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Latest News & Research Highlights
The latest research and news in aging.
Some diets protect aging brains, others accelerate harm
Human brains tend to shrink and become less nimble in old age, but healthier eating may slow the process. A study of older adults in Oregon identified mixtures of nutrients that seem to protect the brain, and other food ingredients that may worsen brain shrinkage and cognitive decline. Read this article to get a better idea of which foods pose the biggest threat.
Aging Adults Prone to Dehydration
As their diets change, older adults become prone to dehydration. With symptoms such as dizziness, and an unsteady gait, preventing dehydration should be on the top of any older adult’s priority list in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. To understand how devastating dehydration can be as well as approaches to prevent it read on.
A Fat Hormone May Play a Role in Alzheimer’s Development
A fat-derived hormone may be a risk factor for the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s in women, new research suggests. Adiponectin, a hormone that sensitizes the body to insulin and works to metabolize sugars and fats, was found to be elevated in women who developed dementia and Alzheimer’s, according to researchers at a nutrition research center on aging at Tufts University in Boston. To learn more about the study click here.
Policy
Senator Sanders to introduce Older Americans Act reauthorization
The Older Americans Act has required reauthorization since 2011, and Senator Sanders (I-VT) is working to make that happen. Thousands of older adults depend on the programs created by the Older Americans Acts and its reauthorization is a priority. Read on to learn more about the Senator’s efforts.
For Older Adults, Not having a Photo ID May Jeopardize Their Ability to Vote
Having a driver's license or photo identification card is commonplace for most Americans, but about 11 percent of adult citizens — more than 21 million people — lack a valid, government-issued photo ID. As ID-requirement laws continue to pass, voting rights advocates are nervous as to what that will mean for older adults. To hear personal stories and learn more about which states have these laws click here.
Demographics
The following links contain statistical and demography information on aging populations.
NHTSA Administration Releases New Fact Sheet with 2009 Data on Older Adult Population
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released a new fact sheet about the older adult population, containing 2009 data. Did you know that in 2009, 5,288 persons 65 and older were killed and 187,000 were injured in traffic crashes? Older drivers made up 15 percent of all licensed drivers in 2008, compared with 14 percent in 1999. Older adults represented 16 percent of all traffic fatalities and 8 percent of all persons injured in traffic crashes. For older adults, 64 percent of all pedestrian fatalities in 2009 occurred at non-intersection locations compared to 78 percent of fatalities for other ages. Click here to read more.
2011 Poverty Guidelines
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently released the 2011 Poverty Guidelines, which affect financial eligibility for federal and state programs such as the Medicare Part D Extra Help/Low-Income Subsidy, Medicare Savings Programs, Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and more. For an individual in the 48 contiguous states and DC in 2011, the poverty level is $10,890 ($13,600 in Alaska, $12,540 in Hawaii); for couples, it is $14,710 ($18,380 in Alaska, $16,930 in Hawaii). For more information on the guidelines, visit
2010 Profile of Older Americans Released
The Web-based publication Profile of Older Americans: 2010 is now available online. This annual summary of the latest statistics on the older population covers 15 topical areas including population, income and poverty, living arrangements, education and health. The profile has proven to be a very useful statistical summary in a user-friendly format.
Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being
The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics has released the report Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being, a 155 page document that includes statistics on the number of older Americans, racial and ethnic minorities, marital status, education, living arrangements, veterans, economics, poverty, income, participation in the labor force, housing problems, health status, life expectancy, chronic health conditions, sensory impairments and oral health, depressive symptoms, obesity, use of time, health care services, and residential services, among others. To download this .pdf document, click here.
National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging
The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research has released the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging. With funding from the National Institute on Aging, the ICPSR has the largest library of searchable electronic data in the United States addressing issues relating to aging.
Additional Resources
The following newsletters and reports feature the latest information on issues in aging:
The Civic Engagement E-Newsletter is a bimonthly e-newsletter that informs readers about efforts to advance research, programs, and policy that support older adults as a civic resource. Click here for more information. The Gerontological Society of America
’s public policy branch, the National Academy on an Aging Society, has two Twitter feeds. For the latest updates, research, and resources on aging policy, follow @Aging_Society. For the most up-to-date news, trends, and reports on business and aging, follow @AgingMeansBiz.
CAAR (Current Awareness in Aging Research) is
a weekly email report produced by the Center for Demography
of Health and Aging at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
that helps researchers keep up to date with the latest
developments in the field. For more information, including
an archive of back issues and subscription information
see: http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/cdha/caar.html
Lifelong is a print newsletter produced by the
American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) that provides
a forum for information sharing between physicians and
patients, serves as a credible source for synthesized
physician-friendly analysis of current aging research,
and helps improve the translation of this research into
patient care applications. To subscribe to Lifelong
and for more information, Click Here.
This webpage was last updated on
January 12, 2012
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