Don’s Blogs

Story by Brett Arends

Who knew getting a good night’s sleep each night was this important?

Poor sleep quality turns out to be the one of the biggest risk factors for ending up in a nursing home, according to new research conducted among over 125,000 senior citizens in Australia.

Those who got a good night’s sleep — defined as between seven and nine hours a night — were 23% less likely to end up in a nursing home than those who got fewer than five hours’ sleep or those who slept for 11 or more hours a night.

Continue reading “Seniors who did this were 23% less likely to end up in a nursing home, new study says”

Story by Daniel Strain

It’s one of the inescapable realities of aging: The older we get, the slower we tend to move—whether we’re walking around the block or just reaching for the remote control.

A new study led by University of Colorado Boulder engineers helps explain why.

The research is one of the first studies to experimentally tease apart the competing reasons why people over age 65 might not be as quick on their feet as they used to be. The group reported that older adults may move slower, at least in part, because it costs them more energy than younger people—perhaps not too shocking for anyone who’s woken up tired the morning after an active day.

The findings could one day give doctors new tools for diagnosing a range of illnesses, including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and even depression and schizophrenia, said study co-author Alaa Ahmed.

Continue reading “Why do we move slower the older we get? New study delivers answers”