Welcome to Ask Doctor Zac, a weekly column from news.com.au. This week, Dr. Zac Turner explores a common issue impacting millions of Australians. QUESTION: Dear Dr. Zac, I don’t know what is happening to me but in the last 12 months I’ve started to make what my partner is describing as old people noises. Why is it every time I … Read more
New data has revealed that cannabis use among older adults is at an all-time high. Researchers at UC San Diego and NYU discovered that marijuana use by Americans aged 65 and older increased by nearly 46% from 2021 to 2023, according to an NYU press release. As more states legalize marijuana for recreational use, as well as for medicinal … Read more
A pair of identical twins have just celebrated their 100th birthday- naming a love of sports as the secret to a long and happy life. Williams Casey — known as Bill — and his twin brother Jack celebrated their centenary together earlier this year with cake, drinks, and friends at his retirement home in Didcot, … Read more
This new grad is celebrating with a post-college rite of passage — a gap year — only she’s doing it in her 70s. At 74, Dorotea Levy de Szekely — grandmother of three and self-proclaimed lifelong learner — just graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Hunter College, proving it’s never too late to hit the … Read more
A care home gran has found unlikely fame as Britain’s oldest influencer at age 103 — after becoming an online sensation with her viral makeup tutorials on Tiktok. Joan Patridge still ‘puts on her rouge’ every single morning before starting the day at Millcroft Care Home, in Redditch, Worcs. Staff there decided to start making videos … Read more
It’s critical that seniors be strong on their feet, as falls are the leading cause of injury in older adults. In the US alone, almost a third of people over the age of 65 fall each year, resulting in injuries and occasionally death. Falls in the elderly cost $30 billion yearly to treat and can … Read more
She’s sexed up at 70. A grandmother who left her husband of 34 years to have hot and heavy hook-ups says she’s loving her late-in-life sexual awakening. Tina Pemberton feels younger than ever after downloading dating apps and jumping into bed with new men. “I’m living life as a teenager,” the randy retiree told Jam … Read more
Old age, new work patterns. The number of workers postponing retirement has boomed across the Western world due to increased life expectancy and economic uncertainty. British businessman Derek Price, 94, still clocks seven days a week at his company, saying full-time work keeps him spry six years out from his centenary birthday. “I live, eat … Read more
It’s the miracle of birth. Despite all odds against her, a woman in Germany — who was already a mom of nine — gave birth at age 66 without help from in vitro fertilization. Fertility begins to slowly decline when a woman enters her 30s, and those odds continue to plummet as the years go … Read more
This granny has her sights set on 100. A 66-year-old grandmother who has already biked solo through 12 countries — across three continents — has a lofty goal of traveling to 100 in total throughout the world. Li Dongju of Zhengzhou, China, has roamed Southeast Asia, Europe and Oceania, touring countries like Cambodia, France and … Read more
NYU economics professor Bill Easterly, a highly respected expert in foreign aid, global poverty and development in Africa, can add a novel title to his lengthy resume — pingpong player extraordinaire. Easterly, 67, picked up the unusual skill as a way to cope with Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that can cause tremors, slow movement … Read more
The best is yet to come. More than one in three Americans over the age of 55 still have sex at least once a week, a steamy new study on seniors has uncovered. Carewell surveyed 687 older Americans about their sexual habits and preferences, with the results revealing that those aged in their 70s get … Read more
The blues may hold clues. A researcher in England has identified a bureaucratic fatal flaw in the world’s “Blue Zones” — regions believed to be home to the planet’s populations with the most longevity. The five areas with a sizeable bit of its population living to be 100 or older — Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; … Read more
Age isn’t just a number when it comes to the grocery bill. A shopper felt horrifically age-shamed after realizing that a supermarket had given them a “senior discount” even though they were under 50 years old, as documented in a post raising eyebrows on Reddit. “Checked my receipt after noticing discount after discount to find … Read more
Now might be a good time to walk back the myth that you need 10,000 steps a day for optimal health. A new scientific review finds that just 3,143 steps can protect against premature death, with optimal daily steps falling somewhere between 7,000 and 9,000. “The 10,000 steps/day guideline lacks evidence-based support, posing a challenge … Read more
Brain health should be top of mind as we age. Nearly 7 million Americans have been diagnosed with dementia, which slowly erodes memory, thinking skills and the ability to perform basic tasks. Now, economists at the nonprofit research organization RAND have identified several factors that can strongly predict at 60 if you’ll develop cognitive impairment and dementia by 80, including never drinking alcohol … Read more
A popular thyroid medication taken by 23 million Americans may be associated with bone loss, a startling new study finds. Levothyroxine — marketed under brand names such as Synthroid — is the second most commonly prescribed medication among older adults in the US. It’s consumed by about 7% of the US population. Hypothyroidism, also known … Read more
She puts the glam in glamma. An octogenarian from a small farming village in Zambia has become an unlikely style icon by dressing up in her fashion-forward granddaughter’s outfits. Margret [sic] Chola gained internet fame after her granddaughter, Diana Kaumba, a NYC-based stylist, began snapping photos of her donning the glamorous ensembles. The octogenarian has … Read more
Everybody needs some botty. And when there aren’t any warm bodies in the room, folks over 50 are turning to chatbots for companionship — so says a recent survey on seniors and sophisticated technology. “Artificial intelligence (AI) has changed the way we live, and its impact on seniors is no exception,” wrote the authors of an … Read more
Losing your sense of smell is nothing to sneeze at — it could be an early sign of dementia. “Odor identification has been identified as a useful screening tool that predicts conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease dementia,” Virginia neurologist Fouzia Siddiqui told Parade last week. Nearly 7 million Americans have been diagnosed with dementia, which gradually … Read more