Researchers collected data on 9,404 healthy men and women, 45 to 64 years of age. Nine years later, the researchers looked at the participants' diet and levels of disability. Ability to perform 12 daily activities, such as dressing and feeding themselves, were tested. Consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and dairy products appears to help people maintain functioning ability as they age. People who ate more of these foods had less risk of physical limitations nine years after being initially evaluated. Currently, dietary recommendations call for three cups a day of low-fat or fat-free dairy products, two cups of fruit and two-and-a-half cups of vegetables.

Researchers followed 559 Japanese stroke patients, aged 65 or over, for two years. All participants had had a stroke at least one year before the start of the study, and none was taking any medication that affected bone metabolism. Participants were randomly split into two groups. Half were given 5 milligrams of folate, a water-soluble B vitamin, and 1,500 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily, while the other half received two placebo pills daily. After two years, homocysteine levels in the group that received the vitamin combination were reduced by 38 percent. Six people in the treated group suffered hip fractures compared to 27 in the placebo group -- a nearly five-fold difference.

Transcendental meditation (TM) may reduce hypertension and cut down on the need for blood pressure-lowering medications. In this study, 150 African-American men and women with hypertension were randomly assigned to three groups: TM, progressive muscle relaxation, or conventional health education classes. Nearly two-thirds of participants were taking blood pressure-lowering medications at the start of the study. By the end of one year, blood pressure in the TM group was reduced by an average of 3 mm systolic pressure and nearly 6mm diastolic pressure (the top and bottom numbers in a reading, respectively). Patients in the other two groups achieved an average reduction of 3 mm diastolic pressure and no change in systolic pressure. There was also a 23 percent relative reduction in use of antihypertensive drugs between the TM and the other two groups.

This study provides new evidence that osteoporosis screening helps to reduce fracture risk. Researchers followed 3,107 women and men over the age of 65 for up to six years and collected information about hip fractures by using hospital records. The study found that screening for osteoporosis with bone density scans was associated with 36 percent fewer hip fractures over six years, compared with usual medical care.

This study is the first to report that treatment of depression in older adults also improves their ability to perform tasks critical to independent living such as keeping track of medications or managing money. Study participants were placed randomly into two groups. One group received standard care for depression from their physician. A nurse or psychologist and the patient's physician co-managed depression treatment for those in the second group. In both groups, patients whose depression improved were more likely to experience improvement in physical functioning than patients whose depression was not successfully treated.

This report focuses on how the United States compares to other countries in the adoption of paid family leave policies and other workplace policies that would enable caregivers to respond to the health needs of older and/or disabled family members. For example, 163 countries offer guaranteed paid leave to women in connection with childbirth but the U.S. does not. The 60-page report entitled, "The Work, Family, and Equity Index: Where does the United States Stand Globally?" can be downloaded for free: tinyurl.com/3jqoj

This Profile reports on the status of American family caregivers, drawing upon my sources. The majority of primary caregivers are women, but the proportion of men has increased over the past decade. Compared to a decade ago, a slightly smaller proportion of caregivers have child-care responsibilities and similar proportions of caregivers are employed today as were a decade ago. However, fewer caregivers than a decade ago report making adjustments to their jobs in order to provide care. See: ihcrp.georgetown.edu

The National Center on Caregiving at Family Caregiver Alliance has made available "Caregiver Education and Support Programs: Best Practice Models." The publication profiles five widely used caregiver education and support programs that have empirical evidence to support their effectiveness. Mather LifeWays' Powerful Tools for Caregivers is one such program. Also described are how to select a program, monitor its implementation, and recruit participants. Download at: www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=1314

This article addresses services that best sustain family caregivers of persons with terminal illness. A total of 373 caregivers participated in telephone interviews at two points in time: when the terminally ill person was designated as palliative and 5 months subsequent to the first interview. In the case that the care recipient died during the study period, the caregiver participated in the interview three months after the death. The five most frequently reported services that family caregivers would have liked to have received or have had more available include: housekeeping; caregiver respite; in-home nursing care; personal support workers; and self-help/support groups.

