Living Longer

Researchers have triggered Alzheimer's disease in rats by injecting them with a particular type of sticky plaque found in the brains of human dementia patients, AP reports. Only one of three different types of plaques found in elderly brains sparked the disease—compelling evidence that scientists may have narrowed down the cause of the devastating illness. Once the cause is known, researchers can seek a cure or preventative measures. More »

Now that a primary season fraught with racism and sexism has ended, the nation now gears up to face its general-election gremlin: ageism. While John McCain, 71, may joke that the primary qualification to be president is "to be very, very, very, very old," the New York Times reports that his age may work for him among ever-more vibrant oldsters trying to break a gray ceiling, of sorts. More »

Madonna says you can take your ageism and shove it, reports the Daily Mail . "Not only does society suffer from racism and sexism, it also suffers from ageism. Once you reach a certain age you're not allowed to be adventurous, you're not allowed to be sexual,” the less-than-bashful 49-year-old said. "Are you supposed to just die? I've never been a conformist." More »

It's not quite the Fountain of Youth, but one author spent 5 years exploring the world's "blue zones," or areas which sport unusual concentrations of long-lived people. In his new book, Dan Buettner details some keys to happy old age—including creating an environment that fosters physical activity, and having a sense of purpose. More »

The older men are when they walk down the aisle, the more likely they are to have a younger bride, according to a new study. Famous May-December pairings usually involve the rich and famous—think Donald Trump or Larry King—but the trend holds up at every income level, the San Jose Mercury News reports. More »

Happiness really does come with age, researchers have discovered in one of the widest-ranging studies ever of happiness in America. Measures of happiness steadily climbed among study participants into their mid-60s. Levels dipped only slightly after that, and people in their 80s still tended to be happier than people under 40, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. More »

America’s healthcare system isn’t prepared to handle the wave of aging baby boomers about to hit, according to a sweeping government report released today. As that huge generation enters its 60s, the industry faces crisis-level workforce shortages, the Los Angeles Times r eports. “There will never be enough geriatricians,” said one professor of medicine. More »

Nursing homes are pushing patients to give up the right to sue, writing binding arbitration clauses into standard contracts for admission, the Wall Street Journal reports. The homes say the practice lets them concentrate resources on care instead of costly litigation, which soared in the '90s, but critics charge that vulnerable elderly patients often don't understand what they're signing away. More »

Americans over age 65 have better financial security, are better educated and expected to live far longer than ever, a study finds—but huge gaps remain between results for whites and those for blacks and Latinos. "The life expectancy gap between whites and blacks has narrowed but is still large," a researcher tells Reuters. "There is a big wealth gap between whites and blacks." More »

Cognitive problems ranging from forgetting what day it is to full-blown dementia are affecting one-third of the nation's seniors, reports a new study by the National Institute on Aging. The report says 22% of those over 71 have mild impairment, added to 16% suffering dementia, the Washington Post reports. An Alzheimer's Association report out today estimates that 1 in 8 baby boomers will have the disease in their lifetime, Bloomberg reports. More »

The older a person gets, the more conservative he or she is likely to be, right? Wrong, say scientists who studied more than 46,000 people who responded to a US government survey from 1972 to 2004. In fact, a lead researcher tells LiveScience, "More people are changing in a liberal direction than in a conservative direction." More »

Americans who juggle caregiving duties are increasingly turning to the Internet for help, the Boston Globe reports. Care.com, lotsahelpinghands.com, and parentcarecall.com are among sites that offer services like meal calenders and automated phone calls. The online data is "helping families navigate the increasingly complicated healthcare system," one expert said. More »

Even people with heart disease or diabetes can hit the century mark if they take care of themselves, two new studies say. The trick for living to 100 is managing illness well enough to stay independent. "It's kind of a threesome: get more years, better years, and better function," the lead author of one study told the Boston Globe. More »

In a breakthrough that may have implications for humans, researchers have made the lifespan of yeast 10 times longer, doubling the previous record for life expansion, LiveScience reports. Genetic alteration and a low-calorie diet prolonged the microbe's existence from the typical 1 week to 10 weeks. The scientists involved have turned their attention to Ecuadorians with similar mutations. More »

Infant mortality rates have dropped to new lows worldwide, according to UNICEF. Vaccination drives, education supporting breastfeeding, and anti-malarial measures helped drive last year's death rate of children under 5 down to 72 per 1,000. It stood at 93 per 1,000 in 1993. "It could be  that this is the tipping point when we now see a dramatic decline," said a UNICEF official. More »

Americans can expect to live longer than ever before, according to figures out today, thanks to falling rates of deaths from heart disease, cancer, and stroke. In 2005, US life expectancy increased to almost 78 years, the country’s highest number ever—but only 42nd in the world. The news wasn't all good: Infant mortality increased from the previous year. More »

People who attend college have a better chance of surviving cancer, according to a new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute . Mortality rates—especially for lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancer—were markedly lower among people with more than 12 years of education. More »

Once a fringe theory, calorie restriction is now the latest front in the boomer battle for never-ending youth. Increasing numbers of people are restricting their diet to a quarter of what they theoretically need in an effort to increase lifespan. "You have to be willing to stick to it," one practitioner tells the San Francisco Chronicle. More »

The US has slipped to 42nd place in international rankings of life expectancy, the AP reports. Two decades ago, the US was in 11th place. The downgrade is partially due to the fact that the more countries are included in the survey, but rising health insurance costs, skyrocketing obesity rates, high infant mortality, and racial disparities are most likely to blame for putting the US behind most industrialized nations. More »

Left-handed women have a dramatically higher risk of mortality from just about every disease, a new study reported in the Telegraph shows. Dutch researchers who followed more than 12,000 women for nearly 13 years found lefties had a 40% greater chance of dying from any cause, 70% higher from cancer, and 30% higher from circulatory diseases. More »