The evidence on retirement

retirementThe other day, a friend who is nearing retirement age stopped me in the gym locker room.  “I want to know what the evidence says,” she told me. “Is retirement going to be good for me?” [Read more…]

New evidence on the gap between rich and poor

retireeThe founders of our nation set out to create a place where people could build a life for themselves. Their original idea was that U.S. citizens would be free to pursue happiness and prosperity. But more than 200 years later, a body of evidence shows the gap between the rich and the poor is widening. [Read more…]

A new measure for aging

agingFor centuries, humans have been searching for a fountain of youth to reverse the effects of aging.  While no one has ever found one, scientists are getting closer to understanding why some people age with fewer ailments than others, and what that means for anti-aging therapies. [Read more…]

How old is your heart? It matters for your health!

heartIn recent years, public health researchers have developed a novel framework for identifying the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. It’s called “heart age.” [Read more…]

The body of evidence on reducing your risk of dementia

lonelyAs the world population ages, dementia is expected to affect more people than ever before — more than 65 million people worldwide by 2030. One of the first symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is cognitive decline: forgetting words and names, losing items and struggling with planning and organizing. [Read more…]

The health effects of loneliness

lonelyMore than 25 percent of adults in the United States live alone – a cultural trend that has important implications for the health of many Americans. [Read more…]

New evidence on volunteering later in life

volunteerThe U.S. population is aging as the baby boomers begin reaching their golden years. This means our nation is facing more people with the declining function, memory and cognition associated with aging.  [Read more…]

The evidence on video games and brain function

631px-Video_Game_Barnstar_HiresAs the U.S. population continues to age, researchers warn us more people than ever before will grapple with neurological disease like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, as many as 16 million Americans could be suffering from some form of dementia by the year 2050, up from 5 million today. [Read more…]

Reforms needed in end-of-life care

aging-living-options-1Over the next 15 years, the number of people in the U.S. aged 65 and older will nearly double to more than 72 million. As the baby boomer generation continues to age, our society and our health care system will need to address the increasing number of people requiring health care services and end-of-life care. [Read more…]

Review: Knee surgery for cartilage tears

meniscusThe most common knee injury today is a torn meniscus, which is a rip in the cartilage that cushions the knee joint. There are two groups of people who commonly suffer this injury: athletes who twist their knees and older people who are more likely to have degenerative tears as cartilage becomes weaker with age.

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Gardening as a treatment for dementia

GardeningResearchers believe nearly 4 million Americans over age 60 suffer from some form of dementia.  Their symptoms may include memory loss, impaired judgment and reasoning, loss of communication skills, agitation and paranoia. [Read more…]

Exercise and the brain

aging_activeWe know that exercise yields health benefits and lowers the risk of disease. But there is new evidence that exercising as a young adult can improve your cognitive skills later in life. [Read more…]

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