All posts tagged: older

Prunes: The Dried Fruit That Can Boost Your Health In Older Life

Prunes: The Dried Fruit That Can Boost Your Health In Older Life

Published by Sam Flores

You probably already know that strength training and calcium can help to keep your bones healthy and strong as you age. But some factors – like getting enough vitamin D, which helps to absorb calcium, and avoiding smoking, which raises your risk of osteoporosis and is linked to a 30-40% higher risk of broken hips – are less obvious. And in one study, prunes, which are high in anti-inflammatory polyphenols and calcium-balancing vitamin K, appeared to preserve bone density and strength at weight-bearing parts of the hip for post-menopausal women. What did the research show? The researchers followed a group of 235 postmenopausal women, who are at greater risk of bone loss, over a year. They told one group to eat 50g (about five to six prunes) a day during the trial, and another group to eat 100g a day. A third group didn’t eat any prunes at all. Though both prune levels were beneficial, the first group (50g) were more likely to stick to the habit, which meant they tended to get better results. …

The Facts About Bipolar Disorder in Older People

The Facts About Bipolar Disorder in Older People

Published by Jenni Sidey

by Dr Elizabeth Tyler Older people have faced ageism in mental health services, including the belief that emotional difficulties are simply a part of ageing or that change is less possible later in life. This can delay appropriate assessment, diagnosis and support. Common misconceptions are that bipolar disorder is a condition that only starts in younger people. However, there is a subset of people who have late-onset bipolar disorder and have their first episode after age 50. The complexity of diagnosis in later life Bipolar disorder can be difficult to recognise in older adults. It is not uncommon for someone to receive multiple diagnoses before they are diagnosed with bipolar. Late-life bipolar will often present primarily with depressive symptoms, and therefore may be diagnosed as depression. Alongside this, people are often more likely to seek help when they feel low, rather than when their mood is elevated. In later life, symptoms such as impulsivity, irritability or agitation may be misattributed to other difficulties, including cognitive decline or dementia. Older people are also more likely to …

Why is my hair thinning as I get older?

Why is my hair thinning as I get older?

Published by Daniella Wilson

As we get older, many of us are occupied with big life and health changes, so more subtle shifts, like the density of our hair, can be easily missed until a large chunk disappears. We spoke to Ruth Collis, consultant trichologist and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) hair loss specialist based in West Sussex, to find out some common reasons behind hair thinning as we get older and to see if there is anything we can do to counteract this. What are the most common reasons for age-related hair thinning? Hormonal changes “As we age and push past puberty, we are exposed to hormones for a longer period of time and if there’s a sensitivity to that, then it can cause thinning and miniaturisation of our hair,” explains Collis. Many women begin to notice significant changes to their hair during pivotal hormonal and life changes, such as menopause. “It varies on an individual basis, but it’s common common for women to notice hair loss and hair thinning around the stages of life driven by hormones, such as …

How ‘cruel’ friendship fraudsters are scamming older people | UK News

How ‘cruel’ friendship fraudsters are scamming older people | UK News

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Older and vulnerable people are being targeted by “cruel” friendship fraudsters online, one of the UK’s biggest banks has warned. TSB said criminals are preying on people’s loneliness and desire to make a connection. People often make just one payment in such scams, but in one case, 60 payments had been made over four years, the bank said. In this case, a customer in their late 60s was contacted on a message board, where the scammer posed as a young person looking to flee an abusive family and needing financial help. The relationship spanned four years before it was reported. In another case, a customer in their late 70s lost more than £4,000 after being targeted on social media. After forming a friendship, the individual said they were unwell and urgently required help with medical bills. As a result, the customer sent a series of payments and gift cards, before contact fizzled out and they realised it was fraud. In a third case, a customer in their 70s befriended a new contact, and after regular …

The difficult people in your life might be making you biologically older

The difficult people in your life might be making you biologically older

Published by José Betancourt

Recent research published in PNAS suggests that having difficult people in your close social circle is associated with measurable increases in biological aging. Scientists found that individuals who report having “hasslers” in their lives tend to experience a faster pace of cellular aging and an elevated risk for various health problems. These findings provide evidence that promoting healthy aging requires reducing chronic interpersonal stress, not just strengthening supportive relationships. “What drives this study is a simple observation: most of what we know about social relationships and health has focused on the protective power of friends and family who buffer stress and promote well-being. But nearly 30% of adults report someone in their inner circle who regularly makes life harder. We wanted to know whether that kind of chronic interpersonal stress leaves a biological trace,” said study author Byungkyu Lee, an assistant professor of sociology at New York University. To answer this question, the scientists analyzed data from the Person-to-Person Health Interview Study. This project included a representative sample of 2,345 adults living in Indiana. Participants …

Am I more likely to get ovarian cancer as I get older?

Am I more likely to get ovarian cancer as I get older?

Published by Daniella Wilson

It’s easy to brush off abdominal discomfort and changes in bowel habits as a normal part of menopause, but it’s important to listen to your body and to not ignore any persistent or unusual symptoms. Ahead of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in March, we spoke to Professor Christina Fotopoulou, consultant gynaecologist at King Edward VII’s Hospital, who explained how the risk of ovarian cancer can change as we get older. What causes ovarian cancer and how does age play into this? Ovarian cancer is when abnormal cells in the ovary, fallopian tube or peritoneum grow and divide in an uncontrolled way forming a tumour, according to Cancer Research UK’s website. “The origins of any cancer is when a mistake [mutation] happens in the division of a cell, so then instead of having a controlled duplication and replication of the cells, they lose control. Therefore, the longer you live, the higher the risk is of getting mutations in the body,” says Fotopoulou. “I often say to my patients that cancer cells are like little zombies, which …

Younger women find men with beards less attractive than older women do

Younger women find men with beards less attractive than older women do

Published by José Betancourt

A new study published in Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology suggests that a woman’s age and reproductive status may influence her preferences for male physical traits. The research indicates that postmenopausal women perceive certain masculine characteristics, such as body shape and facial features, differently than women who are still in their reproductive years. These findings offer evidence that biological shifts associated with menopause might alter the criteria women use to evaluate potential partners. Scientists have recognized that physical features act as powerful biological signals in human communication. Secondary sexual characteristics are traits that appear during puberty and visually distinguish men from women. These include features such as broad shoulders, facial hair, jawline definition, and muscle mass. Evolutionary psychology suggests that these traits serve as indicators of health and genetic quality. For instance, a muscular physique or a strong jawline often signals high testosterone levels and physical strength. Women of reproductive age typically prioritize these markers because they imply that a potential partner possesses “good genes” that could be passed to offspring. However, researchers have historically …

Do I need more support for my feet as I get older?

Do I need more support for my feet as I get older?

Published by Daniella Wilson

As we age, our feet undergo several, often overlooked, subtle changes that can affect comfort and mobility. Over time, shifts in strength, flexibility, cushioning, and even foot shape can alter the way our feet cope with impact and movement. That raises an important question: do our feet actually need more support as we get older? We spoke to Dr Helen Branthwaite, chief clinical adviser at The Royal College of Podiatry, to find out how feet evolve with age, the warning signs worth paying attention to, and whether extra support could make a real difference to comfort, stability and everyday mobility. What tends to happen to our feet as we get older? An alteration in the elasticity of collagen “As we get older, core structural fibres within our body, such as the elasticity of collagen – which is integral in supporting tendons and ligaments – starts to alter,” says Branthwaite. Bone regeneration slows “We regenerate bone much faster and quicker when we are younger compared to when we get older,” says Branthwaite. Reduction in strength “Sarcopenia …

What happens to your heart as you get older

What happens to your heart as you get older

Published by Daniella Wilson

As we mature, it’s easy to notice the changes we can see – such as shifts in our skin, muscle tone, or even hair colour – but far less obvious are the changes happening beneath the surface, particularly in the heart. To mark Heart Health Month this February, we spoke with Dr Anish Bhuva, consultant cardiologist at HCA Healthcare UK The Wellington Hospital, to find out what structural and functional changes the heart can undergo as we get older. He has also shared some practical advice on how to counter some of these effects to help keep your heart healthy and resilient well into later life. Heart muscle can decrease in size “Across the whole body, muscles tend to lose their mass over time, and we are becoming more conscious about trying to reverse the speed of that decline,” says Bhuva. “The heart, like any other muscle, also shows that process. There are also small changes in the heart muscle which means it becomes thinner with time as well. That usually doesn’t cause much harm …

‘I didn’t want to be the patronised older actor’

‘I didn’t want to be the patronised older actor’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Add Under Salt Marsh to your watchlist Had Jonathan Pryce retired at 60, as he once proclaimed he would when he was a young actor, his last movie would have been Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. He’d never have played the scheming High Sparrow in Game of Thrones, or Cardinal Wolsey in the BBC’s Wolf Hall. Though he probably would still have received his 2009 CBE for services to drama, it’s unlikely he’d have been knighted in 2021 for those services (presumably provided in the years from 2009 onwards). He’d still have his two Tony awards (one for Miss Saigon, despite controversy over his casting as an Asian character) and his two Olivier awards (his first, in 1980, for a radical production of Hamlet). But he wouldn’t have been nominated for an Oscar for best actor, as he was for 2019’s The Two Popes, in which he starred as the future Pope Francis opposite fellow Welshman Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict. Nor would he have been Emmy-nominated twice in the same year – …