Romance is like happiness—you know it when it happens, but it is hard to define. However, it is the missing ingredient in many older individuals’ lives—the excitement of being with someone special that might or might not lead to a real attachment. One widow reported the thrill she got when a casual date held her… Continue reading Romance Has No Age Limit
Author: Jane Farrell
Why Do Women Get Asthma More Frequently than Men?
The effects of sex hormones on lung cells may be causing women to have asthma at twice the rate of men, according to researchers from Vanderbilt University and Johns Hopkins. The investigators found that testosterone hindered a cell linked to asthma symptoms such as inflammation and mucus production in the lungs. The study, which analyzed… Continue reading Why Do Women Get Asthma More Frequently than Men?
Marriage May Help Stave Off Dementia
Marriage may lower the risk of developing dementia, according to a new analysis. The synthesis of the available evidence was published online in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. Lifelong single people and widowers are at heightened risk of developing the disease, the findings indicate, although single status may no longer be quite the… Continue reading Marriage May Help Stave Off Dementia
Study Finds Older Americans Are Drinking More
As people age, they tend to grow more sensitive to alcohol’s effects on balance, attention, reaction time, and driving skills. In addition, people 65 and older generally are prescribed more medications, and the potential for adverse health effects from alcohol-medication interactions can increase. Such issues are an emerging public health concern underscored by a recent… Continue reading Study Finds Older Americans Are Drinking More
Tobacco Regulators Should Give More Weight to Smokers’ “Unhappiness”
Federal officials considering new tobacco-product regulations should give more weight to the fact that a majority of smokers are unhappy about feeling addicted to cigarettes, according to a recent study by the School of Public Health at Georgia State University. Researchers at the school’s Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science (TCORS) analyzed data from 1,284 adult… Continue reading Tobacco Regulators Should Give More Weight to Smokers’ “Unhappiness”
Raw Dough Is A Raw Deal
Do you find it hard to resist gobbling up a piece of raw dough when making holiday cookies, or letting your children scrape the bowl? Do your kids use raw dough to make ornaments or homemade “play” clay? If your answer to any of those questions is yes, that could be a problem. Eating raw… Continue reading Raw Dough Is A Raw Deal
3 Tips to Avoid the ER Due to Common Mistakes at The Gym
As 2017 comes to a close, it’s only natural that we’re starting to think about getting fitter, healthier, more mindful, etc. in the New Year. But while many of us are quick to double down on our workouts in an effort to burn off all those holiday calories, what we often fail to consider is… Continue reading 3 Tips to Avoid the ER Due to Common Mistakes at The Gym
Got Diabetes? Take These Steps to Avoid Foot Problems
If you have diabetes and think you are otherwise healthy, it can be easy to ignore the doctor’s good advice. But that can catch up with you. One of the challenging complications of diabetes occurs when patients’ high blood sugar damages the blood vessels, which leads to poor blood circulation in the legs and feet.… Continue reading Got Diabetes? Take These Steps to Avoid Foot Problems
A New Technique Reduces Side Effects and Improves Delivery of Chemotherapy Drugs
There is a new method for delivering chemotherapy nanodrugs that increases the drugs’ bioavailability and reduces side-effects, say researchers from Carnegie Mellon University. According to a news release from the university, the study, published online in Scientific Reports, shows that administering an FDA-approved nutrition source prior to chemotherapy can reduce the amount of the toxic… Continue reading A New Technique Reduces Side Effects and Improves Delivery of Chemotherapy Drugs
Four Ways to Give (and Heal) This Holiday
The holiday season is a time to give and a time to heal. Sometimes the healing comes through the giving. For example, someone afflicted with a serious illness, such as cancer, makes time to volunteer and support others who are sick. The acts of compassion translate into raising public awareness, bettering one’s self-outlook, and becoming… Continue reading Four Ways to Give (and Heal) This Holiday
Coffee Can Help Your Health
Drinking coffee is “more likely to benefit health than to harm it” for a range of health outcomes, say researchers. They investigators, whose research was published in The BMJ, bring together evidence from over 200 studies and find that drinking three to four cups of coffee a day is associated with a lower risk of… Continue reading Coffee Can Help Your Health
How to Beat the Bad-Guy Rap in Discussions with Aging Parents
As two gray-haired gentlemen set their trays on the table next to me at Panera Bread, one of them asked the other, “Have you seen Ted lately?” “Nah,” the other replied. “His kids made him sell the house and move to one of those places.” The instant lump in my throat made it hard to… Continue reading How to Beat the Bad-Guy Rap in Discussions with Aging Parents
Why Exercisers in their 40s and 50s Should “Agercise” Their Workouts
Sprains and strains are painful, but avid exercisers often see them as little more than a nuisance. I call them something else: a blessing. It’s a wake-up call. It’s your body whispering rather than shouting at you. These injuries are warnings that if you keep doing what you’re doing, you could do major damage. We… Continue reading Why Exercisers in their 40s and 50s Should “Agercise” Their Workouts
Simple Steps to a Low-Glycemic Lifestyle
The next generation of senior citizens will be sicker and costlier to the health care system over the next 14 years than previous generations, according to a new report from the United Health Foundation. The report looks at the current health status of people ages 50 to 64 and compares them to the same ages… Continue reading Simple Steps to a Low-Glycemic Lifestyle
Arthritis More Common Than Believed in People under 65
The incidence of arthritis in adults younger than 65 has been substantially underestimated, accordin to new research. The findings indicate that better monitoring is needed to gauge the prevalence of arthritis and to develop prevention strategies. The study was published in Arthritis & Rheumatology. . Current national estimates of arthritis rely on a single survey… Continue reading Arthritis More Common Than Believed in People under 65
“Nanosponges” May Someday Treat Potentially Blinding Eye Infections
In recent years, the number of eye surgeries for conditions including cataracts and glaucoma has dramatically increased and with it, so has the number of potentially blinding infections. Now, though, there may be a way to prevent those infections. In a new study, researchers demonstrate using a mouse model that engineered nanosponges can be used… Continue reading “Nanosponges” May Someday Treat Potentially Blinding Eye Infections
The Truths about Your Doctor You’ll Never See on TV
What makes a drug-addicted people-hating doctor with zero regard for laws so popular that millions of people chose to spend time with him every week? Who am I talking about? Gregory House, MD. For eight years, we loved every episode. One year, House was the most watched television show on the entire planet. The newest… Continue reading The Truths about Your Doctor You’ll Never See on TV
7 Things to Check Before You Leave The Pharmacy
Did you know that your pharmacist can work with you to help you take medications safely and reliably? Here are a few things to check when you fill a prescription, especially for a new medication: Make sure the label has your name on it and the directions from your doctor. If it doesn’t have directions,… Continue reading 7 Things to Check Before You Leave The Pharmacy