News & Views

Advanced reproductive technologies have allowed record numbers of women to postpone childbirth into or even past menopause. But experts caution that graying first-time parents might face discrimination, high-risk pregnancies, and delayed retirement--not to mention exhaustion.

Cosmetic surgery can help people look younger, but youthful looks alone might not improve longevity.

As millions of Americans turn to alternative therapies for aging-related conditions, scientists are holding these treatments up to increased scrutiny.

The protective caps at the ends of chromosomes shrink as we age. Researchers don't yet know whether that erosion causes--or merely accompanies--the diseases that hit us when we're old, but they hope that learning more about telomeres could provide new ways to keep our bodies young.

Doctors often prescribe hormone therapy for elderly patients with listless thyroid glands. However, such treatments could shorten the lives of those with mild thyroid deficiencies, new results suggest.

Everyone plans for the birth of a baby. But at the other end of life, health care workers know little about how to predict when seriously ill people will die or what dying people need to make their last moments comfortable.

For seniors who need help with day-to-day activities, living on a cruise ship would cost little more than moving to a typical assisted-living facility. But experts warn that many retirees can't afford either--and suggest that society come up with more economical options.

In a new approach to encourage daily exercise, public health experts are working with city planners to make communities more walkable for seniors.

Good health care comes at a price. Surprisingly, better medicine comes at a lower price, says a group of influential researchers who have changed the way people are thinking about how to grapple with the skyrocketing costs of medical services while improving the quality of care.

Diabetes can accelerate dementia, which in itself hinders the ability to manage one's blood sugar. Early detection and treatment of diabetes, research suggests, could help stall the mind-robbing effects of cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's disease.