ICAA Research Review is published monthly for ICAA members. Complimentary issues are sent periodically to people who register. To receive bi-weekly issues, visit the ICAA membership section, or telephone 866-335-9777 or 604-734-4466.

In this issue

• Stats: Nearly 57 million people in the US ages 50+ work
• Acupuncture can improve motor recovery after a stroke
• Social networks may protect cognitive function when work stops
• LGBTQ+ people over 50 face more aging-related challenges
• Canada confronting surge in social anxiety
• Tech Talk: New way to reverse frailty in older South Australians

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Stats: Nearly 57 million people in the US ages 50+ work

Nearly 57 million people ages 50+ are in the labor force, and older workers' growth is outpacing that of younger workers as the cohort expands by more than one million per year, according to the latest “Longevity Economy Outlook from AARP.” The 2026 report projects that this contribution will continue to grow through 2060. Active-aging communities can use the data in the report to enhance awareness and support for older workers when doing presentations and launching initiatives.

Adults 50+ generated $12.5 trillion in economic activity in 2024—enough to rank as the world's third-largest economy after the US and China. Furthermore, the population accounted for 43% of the US Gross Domestic Product in 2024 and generated economic benefits across multiple dimensions. Of note, 50+ workers supported nearly half (46%) of all US jobs across industries and paid almost 60% of federal income taxes.

Beyond paid work, unpaid contributions proved economically essential, according to the report. Adults 50+ provided the equivalent of $1.2 trillion in unpaid care and volunteering in 2024. Households headed by someone 50+ contributed $111 billion in charitable donations, accounting for 70% of all charitable giving in the US, and provided $13.1 billion in financial support to college students, roughly 72% of all such support.

Spending patterns reveal the economic power of this demographic, the report authors say. Healthcare dominates long-term growth in spending, driven particularly by those 75+. Housing accounts for more than one-fifth of consumption, with demand set to continue amid rising preference for "aging in place." Leisure spending is staging a comeback, notably powered again by those 75+, while technology spending is rising especially quickly.

The report emphasizes that a longevity-powered future requires industries, employers, governments, and communities to plan with aging in mind, with key action areas including making longer working lives productive; treating age-ready housing as essential infrastructure; creating age-friendly products; investing more for an aging society; and recognizing unpaid contributions as essential economic drivers.

SOURCE: AARP Global Thought Leadership (June 2, 2026); The Longevity Economy® Outlook National Report; https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/thought-leadership/topics/aging-experience/longevity-economy-outlook-2026.doi.10.26419-2fint.00401.001.pdf
KEYWORDS: Employment, Middle class, Older adults

To download the national report, state profiles, and related collateral, click here

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Acupuncture can improve motor recovery after a stroke

Acupuncture can improve motor function recovery after stroke, with clinical gains correlated to increases in gray matter volume in brain regions governing motor control and coordination, researchers say. Hemiplegia (paralysis on one side of the body) is a common motor impairment following ischemic stroke, but true-acupoint acupuncture appears to offer therapeutic benefit. Active-aging communities might consider offering this alternative therapy, which has been linked to other health benefits.

For the study, 56 patients with stroke were randomly allocated in a 2:1 ratio to receive either true-acupoint or sham-acupoint acupuncture over two-weeks. Researchers assessed clinical motor outcomes using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, Brunnstrom Scale, and the US National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. They also conducted neuroimaging analyses, examining gray matter volume and dynamic functional network metrics in specific brain regions important for motor control and cognitive-motor integration.

Only the true-acupoint group demonstrated improvements on motor recovery measures, including Brunnstrom scores. The acupuncture group also showed neuroplastic changes; increases in gray matter volume in the right opercular inferior frontal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and cerebellar regions positively correlated with motor recovery.

In contrast, the sham-acupoint group showed no significant changes in gray matter volume.

"These [brain] modulations may improve motor initiation, execution, control, and coordination, representing a potential central mechanism underlying acupuncture's therapeutic effect," the authors wrote.

