Author: Sondra Forsyth

Hepatitis C

Liver Transplants for Hep C: A Surprising Finding

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An international team of researchers was surprised to find that in some hepatitis C patients who receive liver transplants, genes that target the hepatitis C virus (HCV) as part of the innate immune system actually enable the patients to tolerate a foreign organ without taking immunosuppressant medication. The study was published in July 2014 in Science Translational Medicine.

Coming Next Week! June 30th – July 4th 2014

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Here’s a sneak preview of the articles, slideshows, and blogs we’ll be posting during the coming week on ThirdAge, the biggest and best site for “boomer and beyond” women since 1997. As always, we’ll bring you the latest information from top experts about maintaining a healthy body, mind, and spirit as you navigate both the challenges and the joys of being a ThirdAger.

Healthy Diet & Nutrition

Food Ingredient Fears

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Daily headlines on Internet pages and blogs claim: "New ingredient X is harmful to your health." Such warnings can scare people into avoiding these ingredients without actually knowing the facts, leading some people to have food fears about ingredients such as sugar, fat, sodium, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), mono sodium glutamate (MSG), and others. While some of these food fears are merited, others can be misleading.

Food Allergies & Intolerance

New Tx for Food Allergies

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For some people, an allergic reaction to common foods such as peanuts, milk, or eggs can cause a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. At present no effective treatment for food allergy exists, and strict dietary avoidance of known food triggers is the only preventive option available. However, ongoing trials are exploring options for oral immunotherapy (OIT) for desensitization in the treatment of Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy, as described in a Review article in Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology,

Aging Well

A Drug to Slow Aging

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A drug called rapimycin may mimic the effect of dietary restriction, one of the most-researched methods for slowing the aging process, according to an article published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences/em> in June 2014.

“Facelock”: Passwords You Can Actually Remember!

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If you have trouble remembering all your Internet passwords, Senior Moments aren’t necessarily to blame! Researchers in the UK maintain that forgetting passwords is an endemic problem for users and IT managers alike. As a solution, the scientists have developed a newly proposed alternative based on the psychology of face recognition.

Medical Care

Mustaches & Oxygen Therapy = Burns

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Facial hair and home oxygen therapy can prove a dangerously combustible combination, according to a Mayo Clinic report published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. To reach that conclusion, researchers reviewed home oxygen therapy-related burn cases and experimented with a mustachioed mannequin, a facial hair-free mannequin, nasal oxygen tubes and sparks. They found that facial hair raises the risk of home oxygen therapy-related burns, and encourage health care providers to counsel patients about the risk.

Aging Well
Caregiving
Medical Care

Long-Term Care Must Be Improved

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As millions of Americans struggle to help loved ones with dementia, policymakers should consider more ways to improve long-term services and supports for the soaring numbers of people with the debilitating condition and their caregivers, according to a new RAND Corporation study done in June 2014. Thereport also offers possible ways to achieve those goals.

Beauty & Style
Skin

10 Everyday Tips to Achieving Great Skin

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By Andrea Warshaw-WernickWe all know that exercise and proper nutrition are huge factors in getting and maintaining great skin, but there are some other "must dos" to get your skin as healthy and youthful-looking as you can! Here are 10 simple, everyday tips on how to achieve great skin:1. Keep your skin clean by using a gentle cleanser in the morning and at night. Always go in an upward motion when cleansing your face.

Food Allergies & Intolerance

EpiPens Not Used Often Enough

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Sudden allergic reactions can be fatal. The most common triggers of such reactions, also known as anaphylaxis, are wasp and bee venoms, legumes (pul, animal proteins, and painkiller. The incidence of anaphylaxis is age-dependent. Although epinephrine administered by injection is a know effective antidote, the treatment is not used often enough – at least not in German=speaking countries -- , according to a study published in the June 2014 issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International.

Skin
Skin Health

Endorphins and Sun Addiction

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Why do sun lovers eagerly flock to the beach every summer in spite of widespread awareness of the risk of skin cancer? A study published June 19th 2014 in the journal Cell may have the answer. The research, done at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, reveals that chronic exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes the release of feel-good hormones called endorphins, which act through the same pathway as heroin and related drugs and lead to physical dependence, tolerance, and addiction-like behavior.

Weight Loss

Sticking to a Diet: Compliance vs. Adherence

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By Sondra Forsyth You may have noticed that most health care professionals have stopped using the word “compliance” when referring to whether or not people stick with medication regimens or apply sunscreen daily or exercise on a regular basis. The word most often used now is “adherence.” The rationale is that telling patients to comply smacks of issuing a command, whereas asking them to adhere implies that they are partners in their care and can use free will to do what’s best for their health.

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