Movement involves a complex communication system that starts in the brain but, according to a study by University of Delaware researcher Christopher Knight, the message could be fainter when it reaches muscle fibers as we age.

Poor muscular control and reduced muscle attention to commands can lead to injuries and falls, as well as deficits in motor coordination. Firing rates of neurons slows and the ability of the muscles to “hear” the neurons’ commands diminishes. But although these changes come with age, there is something we can do.

Weight and resistance training has been shown to increase the firing rates of neurons, enhancing the muscular response.

“After power training with weights, we see an increase in firing rates,” Knight said. “For safety, we’re commonly advised to do things slowly when exercising, but it’s important to also do some fast exercises. You need a fast movement to prevent a fall. Even in the frail elderly, it is possible to use exercise bands for manual resistance to improve the speed of movement.”

When your brain talks, your muscles don’t always listen

A little alcohol every day may increase life expectancy and drinking small amounts of wine (about a half a glass a day) was linked to the lowest levels of cardiovascular death and death from all causes. Long-term, light alcohol intake compared to no alcohol intake was associated with a 36 percent lower relative risk of all-cause death and a 34 lower relative risk of cardiovascular death.

Dutch researchers presented these findings of a study into the effects of alcohol consumption and death risk at the American Heart Association’s 47th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Diseae Epidemiology and Prevention.

“Our study showed that long-term, light alcohol intake among middle-aged men was associated not only with lower cardiovascular and all-cause death risk, but also with longer life expectancy at age 50,” said Martinette T. Streppel, lead author of the study and a Ph.D. student in the Division of Human Nutrition at Wageningen University and National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in Bilthoven, The Netherlands. “Furthermore, long-term light wine consumption is associated with a further protective effect when compared to that of light-to-moderate alcohol intake of other types.”

The study followed 1,373 men born between 1900 and 1920 over a period of 40 years.

Light wine intake associated with longer life expectancy in men

Can’t get going without that morning cup of coffee? New research suggests that drinking your coffee daily may provide protection against heart disease for people 65 and older.

Researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Brooklyn College, state that people over 65 who had higher caffeinated beverage intake had lower risk of coronary vascular disease and heart mortality than did those with lower caffeinated beverage intake.

“The protection against death from heart disease in the elderly afforded by caffeine is likely due to caffeine’s enhancement of blood pressure”, said John Kassotis, MD, associate professor of medicine at SUNY Downstate.

The protective benefits were found only in people who were not severely hypertensive and no protective effect was found in patients under 65. No protective effect against stroke was found.

The conclusions were drawn by researchers studying data from the first federal National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study.

Caffeine may prevent heart disease in elderly

Chemical changes in the brain that inhibit its ability to repair itself coupled with functional changes and restricted social interaction and activity may result in post-stroke depression. One third of patients will suffer depression following a stroke.

A study that followed 188 ischemic stroke survivors found that a straighforward care managment program worked better than relying solely on antidepressant medication.

The program, called AIM, consists of three steps:

Activating stroke survivors and their families to understand and accept depression diagnosis and treatment;
Initiating antidepressant medication and
Monitoring treatment effectiveness.

The study also concluded that screening for depression should be done within 30-60 days following a stroke instead of immediately afterwards because emotional changes which occur soon after stroke may not develop into depression.

Post-stroke depression is associated with higher death rates, dimimished recovery and increased risk of subsequent stroke.

Lead Author of the study was Linda Williams, M.D., associate professor of neurology and a Regenstrief Institute research scientist. In addition to Dr. Williams, co-authors of the study are Kurt Kroenke, M.D.; Wanzhu Tu, Ph.D.; and Hugh Hendrie, MB, ChB all of the IU School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute; Laurie Plue, M.S., of the Roudebush VA Medical Center; Tamilyn Bakas, D.N.S., of the IU School of Nursing; and Ed Brizendine, M.D. of the IU School of Medicine.