_ All About Telehealth By Jane Farrell article From the Mayo Clinic How many times have you heard it said that the Internet has transformed modern life? Indeed, it's probably changed how you stay in touch with family and friends, purchase goods and services, and even search for information about health problems. But are you using the array of telehealth tools available to improve your health and wellness? If not, you may be falling behind the times. What is telehealth? Why should you care?
_ Skin Patch Makes Health Monitoring Easier By Jane Farrell article A simple, ultra-thin skin patch could help doctors monitor patients around the clock. Engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University have proven that the patch, which moves with the skin and has electronic chips, is as effective as EKG and EEG testing. According to the researchers, the patches have a “microfluidic” construction with wires folded like origami to allow the patch to bend and flex. The patches could be used for daily health tracking by wirelessly sending updates.
_ Grandparents Could Be Factor in the "Baby Blues" By Jane Farrell article For some new mothers, living with baby’s grandparents may not be a good thing. A study by researchers from Duke University indicates that living with the new baby’s grandparents either lessens or increases the rate of post-partum depression, depending on the mother’s marital status. Both married and single mothers suffer depression when they live in multi-generational households during their baby’s first year of life. But unmarried women who live with their romantic partner in a multi-generational household show lower rates of depression.
_ Weight Loss Can Sun Exposure Help You Lose Weight? By Jane Farrell article Exposure to light in the morning rather than later in the day may be a good way to manage weight, new research shows. The study, from Northwestern Medicine, found that the timing, intensity and duration of light exposure is linked to Body Mass Index (BMI).
_ Viral Invasions And Your Blood Sugar By Jane Farrell article A crucial discovery about the relationship between viruses and cells could lead to treatment for conditions as disparate as cancer and the common cold. The findings, by scientists from UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, represent the first detailed study explaining exactly how viruses reprogram the metabolism of the cells they invade to promote continued viral growth. The study results were published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
_ The Best Ways To Protect Yourself Online By Jane Farrell article By Rose Haywood You put more personal information online than you may think. By signing up for a contest, shopping online for the holidays, or doing online banking, you can make it easier for hackers to get the details they need about your online ID. With so many companies and services moving to online-only mediums, it’s hard not to put some of your information out there to get the services you need. Here are three easy-to-follow rules that can help safeguard your ID and personal information, including financial and health details,heal from prying eyes. 1. Avoid free Wi-Fi
_ Watch: A More Accurate Knee Replacement Surgery By Jane Farrell article Here's another addition to our ThirdAge video collection. Press play to start learning.
_ Sleep Health Night-Owl People Bigger Risk Takers Than Early Risers By Jane Farrell article Women who are night owls are as likely as men to be risk-takers. They’re also liable to be single or have short-term romantic relationships. Research by a professor from the University of Chicago suggests that night owls are different from early risers in very important ways. The research suggests that sleep patterns are linked with important character traits and behavior.
_ More People Are Making Living Wills By Jane Farrell article The number of older people who have living wills has nearly doubled in recent years, researchers have found. The change indicates that millions of people are less timid about discussing the complicated, frightening issues surrounding end-of-life medical treatments. Investigators from the University of Michigan and the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Health Care System found that the percentage jumped from 47 percent in 2000 to 72 percent in 2010.
_ 3 Questions To Ask About The Intensive Care Unit By Jane Farrell article 3 Questions to Ask About The Intensive Care Unit Looking After Your Loved One In The ICU The Medical Intensive Care Unit, or what people commonly call the ICU, can be just that – intense. Most patients are admitted because they have a serious illness that requires critical, round-the-clock care. These people have often developed pneumonia, sepsis, or multiple organ failure. Feelings can run high, especially for patients and their families.
_ Why It May Be More Than "The Blues" By Jane Farrell article Everyone feels blue now and then. It’s part of life. But if you no longer enjoy activities that you usually like, there may be a more serious problem. Feeling depressed without letup can change the way you think and the way you experience emotions. Doctors call this clinical depression.
_ Urban Gardeners Must Know More About Soil By Jane Farrell article People growing food in urban gardens need to know more about soil contamination, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF). Although consuming food from urban gardens can have health benefits, a lack of knowledge about soil contamination could pose potential problems for both consumers and producers.
_ A Simple Step Toward Better Healing By Jane Farrell article Heart-attack patients’ recovery can improve if hospitals keep to regular day-night cycles during the first few days after the attack, research shows. Previous studies have shown that circadian rhythms, or day-night cycles, can affect the timing of a heart attack. But this is the first investigation to show the importance of keeping to circadian rhythms in the first few days after the attack. The findings, by researchers from the University of Guelph, in Toronto, were published in the journal Circulation Research.
_ Watch: How To Spot "Diet" Foods That Make You Gain Weight By Jane Farrell article Here's another addition to our Third Age video collection. Press play to start learning.
_ Breast Lifts Increasing In Popularity By Jane Farrell article Although breast implants remain the most popular cosmetic surgery for women, the popularity of breast lifts is growing fast, according to newly released statistics. The statistics, from American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) show that since 2000, breast lifts have grown by 70 percent, outpacing implants two-to-one. In 2013, ASPS surgeons performed more than 90,000 breast lift procedures. Nearly 70 percent of the lifts were performed on women between the ages of 30-54.
Men's Health Statins Help With Erectile Function By Jane Farrell article In addition to lowering blood cholesterol, statin drugs also appear to help with erectile dysfunction. Researchers said they hope that conclusion will encourage men who need statins to take them. The finding is to be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session.
_ Digestive Health Are You Lactose Intolerant? By Jane Farrell article If you find yourself suddenly having unpleasant digestive effects from dairy products, the culprit might be lactose intolerance. Even if you’ve never suffered from it, lactose intolerance can manifest itself in adulthood. Here, from the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearing House (NDDIC), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is some information on what it is, why you might have it and how you can manage it:
_ Heart Health Are Relaxed BP Guidelines Safe? By Jane Farrell article Relaxed guidelines about hypertension could lead to 5.8 fewer million adults taking blood pressure medicine, according to an analysis by Duke Medicine researchers. That finding is the first peer-reviewed study the impact of guidelines announced in February by the Eighth Joint National Committee, an expert panel. The committee changed the blood pressure goal in adults 60 years and older to 150/90, instead of the previous goal of 140/90. Goals were also eased for adults with diabetes and kidney disease.