Studying mushrooms to fight depression
It’s normal to feel sad after receiving a diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). But that doesn’t mean there’s no hope for the sadness to lift. A Johns Hopkins University study is testing a potential treatment for these feelings: psilocybin, a psychoactive substance found in mushrooms. “For many people who get a diagnosis of early stage... READ MORE
How to best prevent muscle loss with age
After age 30, adults lose as much as 5% of muscle mass every decade. That phenomenon is called sarcopenia, or aging-related loss of muscle. It’s a vicious circle: If you don’t exercise, you become weaker and even less able to exercise. “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... READ MORE
Seeking to improve hip fracture recovery
If you know anyone who has broken a hip, you know how traumatic the injury can be. Every year more than 300,000 people over age 65 are hospitalized after hip fractures, according to the Centers for Disease Control. One in four are women, who may have weak, brittle bones because of osteoporosis. Furthermore, up to 75% of people who break a hip never fully recover. “It’s a sentinel... READ MORE
NIH seeks leukemia patients for studies
Fatigue. Weight loss. Night sweats. Frequent infections. Some people with these symptoms are shocked when their doctor diagnoses them with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a slow-moving cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Although the disease is serious, a diagnosis is not an immediate death sentence; in fact, doctors don’t treat early-stage CLL at all, preferring to monitor its... READ MORE
Drug may reduce stroke, heart attack risk
Every year, about 795,000 people suffer a stroke and about 805,000 people have heart attacks, according to the CDC. Furthermore, people with a history of stroke or heart disease and who are overweight are at risk for another stroke or heart attack. Now a massive study of 17,500 people in more than 700 locations around the world, including 200 in the U.S., is underway to help increase... READ MORE
10,000 dogs needed for study of aging
Can old dogs teach us new tricks? Scientists are looking for 10,000 pets for the largest-ever study of aging in canines. They hope to shed light on human longevity, too. The project will collect a pile of pooch data: vet records, DNA samples, gut microbes and information on food and walks. Five hundred dogs will test a pill that could slow the aging process. “What we learn will... READ MORE
Exploring dental and mental health link
Can better oral hygiene slow the progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer’s disease, even for a few years? The question arises after a medical study last January established a link between Alzheimer’s disease and the bacteria that cause gum disease. A new pilot study at the University of Maryland’s Claude D. Pepper Center will take a closer look at the... READ MORE
Study seeks to better understand asthma
Asthma is a common lung condition that causes symptoms such as wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. One in 13 Americans, or about 8% of the population, suffers from asthma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That means more than 25 million people suffer from asthma in the U.S. alone. Although generally thought of as a treatable disease,... READ MORE
Testing a drug to delay cognitive decline
Do you or a loved one have trouble remembering appointments, conversations or even what happened yesterday? Have you noticed that it’s harder to make decisions or follow a recipe? These are symptoms of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). About 15 to 20% of people over the age of 65 have MCI, which some doctors consider an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease or other kind of... READ MORE
Volunteers needed for inflammation study
If you have diabetes or had a heart attack, a stent placement procedure or a stroke, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) need your help. They hope to better understand how inflammation — the immune system’s response to injury or infection — affects the body. “There is emerging evidence that inflammation is a significant risk factor for developing high blood... READ MORE
