https://medicalxpress.com/gerontology-geriatrics-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Geriatric Palliative Care A pilot study suggests that a simple program combining exercise and protein supplementation may help older adults with frailty recover more successfully after hospitalization, with 80% of participants discharged from skilled nursing facilities back to the community rather than to long-term care or the hospital. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-protein-aid-recovery-frail-seniors.html Thu, 18 Jun 2026 07:20:01 EDT news700979641 Native Hawaiian adults experience mobility limitations—including challenges with agility, gait, balance and fall risk—at significantly higher rates and at younger ages than other major racial and ethnic groups in Hawaiʻi, according to new research from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa's Hā Kūpuna National Resource Center for Native Hawaiian Elders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-native-hawaiian-adults-mobility-earlier.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 22:40:01 EDT news700906096 According to a study published in Neurology, the risk for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and certain brain diseases may go in both directions. Studies have shown that having a TBI may increase the risk of developing a stroke, dementia, epilepsy or Parkinson's disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-older-people-brain-diseases-traumatic.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:00:14 EDT news700844222 For many older adults, aging well means remaining independent—being able to do everyday activities like buying groceries or cooking dinner without help. A new Yale School of Medicine study suggests that changes in mental, physical or sensory capacity may be linked to a person's future ability to perform these routine tasks. The study is published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-physical-mental-capacity-linked-disability.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:40:04 EDT news700919043 As recently as the mid-20th century, aging was described by Nobel Prize laureate Peter Medawar as "an unsolved problem in biology." Today, scientists can analyze the activity of thousands of genes in individual cells, identify genetic variants associated with longevity, study molecular pathways affecting lifespan, and estimate biological age using epigenetic clocks. Experimental therapies using senolytics—compounds that eliminate some senescent cells—have also emerged. Paradoxically, however, the more we know about the biology of aging, the more clearly we see how complex this process is. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-scientific-biology-aging.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 18:20:01 EDT news700847641 Some people might not mind spending time alone, but new research with data from 18 countries suggests that older people who struggle with loneliness—rather than strictly being alone—may experience faster mental and physical decline. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-loneliness-cognitive-impairment-shorter-life.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:40:02 EDT news700834122 Alzheimer's-Related Psychosis: Interdisciplinary Perspectives for Understanding and Responding to Delusions and Hallucinations"—the latest report in The Gerontological Society of America's Insights & Implications in Gerontology series—underscores the clinical, emotional and societal impact of psychosis in individuals living with Alzheimer's disease and stresses the need for comprehensive, person-centered approaches to care. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-evidence-based-strategies-alzheimer-psychosis.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:20:06 EDT news700747316 When a patient has made it to 85 years old in reasonable health, their instinct—and often their physician's—is to redouble prevention efforts, optimize every number and close every gap. I want to argue the opposite. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-healthy-medicine.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:40:06 EDT news700747222 New research in the June 2026 issue of Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds that small, targeted prompts delivered to both patients and providers at the right moment can significantly increase the number of serious illness conversations that take place. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-nudges-honor-patients-cancer.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 09:00:01 EDT news700486573 A research team at Lund University in Sweden has studied how patients with advanced cancer seek care during the final stages of their lives. By studying their care patterns, the research team has developed a measurement method that relates health care needs to the changing value of time for patients at the end of life. The less time they have left to live, the more precious time feels. The work is published in the journal Value in Health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-life-metric-tracks-valuable-terminal.html Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:00:07 EDT news700143909 Depression is a serious mental health issue that can rob us of joy—and years of healthy living. While we know depressive symptoms can cut the remaining years of disability-free living (or "healthspan") in older adults, it was unclear exactly which symptoms could be the culprit. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-healthy-lifespan-short-sex-depressive.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 19:20:01 EDT news700478995 New research from the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) has found that most Australians living with dementia are unlikely to qualify for voluntary assisted dying (VAD) under current laws. Lead author Prof. Kerstin Braun explored how Australian VAD laws would need to change if states and territories chose to extend access to people living with dementia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-australians-dementia-excluded-voluntary-dying.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 23:20:04 EDT news700297639 Jules Netherland traveled from her home in the Bronx to the New York state Capitol in Albany several times in the past few years, hoping to persuade the legislature to pass a medical aid-in-dying bill, allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives with a lethal prescription. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-september-americans-states-legal-aid.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:00:04 EDT news700325161 Baycrest researchers and clinicians have contributed to newly published research advancing understanding of paratonia, a common but often underrecognized condition affecting people living with advanced dementia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-hidden-muscle-resistance-advanced-dementia.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:40:06 EDT news700316461 There is a stark gap in how often hospitals screen older adults for postoperative delirium, with verified geriatric surgery programs screening nearly every patient while nonaccredited programs screen just half, according to new findings published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. This disparity may mean thousands of cases are going undetected and unaddressed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-acs-geriatric-surgery-verification-hospitals.