SOURCE: Wiley Online Library (June 3, 2026). Yu X, et al. (June 3, 2026). CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cns.70955
KEYWORDS: Acupuncture, Mobility, Motor recovery, Stroke

To download the full study, click here

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Social networks may protect cognitive function when work stops

Social networks may help protect cognitive functioning in later life, particularly among older adults who are no longer working, researchers say. Their study found that social connections can help compensate for the loss of mentally stimulating interactions linked to work, and that these effects differ notably between men and women. The findings may be of interest to active-aging communities whose residents or members recently retired or stopped working for other reasons.

For the study, researchers utilized data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to analyze the relationship between employment status, social connectedness, and cognitive functioning among adults ages 50+. They compared people who were employed, retired, unemployed, or homemakers, and assessed how different levels of social network strength related to two measures of cognitive functioning: episodic memory and verbal fluency. The analysis drew on more than 145,000 observations collected across 27 European countries between 2011 and 2020.

"A strong social network appears to buffer the cognitive disadvantage of not working, but the pattern is clearly gendered,” said study coauthor Daniela Weber, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria. “For women, having a diverse social network appears to compensate for the loss of engagement opportunities often provided by work. For men, close personal ties, often with a spouse or partner, may play a particularly important role. In addition, we found that non-employed men with no social ties had especially low episodic memory scores, highlighting the potential risks associated with social isolation."

The authors emphasized that these findings have important implications for policymakers developing aging-related policies. "Our results suggest that interventions should reflect the different ways men and women benefit from social connections.” said coauthor Valeria Bordone, also of the University of Vienna. “Programs that help older women build and maintain diverse social networks may be especially valuable, while for older men, preventing social isolation and supporting close relationships may matter more."

SOURCE: Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (June 9, 2026). Arnhold T, et al. Research on Aging; First published online June 6, 2026; https://doi.org/10.1177/01640275261456210
KEYWORDS: Social network, Cognitive function, Retirement

To download the full article, click here

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LGBTQ+ people over 50 face more aging-related challenges

LGBTQ+ individuals ages 50+ are growing older in a very different environment from the one they grew up in, according to a University of Michigan poll that examines what that means for both people over 50 who are LGBTQ+, and those who are not. The findings have implications for healthcare providers, who researchers say should ask about LGBTQ+ patients' social support networks and work to make their clinics welcoming and inclusive.

While nearly 7 in 10 non-LGBTQ+ adults over 50 have at least one personal connection to an LGBTQ+ person, LGBTQ+ adults over 50 themselves face higher rates of aging-related health and social challenges, according to the poll.

For example, 19% rated their mental health as fair or poor, compared with 11% of non-LGBTQ+ adults. More than half (56%) reported having a disability that limits daily activities, compared with 41% of non-LGBTQ+ adults— and that’s despite the fact that the LGBTQ+ group was younger, on average. Experiencing discrimination in healthcare was much more common, with 12% of LGBTQ+ adults saying they had been treated unfairly or discriminated against while receiving care in the last year, compared with 5% of non-LGBTQ+ adults.

Social isolation was also notably higher. While 8% of non-LGBTQ+ adults over 50 often felt a lack of companionship, the rate was more than twice as high (20%) among LGBTQ+ adults. Feeling isolated from others was three times higher at 18% versus 6%.

Yet LGBTQ+ adults over 50 were more likely than non-LGBTQ+ adults to view local healthcare and social services as welcoming. Seventy-one percent of LGBTQ+ adults said their local healthcare services are welcoming to older LGBTQ+ adults, compared to only 40% of non-LGBTQ+ adults.

However, LGBTQ+ adults were less confident about receiving support as they aged, with 77% confident in family and friend support compared to 90% of non-LGBTQ+ adults, and 81% confident in receiving needed healthcare services compared to 86% of non-LGBTQ+ adults.

"LGBTQ+ older adults have lived through decades of social and political change impacting their communities. Current policy changes could impact their confidence in accessing healthcare or community resources as they age," said Wesley Correll-King, postdoctoral fellow at U-M Population Studies Center.

