(Press-News.org) The speed at which England’s oldest adults became frailer accelerated during the UK Government’s era of austerity politics, according to a new study.
Researchers say that the rate of frailty in people aged 85 and over in England increased 50 per cent faster per year between 2012 and 2018 compared with the preceding eight years.
The impact of frailty – a decline in a person’s mental and physical resilience to illness and injury – on the oldest in society must be considered should any new austerity measures be introduced, experts warn.
The study, led by researchers from the University of Edinburgh’s Advanced Care Research Centre, analysed data from 16,410 people in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a nationally representative sample of the English population aged at least 50 between 2002 and 2018.
Researchers combined this with the frailty index, which captures broad age-related declines in functional ability and physical and mental health.
The sample had an average age of 67 years and an average frailty index score of 0.15 (on a scale of 0 to 1, with 1 being maximum frailty).
Researchers found that frailty index scores increased more rapidly across all genders and socio-economic groups during the study period but it was particularly noticeable in the oldest people.
Frailty levels dropped in the 2000s but experienced a steep increase in the 2010s, when the UK government introduced a wave of public spending cuts in response to the 2008 global financial crisis, with all ages losing improvements that had been made.
For the oldest, the improvements were lost entirely, and they were frailer than those of the same age living in the prior decade, experts say.
The researchers did not examine why public sector cuts might cause these changes, but they say the findings correspond with the flattening of life expectancy seen in the 2010s, with higher mortality rates particularly seen in the eldest.
Dr Carys Pugh, Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, said: “A key implication of this research should be a recognition that public spending reductions likely have negative impacts on health and, in turn, mortality, particularly amongst the oldest in society. Frailty normally increases with age but as we emerge from the pandemic and into a cost of living crisis, any new austerity measures need careful consideration given their potential impact on long-term health, especially among the eldest who appear particularly vulnerable.”
The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0296014 [link will be live when embargo has lifted].
END
England’s oldest became frailer during austerity, study suggests
The speed at which England’s oldest adults became frailer accelerated during the UK Government’s era of austerity politics, according to a new study.
2024-02-07
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Exceptionally rapid tooth development and ontogenetic changes in the feeding apparatus of the Komodo dragon
2024-02-07
Tea Maho and Robert R. Reisz
University of Toronto Mississauga
Kilat, the largest living lizard at the Toronto Metro Zoo, like other members of his species (Varanus komodoensis), truly deserves to be called the Komodo Dragon! Its impressive size and the way it looks at you and tracks your every move makes you realize that it is an apex predator, not unlike a ferocious theropod dinosaur. So, it is not surprising when you look around at his enclosure to find that there are shed teeth sparkling on the ground, a common find when ...
Scientists develop a low-cost device to make cell therapy safer
2024-02-07
CAMBRIDGE, MA – A tiny device built by scientists at MIT and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology could be used to improve the safety and effectiveness of cell therapy treatments for patients suffering from spinal cord injuries.
In cell therapy, clinicians create what are known as induced pluripotent stem cells by reprogramming some skin or blood cells taken from a patient. To treat a spinal cord injury, they would coax these pluripotent stem cells to become progenitor cells, which are destined to differentiate into spinal cord cells. These progenitors are then transplanted back into ...
Getting to know the ‘ghost’ inside batteries
2024-02-07
An Argonne team developing materials for solid-state batteries took an unexpected detour to investigate tiny short-circuits known as soft-shorts. Their insights will benefit battery researchers around the world.
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have shed important new light on what the early signs of battery failure look like. Their study — which relates to a condition called soft-shorts — provides the research community with valuable knowledge and methods to design better electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
The Argonne team’s research focused on all-solid batteries with anodes (negative electrodes) ...
Predicting neurodevelopmental disease in children from parent’s traits
2024-02-07
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Predicting the trajectory of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders like autism or schizophrenia is difficult because they can be influenced by many different genetic and environmental factors. A new study, led by Penn State researchers, demonstrates that evaluating parents for their manifestation of traits of these disorders — and related diseases like depression and anxiety — may provide a more accurate method of predicting the prevalence, and potentially severity, of the disorders in affected children than screening for genetic variants alone. This is likely due, at least in part, to genetic variants the parents transmit to the ...
New species of 65 million year old fossil shark discovered in Alabama, USA
2024-02-07
Birmingham, AL (February 7, 2024) – Today, a team of scientists is pleased to announce the discovery of a new fossil shark species from Alabama, USA. The team is led by Jun Ebersole, Director of Collections, McWane Science Center, Birmingham, AL, David Cicimurri, Curator of Natural History, South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, and T. Lynn Harrell, Jr., Paleontologist and Fossil Collections Curator at the Geological Survey of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
The shark is a new species of Palaeohypotodus (pronounced pale-ee-oh-hype-oh-toe-duss), which means “ancient small-eared tooth,” in reference to the small needle-like fangs present on the sides of the teeth. It has ...
