Elder Care Information

Following a stroke, factors as varied as blood sugar, body temperature and position in bed can affect patient outcomes, researchers report.

A simple drawing test can predict the long-term risk of dying after a first stroke among older men.

Older women who have been diagnosed with an irregular heart beat are at higher risk of stroke than men. A new study shows that warfarin, the most common anticoagulant therapy used to prevent stroke in patients with Atrial fibrillation may not be as effective in women, 75 years or older, as in men.

Greater purpose in life may help stave off the harmful effects of plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study.

Elderly people with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes suffer from an accelerated decline in brain size and mental capacity in as little as two years according to new research.

A drug prescribed for Alzheimer's disease does not ease clinically significant agitation in patients, according to first randomized controlled trial designed to assess the effectiveness of the drug (generic name memantine) for significant agitation in Alzheimer's patients.

Aging may seem unavoidable, but that's not necessarily so when it comes to the brain. So say researchers based on counterintuitive evidence that it is what you do in old age that matters when it comes to maintaining a youthful brain rather than what you did earlier in life.

Blueberries and strawberries, which are high in flavonoids, appear to reduce cognitive decline in older adults according to a new study. The study results suggest that cognitive aging could be delayed by up to 2.5 years in elderly who consume greater amounts of the flavonoid-rich berries.

Neuroscientists have demonstrated that a compound mimicking a key activity of a hefty, brain-based protein is capable of increasing the generation of new nerve cells, or neurons, in the brains of mice that have had strokes. The mice also exhibited a speedier recovery of their athletic ability.

Commonly prescribed anti-depressants appear to be doing patients more harm than good, say researchers who have published a paper examining the impact of the medications on the entire body.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an incurable, progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting over five million people worldwide, and is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly. Currently, intravenous human immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment is being explored in multiple off-label uses other than immunotherapy, including AD. Several clinical studies assessing the tolerability and efficacy of IVIG in Alzheimer's disease subjects are in progress with inconsistent outcomes.

Video-game technology is proving to be a valuable tool for helping people of all ages improve lifestyle and health habits and manage disease. New research is showing that exergames have significant benefits for older adults by providing cognitive stimulation and a source of social interaction, exercise, and fun.

The herpes zoster vaccine, also known as the shingles vaccine, is generally safe and well tolerated according to a Vaccine Safety Datalink study of 193,083 adults.

Researchers have found that greater consumption of sugar-sweetened and low-calorie sodas is associated with a higher risk of stroke. Conversely, consumption of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee was associated with a lower risk.

Older adults may be at increased risk of being hospitalized for lung and heart disease, stroke, and diabetes following long-term exposure to fine-particle air pollution, according to a new study. It is the first study to look at the link between long-term effects of exposure to fine particles in the air and rates of hospital admissions.

Startling new statistics paint a bleak future for the largest generation in history, the baby boomers, as they cross into old age.

Injection of a small amount of clumped protein triggers a cascade of events leading to a Parkinson’s-like disease in mice, according to a new article.

A new comparative effectiveness report confirms that pelvic floor muscle training is effective for treating adult women with urinary incontinence without risk of side effects.

Seemingly small changes in summer temperature swings -- as little as 1°C more than usual -- may shorten life expectancy for elderly people with chronic medical conditions, and could result in thousands of additional deaths each year, new research suggests.

A study involving nearly 2000 people describes the sexual practices of senior citizens in Spain.

Older subjects who regularly practise Tai Chi found to have better arterial compliance and greater muscle strength than non-practitioners. Exercise which can achieve both cardiovascular function and muscle strength "would be a preferred mode of training for older persons", say investigators. Experienced practitioners of Tai Chi, the traditional Chinese mind-body exercise now enjoyed worldwide, have been shown in a study of older subjects to have improved expansion and contraction of arteries according to cardiac pulsation (arterial compliance) and improved knee muscle strength.

When you think of Botox injections, you probably think of getting rid of unwanted wrinkles around the eyes or forehead, but recently the FDA approved using the injections to help patients with neurological conditions who suffer from incontinence, or an overactive bladder.

The biggest study into the treatment of urinary incontinence with botulinum toxin (trade name Botox) has demonstrated that it is effective in treating overactive bladder (OAB) - a debilitating common condition which can affect up to 20% of people over the age of 40.

Antibodies that block the process of synapse disintegration in Alzheimer's disease have been identified, raising hopes for a treatment to combat early cognitive decline in the disease.

Older women whose diets include a substantial amount of trans fats are more likely than their counterparts to suffer an ischemic stroke, a new study shows. However, the risk of stroke associated with trans fat intake was lower among women taking aspirin.

A repression of gene activity in the brain appears to be an early event affecting people with Alzheimer's disease, researchers have found. In mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, this epigenetic blockade and its effects on memory were treatable.

Simple tests such as walking speed and hand grip strength may help doctors determine how likely it is a middle-aged person will develop dementia or stroke.

A longitudinal study of more than 1,300 children and their families found that mothers whose children spent their early years in high-quality nonparental care, starting from birth and in either center-based or home-based settings, were more likely than other moms to be involved in their children's schools later, regardless of the moms' socioeconomic status. The study also found that the quality of children's early care was more important than the type or setting of care.

A new scoring method can help doctors quickly decide which stroke patients will respond well to the clot-busting drug alteplase, according to a new study.

A genetic variant that increases the risk of a common type of stroke has been identified by scientists. This is one of the few genetic variants to date to be associated with risk of stroke and the discovery opens up new possibilities for treatment.