SOURCE: Michigan Medicine University of Medicine (June 1, 2026)
KEYWORDS: LGBTQ+, Bias, Disparities

To read the findings for the national poll and the Michigan poll, click here

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Canada confronting surge in social anxiety

Social anxiety disorder now affects nearly 1 in 7 Canadian adults—a 71% increase since 2002—making it one of the most common mental health challenges in the country, according to a recent survey-based study. Researchers from the University of Toronto examined the prevalence and psychosocial correlates of social anxiety disorder across the Canadian population and found that nearly 14% of Canadian adults have experienced social anxiety at some point in their lives, up from just over 8% in 2002.

Young adults face the highest risk, with 24% of those ages 20 to 24 experiencing social anxiety at some point, compared to only 6.2% of those 65 and older. Although they’re at lower risk of experiencing the disorder, older adults may still want to be aware of the potential impact on younger family members.

Sometimes called social phobia, social anxiety disorder is a mental health condition characterized by intense fear of judgment or embarrassment in social situations, often leading to distress, impaired relationships and work performance, and reduced quality of life.

Although the study did not examine why social anxiety may have increased over the years, researchers hypothesize that recent social changes, including increased social media use and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, may be contributing factors.

The study also showed that early life experiences strongly predicted social anxiety in adulthood. Individuals who experienced childhood sexual abuse or witnessed domestic violence had significantly higher rates of the condition. Lifetime social anxiety was linked to chronic pain, multiple health conditions, and substance use disorders.

However, social support made a difference. People with low social support were much more likely to struggle with social anxiety, and notably, those who reported spirituality as important in their lives were less likely to experience it.

"While our study did not test treatments directly, there is strong evidence from other research that cognitive behavioral therapy can be highly effective for social anxiety," noted Esme Fuller-Thomson, PhD, director of the university’s Institute for Life Course and Aging.

SOURCE: University of Toronto (June 11, 2026); Chau, T-L N, et al. Psychiatry Research; October 2026; article 117252; Volume 364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117252
KEYWORDS: Social anxiety, Social isolation

To download the full study, click here

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Tech Talk: New way to reverse frailty in older South Australians

A personalized online intervention helped older Australians reduce their frailty risk in six months, with some participants reversing their trajectory toward frailty entirely, a pilot study showed. The findings suggest that technology might play a meaningful role in helping vulnerable residents in active-aging communities.

Sixty residents over age 60 participated in the trial conducted by Adelaide University, South Australia. Half received access to a web platform containing evidence-based health and lifestyle advice tailored to their individual needs; the other half served as a control group without platform access. All participants began with similar frailty risk levels.

By the end of the six-month trial, those using the platform reduced their frailty risk by 15%, while those without access saw their frailty risk increase by almost 20%.

The platform, developed by the Canadian Frailty Network and adapted for Australian use, contained resources on exercise, vaccination, optimized medications, social interaction, and healthy diets. It was designed to promote behavior change by allowing participants to earn points for completing tasks and receive motivational nudges. Participants were also encouraged to attend face-to-face seminars with experts on nutrition and healthy aging.

Nearly three-quarters of participants continued in the program for the full study duration, and almost all reported changes in knowledge, particularly in diet and exercise. Positive behavior changes were recorded across all health areas, with many expressing interest in continuing if new content became available.

"Frailty doesn't have to be an inevitable part of aging," said Renuka Visvanathan, PhD. "People who are frail often find it harder to recover from illness or injury. They are more vulnerable to falls, longer hospital stays and increased risk of mortality. But our study shows that it can be prevented and the risk can even be reversed with effective, early intervention and education."

Adelaide University researchers are now seeking further funding to improve the intervention and develop an app version for broader implementation across Australian council areas.

SOURCE: Adelaide University (June 4, 2026). Dollard J, et al. Age and Ageing, Volume 55, Issue 5, May 2026, afag120, https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afag120
KEYWORDS: Technology, Frailty

To download the full study, click here

--reported by Marilynn Larkin

Suggestions? Email mlarkin@icaa.cc

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Disclaimer

ICAA Research Review shares knowledge and information. The newsletter is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not medical advice. The ICAA encourages you to make health and business decisions based upon your own research and in partnership with a qualified professional.