Women stopped using bisphosphonates for more than two years showed a significantly higher risk of a hip fracture when compared to other women who continued taking the osteoporosis medication, according to new research. The findings were presented at the 2017 meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ACR/ARHP). Osteoporosis is a… Continue reading Should You Stop Taking Your Osteoporosis Medication?
Author: Jane Farrell
Heart Disease and Disability
Older adults who have a healthy heart may lower their risk of disability, according to new research. The American Heart Association (AHA) defines “ideal cardiovascular health” based on four health behaviors (current smoking, body mass index, physical activity, and healthy diet) and three health factors (total cholesterol, blood pressure), and fasting blood glucose level). Recently,… Continue reading Heart Disease and Disability
How to Conquer Knee Pain
Standing up slowly, maybe with a little sigh or grunt? No one wants to admit to such a thing. Joints do wear out as we age, but there are things you can do to keep your knees healthy longer. Joint pain stems from osteoarthritis (OA), a condition marked by the breakdown of cartilage – the… Continue reading How to Conquer Knee Pain
Peanut Allergy on The Rise Among Children
Peanut allergy in children has increased 21 percent since 2010, according to new research, and almost 2.5 percent of U.S. children may have the condition. The research was presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting. “Peanut allergies, along with other food allergies, are very challenging for children and… Continue reading Peanut Allergy on The Rise Among Children
Five Steps to Reducing Your Diabetes Risk
Each year, 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes. To help reduce the probability of becoming part of that statistic, the health experts at Envolve, an integrated healthcare solutions company, hare five easy lifestyle changes you can make to decrease your risk of developing diabetes. Eat A Rainbow. Experts recommend filling half of your plate with… Continue reading Five Steps to Reducing Your Diabetes Risk
Dogs May Help Protect Against Childhood Eczema and Asthma
Now there’s another reason to call dogs man’s best friend. Or maybe a child’s best friend. Research presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting shows that babies born in a home with a dog during a woman’s pregnancy receive protection from allergic eczema. A second study shows dogs… Continue reading Dogs May Help Protect Against Childhood Eczema and Asthma
New Guidelines Expand Definition of High Blood Pressure
Experts are resetting the numbers indicating high blood pressure, and that means that 46 percent of U.S. adults now are identified as having the condition, compared with 32 percent under the previous definition. Those guidelines, released Monday, Nov. 14, by the American Heart Association (AHA), also redefine the condition and provide tactics for doctors to… Continue reading New Guidelines Expand Definition of High Blood Pressure
Food Allergies Often Begin in Adulthood
Although food allergies are often thought of in terms of children, almost half of all food-allergic adults reported one or more food allergies that began in adulthood, according to new research. The research was presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting. “Food allergies are often seen as a… Continue reading Food Allergies Often Begin in Adulthood
Dry Mouth Linked to Dozens of Medications
In an effort to combat dry mouth, a common side effect of medications, researchers are recommending that health care providers monitor that effect and adjust doses of medicine as needed. Having dry mouth means you don’t have enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. The condition can lead to problems chewing, eating, swallowing, and even… Continue reading Dry Mouth Linked to Dozens of Medications
How to Get Your Best Night’s Sleep Every Night
Waking up on the wrong side of the bed is a place we’ve all been: you tossed and turned all night, get up feeling less than refreshed, and are already daydreaming about a Starbucks trip. From busy schedules to poor sleep routines, there’s a plethora of reasons why between 30 and 40 percent of American… Continue reading How to Get Your Best Night’s Sleep Every Night
Getting Over That Exercise Plateau
Expert tips from Go4Life, a division of the National Institute on Aging, about improving your exercise routine. [Editor’s note: Before changing any exercise routine, be sure to talk to your doctor.]: Once you start being physically active, you’ll begin to see results in just a few weeks. You may feel stronger and more energetic than… Continue reading Getting Over That Exercise Plateau
Opioid-Free Anesthesia Decreases Post-Surgery Nausea
The use of opioid alternatives in general anesthesia is safe, effective and substantially decreases post-operative nausea, according to research presented at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Using those alternatives is part of an effort by TEAMHealth Anesthesia at Select Physicians Surgery Center in Tampa, Florida to reduce the use of… Continue reading Opioid-Free Anesthesia Decreases Post-Surgery Nausea
Choosing Healthy Meals as You Get Older
Eating well is crucial to good health, especially as we get older. The experts from the National Institute on Aging share strategies for making sure that your meals are healthy. Drink plenty of liquids With age, you may lose some of your sense of thirst. Drink water often. Low-fat or fat-free milk or 100% juice… Continue reading Choosing Healthy Meals as You Get Older
A Big Risk Factor for Indoor Falls
Although the common perception may be that older people fall most frequently during the icy winter, a preliminary study shows that a majority of falls happen in the warmer months, and that falls are likelier to happen indoors rather than out. And the commonest culprits in indoor falls, the study found, seem to be throw… Continue reading A Big Risk Factor for Indoor Falls
Insurance Approval Lagging on Costly New Cholesterol Drug
Less than half of patients received their insurer’s approval for prescriptions of the type of cholesterol-lowering drug known as PCSK9 inhibitors, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) journal Circulation. PCSK9 inhibitors, like Repatha (evolocumab) and Praluent (alirocumab), work by increasing the removal of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol from the… Continue reading Insurance Approval Lagging on Costly New Cholesterol Drug
Tracking a Common Hospital-Related Infection
Electronic health records (EHRs) in hospitals are helping researchers track down the source of a common infection often acquired in the facilities. In its investigation, the UC San Francisco Health Informatics team traced the movements of more than 85,000 patients over a three-year period. A bacterium known as Clostridium difficile (colloquially called “C. diff”) is… Continue reading Tracking a Common Hospital-Related Infection
Making Love with Your Five Senses
One of the tough things about being in my 60s is that so much of what I used to consider my essential parts have broken down or dried up. I can touch my toes, but my knees are terrible. Bending, any bending, is not so easy, which makes the idea of spicing things up with… Continue reading Making Love with Your Five Senses
From Start to Finish: Food Safety Tips for Thanksgiving Dinner
For most people, Thanksgiving dinner is the biggest and most extensively prepared meal they cook all year. But from menu planning to handling leftovers, there are many opportunities for slip-ups to contaminate food. Stop Foodborne Illness, a national, nonprofit, public health organization dedicated to preventing illness and death from foodborne pathogens, offers these tips for… Continue reading From Start to Finish: Food Safety Tips for Thanksgiving Dinner