A new drug that showed promise in animal studies and an early clinical trial didn't improve disability among stroke patients, according to new research.

An experimental blood clot-removing device outperformed the FDA-approved MERCI; retriever device, according to new research.

The traditional risk factors for stroke – such as high cholesterol – are not as accurate at predicting risk in postmenopausal women as previously thought. Instead, researchers say doctors should refocus their attention on triglyceride levels to determine which women are at highest risk of suffering a devastating and potentially fatal cardiovascular event.

Neurologists report success with a new means of getting rid of potentially lethal blood clots in the brain safely without cutting through easily damaged brain tissue or removing large pieces of skull.

The disparity in stroke-related deaths among black and white children dramatically narrowed after prevention strategies changed to include ultrasound screening and chronic blood transfusions for children with sickle cell anemia, according to new research.

Occasional erratic heart rhythms appear to cause about one-fifth of strokes for which a cause is not readily established.

Being anemic could more than triple your risk of dying within a year after having a stroke, according to new research.

People with severe sleep apnea may have an increased risk of silent strokes and small lesions in the brain, according to a small study.

Clot-busting drugs may be safe for patients who wake up experiencing stroke symptoms, according to preliminary research.

Common infections in children pose a high risk of ischemic stroke, according to new research. In a review of 2.5 million children, the researchers identified 126 childhood ischemic stroke cases and then randomly selected 378 age-matched controls from the remaining children without stroke. They discovered that 29 percent of those who suffered a stroke had a medical encounter for infection in the two days preceding the stroke versus one percent of controls during the same dates.

Severe, rapid memory loss may be linked to -- and could predict -- a future deadly stroke, according to new research.

Men may be at higher risk of experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or the stage of mild memory loss that occurs between normal aging and dementia, than women, according to a new study.

A new position statement issued by the American Academy of Neurology calls on neurologists to begin screening their patients for abusive or violent treatment by family, caretakers or others. Types of abuse include elder abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, cyberbullying and violence.

Scientists have identified a protein that exacerbates symptoms of Parkinson's disease -- a discovery that could one day lead to new treatments for people who suffer from this devastating neurodegenerative illness.

For most heart and stroke patients, it's probably safe to have sex. "For a patient who has sex with a familiar partner in a familiar setting, sexual activity generally is safe and no more strenuous than golf," a cardiologist said.

Job stress and shift work have a lot more to do with obesity among nurses than previously thought, according to a new study.

Experts question the concept of the ‘overactive bladder syndrome’. According to researchers, the definition of this syndrome is mostly beneficial to those with commercial interests, while from the patient perspective and for the development of treatments, it may be detrimental.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening genetic muscle disorder, most commonly triggered in those at risk by certain types of drugs used during anesthesia. Heat stroke, on the other hand, most commonly occurs in individuals in response to physical exertion in hot/humid environments. While their common triggers may differ, the signs associated with MH and heat stroke are remarkably similar – uncontrolled muscle contractions, dangerous increases in body temperature, and muscle breakdown leading to the release of toxins in the blood which may cause cardiac arrhythmias and death. A new medication may be effective in preventing certain forms of heat stroke.

Silent atrial fibrillation is very common and may be the cause of many strokes that previously could not be explained. In all, atrial fibrillation may be responsible for nearly one in five strokes.

Exposure to light appears to have therapeutic effects on Alzheimer's disease patients, a researcher has found.

Care for Asian-American heart attack patients improved between 2003 and 2008, according to a new study. The study found Asian-Americans and whites received about the same level of care, and that differences in care between the two groups decreased over time. The study is significant because little is known about the treatment and outcomes of Asian-Americans who've suffered a heart attack.

In the first large study of its kind, researchers find that electronic health records are important tools for improvements in nursing care and health outcomes.

Scientists find that a method of positron emission tomography safely and accurately detects dementia, including the most common and devastating form among the elderly, Alzheimer's disease.

A new program, which was created by health care professionals two decades ago in an effort to ensure the wishes of those with advanced illness are followed, has now spread to 34 states in the United States.

Bedside clinical evaluation can be optimized to diagnose spatial neglect, a disabling disorder that impedes recovery after stroke, according to stroke specialists. Often overlooked, it is associated with prolonged hospital stays, accidents, falls, safety problems and chronic functional disability. Early recognition and targeted cognitive rehabilitation may improve outcomes for the 30-50 percent of stroke survivors with this hidden disability that can be more disabling than paralysis.

Although minimally invasive treatments for patients with peripheral arterial disease result in shorter hospital stays and the potential to save Medicare millions of dollars each year, a new study reveals that the quality of care and cost depend on who's providing the treatment.

Bingo, a popular activity in nursing homes, senior centers and assisted-living facilities, has benefits that extend well beyond socializing. Researchers found high-contrast, large bingo cards boost thinking and playing skills for people with cognitive difficulties and visual perception problems produced by Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Demographics and clinical factors appear to be associated with survival in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), and the presence of dementia is associated with a significant increase in mortality, according to a new report.

New research links 'silent strokes,' or small spots of dead brain cells, found in about one out of four older adults to memory loss in the elderly.

A survey of nurses and physicians in intensive care units (ICUs) in Europe and Israel indicated that the perception of inappropriate care, such as excess intensity of care for a patient, was common, and that these perceptions were associated with inadequate decision sharing, communication and job autonomy, according to a new study.