https://medicalxpress.com/gerontology-geriatrics-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Geriatric Palliative Care In a Journal of the American Geriatrics Society analysis of nationally representative data from 6,905 U.S. adults age 65 or older followed from 2011 to 2024, higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with lower mortality risk, whereas higher waist circumference, a marker of abdominal obesity, was independently associated with higher mortality risk after accounting for BMI. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-waist-circumference-bmi-mortality-older.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 03:00:03 EDT news706193577 Racism directly affects how people experience grief and bereavement, according to the largest study of its kind. Bereavement services must adapt to be anti-racist, avoid making assumptions based on race and accommodate individual needs, the research by King's College London and the University of Sheffield finds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-racism-people-grief.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:00:03 EDT news706201081 Here is a finding that surprises most people, including plenty of regular gym-goers. When researchers tracked nearly 1,900 older adults (aged 70–79) over three years, those who held on to their muscle mass, and even those who gained some, still lost strength. Leg strength declined about three times faster than muscle mass. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-strength-stamina-reflexes-age.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:20:04 EDT news706272422 UVA Health researchers have discovered how a form of delirium that often strikes older patients after surgery may set the stage for dementia—and identified a drug that could reverse the underlying brain changes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-dementia-discovery-link-delirium-surgery.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:20:06 EDT news706263902 Imagine heading to a doctor's office for memory problems and getting a prescription to hang out with friends. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-socializing-prescription-healthier-brain-aging.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:00:01 EDT news705834844 In England and Canada, socioeconomic inequalities are associated with differences in how people age, with less wealthy people showing reduced mobility and function compared with their wealthier peers, according to a study published Aug. 13 in PLOS Medicine by Stephanie Schrempft of Geneva University Hospitals in Switzerland and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-poorer-people-greater-declines-physical.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 14:00:04 EDT news705658736 Stopping statins in adults 75 and older with no history of heart disease or stroke does not increase the risk of death over three years compared with continuing statins, although "bad" cholesterol rose around 50% in those who stopped, according to a randomized controlled trial published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity. Statins are a key medication for the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a specific type of cardiovascular disease caused by the buildup of fatty plaque (atherosclerosis) inside the arteries. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-adults-older-statins-similar-year.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:40:09 EDT news705746206 When a heat wave arrives, the public health advice follows a familiar script: Drink water, watch for heat stroke, check on people with heart or lung conditions. That list saves lives. But it leaves out something that shapes daily life for millions of older Americans—chronic pain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-chronic-pain-america.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:00:08 EDT news705652022 Older adults with cardiovascular disease (CVD) often have coexisting cognitive impairment and frailty, conditions that can significantly affect treatment decisions, recovery, independence and quality of life and should be considered as part of an aging-informed approach to care, according to a new American College of Cardiology Scientific Statement published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-cardiovascular-older-adults-account-cognitive.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:00:04 EDT news705243860 A Stanford Medicine app found that older adults' daily travel range shrank as temperatures rose, potentially limiting social, physical and community activities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-extreme-older-adults-closer-home.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:40:01 EDT news705237602 For many older adults with heart disease, age is a significant factor in treatment decisions. But a new Yale–led study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggests that overall health, function and medical conditions may be more important than age alone when physicians and patients consider percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a common treatment for chronic coronary disease in which a small tube called a stent is placed inside an artery to help keep it open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-age-treatment-decisions-chronic-coronary.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 12:20:01 EDT news705236341 It may seem natural to assume that people experience cognitive decline after age 90, but until recently, researchers had limited evidence about how advanced age affects the brain. This major knowledge gap will need to be addressed as people live longer. By 2100, there could be around 230 million people 90 or older on Earth. As a result, scientists, clinicians and policymakers are seeking more information to help them support this expanding demographic. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-dementia-age-higher.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:20:04 EDT news705160802 Older adults living in homes with electrical or plumbing problems, insufficient space or poor lighting are more likely to experience a fall, according to a new study published Aug. 5, 2026, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Javiera Cartagena-Farías of the London School of Economics and Political Science, U.K., and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-poor-housing-conditions-fall-older.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:00:17 EDT news705068285 The year 2024 marked the first time that the global average temperature exceeded the 1.5°C threshold set by the Paris Agreement. One direct consequence is more intense heat extremes, which already pose a significant threat to human health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-extreme-discovery-older-adults.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 19:20:04 EDT news705063422 Researchers from the University of Manchester, alongside international collaborators from Neuroscience Research Australia, ETH Zurich, Karolinska Institutet and Atlantic Technological University, have conducted a new systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the role of active video games, or "exergames," in fall prevention for older adults. The study, led by Dr. Charlotte Eost-Telling and published in JMIR Aging, synthesizes evidence from nine randomized controlled trials involving 1,385 adults ages 60 and older across various settings, including community homes, long-term care facilities and geriatric clinics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-video-games-falls-older-adults.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 17:30:04 EDT news705060757 Special Rules for End of Life is an important mechanism in the benefits system designed to give people with a terminal illness fast-tracked access to vital financial support. But this qualitative study, the first to interview patients, caregivers and health care professionals about the issue, shows the system is failing too many dying people. Uncertainty about how long someone has left to live, low awareness of the rules, difficulties talking about money and practical barriers can all stop eligible people from getting the support they need. