Author: Jane Farrell

Good Looks and Pleasant Scents

Want people to think you’re even prettier than you are? Spray on some perfume, or have some flowers in the vicinity.

New research shows that women’s faces get a higher attractiveness rating when pleasant odors are in the vicinity. However, the odors didn’t affect people’s evaluation of age.

“Odor pleasantness and facial attractiveness integrate into one joint emotional evaluation,” said lead author Janina Seubert, PhD, a cognitive neuroscientist who was a postdoctoral fellow at Monell Chemical Senses Center, in Philadelphia, at the time the research was conducted.

7 Ways To Protect Yourself From Your Smartphone

By Stacy Vogler

Baby Boomers are are wholeheartedly embracing technology, including mobile devices. Research shows that Boomers are now the fastest growing segment of smartphone users. But as they access the latest technology, they have to be careful about exposing themselves to risks, such as identity theft. And they’ll need to think about ways to protect their valuable mobile electronics.
Here are some tips:

1.

Keeping Your Liver Healthy.

Many of us are rightly concerned about heart health, cancer, hypertension and diabetes. In the midst of all this, our liver health may not be at the top of the list. But the liver, one of our vital organs, is paramount to our health, and it’s essential to protect it. It renders toxins harmless and makes sure they are expelled from the body, according to the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Unfortunately, drugs and even dietary supplements can make the liver go haywire, the FDA says.

Doctors Don’t Want Aggressive End-of-Life Treatment for Themselves

Although most physicians would choose a do-not-resuscitate code for themselves when terminally ill, they tend to pursue life-prolonging treatment for patients in a similar condition, new research shows.
The study, conducted by researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine, demonstrates a “disconnect” that needs to be further explored.

“Why do we physicians choose to pursue such aggressive treatment for our patients when we wouldn’t choose it for ourselves?” said lead author VJ Periyakoil, director of the Stanford Palliative Care Education and Training Program.

Toxic Substances Make You Older

Environmental toxins play a significant part in your molecular aging, according to new research.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill say toxins that affect the rate of such aging include benzene, cigarette smoke and even stress. Molecular age refers to the age of the body’s cells, and is different from chronological age.

Watch: Surgical Fix For Droopy Eyelids

Here’s another video from our Third Age collection. Press play to start learning.

The Hardest Part of Alzheimer’s Caregiving

Everyone who’s cared for an Alzheimer’s patient knows how sad and frustrating the changes can be. But perhaps among all the effects of the illness – difficult communication; hallucinations; wandering; disturbed sleep patterns – aggression, often accompanied by agitation, can be the most unsettling. Patients may get so angry that they literally lash out at others, occasionally even putting caregivers in harm’s way.

A Deadly Protein In The Heart

A genetic variant linked to sudden cardiac death leads to protein overproduction in heart cells, according to a new study.

Chemotherapy and Hospitalization

Scientists have zeroed in on which chemotherapy regiments are likelier to lead to hospitalizations for early stage breast cancer patients.

The retrospective study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, was conducted by researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. For their analysis, the researchers looked at hospitalization-related insurance claims by patients who were undergoing varying chemotherapy regimens.

If You’re Considering A Cochlear Implant

Cochlear implants — which bypass damaged or nonworking parts of the inner ear — can improve hearing for anyone with hearing loss that can’t be adequately managed with conventional hearing aids.

Cochlear implants are electronic devices that convert acoustic sounds into electrical pulses that stimulate the auditory nerve directly. The pulses, which are organized like the keys of a piano, are delivered to points along the inner ear.

The pulses stimulate the auditory cells that represent the various speech sounds.

Melatonin and Osteoporosis

Melatonin is a widely touted sleep aid, but researchers have discovered that the supplement makes bones stronger in elderly rats and may do the same for humans.

The research was led by Faleh Tamimi, a professor in the School of Dentistry, of McGill University, Montreal. It was published in the journal Rejuvenation Research.

Although a good night’s sleep and osteoporosis may not seem to have any connection, in fact there is a link.

A New Understanding of the Anti-Cancer Drug Taxol

Scientists have discovered exactly how the anti-cancer drug Taxol works, and the discovery could lead to designing better medicines.

Taxol, one of the most widely prescribed anti-cancer drugs globally, disrupts the workings of microtubules, part of the cell’s skeleton.

Common Beliefs About Obesity Could Be Wrong

Why do we have an obesity epidemic? Experts have come up with a number of reasons, and most of them might be wrong, according to new research.

The findings, by investigators from the University of Illinois, Champaign, indicate that people have better access to fresh, affordable food than they did years ago.

Understanding Your Blood Work

From the Mayo Clinic

A complete blood count (CBC) is a blood test used to evaluate your overall health and detect a wide range of disorders, including anemia, infection and leukemia.
A complete blood count test measures several components and features of your blood, including:
Red blood cells, which carry oxygen
White blood cells, which fight infection
Hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells
Hematocrit, the proportion of red blood cells to the fluid component, or plasma, in your blood
Platelets, which help with blood clotting
Abnormal increases or decreases in cell counts as revealed in a

A Step Forward In the Fight Against Alzheimer’s

Researchers have developed a molecular compound that reversed the symptoms of Alzheimer’s in mice. The compound also reduced inflammation of the brain.

The compound, antisense oligonucleotide (OL-1), “reversed learning and memory deficits and brain inflammation in mice that are genetically engineered to model Alzheimer’s disease,” said Susan Farr, Ph.D., research professor of geriatrics at Saint Louis University.

The findings were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

How to Have Healthy Air At Home

One of the best things about warmer weather: throwing open the windows to let in some fresh air. But that doesn’t automatically mean that the air in your house is healthy, or even safe. If you want to keep your house a healthy place for you, your family and your pets, the American Lung Association has some suggestions:

If you haven’t already, make your home a smoke-free zone. Don’t let anyone smoke inside; if they want to inhale, they can go a safe distance away from the house, so smoke won’t blow in through your windows.
Have a radon test, the ALA says.

Which Prostate Surgery Is Better?

Robotic surgery, the primary choice for removing cancerous prostate glands, is as safe as open surgery for Medicare patients over 65, according to a new survey.

The findings came in a survey that included analysis by researchers from Henry Ford Hospital. The hospital is a pioneer in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), a minimally invasive procedure.

“Although studies comparing the two techniques were done early in the robotic era for this surgery, RARP boomed in more recent years, overtaking open surgery,” says study co-author Jesse D.