http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/geriatric-related-diseases-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 05:43:53 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/finely-meshed-brains-yields-cannier-older-age-101713-1.htm Brains that sustain hale nerve connections as people grow older help us to maintain ourselves to be sharp in later life, states finding of new research funded by the charity Age UK. Older people with robust brain 'wiring' - that is, the nerve fibres that connect different, distant brain areas - can process information quickly and that this makes them generally smarter, the study suggests. According to the findings, joining distant parts of the brain together with better wiring improves mental ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/finely-meshed-brains-yields-cannier-older-age-101713-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-believe-that-attention-key-to-recovery-in-stroke-101706-1.htm Attention may have an important effect on the successful recovery from a stroke, feel researchers. People with a curious condition that causes them to apply make-up on only one side of their face, or ignore food on half of their plate, are playing a new role in understanding stroke recovery. Researchers from the University of Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) have found the condition, a subset of the stroke called "unilateral spatial neglect' (USN), tends to have the worst recovery outcomes ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-believe-that-attention-key-to-recovery-in-stroke-101706-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/infusion-of-enzyme-in-scar-tissue-following-chronic-stroke-may-make-patients-stronger-101690-1.htm Patients could recover quicker if the scar tissue that develops following a stroke is modified by infusion of an enzyme, a new study conducted by researchers at Buck Institute for Research on Aging reveals. The need for therapeutics for chronic stroke is compelling. There are 750,000 new strokes per year in the U.S., a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Aside from physical and occupational therapy, treatments for the six million patients in the U.S. who suffer from chronic stroke are ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/infusion-of-enzyme-in-scar-tissue-following-chronic-stroke-may-make-patients-stronger-101690-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/type-of-viral-infection-of-eye-linked-with-disease-causing-blindness-in-the-elderly-101662-1.htm A type of herpesvirus infection of the eye is associated with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease that causes blindness in the elderly. This was found by a team of researchers, including a scientist from the Viral Immunology Center at Georgia State University. The scientists found that human cytomegalovirus, a type of herpesvirus, causes the production of vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, a signal protein that regulates the formation of new blood vessels....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/type-of-viral-infection-of-eye-linked-with-disease-causing-blindness-in-the-elderly-101662-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/alcohol-consumption-tied-to-cognitive-decline-and-dementia-in-elderly-101642-1.htm Studies in the elderly have linked excessive alcohol consumption to the cognitive decline and dementia. A review paper by Kim JW et al published in iPsychiatry Investig/i 2012;9:8-16 on the association between alcohol consumption and cognition in the elderly provides an excellent summary of the potential ways in which alcohol may affect cognitive function and the risk of dementia, both adversely and favorably as alcohol may have both a neuro toxic and neuro protective effect, depending on the dose and drinking pattern....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/alcohol-consumption-tied-to-cognitive-decline-and-dementia-in-elderly-101642-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/tb-raises-lung-cancer-mortality-risk-in-elderly-101636-1.htm Elderly patients who have tuberculosis are at increased risk of dying from lung cancer, finds a new study. "There is a high incidence of both tuberculosis and lung cancer among the elderly in Hong Kong," said lead author Chi Chiu Leung, MBBS, consultant chest physician in the Tuberculosis and Chest Service of the Department of Health of Hong Kong. "In our prospective follow-up study of a cohort of 61,239 subjects aged 65 years or older, we found that active tuberculosis was an independent predictor ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/tb-raises-lung-cancer-mortality-risk-in-elderly-101636-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/elderly-asthmatics-observe-inflammation-and-mortality-101611-1.htm Elevated mortality toll amid elderly adult asthma people in contrast to their younger counterparts is probably due, at least in part, to an augmented airway inflammation, states a study conducted by researchers in Canada. They noted that their results imply that elderly patients are either less likely to follow asthma medication dosing instructions, or that the underlying airway inflammation in elderly patients is relatively resistant to current anti-inflammatory therapies. The study will be ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/elderly-asthmatics-observe-inflammation-and-mortality-101611-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-elaborates-on-how-to-minimize-stroke-damage-101409-1.htm Loyola University Medical Center researchers report that factors as varied as blood sugar, body temperature and position in bed can affect patient outcomes after a stroke. In a review article in the journal IMedLink Neurology, /Ifirst author Murray Flaster, MD, PhD and colleagues summarize the latest research on caring for ischemic stroke patients. (Most strokes are ischemic, meaning they are caused by blood clots.) "The period immediately following an acute ischemic stroke is a time of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-elaborates-on-how-to-minimize-stroke-damage-101409-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/dementia-patients-more-likely-to-be-in-their-homes-at-the-time-of-death-101398-1.htm Researchers from Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University have said that contrary to widespread belief that patients with dementia often move to nursing homes and die there, majority of the patients are living at their own homes at the time of their death. "Transitions in Care for Older Adults With and Without Dementia" appears online in advance of publication in the May 2012 issue of the iJournal of the American Geriatrics Society/i. Most individuals with dementia, even advanced ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/dementia-patients-more-likely-to-be-in-their-homes-at-the-time-of-death-101398-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/experimental-drug-may-help-older-chronic-leukemia-patients-101383-1.htm The experimental drug ibrutinib can be used as a first-line therapy for older people with chronic leukemia, reveal clinical trials. Ibrutinib (PCI-32765) shows great promise for the treatment of elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to interim findings from a clinical trial. The phase I/II trial, co-led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/experimental-drug-may-help-older-chronic-leukemia-patients-101383-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-identify-neurotransmitters-that-lead-to-memory-loss-101212-1.htm The molecular, cellular, and brain circuit mechanisms underlying the process of forgetfulness is poorly understood. Now, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have pinpointed a mechanism that is essential for forming memories in the first place and, as it turns out, is equally essential for eliminating them after memories have formed. "This study focuses on the molecular biology of active forgetting," said Ron Davis, chair of the Scripps Research Department of Neuroscience who led the project....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-identify-neurotransmitters-that-lead-to-memory-loss-101212-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/clot-busters-safe-for-stroke-patients-taking-warfarin-101178-1.htm A research has found that it's safe to treat acute ischemic stroke patients who take warfarin with the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). "Although it's the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat acute ischemic stroke, tPA is underused among patients on home warfarin therapy mainly because of the fear that it will cause bleeding," said Ying Xian, M.D., Ph.D., the study's lead author and a research fellow at Duke Clinical Research Institute, in Durham, N....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/clot-busters-safe-for-stroke-patients-taking-warfarin-101178-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/better-outcomes-for-high-volume-stroke-centers-study-101160-1.htm Treatment is faster and better outcomes are seen at stroke centres dealing with a high volume of patients, finds study published in the iJournal of NeuroInterventional Surgery/i. The authors base their findings on 442 patients treated with endovascular therapy-clot busting treatment provided inside the brain via a catheter without the need for surgery-at nine specialist (tertiary) stroke centres between September 2009 and July 2011. All the patients, whose average age was 66, arrived ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/better-outcomes-for-high-volume-stroke-centers-study-101160-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-says-most-senior-citizens-in-delhi-ncr-have-bone-ailments-101154-1.htm A recent study states that as many as 85 percent of senior citizens in the national capital region (NCR) have bone and joint ailments. The epidemiological study by the Arthritis Federation of India (AFI), conducted among 1,300 senior citizens living in residences on the second floor and above, revealed that 10 percent of the elderly in the age group of 60-65 and 17 percent of those above 66 were not able to walk down to the ground floor. Just 56 percent of the people between 60-65 and ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-says-most-senior-citizens-in-delhi-ncr-have-bone-ailments-101154-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/speed-of-drawing-lines-to-connect-numbers-may-help-assess-if-first-stroke-would-be-fatal-101146-1.htm The speed with which one draws a series of lines connecting numbers in an ascending order could be enough to test whether the first stroke could prove fatal among older men. More than 1,000 men aged between 57 and 75 years took part in the study conducted by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden. The researchers followed them up after 14 years and concluded that those who were in the bottom third of the time score were three times more likely to die after their first stroke compared to those in the top third....