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-thousands-dying-people-vital-fast.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:00:03 EDT news705056581 The study is the most comprehensive review of dementia hospitalizations ever undertaken in the UK. The researchers outline how delayed discharges, lack of communication among NHS staff and hospital environments unsuitable for dementia patients are keeping people in hospital unnecessarily, eroding dignity and exacerbating frailty. Those with dementia are five times more likely to remain in hospital despite being medically fit to leave, with delayed discharges alone costing £328 million annually to taxpayers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-hospital-beds-dementia-patients.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:02:02 EDT news705056455 About 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of Phoenix, the town of Yarnell nestles atop a winding mountain road. Phoenix, a sprawling city of more than 1.6 million people, has one physician for every 2,407 people. But in Yarnell and other rural areas in Arizona, the ratio is one physician for every 3,896 people. Like many rural residents across the U.S., people in this small town face major barriers to care—especially those with cognitive issues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-memory-senior-centers-gap-brainrelated.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 17:40:01 EDT news704979181 If you are in severe pain and struggling to get opioid medication in Indonesia, you are not alone. Despite the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) recognizing several therapeutic opioids as essential medicines, Indonesia has one of the lowest levels of medical opioid use in the region, far below global and regional standards. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-pain-struggle-relief-patient-access.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 12:00:02 EDT news704973839 Community gathering places, where residents lead group activities, have been promoted across Japan as part of long-term care prevention efforts to extend healthy life expectancy. These often involve exercise and social interaction and are meant to help prevent cognitive decline. However, previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding their association with cognitive disability. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-mind-body-community-counteract-cognitive.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:00:10 EDT news704721541 While artificial intelligence (AI) holds immense promise for transforming health care for older adults, a new study published in JMIR Aging reveals significant friction between those who use AI health tools and those who create and fund them. Conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Iowa, and Washington University in St. Louis, the study highlights how key stakeholders—older adults, care partners, clinicians, health system leaders, developers and investors—hold fundamentally different definitions of value, usability and cost, creating systemic barriers to technology adoption. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-reveals-deep-ai-health-priorities.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 11:20:05 EDT news704626362 A new study involving Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), based on administrative data from South Korea, projects that as higher education and lifelong singlehood become more common, the composition of older-age suicide deaths may shift toward never-married men with tertiary education. This does not mean that tertiary-educated individuals face higher suicide risks: Their suicide rates remain lower than those of less educated groups. Rather, the projected shift is driven by population composition. As tertiary education becomes the norm among younger generations, the growing size of this group could lead to a higher absolute number of suicide deaths among tertiary-educated, never-married men. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-suicide-deaths-south-korea-shift.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 20:40:01 EDT news704550589 Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that helps aging cells drive the chronic inflammation linked to many age-related diseases. The findings reveal how dysfunctional mitochondria—the cell's energy-producing structures—work with the cell's epigenetic machinery to switch on inflammatory genes, opening the door to a new therapeutic approach for promoting healthier aging. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-blocking-mitochondrial-curb-inflammation-zombie.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:20:01 EDT news704555882 Preferences about health care—including risk aversion, openness to experimental treatments, and whether to leave treatment decisions to a doctor—vary substantially by age and sex among adults 50 and older. That's the conclusion of a new study published July 29, 2026, in the journal PLOS One by Nicholas Steel of the University of East Anglia, UK, and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-health-vary-age-sex-adults.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:00:03 EDT news704463409 A combination of CBD and THC rapidly and significantly reduces agitation in hospice-eligible people with dementia, suggest top-line results from the phase 2 LiBBY (Life's End Benefits of cannaBidiol and tetrahYdrocannabinol) clinical trial. The findings were reported for the first time at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2026 in London and online. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-results-trial-thccbd-combination-significantly.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:20:01 EDT news704458321 Portable air filters made no difference to rates of respiratory and other infections in older people's long-term care facilities, a University of Bristol–led trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine has found. The study's authors advise long-term care facilities to continue with standard infection-control measures, including vaccines. A related paper is published in PLOS One. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-portable-air-filters-dont-infection.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:20:01 EDT news704451531 Older Australians living in areas with more tree canopy had fewer depressive symptoms over time, a new study of more than 1,000 people ages 70–90 has found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-tree-canopy-linked-depression-older.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:00:01 EDT news704440621 Maintaining balance is essential for preserving functional independence during aging. A study led by researchers from Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and ISABIAL suggests that trunk stability may play a particularly relevant role in this process. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-trunk-stability-emerges-stronger-marker.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:00:01 EDT news703934341 My first science experiment was in sixth grade for our county's science fair. Over three months, I tested how my grandfather's blood sugar responded to green leafy vegetables versus brown rice at dinnertime. My mom would prepare traditional South Indian meals, including those foods, and my dad would supervise as I measured and administered insulin and recorded my grandfather's blood sugar levels. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-millions-family-caregivers-complex-diets.html Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:40:04 EDT news704364962 Older Australians account for almost half of all hospitalizations and more than half of total patient days, yet there is no consistent way to measure whether this care improves their quality of life beyond clinical outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-recovery-health-tool-older-australians.html Mon, 27 Jul 2026 08:20:01 EDT news704358962