_ Avoid Portion Distortion By Jane Farrell article Want to try eating smaller? These tips from choosemyplate.gov can get you off to a great start: We’ve all been guilty of “portion distortion” – of believing that we’re eating a lot less than we actually are. Avoid that trap by figuring out how big your portions really are:
_ Sleep Health The Dangers of Sleep Disorders By Jane Farrell article The doctor will then perform a physical examination, looking for signs of illnesses that can affect sleep, including Parkinson’s and heart disease. If your doctor feels more information is needed, he or she may refer you to a sleep center for more testing.
Telephone Care Helps Some Medicare Patients By Jane Farrell article Medicare Patients And Low-risk Medicare patients who are getting home health care appear to benefit from medication management therapy conducted via phone, but that procedure doesn’t work for higher-risk patients, a new study shows. The study, conducted by researchers from Purdue University, aimed to see which patients benefit the most from medication management via telephone.
_ Potato Chips And Toxins By Jane Farrell article Researchers have found that the snack food ingredient olestra speeds up toxin removal from the body. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Cincinnati’s medical school, was published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. Olestra is a zero-calorie fat substitute found in low-calorie snack foods such as Pringles. Researchers said it could reduce the levels of serum polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in people who had been exposed to PCBs. High PCB levels have been linked to hypertension and diabetes.
_ DonΓÇÖt It Make My Brown Fat White By Jane Farrell article What causes “good” brown fat to turn into “bad” white fat? Boston University researchers say the unfortunate transformation happen when you eat too many high calorie foods. They found that this habit not only leads to an increase in white fat cells (the type prominent in obesity) but that it also makes brown fat cells (the type that generate heat and burn energy) “whiten”. The results were published in April 2014 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
_ Sleep Health Watch: Are There Gender Differences In Dreaming? By Jane Farrell article Here's another addition to our Third Age video collection. Press play to start learning.
_ Smart Ways To Buy Whole Grains By Jane Farrell article Sometimes it seems as if entire supermarket aisles are devoted to high-fiber, protein-packed, multi-grain or whole-grain foods. The grain issue can be especially complicated. Whole grains are crucial for nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, B vitamins, and fiber. But, according to the federal program choosemyplate.gov, you need to carefully evaluate foods that make grains claims. Here, the experts tell you how to get the best possible whole-grain nutrients.
_ Nasal Spray May Stop Depression By Jane Farrell article New research from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City shows that an antidepressant nasal spray can become effective within 24 hours – an unusually rapid amount of time. The ketamine spray was well-tolerated by patients who have treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. Of 18 patients who took ketamine or the placebo saline for two days, eight responded to ketamine within 24 hours, while one responded to saline.
_ New Program Could Improve Dementia Care By Jane Farrell article A new model of coordinated brain care improves treatment and outcomes for patients with cognitive impairment. Researchers from the Regenstrief Institute, Eskenazi Health and Indiana University Center for Aging Research, who developed the Healthy Aging Brain Center care model, said the new program also produces substantial cost savings. In the program, patients have an initial cognitive assessment, including neuropsychological testing, brain imaging, a medication review and structured neurological and physical evaluations.
_ Criteria for ΓÇ£Choosing WiselyΓÇ¥ Lists By Jane Farrell article In the creation of lists by specialty societies of medical services deemed least beneficial, the "Choosing Wisely" initiative, inclusion was often justified by evidence suggesting no additional benefit with higher risk, higher cost, or both, compared with other options, according to a study in the April 9th 2014 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association.
_ Cancer Patients and Post-Surgery Problems By Jane Farrell article Editor’s Note: For patients, cancer is frightening in a lot of ways. Beyond the physical risk to a patient’s health, there are mental effects as well. After surgery, people often find they suffer from memory and nervous systems problems as well as chronic pain. The changes, which can be caused by side effects of treatment, can be overwhelming if a patient doesn’t understand why they’re happening. Here, from the experts at NIHSeniorHealth, is an explanation: Memory
_ Don't Be Confused By Organ-Donation Myths By Jane Farrell article From the Mayo Clinic Over 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for an organ donation. Unfortunately, many may never get the call saying that a suitable donor organ — and a second chance at life — has been found.
_ The New Challenges of Alzheimer's By Jane Farrell article The growing incidence of Alzheimer’s raises many question beyond diagnosis and, eventually treatment. As a society, we also need to think about the ethical and policy choices we are faced with, an expert says.
_ A Better Test For Prostate Cancer By Jane Farrell article Researchers have developed a painless method to test for prostate cancer, and that could help millions of men avoid a grueling diagnostic exam. If a blood test turns up signs of prostate cancer, physicians usually remove samples of tissue through the anus, using 12 large biopsy needles. The procedure has been called “barbaric.” That technique could be replaced thanks to researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), together with AMC Amsterdam. Research team leader Massimo Mischi at TU/e said the new procedure uses existing ultrasound scanners.
_ Watch: New Technique Helps Find Hidden Cancers By Jane Farrell article Here's another addition to our Third Age video collection. Press play to start learning.
_ Exercise For Alzheimer's Patients By Jane Farrell article Editor’s Note: Exercise has myriad benefits, and the same holds true for people with Alzheimer’s. In addition to mental exercise and social interaction, physical activity is essential. It can help keep muscles and the heart in shape, reduce stress and depression and maintain an even weight. The companionship it provides with visitors or caregivers can also be helpful. Here, from the National Institute on Aging’s Go4Life program, are some tips for caregivers to help their loved ones get into a physical routine, or maintain one:
Heart Health Misdiagnosed Strokes Common For Women And Minorities By Jane Farrell article ER doctors overlook or minimize early signs of stroke in tens of thousands of patients, especially with minorities, women and people under 45 – often in the week before they suffered the debilitating incident. A report on the research, from a team led by a Johns Hopkins specialist, was published in the journal Diagnosis. In analyzing federal health care data, the investigators said that younger people in the study were nearly seven times more likely to be given an incorrect diagnosis and sent home without treatment despite such symptoms.
_ Caffeine May Help Guard Against Dementia By Jane Farrell article Ordinary caffeine appears to have a positive effect on one of the key proteins responsible for Alzheimer’s, researchers report. Researchers from the University of Bonn and the University of Lille said the discovery may pave the way for treatment of Alzheimer’s. The results were published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.