TUESDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- As the temperatures rise, older adults become more vulnerable to heat-related health issues because their bodies don't cool down as quickly as younger people.

"Sometimes, older people may not feel hot when the temperature is dangerously high and are also less likely to feel thirsty, which means their bodies have lost too much water," Dr. John B. Murphy, president of The American Geriatrics Society, said in a prepared statement.

For the more than half of all Americans over age 59 who complain about not being able to fall asleep easily, the answer may rest with a 2,000 year old Chinese series of movements.

Researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles found that the 19 moves and one pose found in tai chi chih -- the Western version of the ancient philosophy that combines movements and poses to relieve stress and find spiritual fulfillment -- actually allowed study subjects to improve their sleep patterns.

MONDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- Using a cane may help reduce the risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA) progression, according to a study by researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

The study included 16 men and 24 women, mean age 65, with knee OA, an incurable joint disease that's the leading cause of disability in elderly people. All the participants walked in their bare feet and then in their own shoes. Then, 20 of the participants walked wearing their own shoes and using a cane in the hand opposite to the knee with OA.

Elderly people with low levels of vitamin D may be at increased risk for depression and other mental health disorders, Dutch researchers say.

Of the 1,282 people, ages 65 to 92, in the study, 26 had major depression and 169 had minor depression. Vitamin D levels were 14 percent lower in those with major or minor depression, Agence France-Presse reported.

The researchers also found that low vitamin D levels were associated with increased levels of a hormone secreted by the parathyroid gland. Overactive parathyroid glands are often linked with depression.

SUNDAY, April 27 (HealthDay News) -- Many older adults don't get enough sleep, which can increase the risk of serious health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, says the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

While sleep patterns do change as people age, disturbed sleep and waking up tired every day aren't a normal part of aging.

TUESDAY, April 22 (HealthDay News) -- Nursing home patients who take antipsychotic drugs are 60 percent more likely to develop pneumonia in the short term than those who don't take the drugs, a new study shows.

MONDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- Lifestyle factors and medication recommendations are among the topics covered in the guidelines for treating resistant hypertension released Monday by the American Heart Association.

By Alan Mozes
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

SUNDAY, April 6 (HealthDay News) -- A daily dose of either ibuprofen and acetaminophen appears to boost both muscle mass and strength among elderly men and women who do weight training.

FRIDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- A specific type of yoga may help improve stability and balance in women over age 65, possibly helping them to avoid falls, a preliminary study reports.

By Steven Reinberg
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Despite some doctors' reluctance to do so, a new study finds that treating high blood pressure in patients 80 age and older can reduce the rate of stroke, heart failure and death from cardiovascular disease.