Pumping Irony

Research has long suggested that we become less curious as we age, jeopardizing our brain health and overall well-being. A new study offers a more nuanced — and optimistic — view.

Can seniors lower their risk of cognitive dysfunction by spending more time online? A new study challenges conventional wisdom about “digital dementia.”

Maintaining connections amid a constricted social network is key to our well-being as we age, and some experts suggest introverts may be better equipped to do so than their extroverted peers.

There’s a reason women tend to retain their cognitive capabilities better than men as they grow older, and researchers believe they can use that knowledge to offer hope to all dementia sufferers.

Older adults concerned about overtaxing their muscles may hesitate to push themselves very hard when exercising, but new research suggests we may be more resilient than we imagine.

Surrounded by retirees in my social circle these days, I’m often asked why I continue to work in my 70s. Recent research offers some persuasive rationale.

Neuroscientists are touting a number of medical breakthroughs due to the innovative use of brain implants, but recent research — and regulatory actions — suggest the risks may outweigh the rewards.

Older adults are especially vulnerable to the circadian challenges caused by the annual switch to Daylight Saving Time. Sleep specialists can offer some remedies, but others suggest that embracing the change of seasons — despite a lack of sleep — may be more effective.

Late-life depression descends on an estimated 20 percent of older U.S. adults, according to recent research. That may explain my recently sagging spirits — or not.

Some experts are hailing Alzheimer’s blood tests as a revolutionary advance in diagnostics. In clinical practice, however, these assessments raise more questions than they answer.

Are healthcare directives, touted as a way to ease end-of-life treatment decisions, worth the paper they’re printed on? Critics argue that the harsh reality of life-threatening illnesses — and the emotions of the moment — often render them moot. But not always.

A new study suggests that the presence of certain bacteria in the mouth may harm the brain as we age. Early intervention and treatment could be a game-changer for seniors — or at least for those who can afford to visit a dentist.

Seniors tend to sniff out online misinformation and scams better than young people, according to a new study. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t vulnerable. A variety of public and private initiatives — along with some neighborly support — have emerged to offer protection.

Researchers have identified how hormone depletion during menopause can cause osteoarthritis, but treatment options remain risky and further study may be a long time coming.

The trauma of combat has created an epidemic of heart disease among older U.S. veterans, according to a new study. I’m luckier — and, in some ways, unluckier — than most.

Recent studies suggest that learning a foreign language may delay the onslaught of cognitive dysfunction, leaving aging monolinguists like me wondering whether there’s an easier way.

Japan has invested heavily in robotics to ease staffing pressures and improve quality of care at long-term facilities. Could the same approach rescue our own struggling industry?

It can often seem naïve — or even foolish — to harbor high hopes for life in our later years, but recent research suggests doing so may help to ensure a healthier and happier future.

How does artificial intelligence improve our struggling healthcare system if, as one noted medical ethicist points out, medicine is “as much a moral endeavor as a technical one”?

With enthusiasm waning amid poor clinical trials and ineffective treatments, dementia researchers are increasingly exploring the role viral infections may play in the disease — and the salutary effects of a particular vaccine.

We’ve come to expect surgical procedures to routinely cure what ails us, despite recent evidence showing surprisingly frequent postoperative crises. A new report offers some insights and possible solutions.