_ Skin Skin HealthEndorphins and Sun Addiction By Sondra Forsyth articleWhy 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 LossSticking to a Diet: Compliance vs. Adherence By Sondra Forsyth articleBy 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.
_ Mental & Emotional HealthAnger Management: Your questions Answered By Sondra Forsyth articleBy Mayo Clinic StaffAnger itself isn't a problem — it's how you handle it. Consider the nature of anger, as well as how to manage anger and what to do when you're confronted by someone whose anger is out of control.What is anger?
_ Psoriasis Skin HealthWatch: Psoriasis Advice By Sondra Forsyth articleHere's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!
_ Women's Health and WellnessFor Some Older Women, Calcium Supplements Up Risk of Kidney Stones By Sondra Forsyth articleCalcium and vitamin D are commonly recommended for older women, but the usual supplements may send calcium excretion and blood levels too high for some women, according to a study published online June 18th 2014 in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society. Excess blood and urine calcium levels may lead to kidney stones or other problems. The study will be published in the November 2014 print edition of Menopause.
_ Brain HealthSeeing the Inner Workings of the Brain By Sondra Forsyth articleA team of scientists at Stanford University has improved a technique called CLARITY that they developed in 2013 to look into brains from deceased donors, according to a paper published June 19th 2014 in Nature Protocols. A release from the university explains that without this tool, the fatty outer covering of the brain’s nerve cells blocks microscopes from taking images of the intricate connections between deep brain cells. CLARITY eliminates the fatty covering while keeping the brain intact with all its intricate inner wiring.
_ Aging Well Memory Loss Stress Management Stress-Free LivingStress Linked to Memory Loss as We Age By Sondra Forsyth articleResearch done at the University of Iowa reports a potential link between stress hormones and short-term memory loss in older adults. The study, published in June 2014 in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that prolonged high levels of cortisol can lead to memory lapses as we age.
_ ExerciseCalling All Couch Potatoes: You Might Be at Risk for this Disease By Sondra Forsyth articleHere’s yet another compelling reason to get up off the couch: Physical inactivity can increase the risk of colon, endometrial, and lung cancers, according to a study published June 16th 2014 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Time spent watching TV was especially predictive of increased cancer risk.
_ MenopauseAre You Setting Off Your Hot Flashes? By Sondra Forsyth article By Gary ElkinsIf you start taking note of your hot flashes, you may recognize some events, emotions, or activities that actually seem to contribute to, or “trigger,” the onset of a hot flash. Scientifically speaking, while the physiology of hot flashes is associated with a decrease in estrogen level or an increase in gonadotropin concentrations, the actual physiological mechanism of hot flashes is not known.
_ Heart HealthFor Women, Improving Accuracy of Heart Disease Diagnosis By Sondra Forsyth articleDiagnosing coronary heart disease in women has become more accurate through gender-specific research that clarifies the role of both obstructive and non-obstructive coronary artery disease as contributors to ischemic heart disease in females, according to a statement published in June 2014 in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.
_ High blood pressure / hypertension Senior HealthDiuretics Risky for Older Adults By Sondra Forsyth articleAdults over 65 with high blood pressure who have recently begun taking thiazide diuretics are at a greater risk for developing metabolic-related adverse events including acute kidney injury, according to research done at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco. The study was published in June 2014 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
_ Digestive HealthWatch: Irritable Bowel Syndrome Advice By Sondra Forsyth articleHere's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!
_ Medical CareDocs Say “AMEN” When Patients Pray for a Miracle By Sondra Forsyth articleCancer clinicians and a chaplain at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have developed a new tool to help doctors, nurses, and other health care providers talk to dying patients and families who are, literally, praying for a miracle.
_ Vision HealthAMD: Omega-3 Stops Unwanted Blood Vessel Growth By Sondra Forsyth articleAge-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is characterized blood vessel growth, is the primary cause of blindness in the elderly in industrialized countries. The prevalence of the disease is projected to increase 50% by the year 2020. There is an urgent need for new pharmacological interventions for the treatment and prevention of AMD.
_ High blood pressure / hypertensionLower BP Not Always Better By Sondra Forsyth articleFor decades, common medical wisdom has been "the lower the better" in treating the approximately one in three people in this country who have high blood pressure. But does that approach result in reduced risk for dangerous heart events? Not necessarily, according to research done at Wake Forest Baptists Medical Center in Winston Salem, North Carolina, and published in the June 16th online edition of JAMA Internal Medicine.
_ Aging WellDiscussing Sensitive Subjects With Your Doctor By Sondra Forsyth articleMuch of the communication between doctor and patient is personal. To have a good partnership with your doctor, it is important to talk about sensitive subjects, like sex or memory problems, even if you are embarrassed or uncomfortable.
_ Bionic Pancreas Outperforms Insulin Pump By Sondra Forsyth articlePeople with type 1 diabetes – a lifelong condition -- who used a bionic pancreas instead of manually monitoring glucose using fingerstick tests and delivering insulin using a pump were more likely to have blood glucose levels consistently within the normal range, with fewer dangerous lows or highs. The full report of the findings, funded by the National Institutes of Health, was published June 15th 2014 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
_ Healthy Diet & NutritionHealth Buzzwords on Food Products: False Promises? By Sondra Forsyth articleHealth-related buzzwords such as "antioxidant," "gluten-free" and "whole grain," lull consumers into thinking packaged food products labeled with those words are healthier than they actually are, according to a research done at the University of Houston.A release from the university reports that the team suggests that false sense of health as well as a failure to understand the information presented in nutrition facts panels on packaged food may be contributing to the obesity epidemic in the United States.