WUSTL neuroscientist David Holtzman and colleagues have devised a test that shows whether an experimental medication has a chance of working in Alzheimer's patients.

References:

1. June 30, 2009 — David Holtzman: Attacking Alzheimer's With a New Test for Amyloid Beta in the U.S. News & World Report online

Alzheimer's patients sift the important from less important less efficiently early on, according to a study conducted by WUSTL researchers.

References:

1. May 5, 2009 — Early Alzheimer's, think less efficiently in the United Press International

and 2 others.

A single episode of low blood sugar severe enough to require prompt medical attention increases a person's risk of developing dementia in old age, a study in people with diabetes suggests. "This is a worrisome association," says WUSTL endocrinologist Philip Cryer. But he cautions that an association doesn't prove that one factor causes the other.

References:

1. April 14, 2009 — Hypoglycemia linked to dementia in the Science News Web edition

In the largest study of SSRIs in older people with anxiety disorders, a team of psychiatric researchers found the drug escitalopram improved anxiety symptoms and quality of life. The study was conducted by WUSTL associate professor of psychiatry Dr. Eric J. Lenze while at the University of Pittsburgh. His team studied 177 people over the age of 60.

References:

1. Jan. 20, 2009 — Antidepressant Eases Anxiety in Older Adults in the The Washington Post

and 4 others.

Anne Underwood writes on the biology of aging and anti-aging research being done by scientists, including WUSTL nutritional sciences professor Luigi Fontana, who is tracking the progress of 45 members of the Calorie Restriction Society.

References:

1. Dec. 15, 2008 — Never Say Die in the Newsweek

and 1 others.

Older adults with type 2 diabetes are apt to have memory problems after eating a meal loaded with fat, but a new study has found the damage can be undone if they take antioxidant vitamins along with the unhealthy food. More study is definitely needed, said Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at WUSTL.

References:

1. June 26, 2008 — Unhealthy Meals Dull Older Diabetics' Memory in the U.S. News & World Report

and 5 others.

Contrary to prior studies, a new trial shows that daily use of two popular pain-relieving drugs, Celebrex and naproxen, does not prevent cognitive decline in people with a family history of Alzheimer's disease. WUSTL neurology professor John Morris, who is director of WUSTL's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and a member of the medical and scientific advisory council for the Alzheimer's Association, comments.

References:

1. May 12, 2008 — Celebrex, Naproxen Won't Prevent Mental Decline in the U.S. News & World Report

and 9 others.

German researchers are reporting a new approach to the possible prevention of the molecular "debris" that's associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease.
WUSTL neurology professor James Galvin called the German research "a novel idea."

References:

1. April 24, 2008 — Study Details New Molecular Approach to Preventing Alzheimer's in the The Washington Post

and 7 others.

Human studies plus laboratory work with yeast, worms, flies and rodents are propelling scientists closer to understanding what causes aging, how to delay it -- and how to translate such progress from the lab to real life.
One of the studies mentioned was the first calorie restriction clinical trials conducted by WUSTL and LSU.

References:

1. April 22, 2008 — Longevity quest moves slowly from lab to life in the MSNBC.com

and 2 others.

WUSTL researchers have found that a key ingredient for the formation of Alzheimer's plaques is produced by a brain cell activity. WUSTL neurology professor and the study's first author John Cirrito comments.

References:

1. April 9, 2008 — Researchers zero in on Alzheimer's plaque origin in the Agence France Presse

and 13 others.

David Carr, clinical director of WUSTL's division of geriatrics and nutritional science, said the fact that McCain has gone five years without a melanoma recurrence is good news.

References:

1. March 27, 2008 — McCain works to answer age and health questions in the Boston Globe

and 5 others.

Harvard researchers report in the Sept. 21 issue of Cell that they have uncovered a molecular clue that seems to explain why cutting calories might lengthen your life.
It turns out that mitochondria guard against cell death, and two specific genes within the mitochondria actually carry out that task. Mitochondria are compartments within a cell that are dedicated to energy production, and their loss is thought to be a major cause of aging.
WUSTL molecular biology and pharmacology professor Shin-ichiro Imai comments on the Harvard study.

References:

1. Sept. 20, 2007 — Researchers Pinpoint Link Between Caloric Restriction and Longevity in the CBC News (Canada)

and 7 others.

There's a gap between the dream of retirement and the reality Americans face. A recent study from WUSTL School of Social Work estimates that 4 out of 10 people over age 60 will fall below the poverty line at some point in their later years. Countless more will watch their dream retirement fade as they discover that their savings barely cover their immediate needs. But the prospect of fiscal free fall has yet to alter most Americans' behavior, and baby boomers are saving a scant third of what they'll need.

References:

1. Sept. 6, 2007 — Retirement Cash: Will You Have Enough? in the Readers Digest (NY)

Age-related brain changes may make it harder for older adults to understand humor, a new study shows.
The study comes from WUSTL psychology graduate student Wingyun Mak and psychology professor Brian Carpenter.

References:

1. Aug. 3, 2007 — Humor Hampered By Aging Brain? in the CBSNews.com

and 1 others.

It's no laughing matter: a new study suggests older adults have a harder time getting jokes as they age.
The research indicates that because older adults may have greater difficulty with cognitive flexibility, abstract reasoning and short-term memory, they also have greater difficulty with tests of humor comprehension.
The research conducted by WUSTL graduate student Wingyun Mak and WUSTL psychology professor Brian Carpenter.
Findings were published earlier this month in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.

References:

1. July 11, 2007 — Joke comprehension may decrease with age, study at St. Louis university suggests in the International Herald Tribune (France)

and 206 others.

In findings that highlight the importance of mood and stress to maintaining a healthy brain, researchers and psychiatrists say that a bout of depression may raise the risks of developing dementia later in life.
Article mentions research by WUSTL psychiatry professor Yvette Sheline. Her study showed that people with more days of depression untreated by antidepressants, at any point in their lives, exhibit an average 10% reduction in volume in the hippocampus, which may result in subtle changes to their memory capabilities, The study appeared in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

References:

1. July 3, 2007 — How Depression Weakens the Brain in the The Wall Street Journal

A recent survey by AARP found that nearly 70 percent of adult children have not talked to their parents about issues related to aging. Some children avoid this most intimate of conversations because they believe their parents don't want to talk. Others think they know what their parents want.
WUSTL psychology professor Brian Carpenter is one of the experts offering advice.

References:

1. June 10, 2007 — How to Talk About Aging in the Newsweek

With about 20 million Americans providing care for a parent or in-law, such family dramas often with financial questions lurking unsaid are playing out across the country. WUSTL psychology professor Brian Carpenter comments on old family dynamics.

References:

1. Jan. 14, 2007 — Eldercare Choices Revive Sibling Fights in the Associated Press Online

and 59 others.

When overweight people lose weight, they often lose bone mineral density as well, increasing their risk for osteoporosis. But new research led by medical professor and lead author Dennis Villareal suggests that losing weight with exercise rather than calorie restriction can preserve bone strength.
The results of the study appear in the Dec. 11 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine.

References:

1. Jan. 2, 2007 — On the scales: Exercising helps dieters preserve bone strength in the The New York Times

November is National Alzheimer's Disease month. CNN medical correspondent Judy Fortin talked about the illness with John Morris, director of WUSTL's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. He said besides old age, diabetes and obesity are also risk factors for developing Alzheimer's.

References:

1. Nov. 6, 2006 — Diabetes, obesity can increase your Alzheimer's risk in the CNN.com