Seniors/Aging News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government proposed a 3 percent inflation increase in 2009 Medicare rates for outpatient services at about 4,000 U.S. hospitals, which will also impact medical imaging, diagnostic and other health care services.

(HealthDay News) -- As a caregiver of someone with Alzheimer's, administering their medication -- and preventing missed pills or the wrong dosages -- can be a daunting responsibility.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Men are much less likely than women to live into their 90s, but those who do have a much lower chance of having Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

TUESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- A new questionnaire may help in both diagnosing older adults facing dementia and also in identifying individuals who need help with daily living.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A red grape seed extract that packs the punch of red wine -- without the alcohol -- could help protect against memory loss due to Alzheimer's disease, research in mice suggests.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Middle-aged people with low levels of so-called good cholesterol may be at higher risk for memory decline that could foreshadow Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, European researchers said on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government proposed payment changes in the Medicare health insurance program on Monday that could impact reimbursement of medical imaging, diagnostic testing and dialysis providers.

(Reuters) - Myriad Genetics Inc said it will stop developing its drug for Alzheimer's disease after a late-stage trial of the drug, Flurizan, failed to meet primary goals.

FRIDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- Long-anticipated results from a trial on an experimental Alzheimer's therapy look promising, at least in a certain group of patients.

FRIDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- The key to a healthy mind in old age may lie in an active social life, a new study suggests.

FRIDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- Total hip replacements are beneficial and economical for seniors with osteoarthritis, regardless of their age, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older adults with type 2 diabetes may have a steeper mental decline as they age, a large study suggests.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The number of emergency department visits by elderly individuals is increasing and is probably going to continue to increase as the population ages, according to a report published in the latest issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

WEDNESDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they've discovered a gene that may make it easier for people to develop Alzheimer's disease, and it could become a target for drug treatments.

WEDNESDAY, June 25 -- Your IQ in childhood may predict your odds of getting a common form of dementia in old age, according to Scottish researchers who turned to 76-year-old test scores to come to that conclusion.

WEDNESDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) -- People taking dopamine agonists to treat Parkinson's disease are at risk for impulse-control disorders such as compulsive gambling, buying and sexual behavior, University of Pennsylvania researchers report.

NEW YORK - Scientists have identified a gene that may raise the risk of getting the most common kind of Alzheimer's disease by about 45 percent in people who inherit a certain form of it.

ATLANTA - The Southwest has the lowest rate of health insurance coverage in the country, with 30 percent of non-elderly adults and 18 percent of children uninsured, according to a new government study.

ATLANTA - The elderly fear breaking a hip when they fall, but a government study indicates that hitting their head can also have deadly consequences: Brain injuries account for half of all deaths from falls.