“More than 2 million people 65 and older suffer from depression…The suicide rate among white men over 85 is the highest in the country“

This data is from the 3-line first paragraph of an article in UCLA Medicine, the University of California at Los Angeles’s “medicine magazine”–summer 2011. Is this a shock to you? It was to me.

The article results from a UCLA research study, published in the on-line edition of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. It highlights tai chi’s success in “combatting” (my word) depression in the elderly.

UCLA ranks #2 in the US for geriatrics, so this study would seem to merit our attention. In addition, the director of UCLA’s Late-Life Depression, Stress and Wellness Research Program, said they “were encouraged by the results.”

The article is a quick, easy read; there’s no professional jargon. So paraphrasing it here is unnecessary–just click the link above. If you prefer to listen to a very short synopsis, the courtesy of the US Department of Health and Human Services, click http://www.hhs.gov/news/healthbeat/2011/07/tai_chi_fighting_depression.mp3

As we look for tools to help parents age well–especially if they are depressed–tai chi clearly holds promise.

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To link to the US News&World Report’s Best Hospitals 2011-2012 rankings (Mt. Sinai in NY ranks #1 in geriatrics), click the Sites and Blogs I Like tab above.