Reason for seniors' vulnerability to pneumonia explained

Older people are far more prone to community-acquired pneumonia than younger individuals, possibly leaving many in need of home care.

University of Texas researchers have found that this could be due to ageing, obsolete cells which are unable to die due to dysregulated function.

These cells contain higher levels of proteins for disease-causing bacteria to stick to and produce molecules which increase inflammation, causing nearby normal cells to do the same.

Senior author Carlos Orihuela said: "We can't stop ageing, but our findings suggest that preventing inflammation might be the next best thing.

"This opens up possibilities for anti-inflammatory drugs as treatments for pneumonia."

Meanwhile, research published in journal Respirology has revealed that adults admitted to hospital with pneumonia have an increased risk of death if they have a vitamin D deficiency.

A lack of the vitamin was found to be linked to an elevated risk of mortality in the first 30 days after admission to hospital.

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