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.

More often than not, having to place a loved one in a nursing home is a difficult decision, particularly since nursing homes don’t have the best reputation. However, a new U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report analyzing the federal government’s use of sanctions on nursing homes whose negligent practices are found to be harming residents has drawn the attention of lawmakers seeking to add teeth to regulations designed to protect vulnerable older Americans. Learn how the government is trying to make nursing homes comply with government regulations.

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.

A new, high-tech device helps Japanese senior citizens and their faraway families feel safer. Elderly residents living in a small town in Japan who live on their own are carrying around a small mobile device that tells the call center’s computers where they are at all times. Each senior in the program has a social worker who also carries a device that tells them if the person is home or out and about. The devices work as Internet phones, so seniors and their social workers can talk. Learn more about this exciting device — the results so far look promising and it could eventually be sold in the US.  

Pilates can be done at home with just a yoga mat and the aid of a video or DVD or at a Pilates studio where one can learn to use various pieces of equipment. The intensity of the exercises can be adjusted to meet the needs of seniors. Because Pilates strengthens the body’s core muscles and lengthens the spine it may improve one’s posture and might help with balance. Read on to learn how Pilates might be beneficial.

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.

The vast majority of individuals experience some form of sadness or depression during their lives. Some individuals have better coping mechanisms than others and may only need supplements and/or vitamins to stabilize their mood. In some cases, depression is due to a physical biochemical imbalance and in other cases the emotional stress that is causing the depression can trigger a biochemical change. In either case, there is an imbalance that needs to be addressed.  If one’s depression is not severe, there are many clinically proven all natural remedies such as vitamins, herbs, supplements, minerals, and amino acids that can help. Aromatherapy, acupuncture, yoga, exercise, meditation, etc. can also help. Learn which herbs and supplements can help alleviate depression.

Advanced age can stiffen our limbs and make it difficult for us to move around especially during cold weather. If you are someone who suffers from stiff and painful joints during cold weather, start moving your joints and flexing your muscles. Yoga stretching exercises may just be the answer. When we stiffen up our body compensates for the shortening of various muscles and this can lead to a cascading set of events. Learn how to do yoga stretches safely regardless of age or flexibility.