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/speed-of-drawing-lines-to-connect-numbers-may-help-assess-if-first-stroke-would-be-fatal-101146-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/older-female-atrial-fibrillation-patients-at-higher-stroke-risk-101113-1.htm Elderly women with irregular heart beat (atrial fibrillation) are at higher risk for stroke than men, says study published in JAMA. "Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, accounting for approximately one-third of hospitalizations for cardiac rhythm disturbances. It has been estimated that 2.2 million people in the United States and 4.5 million in the European Union have paroxysmal or persistent AF. Patients with AF have a 5-fold increase in the risk of stroke ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/older-female-atrial-fibrillation-patients-at-higher-stroke-risk-101113-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/alternative-offered-to-folks-with-a-fib-who-cant-take-blood-thinners-to-reduce-stroke-101070-1.htm People with atrial fibrillation (A-fib) who are incapable of taking blood thinners now have an alternative to lessen their risk of stroke, which is five times more usual in people with the rhythm disorder. The non-surgical procedure works by tying off the left atrial appendage (LAA), the source of most blood clots leading to stroke in patients with A-fib. Northwestern Medicine (Regd) heart rhythm specialists from the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute were the first to perform this procedure in Illinois. ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/alternative-offered-to-folks-with-a-fib-who-cant-take-blood-thinners-to-reduce-stroke-101070-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-depression-and-risk-of-vascular-dementia-101021-1.htm Lifelong depression associated with an increased risk of developing vascular dementia, say University of California at San Francisco and Kaiser Permanente researchers. The study, which appears in the current issue of the IArchives of General Psychiatry, /Iis the first to examine whether midlife or late-life depression is more likely to lead to either Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia in the long term. The researchers explain that vascular dementia, the second most common type ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-depression-and-risk-of-vascular-dementia-101021-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/playing-load-bearing-sports-at-young-age-could-reduce-risk-of-osteoporosis-in-later-life-100939-1.htm A new study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research suggests that play load-bearing sports such as volleyball or basketball for four hours a week could help young men avoid the risk of osteoporosis later in life. The study, the largest scale investigation of its kind, discovered that young men who actively resisted the urge to adopt a "couch-potato" lifestyle in their late twenties seemed to gain the biggest bone benefit. "Men who increased their load-bearing activity from age ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/playing-load-bearing-sports-at-young-age-could-reduce-risk-of-osteoporosis-in-later-life-100939-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/genes-influence-development-of-osteoporosis-and-fracture-risk-study-100915-1.htm The degeneration of bony tissue is termed as bosteoporosis/b. In osteoporosis, the affected bone becomes porous. This bbone disease/b is silent but highly distressing and it generally affects the elderly people. In Australia, about 25 percent of females with hip fracture do not survive more than a year. The mortality is higher for men with same problem. Age also affects the female mortality. It is seen that females above 65 years are more prone to die due to hip fracture than breast cancer....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/genes-influence-development-of-osteoporosis-and-fracture-risk-study-100915-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/vitamin-d-blood-level-determined-by-researchers-for-reducing-major-medical-risks-in-older-adults-100821-1.htm In testing older patients' blood vitamin D levels, the dividing line between enough and not enough is not clear. The threshold amount has become controversial as several scientific societies set different targets. To help resolve this debate, University of Washington researchers conducted an observational study. They wanted to learn how much vitamin D must be circulating in the blood to lower the risk of a major medical event. This category included heart attack, hip fracture, diagnosis of cancer, or death....