A longitudinal study of apparently 1507 healthy men and 832 healthy women aged 70 to 90 years looked at diet, exercise and lifestyle. Participants were recruited from 11 European countries. Learn how elders who followed a Mediterranean type diet combined with 30 minutes of exercise a day and who followed a healthy lifestyle were less likely to die from all-causes and cause-specific mortality.

According to the American Geriatrics Society, hospital delirium affects about one-third of patients over 70, and a greater percentage of intensive-care or postsurgical patients. When my mother was 95 and broke her pelvis, while hospitalized she experienced hallucinations. In her case, the hallucinations were at least in part due to anti-anxiety meds, Haldol and Ativan. The cause of delirium is unclear, but there are many apparent triggers: infections, surgery, pneumonia, and procedures like catheter insertions, all of which can spur anxiety in frail, vulnerable patients. Some medications, difficult for older people to metabolize, seem associated with delirium. Learn more about the potential long-term consequences of delirium in the elderly.

A new study has found that high blood pressure can alter the blood flow to the brain which in turn increases the risk of falling. Read more about these important findings.

In a new study, in the Netherlands, hand-grip strength was measured in 555 participants at age 85 and again at age 89. The researchers found that a weak handgrip at 85 and 89 years, and a greater decline in strength over time, were associated with an increased risk of death from all causes. They also concluded that the association between hand-grip strength and risk of death increases as people age. Learn more about how a simple test can increase longevity. 

In a recent study, researchers found that seniors who kept up with treatment for poor vision were 64% less likely to develop dementia. Vision loss in the elderly interferes with activities needed to maintain a healthy brain, including reading, board games, and regular exercise. Read more. . .

Post-operative delirium, can lead to long-term health problems and cause some elderly patients to complain that they “never felt the same” again after an operation. But a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests that by simply limiting the depth of sedation during procedures could safely cut the risk of postoperative delirium by 50 percent. Learn more about how reducing the amount of anesthesia reduces the incidence of post-operative delirium.

A study published in Heart and Circulatory Physiology found that individuals who are 40 years old or older who can touch their toes while sitting on the floor with their legs straight out in front of them are more than likely to have flexible arteries. Although some hardening of the arteries is a natural part of aging, there seems to be a correlation between flexibility and the risk for heart attacks and stroke. If you don’t bend easily, learn which exercises helps to reverse stiff arteries.

With the graying of America, one of the major concerns is determining who is at risk for bone fracture and who should be treated with bone- enhancing drugs? The National Osteoporosis Foundation reports that “about one out of every two Caucasian women will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture at some point in her lifetime, as will approximately one in five men.” Learn more about a tool developed by the World Health Organization called FRAX, an online risk calculator to help doctors and patients analyze the likelihood of future osteoporotic fractures.

A new study has confirmed that eating a lot of sugary desserts may not be the best strategy for living a long, cancer-free life. Learn what researchers at the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) have found - how restricted calorie diets, specifically in the form of restricted glucose (sugar), help human cells live longer.

Twenty seniors with a avearage age of 75.3 participated in eight weeks of low intensity exercise while the control group of 20 seniors with a mean age of 74.8, maintained their usual level of activity during the same time-frame. The seniors in the low intensity aerobic exercise program met three times a week for eight weeks and also did the exercises on their own between classes. Learn more about the study and study results.