High blood pressure is highly age-related and affects more than 1 billion people worldwide. The condition is a major source of morbidity and mortality, because it makes individuals more prone to heart failure, stroke and kidney disease. Yet doctors can’t fully explain the cause of 90 per cent of all cases. Now a computer model of a “virtual human”, created by researchers at Norwegian University of Life Sciences, suggests that stiff arteries alone are enough to cause high blood pressure. The study was published in May 2014 in in PLOS Computational Biology.
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Fitness Trends: Hot or Not?
By Scott Weiss, D.P.T., A.T., CSCS
With summer just around the corner, many people are focusing their energy on getting back into shape. Unfortunately, what used to be a simple trip to the gym has now turned into a roundabout of trial and error, checking out each of the new classes and workouts that keep popping up. Variety is both fun and beneficial, but while choosing which activities best suit your needs, also remember to be wary of the trendy workouts topping the charts. Here are my recommendations:
Inhaler Reminders Improve Adherence
If you’re an asthma sufferer and you sometimes forget to use your inhaler, an electronic reminder could be the answer to keeping yourself on track. A study conducted by a research team at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Australia showed that reminders prompting asthma patients to take their control inhalers if they miss a dose significantly improved medication adherence, During the six-month investigation, patients receiving reminders took on average 73% of their prescribed doses compared to only 46% in patients who did not have reminders.
New Target for Chronic Pain Treatment
Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have found a new target for treating chronic pain: an enzyme called PIP5K1C. In a paper published on may 21st 2014 in the journal Neuron, a team of researchers led by Mark Zylka, PhD, Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, shows that PIP5K1C controls the activity of cellular receptors that signal pain.
By reducing the level of the enzyme, the scientist demonstrated that the levels of a crucial lipid called PIP2 in pain-sensing neurons is also lessened, thus decreasing pain.
Possible Breakthrough for IBD Tx
A microRNA cluster believed to be important for suppressing colon cancer plays a critical role in wound healing in the intestine, according to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. The findings could provide a fresh avenue for investigating chronic digestive diseases and for potentially repairing damage in these and other disease or injury settings.
A release from the medical center quotes Dr. Joshua Mendell as saying, “We identified a novel role for microRNAs in regulating wound healing in the intestine.
Non-Hormonal Hot Flash Remedy Works
A study done at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and published in the May 27th 2014 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine compared low-dose oral estrogen and low-dose non-hormonal venlafaxine hydrochloride extended release (XR) to a placebo. Both treatments proved to be effective in reducing the number of hot flashes and night sweats reported by menopausal women.
Watch: How to Work Out Using Paper Plates
Here's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!
How to Keep Your Body from “Falling Back”
By Julia Samton, MD
The ASPCA Offers 9 Cold Weather Tips for Pets
Here, adapted with permission from an article by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, are guidelines for protect your pets when it’s cold outside:
Happy Couples Can Resolve Fights
Just in time for Valentine’ s Day 2014, Baylor University psychologist Keith Sanford, Ph.D. reports that being critical, angry, and defensive isn't always a bad thing for couples having a big disagreement — provided they are in a satisfying relationship. In that case, they likely will have a "big resolution" regardless of how negative they were during the discussion, according to his study, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
Double Dating Keeps Romance Alive
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit have found that going on a double date may be more effective at reigniting passion in your own relationship than the classic candlelit dinner for two. That result appears to be because striking up a friendship with another couple in which you discuss personal details of your life will bring you closer to your own partner. The study will be presented the week of February 10th 2014 at the annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology in Austin, Texas.
The Truth About Relaxation Techniques
The National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), advocates relaxing as an antidote to stress but offers some guidelines so you can avoid ineffective strategies:
The “Silent Symptom” of Menopause
By Judy Kirkwood
Editor's note: October 18th is World Menopause Day. Here, to help you celebrate, is the information you need to keep the loving alive and well as you experience "the change."
Health Close-Up: Stage IV Breast Cancer
By Judy Kirkwood
Editor's note: October is Breast Cancer Month. This article is ThirdAge's contribution to awareness about a form of breast cancer that is seldom discussed and is underfunded even though a third of patients have it. Read on for the courageous story of one of those patients and learn how easy it can be for you to help the cause.
Are You or a Loved One “Almost Alcoholic?”
By Judy Kirkwood
Getting Past Betrayal
By Judy Kirkwood
“The most important thing about me was that for quite a chunk of my life I was divorced. It was a fact that stayed with me even after I remarried. I have now been married to my third husband for more than 20 years. But when you've had children with someone from whom you're now divorced, that split defines everything; it's the lurking fact, a slice of anger in the pie of your brain.” Nora Ephron
A Surgeon’s Tips for Back Pain Treatment
By Judy Kirkwood
Debilitating back pain is the second most common reason Americans visit the doctor. But who should you see when you have back pain and what do you ask?
Having treated thousands of patients, Dr. Burak Ozgur, a combined ortho-neuro spine fellowship-trained double board certified neurosurgeon based in Newport Beach, California, shares his thoughts.
Drug Abuse Among Seniors
By Judy Kirkwood
The problem of older adults abusing prescription and illicit drugs hasn’t gotten enough attention says Dr. Gaya Dowling, acting chief of science policy branch at NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse). “When we think of drug abuse, we think of young people,” says Dowling. But there has been an undeniable rise in the number of patients over 50 who require intervention and treatment. Many more remain in the shadows, undiagnosed.