University of Florida News

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida’s Institute on Aging has received a multimillion-dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center. UF is one of 10 centers in the country to receive the prestigious award, which provides $3.9 million over the next five years to fund aging research and career development.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida researchers used gene therapy to restore sight in mice with a form of hereditary blindness, a finding that has bearing on many of the most common blinding diseases.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Better tie that string around your finger a little tighter.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Changes in roadway intersection design can keep older drivers safer and on the road longer, report University of Florida researchers in the current issue of Traffic Injury Prevention.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Just as physical exercise is good for the body, mental training can keep older minds functioning better, with results lasting for years.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s elderly population fluctuates by nearly 20 percent over the course of a year with the winter arrival of “snowbirds” embracing warmer weather and the summer departure of “sunbirds” escaping to cooler climes, a new University of Florida study finds.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Seniors who like to “spoil the grandchild” without interference from the parents have discovered that the safest bets are long trips to theme parks, historical sites and even on safaris, a new University of Florida study finds.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Implantable heart devices are the treatment of choice for patients with potentially life-threatening irregular heartbeats. But the thought of receiving a high-energy shock to restore normal cardiac rhythm can strike fear in their hearts nonetheless.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Elderly patients who develop anemia risk serious health problems that increase the odds they will be hospitalized and nearly double the chance they will die, according to findings from a long-term study by a multi-institute research team.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida scientists conducting experiments with mice have found evidence that the body naturally replenishes small amounts of cells in the eye essential for healthy vision.