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/vitamin-d-blood-level-determined-by-researchers-for-reducing-major-medical-risks-in-older-adults-100821-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/computer-use-and-exercise-combo-may-reduce-memory-loss-100820-1.htm Just as your computer has a lot of memory if you keep using your computer you too may stall memory loss. Combining mentally stimulating activities, such as using a computer, with moderate exercise decreases your odds of having memory loss more than computer use or exercise alone, a Mayo Clinic study shows. Previous studies have shown that exercising your body and your mind will help your memory but the new study, published in the May 2012 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, reports a synergistic ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/computer-use-and-exercise-combo-may-reduce-memory-loss-100820-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/toll-free-helpline-for-stroke-victims-100803-1.htm Delhi hospital launches toll-free helpline for strokes. A statement from the hospital chain said its helpline number 1800-200-3060 can be accessed from both mobiles and landlines in Delhi and the NCR. "The goal is to get the stroke victim to a hospital as quickly as possible to confirm the diagnosis because every minute is important. FEHI has a dedicated expert team 24*7 - a neurologist, a neuro-surgeon, emergency room, critical care, a cardiologist and radiologist - to provide ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/toll-free-helpline-for-stroke-victims-100803-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/aggressive-teenagers-may-be-mimicking-their-older-relatives-100775-1.htm A new study conducted by an Indian origin researcher has found that aggressive attitudes in teenagers may have roots in similar attitudes displayed by their adult relatives. Rashmi Shetgiri, assistant professor of paediatrics at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, says: "Parents and other adults in the family have a substantial influence on adolescents' engagement in fighting. Interventions to prevent fighting, therefore, should involve parents and teens." Shetgiri and her colleagues ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/aggressive-teenagers-may-be-mimicking-their-older-relatives-100775-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/scineitsts-identify-novel-genetic-loci-for-high-frequency-hearing-loss-100654-1.htm Despite exhaustive research, the genetics responsible for frequency-specific hearing loss have remained elusive until recently. Now, a study published today in the open access journal iBMC Genetics/i reports, for the first time, genetic loci with effects that are limited to specific portions of the hearing frequency map, particularly those that are most affected in ageing-related hearing loss. Presbycusis is the loss of hearing for high-pitched sounds that gradually occurs in most individuals as they grow older....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/scineitsts-identify-novel-genetic-loci-for-high-frequency-hearing-loss-100654-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/substance-use-risk-high-with-older-age-and-free-school-meals-100647-1.htm In the United Kingdom, alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug use among young people is a public health concern. The short and long term risks to health are well known and range from accidental injuries, violence, sexual ill-health and increased rates of chronic conditions and premature death. A range of policies have been directed at reducing substance use among English children. Despite this, the number of children taking substances remains substantial. In 2009, it was reported that 180,000 children ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/substance-use-risk-high-with-older-age-and-free-school-meals-100647-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/mimicking-brain-protein-could-lead-to-faster-stroke-recovery-100612-1.htm A new study conducted by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine has found that new nerve cells can be generated among mice with strokes by using a compound that replicates a key activity of a protein present in the brain which could lead to faster recovery of athletic abilities. These results are promising, because the compound wasn't administered to the animals until a full three days after they had suffered strokes, said the study's senior author, Marion Buckwalter, MD, PhD, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/mimicking-brain-protein-could-lead-to-faster-stroke-recovery-100612-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/ontario-eye-surgeons-charge-differently-for-use-of-special-lenses-in-cataract-surgeries-100611-1.htm Ophthalmologists in Ontario do not have a fixed charge for using an additional lens in cataract surgeries, a new study has found. While universal insurance covers the cost of cataract surgery and implanting an artificial lens, some ophthalmologists charge extra for implanting a special lens deemed not "medically necessary" or for related tests. This would include lenses that correct refractive issues such as farsightedness. Those "add-on" fees varied substantially, with some ophthalmologists ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/ontario-eye-surgeons-charge-differently-for-use-of-special-lenses-in-cataract-surgeries-100611-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/bedwetting-in-older-children-analysis-and-treatment-100599-1.htm Older children bedwetting is usual but distressing. An article in CMAJ (ICanadian Medical Association Journal/I) outlines possible