Time to treatment with intravenous thrombolysis before thrombectomy and functional outcomes in acute ischemic stroke
2024-02-07
About The Study: In patients presenting at thrombectomy-capable stroke centers, the benefit associated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) plus thrombectomy versus thrombectomy alone was time dependent and statistically significant only if the time from symptom onset to expected administration of IVT was short in this individual participant data meta-analysis (n = 2,313) of six randomized clinical trials.
Authors: Johannes Kaesmacher, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Bern in Bern, Switzerland, is the corresponding author.
To access the embargoed study: Visit ...
Many hookah manufacturers have not complied with FDA-mandated nicotine warning labels
2024-02-07
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2024
Contact:
Jillian McKoy, jpmckoy@bu.edu
Michael Saunders, msaunder@bu.edu
##
Many Hookah Manufacturers Have Not Complied with FDA-Mandated Nicotine Warning Labels
Only half of the hookah packages assessed in a new study included the required nicotine warnings, two years after this federal regulation was implemented to alert consumers about the health risks of nicotine addiction.
Since August 2018, the US Food & Drug Administration has mandated that all hookah (also known as waterpipe tobacco or shisha) manufacturers include a nicotine warning ...
Endovascular thrombectomy for large ischemic stroke across ischemic injury and penumbra profiles
2024-02-07
About The Study: In this exploratory analysis of a randomized clinical trial of 336 patients with extensive ischemic stroke, endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) improved clinical outcomes across a wide spectrum of infarct volumes, although enrollment of patients with minimal penumbra volume was low. In EVT-treated patients, clinical outcomes worsened as presenting ischemic injury estimates increased.
Authors: Amrou Sarraj, M.D., of University Hospital Cleveland Medical Center—Case Western ...
Apixaban to prevent recurrence after cryptogenic stroke in patients with atrial cardiopathy
2024-02-07
About The Study: In patients with cryptogenic stroke and evidence of atrial cardiopathy without atrial fibrillation, oral anticoagulant therapy with apixaban did not significantly reduce recurrent stroke risk compared with aspirin in this randomized clinical trial that included 1,015 participants.
Authors: Hooman Kamel, M.D., of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, is the corresponding author.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jama.2023.27188)
Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions ...
MD Anderson research highlights for February 7, 2024
2024-02-07
HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back.
Recent developments at MD Anderson include a combination treatment for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the discovery of a molecular driver in metastatic breast cancer, an oral combination therapy for high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), a novel method to mechanically destroy ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Insulin resistance is linked to over 30 diseases – and to early death in women, study of people in the UK finds
Innovative semaglutide hydrogel could reduce diabetes shots to once a month
Weight loss could reduce the risk of severe infections in people with diabetes, UK research suggests
Long-term exposure to air pollution and a lack of green space increases the risk of hospitalization for respiratory conditions
Better cardiovascular health in early pregnancy may offset high genetic risk
Artificial intelligence method transforms gene mutation prediction in lung cancer: DeepGEM data releases at IASLC 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer
Antibody–drug conjugate I-DXd shows clinically meaningful response in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
IASLC Global Survey on biomarker testing reveals progress and persistent barriers in lung cancer biomarker testing
Research shows pathway to developing predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors
Just how dangerous is Great Salt Lake dust? New research looks for clues
Maroulas appointed Associate Vice Chancellor, Director of AI Tennessee
New chickadee research finds cognitive skills impact lifespan
Cognitive behavioral therapy enhances brain circuits to relieve depression
Terasaki Institute awarded $2.3 Million grant from NIH for organ transplantation research using organs-on-a-chip technology
Atoms on the edge
Postdoc takes multipronged approach to muon detection
Mathematical proof: Five satellites needed for precise navigation
Scalable, multi-functional device lays groundwork for advanced quantum applications
Falling for financial scams? It may signal early Alzheimer’s disease
Integrating MRI and OCT for new insights into brain microstructure
Designing a normative neuroimaging library to support diagnosis of traumatic brain injury
Department of Energy announces $68 million in funding for artificial intelligence for scientific research
DOE, ORNL announce opportunity to define future of high-performance computing
Molecular simulations, supercomputing lead to energy-saving biomaterials breakthrough
Low-impact yoga and exercise found to help older women manage urinary incontinence
Genetic studies reveal new insights into cognitive impairment in schizophrenia
Researcher develops technology to provide cleaner energy and cleaner water
Expect the unexpected: nanoscale silver unveils intrinsic self-healing abilities
nTIDE September 2024 Jobs Report: Gains in employment for people with disabilities appear to level off after reducing gaps with non-disabled workers
Wiley enhances NMR Spectral Library Collection with extensive new databases
[Press-News.org] England’s oldest became frailer during austerity, study suggestsThe speed at which England’s oldest adults became frailer accelerated during the UK Government’s era of austerity politics, according to a new study.