Building on waves 1 and 2 of the main Understanding Society survey, the first release of health assessment data is now available.

When life spans increase, people become more concerned with their rights, pushing societies towards democracy, argues Tim Dyson of the London School of Economics. While this demographic transition has taken 200 years in Europe, China might be through this change by 2030.

A House of Lords inquiry examining the pressures facing the health service drew heavily on research evidence from the ESRC-supported Institute for Fiscal Studies.

New research on mummies challenges the conventional belief that fatty arteries are caused by unhealthy lifestyles. The study came about through the Digging into Data Challenge, a research initiative co-funded by the ESRC.

The dispensing of mood-altering drugs to older people in Northern Ireland increase after they move into care homes, according to research at the Centre of Excellence for Public Health Northern Ireland, co-funded by the ESRC.

A report launched today by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and co-funded by the ESRC reveals that a third of those approaching retirement report that they find it impossible even to guess how much income they will receive from their private pensions.

Stable, nurturing relationships may help you stay fit and healthy, according to new ESRC-funded research. The study found that being in supportive relationships with low levels of conflicts and stress may help some individuals keep slim and physically active.

The Great British Public Toilet Map has been developed as part of an ESRC-funded research project Tackling Ageing Continence through Theory Tools and Technology (TACT3), automatically tracking councils' open data on public toilet facilities and displaying the information online.

The Government's White Paper on care and support, published Wednesday, presents a number of 'key actions' to meet care needs for the elderly over the next decade. The ESRC-supported Institute for Fiscal Studies has examined different scenarios for the funding of social care in the future.

After the break-up of the Soviet Union and the transition to a market-led economy, many older people in Central Asia and the Caucasus live in poverty and experience economic hardship, disruption to family life and reduced state services.

Professor Stephen Pudney: Evolution better than revolution in social care system.

Professor Alan Walker: An ageing UK population represents both challenges and opportunities, but requires both a change in attitudes and targeted policies.