Total Ankle Replacement With No Metal

ScienceDaily for June 30, 2008 reported on a new synthetic ankle.

“Up until now, patients have had two options for replacing their ankle joints: metal implants or fusion of the joints,” said Lee, director of foot and ankle surgery at UCSD Medical Center. “Now there is an option that actually restores the ankle with an FDA-approved biologic material that is similar to the collagen found in cartilage.”

Memory Loss Linked To Poor Diet, Study Suggests

An article in ScienceDaily for June 19, 2008 reported on diet and memory loss.

Loss of memory with advanced age is a significant problem within most societies, and appears particularly severe in advanced industrialized nations. A less visible and often ignored problem comes from a food supply high in cholesterol and saturated fat, which has led to high obesity rates particularly in the United States.

Grape Seed Extract May Reduce Cognitive Decline Associated With Alzheimer's Disease

ScienceDaily for June 18, 2008 reported on the effect of a grape-seed extract on Alzheimer's Disease.

The study appears in the June 18 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. Lead study author Giulio Pasinetti, MD, PhD, of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and colleagues found that the grape seed extract prevents amyloid beta accumulation in cells, suggesting that it may block the formation of plaques. In Alzheimer's disease, amyloid beta accumulates to form toxic plaques that disrupt normal brain function.

115-year-old Woman's Brain in Tip-Top Shape

LiveScience for June 9, 2008 reported on the brain of a woman who was 115 years old when she died.

The woman's brain showed almost no evidence of Alzheimer's disease. The finding suggests Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are not inevitable, as had been suspected.

Vigorous Exercise Can Help Seniors Avoid Disability

An article in ScienceDaily for June 7, 2008 reported on physical exercise by Seniors.

“This study contributes to the large body of scientific evidence supporting the importance of continuing to be physical active over one’s life,” said lead author Bonnie Bruce, of the division of immunology and rheumatology at Stanford University Department of Medicine.

Socializing Can Help Elderly Women Stay Sharp

ScienceDaily for June 6, 2008 reported on the effect on older women of socializing.

“Our findings indicate that it’s important to think about ways to try to reduce the amount of isolation people have — even those with families,” Crooks said. “It’s also important for us to find out what kinds of social support groups we can create for people who are isolated based on extreme age or lack of family.”

Golf Prolongs Life, Swedish Study Finds

ScienceDaily for June 3 2008 reported on the effects on aging of playing golf.

Golf can be a good investment for the health, according to a new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet. The death rate for golfers is 40 per cent lower than for other people of the same sex, age and socioeconomic status, which correspond to a 5 year increase in life expectancy. Golfers with a low handicap are the safest.

With Age Comes A Sense Of Peace And Calm, Study Shows

ScienceDaily for May 19, 2008 reported on one aspect of aging.

Aging brings a sense of peace and calm, according to a new study from the Population Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin. Starting at about age 60, participants reported more feelings of ease and contentment than their younger counterparts.

New Artificial Cornea Could Restore Vision For Millions Worldwide

ScienceDaily for May 20, 2008 reported on an artificial cornea that will (hopefully) improve eyesight.

The report describes new materials that already have made limited-use artificial corneas available, partially fulfilling a medical dream that dates to 1771. More advanced materials, including polymer hydrogels similar to those used to make soft contact lenses, promise to so closely imitate human donor corneas that "these devices could eliminate the need for donor corneas altogether," the article notes.

Memory Lane: Older Persons With More Schooling Spend Fewer Years With Cognitive Loss

ScienceDaily for May 13, 2008 reported on an effect of education on the aging process.

Those with at least a high school education spend more of their older years without cognitive loss -- including the effects of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and dementia -- but die sooner after the loss becomes apparent, reveals a new study.

Elderly In Long-term Care Setting Suffer Depression More Than Those Cared For At Home

ScienceDaily, in an article dated May 9, 2008, reported on older persons in long-term care centers.

Elderly in a long-term care setting are more likely to be prescribed antidepressants and to self-report depression compared to those in a home-health care setting, according to a study by social work students at Indiana State University.

Speaking More Than One Language May Slow The Aging Process In The Mind

ScienceDaily for May 8, 2008 reported on speaking more than one language and the aging process.

Children who speak a second or third language may have an unexpected advantage later in life, a new Tel Aviv University study has found. Knowing and speaking many languages may protect the brain against the effects of aging.

The Secret To Long Life May Not Be In The Genes

ScienceDaily for May 5, 2008 reported on reasons persons live longer.

A research on the bone health of one of the oldest persons in the world, who recently died at the age of 114, reveals that there were no genetic modifications which could have contributed to this longevity. The research team, directed by Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona professor Adolfo Díez Pérez, pointed out a healthy lifestyle, a Mediterranean diet, a temperate climate and regular physical activity as the reasons for his excellent health.

Weight Loss Possible When Self-belief High

An article in ScienceDaily for May 2, 2008 reported that a positive self-belief helps women lose weight.

Queensland University of Technology nursing researcher Rhonda Anderson said self-efficacy had emerged as a strong influence on women's decision to do more exercise or eat more healthily.

New Robots Can Provide Elder Care For Aging Baby Boomers

As explained in ScienceDaily for April 22, 2008

Baby boomers are set to retire, and robots are ready to help, providing elder care and improving the quality of life for those in need. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a robotic assistant that can dial 911 in case of emergencies, remind clients to take their medication, help with grocery shopping and allow a client to talk to loved ones and health care providers.

Using Anti-cholinergic Drugs May Increase Cognitive Decline In Older People

ScienceDaily for April 22, 2008 reported that

Anticholinergic drugs, such as medicines for stomach cramps, ulcers, motion sickness, and urinary incontinence, may cause older people to experience greater decline in their thinking skills than people not taking the drugs, according to new research.

How Dietary Restriction Slows Down Aging

An article in ScienceDaily for April 21, 2008 reported on the effect of dieting on aging.

University of Washington scientists have uncovered details about the mechanisms through which dietary restriction slows the aging process. Working in yeast cells, the researchers have linked ribosomes, the protein-making factories in living cells, and Gcn4, a specialized protein that aids in the expression of genetic information, to the pathways related to dietary response and aging. The study, which was led by UW faculty members Brian Kennedy and Matt Kaeberlein, appears in the April 18 issue of the journal Cell.

U.S. teams aim to grow ears, skin for war wounded

NewsDaily for April 18, 2008 reported on a Federal project to grow replacement orgasns for military vets.

Under the initiative, the Pentagon launched the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine made up of two teams -- the first led by Wake Forest University in North Carolina and the University of Pittsburgh and the second led by Rutgers University in New Jersey and the Cleveland Clinic.

The ScienceDaily article is here.

Long-Lived Costa Ricans Offer Secrets to Reaching 100

National Geographic News for April 14, 2008 discussed Costa Ricans who live to be 100 or older.

After scouring the globe, Buettner has found several basic threads that connect the longest-lived: a plant-based diet; regular, low-intensity activity; an investment in family; a sense of faith; and purpose.

How Fast You'll Age Is Written In Your Bones

ScienceDaily for April 10, 2008 reported on a new way to gauge aging.

Researchers have developed a new biological marker that represents the age of a body’s bones. It reveals that the speed of physical aging is strongly influenced by genetics.