Senior's Health Not so happy old age? :♦ Fractures Can Lead to Premature Death in Older People ♦ Experimental drug targeting Alzheimer's disease shows anti-aging effects

Exercise program in senior centers helps decrease participants' pain and improve mobility A study finds that a low-impact exercise program is improving quality of life for many older adults with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. The program, offered by Hospital for Special Surgery, has helped decrease pain, improve mobility and enhance the overall health of many participants.

Fractures Can Lead to Premature Death in Older People A new study shows certain fractures due to osteoporosis can cause premature death in people 45 and older. This is the largest study, to date, that shows a connection between these fractures and premature death.

Not so happy old age? The notion that older people are happier than younger people is being challenged following a recent study. In fact it suggests that people get more depressed from age 65 onwards

Experimental drug targeting Alzheimer's disease shows anti-aging effects Scientists have discovered a molecule that slows the clock on key aspects of aging in animals.

Barriers to health care increase disease, death risk for rural elderly A new study of adults ages 85 or older has found that rural residents have significantly higher levels of chronic disease, take more medications, and die several years earlier than their urban counterparts.

Seniors Health: Anti-aging tricks from dietary supplement ♦ Early warning gene signature for Alzheimer's ♦ New directions in mental health care for older adults

Anti-aging tricks from dietary supplement seen in mice The dietary supplement alpha lipoic acid can stimulate telomerase, the enzyme that lengthens chromosomes' protective caps, with positive effects in a mouse model of atherosclerosis, scientists report. The discovery highlights a potential avenue for the treatment for chronic diseases.

Men, people over 65 sleep better when they have access to nature Men and persons age 65 and older who have access to natural surroundings, whether it's the green space of a nearby park or a sandy beach and an ocean view, report sleeping better

Early warning gene signature for Alzheimer's A 'gene signature' that could be used to predict the onset of diseases, such as Alzheimer's, years in advance has been developed by scientists. The study aimed to define a set of genes associated with 'healthy aging' in 65 year olds. Such a molecular profile could be useful for distinguishing people at earlier risk of age-related diseases.

New directions in mental health care for older adults The aging of the population, shifting diagnostic criteria, and new health care policy initiatives are some of the factors driving changes in mental health treatment for older Americans, according to new research.