old age

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Oldest Man in US Dies at 110. His Brain Will Go to Science

'Super-ager' Morrie Markoff remained extremely lucid for his advanced years

(Newser) - There are fewer than 160 supercentenarians —people 110 and older—on Earth, and that elite group just lost one of its own. Judith Markoff Hansen confirms to the New York Times that her father, 110-year-old Morrie Markoff, the oldest man in America, died June 3 at his home in...

Should Feinstein Resign? The Public (and Hillary) Weigh In
Big Name Pops
Up as Possible
Feinstein
Replacement
THE RUNDOWN
May 25, 2023 9:25 AM CDT

Big Name Pops Up as Possible Feinstein Replacement

'Floated in California circle' as debate continues on whether 89-year-old senator should resign: Oprah

(Newser) - From a recent "concerning" exchange with a journalist, to the odd revelation that Nancy Pelosi's daughter is serving as her aide, Sen. Dianne Feinstein continues to spur questions on whether she should step down after a debilitating bout of shingles and related conditions . One person on the side...

Study Sees Unexpected Benefit for Kids Who Play Music

Learning an instrument early may help keep the mind sharp in old age, study suggests

(Newser) - A new study out of Scotland offers a powerful argument for having children or teens learn a musical instrument—they may end up with sharper minds in old age. The study from the University of Edinburgh found what researchers describe as a small but "statistically significant" link between the...

This Is the Perfect Amount of Sleep Once You Hit Middle Age

7 hours per night is the sweet spot for those in middle, old age, per latest research, but with caveats

(Newser) - If you've been skimping a bit on sleep and breaching that long-held "eight hours a night" mantra, you might be OK—as long as it's only by an hour or so, and you're a Gen Xer or boomer. Scientists in the UK and China have found...

Lawmakers Cite Concerns on Feinstein's Memory, She Balks

'I'm rather puzzled,' 88-year-old Dem senator says of 'Chronicle' report on her mental acuity

(Newser) - Dianne Feinstein is pushing back on a report that her memory is fading and she may be mentally unfit to continue serving in the US Senate—concerns voiced even by fellow Democrats. On Thursday, the San Francisco Chronicle published those concerns from ex-staffers, four senators (three of them Democrats), and...

Were We Fooled by the 'Oldest Person Ever'?

Researchers claim Yvonne Calment assumed her mother's identity

(Newser) - You likely know Jeanne Calment as the world's oldest recorded person. It's a title widely used since Calment's 1997 death in France, coming 122 years and 164 days after her purported birth in 1875. It's also a fraud, according to mathematician Nicolai Zak and gerontologist Valeri...

World's Oldest Person, Born in 1901, Has Died

Chiyo Miyako's family called her 'the goddess'

(Newser) - The world's oldest person, a 117-year-old Japanese woman, has died. Chiyo Miyako died Sunday, and her death was confirmed Friday by Kanagawa prefecture, her home state south of Tokyo. Miyako, born on May 2, 1901, became the world's oldest person in April after Nabi Tajima from Kikai island...

Challenger Says John McCain Is Likely to Die in Office

Kelli Ward calls the senator 'old' and 'weak'

(Newser) - In a morbid and unusually direct line of attack, John McCain's Republican primary opponent in Arizona says the senator probably won't live to see the end of his six-year term if reelected. “I’m a doctor. The life expectancy of the American male is not 86. It’...

Why a Biotech Company Bought Sardinians' DNA

About one in every 2,000 people in Ogliastra lives to be 100

(Newser) - About one in every 2,000 people in Ogliastra, a province in eastern Sardinia, lives to be 100, the Financial Times reports. According to Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News , that's five times the normal rate in the developed world and nearly 50 times greater than the rate in the...

Woman Gets Birth Certificate at 117, Immediately Dies

Trinidad Alvarez Lira never got to enjoy her full old-age benefits

(Newser) - A 117-year-old woman in Mexico City finally received her birth certificate, and died a few hours later. The AP reports Trinidad Alvarez Lira had waited years for proof that she had been born in 1898. She hadn't received all the government old-age benefits she was entitled to because she...

