Healthy volunteers sought for paid study
Did you know that diabetes not only affects the heart and circulation but the mind, too? Persons with type 2 diabetes have roughly double the risk of dementia than adults without diabetes. Even adults in the early stages of diabetes before diagnosis show lower cognitive function, although researchers don’t understand exactly how diabetes and cognitive decline are connected. This spring ... READ MORE
Studying a drug to prevent heart attacks
Heart disease is the number-one cause of death in America, accounting for 1 in 4 deaths in a normal year. According to the CDC, before the pandemic about 659,000 Americans died from heart disease each year. Many of us know someone who has had a heart attack or takes medication to prevent one. Common heart disease medications include statins, beta-blockers, diuretics and ACE... READ MORE
Avoid falls with free personal trainer help
As we age, it can be difficult to maintain our balance, which can lead to devastating falls. Now a new clinical trial is underway to try to strengthen muscles to prevent falls. Researchers at University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore are conducting a study for people over age 65 at the Veteran’s Administration Annex on Lafayette Street and Department of Physical Therapy and... READ MORE
Research study will pay you to exercise
As we age, we lose as much as 5% of muscle mass every decade. If we don’t exercise, we become even weaker. “If you’re unable to be as active and do as much physical activity, then you’re setting yourself up for a worsening of the problem,” said Steven Prior, associate professor in the University of Maryland School of Public Health’s Department of Kinesiology. But it’s... READ MORE
Tracking volunteers’ immunity via T-cells
Most Maryland residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — 62%, as of press time. But vaccine protection fades over time, so we may need to roll up our sleeves again for a booster shot. When is the best time to get a booster shot: six months, nine months or even a year after the last dose? This year scientists at the National Institute on Aging are trying to answer that... READ MORE
Diabetic study includes all meals free
You may have heard of the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). Created in 1997 by Dr. Lawrence Appel of Johns Hopkins, the diet includes grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods. Appel, the lead investigator on a study published that year, found that the DASH diet lowered blood pressure, which when high can lead to stroke and heart attack. Now Appel’s team... READ MORE
Learn to hear like a young person again
If you can’t follow a conversation at a cocktail party or have trouble understanding fast-talkers, researchers at the University of Maryland have a few strategies to help you hear better. The Neuroplasticity and Auditory Aging study, funded by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health and conducted at the University of Maryland in College Park, is in its... READ MORE
Studying a drug for Alzheimer’s agitation
Alzheimer’s disease is devastating to a patient’s family not only because of memory loss but because of changes in a loved one’s behavior. In addition to wandering away from caregivers, patients can become anxious, irritable, agitated or even violent. Now a study is under way to see if a drug can help alleviate agitation caused by Alzheimer’s. Sponsored by Avanir Pharmaceuticals... READ MORE
Try out Virtual Reality (VR) to help research
It’s something out of a fantasy novel or a movie: You strap on a pair of oversized goggles, and suddenly you’re somewhere else. When you turn your head, you can see new scenes: a kitchen, a grocery store, your hands, and other 3-D images that aren’t really there. Rather than just leaving these high-tech devices to the younger generation, researchers want older adults to take part... READ MORE
Stroke survivors can help future recovery
A stroke can be permanently debilitating. Every year, of the nearly 800,000 Americans who have a stroke, only 10% make a full recovery, according to the American Stroke Association. In fact, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine are studying stroke survivors in... READ MORE
