old age

Being physically fit in middle age may prevent 2 things: developing depression as a senior, and dying from heart disease if you do happen to become depressed.
Researchers looked at 18,000 Medicare individuals and found that those who were the most fit were 16% less likely to develop depression. The fittest were also 56% less likely to die from heart disease if they developed depression, and 61% less likely to die from heart disease if they remained depression-free.

Acciaroli, Italy is known for two things: its stunning seaside beauty and the fact that 1 in 10 people who inhabit the village are classed as centenarians – someone who lives to be 100 years old or more. Eighty-one of its 7,000 citizens are over 100, not to mention a large population of those living healthily in their 80’s and 90’s.
Drawn to understand the secret of their longevity, scientists at Rome’s Sapienza University and the San Diego School of Medicine spent 6 months studying the locals and unveiled their findings at a conference in the village. [1]

Morrie Boogart, 91, may be in hospice care in his hometown of Grandville, Michigan, but that hasn’t stopped him from thinking of others.
Boogart is well aware that soon the summer weather will give way to a harsh Michigan winter, and he wants the homeless population to be well prepared for it. So in order to do his part, Boogart has been knitting hats for them–to the tune of 8,000 total.  [1]

As you grow older, having a positive attitude about aging may make you more resilient to stress, a new study suggests.
One of the study’s coauthors, Jennifer Bellingtier, of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, said:

“Previous research has generally found the same thing, a more positive attitude is beneficial. People with positive attitudes are less likely to be hospitalized and tend to live longer.” [1]

(ANTIMEDIA) Americans aren’t known for their reading skills.
A study conducted by the National Institute of Literacy in 2013 found “32 million adults in the U.S. can’t read. That’s 14 percent of the population. 21 percent of adults in the U.S. read below a 5th grade level, and 19 percent of high school graduates can’t read,” the Huffington Post reported at the time.

People who stress out about getting old are more likely to be diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease, scientists are warning. Researchers have found middle-aged people who dread their senior years are more likely to have dementia-like changes to their brain years later. On the other hand, those who think positively about their inevitable aging are less likely to be diagnosed.