In the past several decades, heat waves have been occurring more frequently, with a recent major heat event breaking temperature records in Europe. When people don’t have access to air conditioning, fans or simply a shady spot, the extremely high temperatures can be dangerous, especially for the elderly. While young adults are more able to … Continue reading How Our Body Stays Cool in the Heat and What Changes as We Age
Aging
Getting Younger As We Age: Could a Diabetes Drug Help?
Between the years of 1946 and 1964, families in the U.S. were having a lot of children—76 million to be exact. People who were born in this time period are generally referred to as “baby boomers.” Today, the oldest baby boomers are over the age of 70, with all baby boomers turning 65 or older … Continue reading Getting Younger As We Age: Could a Diabetes Drug Help?
Did You Know?: A Muscle May Increase Pneumonia in Older People
By the year 2030, an estimated 70 million people in the U.S.—about 20 percent of the total population—will be older than 65. Going forward, this number is only expected to rise due to a combination of declining birth rates and increased life expectancy. A well-known witticism is “Age is an issue of mind over matter. … Continue reading Did You Know?: A Muscle May Increase Pneumonia in Older People
Why Does Muscle Matter?
When young people think about their muscles, they often focus on enhancing their muscle size and strength for cosmetic or athletic reasons. Those older than 50, however, need to be more concerned with just keeping the muscle they have. On average, people over the age of 50 lose 1 to 2 percent of their muscle … Continue reading Why Does Muscle Matter?
When You Can’t ‘Spy’ with Your Eye Anymore
Many of us take our ability to read this blog or see the faces of our families and friends for granted. For the 10–15 million Americans with a disease called age-related macular degeneration (AMD), however, the loss of this ability is a daily and devastating reality. AMD is the most common cause of blindness in … Continue reading When You Can’t ‘Spy’ with Your Eye Anymore
The Young Qualities of Old Muscle
Decline, decrease, deteriorate—all words associated with the aging process. Preventing “D” words is important to keep older people healthy. The loss of muscle is one of the most obvious age-related decreases we experience. Bulky muscles on a person that lifts a lot of weights or the sleek tone of a person that runs a lot … Continue reading The Young Qualities of Old Muscle
Let Your Moves Turn Back the Clock on Aging
Do you think someone could guess your age? If so, how would they do it? Guessing a person’s age can be a challenge for a number of reasons. Just looking at someone is not always a reliable gauge—two 52 year olds, for example, may not look and act the same. Understanding the differences in how … Continue reading Let Your Moves Turn Back the Clock on Aging
The Anti-Aging Cure May Be in Your Medicine Cabinet
Rapamycin, a drug used to prevent organ transplant rejection, may also turn back time—in dogs at least. A study is underway to see if rapamycin can delay aging in dogs, and the puppy-like energy of one canine participant, eight-year-old Bela, gives some hope that the drug might work. Rapamycin is one of several drugs prescribed … Continue reading The Anti-Aging Cure May Be in Your Medicine Cabinet
Keep Bones Strong by Making Workouts a Priority
As a species, our bones have gone through many changes over time. A recent report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that as humans transitioned from hunter-gatherer culture to farming our food, our bones became weaker. Today in the U.S., approximately 50% of women and 25% of men over 50 … Continue reading Keep Bones Strong by Making Workouts a Priority