According to the authors of this study, "caregivers of persons with dementia do not use community resources until late in the disease process, despite the fact that judicious use of community resources can delay nursing home admission." Within this geographically diverse sample of caregivers, 64 percent did not use professional services, 79 percent did not use respite services, and 65 percent did not use other services. Being a spouse decreased the odds that the caregiver would use community resources. Resource use was also related to care recipient's problems with activities of daily living and frequency of memory and behavioral problems.

Declines in death rates from most major causes - including heart disease and cancer - have pushed Americans' life expectancy to a record 77.6 years. Women now have a life expectancy of 80.1 years, 5.3 more than men. In 2002 figures, Japan had the longest life expectancy at 81.9 years, followed by Monaco, 81.2, San Marino and Switzerland, 80.6. The death rate from heart disease decreased from 240.8 per 100,000 in 2002 to 232.1 in 2003. The cancer death rate declined from 193.5 to 189.3 per 100,000. On the other hand, the death rate for Alzheimer's disease was up 5.9 percent.

U.S. life expectancy will fall dramatically in coming years because of obesity, according to S. Jay Olshansky, a longevity researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He and colleagues predict that within 50 years, obesity likely will shorten the average life span by at least two to five years. The complications from excess weight include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Already, the alarming rise in childhood obesity is fueling a trend that has shaved four to nine months off the average life span. At present, nearly two-thirds of the U.S. adults are considered overweight and approximately one-third of adults are classified as obese.

Older people may be at increased risk of abuse if they are cared for by a spouse, especially if the spouse is coping with his or her own physical or mental health problems. A researcher team surveyed 265 caregivers and elderly recipients of care. Caregivers who were married to the person they were looking after were more likely to be abusive than other caregiver family members, such as adult children. Care recipients were more likely to report that their spouses screamed or yelled at them, insulted them, used a harsh tone of voice, swore at them, or called them names. Some cases of harsh spousal treatment may be a continuation of previous ongoing marital conflict, the authors note.

The National Center on Elder Abuse is pleased to announce a free, new monthly e-newsletter, designed specifically for advocates and other professionals who are concerned about the problem of elder abuse. Each month features news and information on policy developments, promising practices, research, publications, funding opportunities, and events of interest. To subscribe, click on e-News at: www.elderabusecenter.org/default.cfm?p=newslettersignup.cfm

Annual flu shots have been recommended for people 65 and older for around 40 years and vaccination rates among this population have tripled over the last 20 years, to about 65 percent. Observational studies report that flu vaccination reduces winter mortality risk from any cause by 50 percent. However, in a study covering three decades of data on flu shots, researchers could find no corresponding decrease in death rates. For persons 85 years or older, the mortality rate remained flat over the past 30 years. Results suggest that having older persons vaccinated has not saved lives and that vaccinating children may be more worthwhile.

Data from an 18-month period in 2000-2001 on more than 157,000 people over age 65 enrolled in 10 HMOs across the country show that more than 28 percent of elderly people received at least one of 33 medications deemed potentially inappropriate by medical experts. Meanwhile, 5 percent received one of 11 drugs that had been classified by a consensus panel as inappropriate in older patients, based on data linked to more than 175,000 older adults enrolled in HMOs. Authors of the study's note, "The use of potentially inappropriate medications in the elderly continues to be pervasive throughout the United States despite more than a decade of research and media coverage of this issue."

In order to assist states in preparing to meet the long-term care needs of their aging populations, this sixth edition of the biennial databook present a national overview of long-term care issues, followed by state-specific profiles with the most current data available. Of the $260 billion total Medicaid expenditure in 2003, $84 billion was spent on long-term care. Of that amount, 33 percent went to home and community based services. Each state's profiles, with 85 indicators for each state, provide a snapshot of demographics, need for long-term care, long-term care services, and financing. The 268-page book is available at: research.aarp.org/health/d18202_ats.html

The Kaiser Family Foundation has released new guides that explain the role of Medicare and Medicaid for roughly 20 million children, adults and older adults with disabilities. These guides offer a basic introduction to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. These guides are available for free at: www.kff.org/medicare/med020705pkg.cfm