Do differences in gait predict the risk of depression in later life?
Older people who were newly diagnosed with depression had a slower walking speed and a shorter step length compared with those without depression in a recent Journal of the American Geriatrics Society study. Gait parameters and mental health both have significant impacts on functional status in later life. The study’s findings suggest that gait problems may represent a potentially modifiable risk factor for depression.
Belly fat linked to cognitive problems in older people
If you’re over 60 and, by BMI standards, overweight, it might not be such a bad thing. But there’s a catch. If you also have a fat belly, you’re at risk for not only metabolic health issues, but also cognitive problems. That’s the conclusion of a study published in The British Journal of Nutrition.
TV causes older adults to struggle recalling verbal memories
Spending more time watching television has been found to be contributing to the decline in verbal memory of people aged 50 and above. A new study, published in the journal Nature, showed that older adults struggled to recall a list of words after a long-term habit of watching TV for more than 3.5 hours a day. The findings come from the analysis of data on 3,662 adults aged 50 and older from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging.