Feeling fine doesn’t always mean that everything is fine. Some of the most common conditions that show up with age can build quietly for years. As scary as that sounds, there’s good news: Many of these “silent” conditions can be found early and treated—if you keep up with recommended screenings. “A lot of what we do as cardiologists is treating people who are asymptomatic so we can prevent things down the line,” says Dr. John Dodson, director of the Geriatric Cardiology Progr

Your favorite breakfast food may reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. That’s according to a recent study, which found that eating at least one egg five days a week was associated with a 27% lower risk of developing the disease in older adults. Previous research has also linked egg consumption to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s, but Jisoo Oh, DrPH, MPH, an associate professor of epidemiology at Loma Linda University and author of the new paper, said the recent study was among

Starting around age 60, your nutritional needs change. This happens for a number of reasons, and it’s important to make sure you’re tweaking your diet appropriately so that you get the nutrients you need. Why Nutrition Needs Change as You Age As people age, the body’s metabolic rate—how much energy the body uses—gradually changes. “A key contributor to the decrease in metabolic rate is a loss of muscle mass. Peak muscle mass is usually reached around the early to mid-thirties

One of the most powerful influences on how well you age may be how you feel about it. A recent study that tracked thousands of older adults for over a decade suggests that physical and cognitive improvement is indeed possible with age—and one factor stood out in predicting who might boost functioning over time: mindset. Participants with more positive views of aging were more likely to improve as they got older, researchers reported in the journal Geriatrics. A Deeper Look at

Not surprisingly, an annual eye exam is helpful for detecting and treating a range of age-related vision problems. But that’s not all your eye doctor might see. “Eye exams can help diagnose many medical conditions,” says Peter Nixon, M.D., a retina specialist with Austin Retina Associates in Texas. “That’s because your physician will look at the small blood vessels and retina in the back of your eyes. The health of the eye gives a good snapshot of what’s happening througho

Knee replacement is one of the most common orthopaedic surgeries. Nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. have the procedure each year, most often to treat knee arthritis. Surgeons can replace the entire joint or just the damaged parts. The goal is to reduce knee pain and improve movement. “Knee replacement surgery has been refined over the years so that we now have a more accurate recreation of the soft tissue tension and balance, part sizes and alignment of the knee joint,” says

Vitamin B12 can do all sorts of good things for older folks. It can support everything from brain health to how your nerves function. Some studies suggest it may even help prevent cognitive decline. But Kristin Zimmerman, associate professor in the department of pharmacotherapy and outcomes science at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Pharmacy in Richmond, grew suspicious several years ago when her mom, who was in her late 60s and living on Florida’s Gold Coast, qu

Tongue Lashing Few muscles are as hard-working as the tongue. By day, it twists to form the sounds you speak and pushes around the food you eat. While you sleep, your tongue moves saliva down your throat. Go With Your Gut On average, your intestines are 25 feet long from end to end. Your small intestine is long -- over 20 feet. And while your large intestine is wider around, it stretches out only to 5 feet in length. Dirty Mouth You might think twice before kissing. In one m

Try this: Bend your wrist as far back as you can toward your forearm. How long can you hold it there? Probably not long, maybe a matter of seconds, says Scott Bautch, D.C., a Wisconsin-based chiropractor and president of the American Chiropractic Association’s Council on Occupational Health. Bautch asks people to do this to prove a point. “You wouldn’t watch an entire football game with your wrist stretched as far as possible, your arm way above your head, or your pelvis twis

Age Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. About a third of people 85 and older show signs of the disease. The genes you get from your parents play a part at this age, but so do things like diet, exercise, your social life, and other illnesses. Dementia isn't a normal part of getting older. Heart Disease It could lead to a heart attack or stroke, which makes dementia more likely. Heart disease is usually caused by plaque buildup in arteries around your heart

People who have razor-sharp minds in their 80s and 90s — known as “SuperAgers” — produce twice the number of young neurons as cognitively healthy adults and 2.5 times as many as people with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study found. “This shows the aging brain has the capacity to regenerate — that’s huge,” said study coauthor Dr. Tamar Gefen, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Mesulam Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease at N

All the Shades of Gray It’s said a woman’s hair is their crowning glory. Sooner or later, that crown will start to gray. You now face a decision. Banish gray hair with dye, or rock a silver mane? Whichever you pick, know the facts about your gray strands to keep your hair looking and feeling its best. Science of Grays Your hair follicles have pigment cells that make melanin, a chemical that gives your hair its color. As you age, these cells start to die. Without pigment, new

If your knees creak or your hips feel stiff when you get out of bed in the morning, you might blame it on the normal wear and tear that comes with age. But the stiffness could also be something else: a problem with joint lubrication. A natural lubricant called synovial fluid helps your bones glide together without grinding, says Dr. Kenneth Mautner, a sports medicine physician at Emory Healthcare’s Orthopaedics and Spine Center in Atlanta. As we age, our bodies can produce le

Sleep is vitally important at all ages, but a myth persists: older adults simply need less sleep. But in fact, people who are 65 and older are still recommended to get the same amount of sleep as younger adults. “As we age, we still need around 7–9 hours of sleep, but the way we sleep shifts. Sleep tends to become lighter and more fragmented, meaning older adults wake up more during the night. This can be due to natural changes in our internal body clock, certain medications,

It’s normal to feel a bit nervous about visiting the dentist. Things like needles, drills, and sharp tools are enough to unnerve anyone, regardless of their age. But if you’re 65 or older, it can be especially hard to smile when thinking about your teeth. That’s because older adults are at higher risk for certain dental issues. Maybe your mouth feels dryer than it used to. Perhaps your dentist has recommended some procedures you’ve never heard of. And you might find out you h

The “forever chemicals” known as PFAS appear to be aging men faster in their 50s and early 60s, a new study found. Called forever chemicals due to the years it takes for them to break down, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are present in the blood of an estimated 98% of Americans, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Epigenetic aging — a measurement of one’s biological age instead of chronological age — was most advanced in

Scientists have just identified four broad types of medical condition that could help doctors identify the risk of Alzheimer’s disease a decade before symptoms develop—with the potential to help slash incidence rates in half. Alzheimer’s disease develops over decades, and some health conditions in midlife such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and stroke have been linked to an increased risk later in life. However, more medical conditions could predict the development of thi

Glyphosate is an ingredient found in several herbicide products, including those from a major brand that has been in the news for settling a lawsuit around glyphosate’s potential link to cancer. Recent research links glyphosate to Hodgkin’s lymphoma and raises questions about the ingredient’s carcinogenic properties, however, more research is still needed. What is glyphosate? Glyphosate is an herbicide that’s widespread in the environment. “It was initially registered as an

We get it: Absolutely no one wants cancer or even wants to think about getting cancer. The good news is that we’ve come a long way in treatment and prognoses for many types of cancer, especially when doctors catch them early , thanks to research and modern medicine. Yet, despite all we’ve learned about the disease, there are still a bunch of things we don’t know. “We are still trying to figure out risk factors for many types of cancer,” states Dr. David Yashar, MD , a hemato

After a trip, a long day with family or the occasional late night, it’s common to feel tired or a bit sluggish. But fatigue — constant exhaustion, tiredness, and a lack of physical and mental energy — often needs more than just a good night’s sleep to resolve. Often, fatigue is seen as an inevitable part of aging — but this shouldn’t be the case, according to Chris Aakre, M.D., a fatigue specialist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “Fatigue at any age is not normal. The