Centenarians Not So Rare Anymore

Numbers spiked 44% from 2008 to 2014: CDC report

(Newser) - This should boost your hope for a long life, especially if you're a woman: The number of Americans living past 100 has spiked by 44% over the past six years. Centenarian numbers have risen from 15,000 in 1980 and 50,281 in 2000 to 72,197 in 2014,...

Healthy 75-Year-Old Ends Her Life So She Won't Grow Old

Retired nurse Gill Pharaoh says she saw too much in nursing home

(Newser) - A British woman with no serious health issues ended her life July 21 at a suicide clinic because, she said, she didn't want to grow old. Gill Pharaoh, 75, said her work in a nursing home revealed the "awful" truth of old age and burdens placed on loved...

I Don't Want to Live Past 75
 I Don't Want to Live Past 75 
OPINION
Sep 19, 2014 12:58 PM CDT

I Don't Want to Live Past 75

Ezekiel Emanuel thinks the 'American immortal' is profoundly misguided

(Newser) - Ezekiel Emanuel is a healthy 57-year-old in all respects, as his recent hike up Mount Kilimanjaro would suggest. Which is why it might be disconcerting to read his essay in the Atlantic laying out the reasons why he hopes to be dead in 18 years. To Emanuel, 75 is the...

Personalities Most Stable in Our 40s, 50s
Personalities Most Stable
in Our 40s, 50s
study says
Aug 16, 2014 7:52 AM CDT

Personalities Most Stable in Our 40s, 50s

But stability starts declining again after that

(Newser) - There's no doubt about it: The human body goes through major changes in youth and old age. And these biological and social changes may be the reasons behind what researchers are calling less stable personalities at those life stages. In fact, according to a study of almost 4,000...

Most Centenarians Avoid Cancer, Heart Disease
Here's What Eventually
Kills Centenarians
study says
Jun 4, 2014 4:10 PM CDT

Here's What Eventually Kills Centenarians

New study looks at causes of death for the 100-and-over crowd

(Newser) - Centenarians really are different than most of us. A study in the UK has revealed that the oldest of the old typically die not of the chronic illnesses that often fell the “younger” elderly, but of infections or frailty, LiveScience reports. Out of almost 36,000 centenarians who died...

The Wealthiest Americans' Top Worry Is ...

Above all, it's health—their spouse's or their own

(Newser) - What's left to worry about when money is no object? Health, apparently. According to a report from two financial-advisory groups, American millionaires with a net worth up to $25 million rank their spouse's health as their number-one concern, Business Insider reports. Those who are merely affluent—with $100,...

Former Oral-B VP Now Flipping Burgers

 Former Oral-B VP 
 Now Flipping Burgers 
retirement crisis
Sep 24, 2013 10:44 AM CDT

Former Oral-B VP Now Flipping Burgers

Tom Palome didn't save enough for retirement; neither do many others

(Newser) - That people aren't saving enough for retirement is not exactly breaking news. But Bloomberg tells the story in terms that truly resonate. Tom Palome, 77, used to be a VP at Oral-B, making a six-figure salary. But like many middle-class retirees, he didn't save much for retirement, and...

5 Reasons This Man Probably Isn't 123 Years Old

For starters, Carmelo Flores Laura is a man

(Newser) - It's the kind of story you really want to believe: According to Bolivia's public records, Carmelo Flores Laura turned 123 years old last month, making him the oldest living person ever documented. CNN , however, advises you take the news with a grain—or spoonful—of salt, this after...

People in Their 90s Staying Sharper
People in Their 90s
Staying Sharper
Jul 10, 2013 6:29 PM CDT

People in Their 90s Staying Sharper

Study finds that the very old are aging better

(Newser) - Those who make it into their 90s today are sharper and healthier than previous generations who lived that long, say Danish researchers in the Lancet . They compared two large groups of seniors, one born in 1905 that was tested in 1998 and the other born in 1915 that was tested...

To Help Ward Off Dementia, Grab a Good Book
To Help Ward Off Dementia,
Grab a Good Book
study says
Jul 6, 2013 12:18 PM CDT

To Help Ward Off Dementia, Grab a Good Book

Study adds weight to the theory of keeping your brain active

(Newser) - It's not the most startling of conclusions, but a major new study lends weight to the theory that a lifetime of reading and other brain-boosting activities helps ward off dementia late in life, reports the BBC . The study in the journal Neurology tracked about 300 people from their mid-50s...

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