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:20:01 EDT news700314721 Social networks may help protect cognitive functioning in later life, particularly among older adults who are no longer working, according to a new IIASA-led study. Drawing on data from 27 European countries, the researchers found that social connections can help compensate for the loss of mentally stimulating interactions linked to work, with different types of relationships benefiting women and men. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-life-social.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 22:20:03 EDT news700232033 Researchers at Mass General Brigham have demonstrated that older U.S. veterans who initiated statin therapy were significantly less likely to develop frailty over time, suggesting that the cholesterol-lowering medications may have healthy aging benefits beyond cardiovascular disease prevention. Results are published in the European Heart Journal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-statin-linked-frailty-older-veterans.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 20:10:01 EDT news700236902 Just 4 minutes of daily strengthening exercise dramatically increases key factors in quality of life for older adults, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine. Results published in PLOS One show that strength—which affects fall risk, longevity, independent living and more—significantly improved for adults 65 and older in as little as 12 weeks. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-minutes-daily-resistance-quadruple-older.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:40:04 EDT news700234064 With an aging population now an irrefutable reality in Japan, concerns about the health and well-being of older adults have come to the forefront of public health dialogue. Older adults are especially at risk for fragility fractures and falls, which threaten their healthy life expectancy. Although these risks are thought to be influenced by lifestyle factors and medication use, studies that comprehensively evaluate these variables remain limited. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-medication-burden-weight-loss-linked.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:20:03 EDT news700215977 Dementia makes most things in life more difficult, including hospital care. Though often essential for patients with severe acute illness, hospital care can be confusing for persons with dementia (PWD). Compared with older adults without dementia, PWD in the United States visit the emergency room and are hospitalized at higher rates. In these cases, the decision on a hospital stay requires a delicate balance between the potential benefits and risks of hospital care. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-hospital-admission-affects-persons-dementia.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:00:04 EDT news700148630 Researchers found postoperative delirium was strongly associated with long-term cognitive decline and the effect was not explained by rehospitalizations, highlighting the long-term impact of delirium on brain health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-delirium-surgery-strong-predictor-cognitive.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:00:06 EDT news699884881 There is a well-documented puzzle in social epidemiology: Immigrants have better health than the native-born when they first arrive, but they lose this advantage at older ages. Is acculturation to blame—the process by which immigrants adopt the culture and behavior of their new country? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-american-society-toll-immigrant-health.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:00:03 EDT news699803821 LGBTQ+ people are woven into the lives of middle-aged and older Americans, a new national poll reports. About seven out of 10 non-LGBTQ+ people older than 50 (69%) have at least one personal connection to a person who is LGBTQ+, according to results from the University of Michigan's National Poll on Healthy Aging. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-older-lgbtq-adults-age-poll.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:00:03 EDT news699787621 To address the growing problem of overprescribing for seniors, a new Canadian guideline is calling for routine medication reviews. In Canada, roughly two in three adults age 65 or older take five or more medications. While often necessary, complex drug regimens can increase the risk of side effects and affect quality of life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-curb-overprescribing-seniors-urge-annual.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:20:07 EDT news699704641 Fewer than 1 in 5 adults older than 65 report discussing their cannabis use with clinicians, according to Rutgers Health researchers. Their study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, explored the prevalence of conversations between patients and clinicians about cannabis use and its potential harms. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-older-adults-rarely-discuss-cannabis.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:20:07 EDT news699696483 A smartphone app can help individuals with advanced cancer deal with symptoms and maintain their quality of life, according to new research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-smartphone-app-advanced-cancer-quality.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 23:40:01 EDT news699624208 The neglected psychological support needs for caregivers of people with dementia in the UK could soon be addressed with a major multicenter trial led by University of Manchester psychologists. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-psychological-caregivers-people-dementia.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:11 EDT news699615602 Nursing homes across the country had less staffing in states where legislatures granted the facilities immunity from COVID-19-related lawsuits filed by patients and their families, according to findings from a new UCLA-led study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-nursing-home-staffing-declined-states.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:40:01 EDT news699618722 Going through surgery can take a significant toll on a patient's physical health and capabilities, especially if they are elderly. A recent study found that the effects extend far beyond mobility and pain management, as the operation may also lead to a significant loss of overall cognitive sharpness. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-major-surgery-memory-loss-older.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:20:07 EDT news699529058 Many scientists are trying to determine just how much medical intervention can lengthen the human lifespan. But Daniel Promislow, senior scientist and scientific advisor at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, is interested in a different question: If humans suddenly start living longer, what might the consequences be? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-potential-problems-longer-qa.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:20:01 EDT news699526022