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Gerontology & Geriatrics news

Gerontology & Geriatrics

New organ-on-a-chip platform allows the testing of cancer vaccine efficacy in aging populations

Dr. Vadim Jucaud's lab at the Terasaki Institute has introduced a new organ-on-a-chip platform that recapitulates age-dependent immune responses, offering a more accurate testing bed for evaluating cancer vaccine performance ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Friendship can be an important lifeline for older adults without children

Friendship can be one of the keys to staying healthier later in life—that was one of the key findings from new research at the University of New Hampshire that took a closer look into the growing public health concern of ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Who are the loneliest Americans?

Middle-aged Americans are most likely to feel the pinch of loneliness in their lives these days, a new AARP survey has found.

Gerontology & Geriatrics

Age-related muscle wasting tied to cell recycling defect

Two related studies published today in Nature Metabolism show that a specialized intracellular recycling mechanism—chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA)—is essential for muscle health.

Diabetes

Diabetes drugs may help older adults slow frailty

A new study shows that older adults with type 2 diabetes who start treatment with sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors—such as empagliflozin (Jardiance) and dapagliflozin (Farxiga)—or glucagon-like peptide-1 ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Navigating grief in the aged care system

Grief for families in the aged care system begins long before the death of their loved ones, new research has found, highlighting the need for a systemic rethink of how grief is understood and supported.

Genetics

Why important genes 'go quiet' as we get older

The human gut renews itself faster than any other tissue: every few days, new cells are created from specialized stem cells. However, as we get older, epigenetic changes build up in these stem cells. These are chemical markers ...

Inflammatory disorders

Chronic pruritus prevalent among older adults

Chronic pruritus is prevalent among older adults and is associated with moderately impaired pruritus-specific quality of life, according to a study published online Nov. 10 in Acta Dermato Venereologica.

Immunology

Physical exercise can 'train' the immune system

In addition to strengthening the muscles, lungs, and heart, regular physical exercise also strengthens the immune system. This finding comes from a study of older adults with a history of endurance training, which involves ...

Alzheimer's disease & dementia

Debunking the link between calcium supplements and dementia

New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU), Curtin University and the University of Western Australia has found no evidence that calcium monotherapy increases the long-term risk for dementia, helping to dispel previous ...

Gerontology & Geriatrics

Transport and mobility challenges facing older people

How important is mobility to our health and well-being in later life? How safe are older people on the road? Should drivers have a driving or medical test when they reach a certain age? If older people give up driving, how ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

New book shows how narrative therapy gives meaning to life

Around the world, growing populations of older adults need social care. Aging is typically associated with steady physical and cognitive decline; the practice of narrative therapy, by contrast, focuses on the resilience of ...

Neuroscience

Scientists uncover why mental maps fade with age

In the realm of memories, "where" holds special importance. Where did I leave my keys? Where did I eat dinner last night? Where did I first meet that friend? Recalling locations is necessary for daily life, yet spatial memory—which ...

Health

Longevity research: Dietary stress supports healthy aging

Certain nutrients in food can trigger a mild stress response in nematodes. But instead of making them sick, this actually helps them stay healthier as they age, according to researchers at the University of Basel, Switzerland.