causes and proof for existing treatments. Bedwetting in children aged five years or older, also called nocturnal enuresis, is common, although more common in boys. An American study found a prevalence of bedwetting of 6.21% in boys compared with 2.51% in girls. There is also a strong genetic aspect to bedwetting, as a large British study found a significantly ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/bedwetting-in-older-children-analysis-and-treatment-100599-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/stopping-anti-clotting-drugs-elevate-stroke-risk-100592-1.htm Stopping anti-clotting medications in some patients with irregular heartbeats may raise the risk of stroke or blood clotting within a month, finds a new research. Patients with certain types of atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat, take these drugs to reduce the risks of clots that could lead to a stroke. Sometimes they are instructed to stop taking the medication temporarily before surgery or permanently because of side effects. "No matter what drug they are on, patients who need ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/stopping-anti-clotting-drugs-elevate-stroke-risk-100592-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/genes-behind-common-forms-of-glaucoma-identified-100588-1.htm Researchers have identified two genes responsible for glaucoma, the leading cause of blindness and vision loss worldwide. About 2.2 million people in the U.S. have glaucoma. Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is often associated with increased eye pressure but about one-third of patients have normal pressure glaucoma (NPG). Currently, no curative treatments exist for NPG. Researchers including lead author Janey Wiggs, M.D., Ph.D., and LouPasquale, M.D. Co (and) #8209;Directors of the Glaucoma ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/genes-behind-common-forms-of-glaucoma-identified-100588-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/active-cognitive-lifestyle-protects-against-dementia-100578-1.htm Having an active cognitive lifestyle by using your brain for active mental work could provide a protective effect through multiple biological pathways against dementia, a new study reveals. For some time researchers have been aware of a link between what we do with our brains and the long term risk for dementia. In general, those who are more mentally active or maintain an active cognitive lifestyle throughout their lives are at lower risk. "The ideas of a 'brain reserve' or 'cognitive reserve' ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/active-cognitive-lifestyle-protects-against-dementia-100578-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/elderly-men-over-75-continue-to-get-screened-for-prostate-cancer-100576-1.htm A new study has revealed that men over 75 years of age continue to get screened for prostate cancer even though the United States Preventive Services Task Force had recommended back in 2008 that such tests should not be carried out. In 2005, before the recommendations were released, 43 percent of men age 75 and above elected to take the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. In August 2008, the Task Force stated it "recommends against the service," arguing "there is moderate or high certainty ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/elderly-men-over-75-continue-to-get-screened-for-prostate-cancer-100576-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/obstructive-sleep-apnea-increases-risk-of-fatal-stroke-100572-1.htm Middle aged people suffering from even mild obstructive sleep apnea have a greater risk of experiencing a stroke that can be fatal. The serious nature of the problem was captured in a landmark study which found that middle-age and older men with even mild levels of OSA were in danger of increased risk of stroke and death. While a link between OSA and stroke is clear, OSA''s effect on the cerebral (brain) vessels is not. In an effort to shed light on this relationship, researchers in Texas have ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/obstructive-sleep-apnea-increases-risk-of-fatal-stroke-100572-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/vitamin-d-and-osteoporosis-100567-1.htm Vitamin D is a key regulator of serum calcium levels and also plays an important role in keeping bones strong. Calcium is primarily obtained through diet and absorbed through the intestine and into the blood stream. In addition to building bone, calcium is required for a variety of important physiological processes. Vitamin D, which is detected by receptors in bone and intestinal cells, regulates the level of calcium in the blood stream and determines how much should be stored in the skeleton....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/vitamin-d-and-osteoporosis-100567-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/berries-reduce-cognitive-decline-in-older-adults-100542-1.htm Blueberries and strawberries help reduce cognitive decline in the elderly, reveals research published in iAnnals of Neurology/i, a journal of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society. 