the pill's long-term side effects.

Computer use and exercise may help fight memory loss

Tue, 1 May 2012 18:16:16 GMT

MyHealthNewsDaily.comUsing a computer may protect against memory loss late in life, as long as you also make sure to exercise, a new study suggests.

Emergency rooms designed for the older set

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:46:10 GMT

Hospitals around the country are creating customized emergency rooms for patients 65 years and older.

Japan's population to drop by 1 million each year

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:14:32 GMT

Japan's rapid aging means the national population of 128 million will shrink by one-third by 2060.

Millions now manage aging parents' care from afar

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:40:14 GMT

Kristy Bryner worries her 80-year-old mom might slip and fall when she picks up the newspaper, or that she'll get in an accident when she drives to the grocery store. What if she has a medical emergency and no one's there to help? What if, like her father, her mother slips into a fog of dementia?

Nicotine patch may help improve memory, study finds

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 21:05:17 GMT

Nicotine may help tune up brains of seniors suffering from mild memory loss, a new study shows.

Senior moment? Nope, just thinking

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:34:20 GMT

Seniors may be just as mentally agile as younger people. The reason their thinking appears sluggish is they mull things over longer, a new study shows.

Gay seniors fear housing discrimination

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:31:52 GMT

Experts say many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender seniors fear discrimination, disrespect or worse by health care workers and residents of elder housing facilities — ultimately leading many back into the closet after years of being open.

Elderly brains stay sharp after low trans-fat life

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:57:30 GMT

A newly developed blood test shows that trans fat consumption in elderly people hurts cognition, and is also linked with brain shrinkage.

Obesity linked to older adults' risk of falls

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:14:01 GMT

Obese older adults may be more likely than their thinner peers to suffer a potentially disabling fall -- though the most severely obese may be somewhat protected from injury, a new study suggests.

At 100 years old, an Ohio doctor is still in

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:55:25 GMT

Dr. Fred Goldman of Cincinnati, turned 100 this month and has no plans to retire. He is the oldest physician in Ohio still practicing medicine.

91-year-old yoga teacher: 'Why should I quit?'

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 20:47:35 GMT

Yoga has been a way of life for 91-year-old Bernice Bates since 1960. In a fitting tribute to her decades of helping others learn her passion, she recently won the distinction of the Guinness World Record holder of oldest yoga instructor.

Eating fish once a week may ward off Alzheimer's

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:17:45 GMT

Eating fish may keep the brain healthy and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, a new study says.

Aging in place: Most in U.S. want to stay put

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:56:36 GMT

Beryl O'Connor, 80, has no interest in trading the home she's lived in since the 1970s for retirement center. "I just couldn’t be around old people,” she says. Aging in place is the overwhelming preference of Americans over 50.

Census finds reaching age 90 more likely than ever

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:12:08 GMT

Americans are more likely than ever to reach age 90. First-ever census figures on the 90-plus population show it's nearly tripled in size since 1980, to 1.9 million.

Want to live longer? Get happy, study says

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:09:35 GMT

If you’re happy and you know it, maybe you should clap your hands. That’s because being happy might make you live longer. A new study found that happy people reduced their risk of premature death by as much 35 percent.

X Prize contest seeks secrets in DNA of the elderly

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:20:45 GMT

George Eberhardt turned 107 last month, and scientists would love to know how he and other older folks like him made it that far. He's one of 100 centenarians taking part in a project that will examine whole-genome sequencing of the very old.

Couple married 72 years die holding hands

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:40:12 GMT

An Iowa couple married for 72 years died holding hands in a Des Moines hospital within 70 minutes of each other last week after a car accident that also injured another couple.

Believing your health is bad hikes dementia risk

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 22:29:42 GMT

Thinking that you are in poor health may increase your risk for dementia, a new study suggests.

Time to shop: Some Medicare plan prices drop

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 22:53:03 GMT

The annual enrollment period for Medicare prescription drug and Advantage managed care plans is about to begin, and it's one of the best opportunities of the year for seniors to save money.

Dementia patients suffer dubious hospitalizations

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:35:36 GMT

One-fifth of Medicare nursing home patients with advanced Alzheimer's or other dementias were sent to hospitals or other nursing homes for questionable reasons in their final months, often enduring tube feeding and intensive care that prolonged their demise, a new study found.

'Til death': Unless you have Alzheimer's?

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 21:39:55 GMT

Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson has caused a firestorm after he told his “700 Club” viewers that divorcing a spouse who battles Alzheimer’s is justifiable because the disease is “a kind of death.”

Drugs used less often in treating dementia

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:09:20 GMT

Antipsychotics are meant primarily to help control symptoms from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but they're also given to hundreds of thousands of elderly nursing home patients in the U.S. to pacify aggressive and paranoid behavior related to dementia.

Japan may soon lose top longevity ranking

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:09:14 GMT

Japan has long been the world leader in longevity, but some experts are now suggesting that the island nation may soon face a drop in the rankings, fueled in part by a significant suicide rate, high body mass index and rising rates of smoking.

Women may get unneeded osteoporosis screening

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:24:12 GMT

Video: Longevity secrets from 100-year-old doctor

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 23:12:11 GMT

Even though he recently turned 100, Dr. Ephraim Engleman still sees arthritis patients regularly at the University of California San Francisco. He has some rather unconventional longevity secrets to share. NBC’s Robert Bazell reports. (Nightly News)

Fat transfer for younger eyes may last 3 years

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:27:37 GMT

Fat transferred under the eyes to create a younger-looking face can last for at least three years, suggests a new study of people who had the surgery.

U.S. autopsy guidelines revised for Alzheimer's

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:22:15 GMT

For many years, an autopsy done by a pathologist was considered the best way to confirm the presence of Alzheimer's disease.

Want to live forever? Scientist sees aging cured

Tue, 5 Jul 2011 13:04:16 GMT

If Aubrey de Grey's predictions are right, the first person who will live to see their 150th birthday has already been born. And the first person to live for 1,000 years could be less than 20 years younger.