Scientists have identified a genetic variation thought to delay the start of Alzheimer’s disease, according to several media reports.

The news is based on a study of 71 descendants of the same ancestral family in northern Colombia, who have passed down a rare and severe form of Alzheimer’s disease caused by a mutation in a single gene.

“Being lonely won’t just make you miserable; it could also suppress your immune system and knock years of your life,” the Daily Mail reports. 

This headline was prompted by a laboratory study in humans and rhesus macaque monkeys, which aimed to investigate if there were biological mechanisms associated with isolation that could also be associated with the risk of chronic disease or early death.

Dementia Explained has been developed by Alzheimer’s Research UK to help children and teenagers understand dementia, how it affects someone and how this could impact their lives. These simple explinations, and clear messages could also help carers and care home residents to explain to their grandchildren what is happening to them, it may also help others with Learning Difficulties living in care homes.

Using the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to carry out home adaptions can delay someone moving into a residential care home by four years, a new investigation has revealed.

New research has revealed that over three million older people are currently living with diabetes in the UK, which has increased by over 65 per cent since 2005.

Find out how medical treatments are discovered, tested and evaluated, to improve healthcare for all, on this free online course.

Recent research conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that older people tend to be happier than their younger counterparts.

The MRC recognises the importance of clinical research and as part of refreshing their funding schemes, they have made some changes to the support is provided to clinical researchers. The Wellcome Trust’s Head of Research Careers, Anne-Marie Coriat, explains the approach, and opens the competition to host the new clinical #PhD programmes.

Playing online games that challenge reasoning and memory skills – brain training – could have significant benefits for older people in their day to day lives.

“Alzheimer’s drug may keep late-stage sufferers out of nursing homes,” The Guardian reports. A study found people with Alzheimer’s who continued to take a drug called donepezil were less likely to be admitted into care than people who stopped taking it.