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. Flavonoids are compounds found in plants that generally have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Experts believe ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/berries-reduce-cognitive-decline-in-older-adults-100542-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-clock-cell-changes-cause-sleep-problems-in-elderly-people-100522-1.htm New research in the April 25 issue of The iJournal of Neuroscience/i reveals older animals display cellular changes in the brain "clock" that sets sleep and wakeful periods. The findings may help explain why elderly people often experience trouble sleeping at night and are drowsy during the day. Like humans, mice experience shifts in daily activities and sleep patterns as they age. To find out why, researchers directed by Johanna Meijer, PhD, at the Leiden University Medical Center in the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/brain-clock-cell-changes-cause-sleep-problems-in-elderly-people-100522-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/video-games-benefit-older-adults-100511-1.htm Video games have significant benefits for older adults by providing them cognitive stimulation and a source of social interaction and fun, shows study. Thus, the games help them to lead fuller, more independent lives for a longer time, according to two articles in iGames for Health Journal/i, a new bimonthly peer-reviewed publication. "The elderly often forsake their lifelong activities in exchange for the safety, security, and care of institutional living," says Editor-in-Chief Bill Ferguson, PhD....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/video-games-benefit-older-adults-100511-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-early-menopause-and-osteoporosis-risk-100503-1.htm Early menopause significantly increases risk of osteoporosis, fracture in later life, suggests study published in Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The Swedish study looked at the long-term effects of early menopause on mortality, risk of fragility fracture and osteoporosis. In 1977, 390 white north European women aged 48 were recruited in the Malmo Perimenopausal Study, an observational study where women were followed from age 48 onwards. The women were divided into two ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/link-between-early-menopause-and-osteoporosis-risk-100503-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/genes-that-boost-risk-of-osteoporosis-and-fractures-identified-100491-1.htm Genetic variations associated with increased osteoporosis and fracture risk identified. The study is published in Nature Genetics. Osteoporosis is a common and a devastating age-related disease about 50 percent of all who have a hip fracture after age 80 die within one year from the time of injury. The consequences of osteoporosis are therefore well-known, but the causes of the disease are largely unknown. b56 genetic regions for bone density/bIn a groundbreaking international ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/genes-that-boost-risk-of-osteoporosis-and-fractures-identified-100491-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/high-normal-blood-pressure-not-as-big-a-factor-in-heart-disease-among-elderly-100486-1.htm A new study has found that the risk of cardiovascular disease due to high normal blood pressure is actually less in older people. The study, carried out over 9.3 years, evaluated the risk of different blood pressure categories among 6,273 participants aged 30 years old and above. The results showed that the risk of developing incident CVD and CHD was significantly higher in people with high normal blood pressure during middle-age (between 30 and 60 years of age) than for people with the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/high-normal-blood-pressure-not-as-big-a-factor-in-heart-disease-among-elderly-100486-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-warns-soda-drinkers-of-higher-stroke-risk-100342-1.htm Regular consumption of diet and regular soda raises stroke risk in drinkers, according to researchers. On the contrary, consuming caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee has been found to reduce the risk. The study - recently published in the iAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition/i - is the first to examine soda's effect on stroke risk. Previous research has linked sugar-sweetened beverage consumption with weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gout and coronary artery disease....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-warns-soda-drinkers-of-higher-stroke-risk-100342-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/drug-added-to-customary-chemotherapy-does-not-offer-survival-benefit-for-older-lung-cancer-patients-100309-1.htm Drug bevacizumab (Avastin) added to the standard chemotherapy regimen for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), an approach authorised by the FDA in 2006, did not lead to notably boost survival rates for patients over the age of 65 enrolled in Medicare, state findings by researchers of a new study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The study is being published in the April 18 iJournal of the American Medical Association/i, a these issue on comparative effectiveness research. "Effectiveness ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/drug-added-to-customary-chemotherapy-does-not-offer-survival-benefit-for-older-lung-cancer-patients-100309-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/low-fat-dairy-foods-slash-stroke-risk-100307-1.htm Consuming dairy foods that are low in fat may reduce one's risk of developing stroke, claims a new study. In a Swedish study, among 74,961 adults 45 to 83 years old, those who ate low-fat dairy foods had a 12 percent lower risk of stroke and a 13 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke than those who ate high-fat dairy foods. Participants were free of heart disease, stroke and cancer at the start of the study. All completed a 96-item food and beverage questionnaire to determine dietary habits....