JMIR Aging

Individuals with locomotive syndrome (LS) have muscle weakness and reduced motor function due to musculoskeletal disorders that cause reduced mobility and physical function. In Japan, musculoskeletal disorders are the most common reason for requiring home support or nursing care, highlighting the need for preventing and ameliorating LS. Middle-aged and older adults sometimes encounter difficulty making a habit of exercise therapy (the mainstay of LS treatment).

Evidence suggests that older adults can improve dual-task (DT) performance through specific motor-cognitive training programs. Recent technological advancements have facilitated the development of novel rehabilitative DT methodologies. In particular, the DUAL-REHAB project exploits 360° technology to develop ecological, cost-effective DT exercises for clinical and home settings.

Sarcopenia, the age-related decline in muscle mass and strength, poses a significant threat to functional independence in older adults. Despite strong evidence supporting resistance training as a preventive and therapeutic strategy, adherence to muscle-strengthening guidelines remains low. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies offer a promising avenue to bridge this gap; however, few apps are tailored to older adults or designed with their input.

Dementia caregivers often want to support aging at home, but as neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) become more severe, caregiver challenges increase, often resulting in negative outcomes for both the caregiver and care recipient and institutionalization. Project CARE is a manualized in-person group intervention for dementia caregivers designed to reduce negative caregiver outcomes by teaching skills to manage NPS in care recipients in the home environment. Interventions that occur in person, however, can be difficult for caregivers to attend. Telehealth-based interventions are possible alternatives that reduce barriers to attendance.

The population of patients with heart failure (HF) is rapidly aging, and the prevalence of HF continues to rise among older adults. Effective HF self-care is essential for improving survival and reducing hospital readmissions, and the role of family caregivers in supporting and reinforcing these behaviors has become increasingly important. With the growing integration of digital health technologies into HF management, technology-assisted self-care is becoming more common. However, many older adults experience difficulties in adopting and effectively using digital tools, which may limit the potential benefits of digital health interventions. As both patients’ and caregivers’ levels of digital literacy may jointly shape HF self-care behaviors, a dyadic analytic approach is warranted to clarify their interdependent effects.

The increasing use of smartphones among older adults offers new opportunities for social connection but may also pose risks associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including depression.

Estimated pulmonary biological age (ePBA) has emerged as a more reliable indicator for disease progression and mortality than chronological age, with chest computed tomography (CT) as a promising tool for calculating ePBA. However, the lack of models trained and validated with large-scale healthy adults hinders the generalizability of the CT-based ePBA.

Humanoid robots offer a promising solution to the growing burden of care for older adults. However, existing evidence on their applications for general aging populations remains fragmented and lacks systematic synthesis.

Life expectancy and age are frequently considered factors to assess perioperative and postoperative mortality risks in patients affected by aortic pathologies, which can affect the decision whether to suggest invasive treatment.

Population aging has emerged as a global concern, older adults’ ability to access health knowledge and manage their well-being impacts their health outcomes. In the artificial intelligence era, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) videos hold promise for enhancing geriatric health management. However, their potential and the needs of older adults in using GenAI videos for health-related purposes deserve a more in-depth investigation.

Low levels of physical activity (PA) increase dementia risk, and for middle-aged and older adults with co-occurring cognitive concerns and mental health symptoms, dementia risk increases further. Despite clinical trials showing lower adherence to PA interventions in high-risk groups, there is a sparsity of interventions tailored to support unique behavior change needs. In EXCEL (Exercise for Cognitive Health) phase 1, we developed a model to understand the needs of this population and identified tailoring requirements to enhance engagement. Here we report the findings of a pilot online intervention designed to support middle-aged and older adults with subjective cognitive decline or mild cognitive impairment and mild to moderate symptoms of depression or anxiety to meet PA guidelines.

Aging is a pressing global issue, and older adults need to build up their knowledge to manage their health. Insufficient self-efficacy and low acceptance of technology hinder their ability to use emerging technologies for self-management.