High-Dose Flu Shot Benefits Elderly

news.yahoo.com — A high dose of seasonal flu vaccine gives an added boost to the immune system of people aged 65 and older and provides them with better protection, according to a U.S. study that included nearly 4,000 people. Blood tests showed that participants who received a dose four times greater than the standard flu vaccine had 30 percent to 80 percent more antibodies against flu than those who received the standard dose. The larger dose contained 60 micrograms of material designed to evoke an immune response to protect a person against a particular type of flu, while the standard dose contained 15 micrograms. The level of antibodies in the blood has long been considered a good indication of how much protection people have against the flu. read more...

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Aerobics Can Reverse Mental Decline in Older Adults

health.msn.com — Regular exercise can reverse age-related brain decline, according to a U.S. cognitive neuroscientist. Prof. Art Kramer, of the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, says there's substantial evidence showing the benefits of aerobic exercise and physical activity on such executive-control brain functions as task coordination, planning, goal maintenance, working memory and the ability to switch tasks. As people age, a deterioration of white and gray matter in certain areas of the brain can cause cognitive decline, Kramer explained. He reviewed published research and found that several studies showed that regular moderate exercise that makes a person breathless increases the speed and sharpness of thought, the actual volume of brain tissue, and the way in which the brain functions. read more...

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Aging: Lack of B12 Linked to Brain Shrinkage

nytimes.com — Failure to properly absorb vitamin B12, found in meat, milk and eggs, has been implicated in various neurological disorders. Now a British study suggests that low levels of the vitamin in older people may cause the brain to shrink. The study, published Tuesday in Neurology, included 107 men and women, average age 73, who had no mental impairments. Researchers used M.R.I. scans to measure brain volume and blood tests to record vitamin B12 levels. They divided the subjects into three groups, based on their level of the vitamin, and followed them for five years with annual scans and physical and mental examinations. read more...

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Scientists stop the ageing process

abc.net.au — Scientists have stopped the ageing process in an entire organ for the first time, a study released today says. Published in today's online edition of Nature Medicine, researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in New York City also say the older organs function as well as they did when the host animal was younger. The researchers, led by Associate Professor Ana Maria Cuervo, blocked the ageing process in mice livers by stopping the build-up of harmful proteins inside the organ's cells. As people age their cells become less efficient at getting rid of damaged protein resulting in a build-up of toxic material that is especially pronounced in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative disorders. The researchers say the findings suggest that therapies for boosting protein clearance might help stave off some of the declines in function that accompanies old age. In experiments, livers in genetically modified mice 22 to 26 months old, the equivalent of octogenarians in human years, cleaned blood as efficiently as those in animals a quarter their age. By contrast, the livers of normal mice in a control group began to fail. The benefits of restoring the cleaning mechanisms found inside all cells could extend far beyond a single organ, says Cuervo. "Our findings are particularly relevant for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's," she says. read more...

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Fish May Ward Off Dementia and Stroke

health.yahoo.com — Fish may be brain food after all -- not making you smarter, as your grandmother said, but by lowering the risk of cognitive decline and stroke as you get older, according to a new study. The benefit appears to come from fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, eating fish such as tuna three times a week can reduce the risk of dementia or stroke by 26 percent, the study found. "Older adults who consumed tuna or other baked or broiled fish had a lower risk of having abnormalities on brain MRIs," said study co-author Dr. David Siscovick, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Washington Cardiovascular Health Research Unit. For the study, Siscovick and his colleagues looked for small vessel disease, which is known to lead to cognitive impairment, dementia and stroke. "This study looked at whether or not different types of fish intake were related to structural changes in the brain," he said. read more...

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Key to Age-Related Memory Decline Explored

healthnews.com — It is during sleep, while we are young, that our brains convert fresh memories into long-term memories, but as we age that process declines and with it our memory of things that happened just recently. Carol Barnes, Ph.D., lead scientist, and colleagues from the University of Arizona recently explored and gained insight into why this happens. The team studied the brain scans of 22 rats; recording their daily activities, waking and sleeping. Half of the rats in the study were old; half were young. Studying the area of the brain thought to be involved in learning and memory, called the hippocampal area, the scientists observed the rats’ brain activities wandering through mazes while searching for food during the day, and sleeping during the night. It was found that the young rats’ brain wave patterns during sleep closely resembled the brain wave patterns they had exhibited during the day while scurrying through their maze. These young rats seemed to be replaying the events of their day, consolidating the memory of it, while they slept. read more...

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Simple doctor's exam may predict stroke risk: study

news.yahoo.com — LONDON (Reuters) - A simple doctor's examination for subtle problems such as reduced reflexes or unstable posture could help predict which healthy elderly people are at the highest risk of death or stroke, researchers said on Monday. Those with more than three of these abnormalities, which include tremors and differences in hand strength, were more likely to die, according to an Italian study conducted over an eight-year period. "A simple neurological examination seems to be an additional prognosticator of hard outcomes, particularly death above and beyond other measures used in clinical practice," Marco Inzitari of the University of Florence and colleagues wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine. "It is likely that the neurological examination might capture additional information about the integrity of the nervous system in apparently healthy older adults." Minor mental problems often spur doctors to send older, apparently healthy patients for brain tests to check for atrophy, tumors, strokes or other neurological problems. read more...

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Brain injuries cause half of seniors' fall deaths

news.yahoo.com — ATLANTA - The elderly fear breaking a hip when they fall, but a government study indicates that hitting t their head can also have deadly consequences: Brain injuries account for half of all deaths from falls. The study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the first comprehensive national look at the role brain injuries play in fatal elderly falls. It examined 16,000 deaths in 2005 that listed unintentional falls as an underlying cause of death. CDC researchers found that slightly more than half of the deaths were attributed to brain injuries. The other deaths were due to a variety of causes including heart failure, strokes, infections and existing chronic conditions worsened by a broken hip or other injuries sustained in a fall. "A lot of people don't think a fall is serious unless they broke a bone, they don't think it's serious unless they break a hip. They don't worry about their head," said Pat Flemming, a senior physical therapist and researcher at Vanderbilt University Each year, one in three Americans age 65 and older fall. About 30 percent of such falls require medical treatment. Previous CDC research showed that the U.S. death rate from falling has risen dramatically — about 55 percent — for the elderly since the 1990s. The new study highlights the role that brain injuries play in such deaths. As people age, veins and arteries can be more easily torn during a sudden blow or jolt to the head, said Marlena Wald, a CDC epidemiologist who co-authored the study. That can cause a fatal brain bleed. Other factors can contribute, such as the use of blood-thinners, said Judy Stevens, another CDC researcher and co-author. The severity of brain injuries isn't always immediately apparent, and some people may not lose consciousness. Wald noted a scenario seen in hospitals in which an elderly fall victim comes in alert and talking, but dies an hour or two later. The study also found that deaths and hospitalization rates for fall-related brain injuries increased with age. Brain injuries accounted for about 8 percent of hospital stays for non-fatal falls. There are several steps older Americans can take to try to prevent falls. Exercise can increase leg strength and balance. Glasses or other vision correction measures can help people avoid obstacles. And being careful with the use of drugs that can affect thinking and coordination — such as tranquilizers and sleeping pills — can also make a difference. "Falls are n read more...

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