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/low-fat-dairy-foods-slash-stroke-risk-100307-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/gum-disease-in-elderly-linked-to-low-protein-levels-100293-1.htm Low levels of a protein known as Del-1 may be the cause of gum diseases in older people according to a new study published in the journal Nature Immunology. Researchers from the Queen Mary University of London conducted the study on a group of young and old mice and found that low levels of Del-1 in older mice led to severe gum disease and bone loss. Del-1 has been found to make the immune system prevent white blood cells from sticking to and attacking the mouth tissue. The researchers said ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/gum-disease-in-elderly-linked-to-low-protein-levels-100293-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/diagnosis-of-ad-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease-dementia-100290-1.htm Previous research has shown that dementia is a frequent complication of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it is clinically impossible to distinguish PD dementia (PDD). This is because the latter develops from the progression of the Lewy body pathology that underlies PD, from PD with coexistent Alzheimer's disease (PDAD). Both have similar characteristics. A team of scientists has found that PDAD patients have much denser accumulations of amyloid plaques in the striatal area of the brain than PDD patients....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/diagnosis-of-ad-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease-dementia-100290-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-suggests-screening-protocol-for-blunt-cerebrovascular-injury-that-may-help-prevent-stroke-100280-1.htm Early detection of blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) after trauma may prevent potentially life-threatening stroke, new research suggests. The results of the research study were presented at the 80th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) in Miami. The study submission, which has received the Synthes Resident Craniofacial Award, investigates the usefulness of a consensus-based BCVI screening protocol with computed tomographic angiography (CTA) at a level-one trauma center....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-suggests-screening-protocol-for-blunt-cerebrovascular-injury-that-may-help-prevent-stroke-100280-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/customized-drug-combination-makes-immunotherapy-possible-in-elderly-cancer-patients-100198-1.htm Customizing the drugs used in some types of immunotherapy may be beneficial even in elderly cancer patients with fewer side effects according to a new study conducted by researchers from University of Texas Health Science Center. "We've shown that immunotherapy for cancer not only works in aged mice, but actually can work better in aged hosts than in young counterparts by capitalizing on the immune changes that happen with age," said Tyler Curiel, M.D., MPH, a professor in the School of Medicine ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/customized-drug-combination-makes-immunotherapy-possible-in-elderly-cancer-patients-100198-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/genetic-regions-linked-to-osteoporosis-and-fractures-100151-1.htm New genetic regions are associated with osteoporosis and fractures, says researcher. Variations in the DNA sequences in these regions confer either risk or protection from the bone-weakening disease. Many, but not all, of the regions encode proteins involved in pathways known to involve bone health. The research shows that osteoporosis results from the combined contributions of dozens, if not hundreds, of genes. It also suggests many new avenues for anti-osteoporosis drug development. "We're ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/genetic-regions-linked-to-osteoporosis-and-fractures-100151-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/2-year-outcomes-of-diabetic-macular-edema-treatment-reported-in-new-study-100027-1.htm The greater efficacy of bevacizumab compared with macular laser therapy was demonstrated in a randomized controlled trial involving patients with persistent clinically significant diabetic macular edema. The beneficial effects appear to last over 24 months. The report is published Online First by IArchives of Ophthalmology,/I a JAMA Network publication. Modified Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) macular laser therapy (MLT) has been the mainstay of treatment for clinically ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/2-year-outcomes-of-diabetic-macular-edema-treatment-reported-in-new-study-100027-1.htm