Senior Health

How do you imagine overall life satisfaction changes over years of life? You probably expect people to be most satisfied with life in their young and middle years, when they are healthy, with a stable career and income, and a rich family and social life.  But somewhat paradoxically, overall life satisfaction tends to follow an […]

An interesting study was recently published by Todd and associates. They interviewed a small group of healthy, active, independently-living seniors to find out more about their physical activity habits, and compare them to the United Kingdom’s Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines. It turned out that, although all of the participants claimed to be engaged […]

Bowel infections in older people are very common, but they can be serious. They can cause dehydration and weight loss, and if you become too weak to look after yourself properly, you might even die. If you think that you or an older person close to you is showing signs of bowel infection, it's important […]

Prostate, an accessory gland of the male reproductive system The prostate is a small, chestnut-sized gland localized in the pelvis of men: in front of the rectum, and underneath the bladder. The urethra goes from the bladder through the prostate, and on the way, two ejaculatory ducts open into it. During ejaculation, sperm goes through […]

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most serious diseases and common diseases out there. Unfortunately, the number of new cases in senior adults (65 years or older) is increasing every day. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), it’s estimated that 15.9 million or (29.2%) of patients who have diabetes are elderly patients. That being […]

Most people have felt anxiety in their lives, but those who suffer from anxiety disorders also suffer from chronic stress and worry that it can impede their daily lives. A mental health survey from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention found that older adults aged 65 and above have significantly lower percentages of anxiety disorders at 6.2%, […]

ESBLs are a class of enzymes that can break down penicillin and other antibiotics, making them ineffective against certain bacteria. They're often carried by Escherichia coli bacteria, which live in the intestines of healthy people. Some E. coli strains produce more ESBLs than others, which makes them more likely to cause infection and spread throughout […]

Sleep is vital to our lives. Although it seems to be a pretty simple thing (since you just close your eyes and then fall asleep), scientists have been trying for years to understand how we sleep. Despite the excellent progression, we still don’t know everything about how our bodies fall asleep. Nowadays, many people have […]

If you search out dementia online, you’re likely to find that it is characterized by a “persistent and progressive deterioration of cognitive function.”[1] Persistent and progressive. In particular, those two words are bound to be frightening to just about anyone. It hits you like a speeding truck hanging on worn brakes. After all, dementia has no cure. […]

Our bodies are not built to last forever. Eventually, bones would turn fragile and brittle; eyesight would deteriorate; reflexes become slow; maintaining balance becomes harder. This is the perfect storm for someone to get injured.   Falls are the most common cause of injury in older adults. Nearly 30% of adults older than 65 years […]

It’s Sunday dinner with the whole family. The children are playing with their cousin’s new toy. The dinner table juggles two sets of conversations and the demand for dessert. You go to the kitchen to help grandma prepare the cake and---   “What did you say, Grandma?”   She tries to say something, perhaps to […]

You’ve probably heard about dementia before. You’re likely familiar with Alzheimer’s disease, which is responsible for as much as 80% of all cases of dementia.[1]   Without knowing anyone diagnosed with this disease, we have an image of it in our minds. It’s often a confused and frail elderly adult with snow-white hair. Perhaps a […]

There’s nothing like laying your head down, and drifting into a restful and restorative sleep at the end of a long day. You deserve that. You close your eyes and look forward to feeling refreshed the next time you open them in the morning. But sleep does not come this easy in elderly individuals.   […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that COPD affects almost 16 million Americans, and it ranks fourth on the causes of mortality or deaths in 2018 [1,2]. The statistics could be higher as more than 50% of individuals with weak respiratory function did not know they had COPD [3]. So what is […]

Grandpa sits on a chair, head bowed. He has already fallen asleep, lulled by the comedic banter coming from the television. It’s only ten in the morning and he’ll take another nap after lunchtime. He would also excuse himself from the dinner table before the clock hits 8 pm, shuffling back to his room and […]