The heartbreak associated with losing a loved one to Alzheimer’s disease is indescribable. One day, an adult child holds the hand of a parent; the parent asks, “Do I know you?” and the child’s heart (no matter what age) breaks into thousands of tiny pieces never to be repaired. A spouse experiencing the same response… Continue reading Alzheimer’s Disease and Decision Making: Do I Know You?
Author: Jane Farrell
Hot Flashes May Have A Genetic Link
Are hot flashes, the universal symbol of menopause, linked to genetics? A team of UCLA-led researchers may have found a clue in a first-of-its kind study: gene variants that affect a receptor in the brain that regulates estrogen release and is present across all ethnicities. It appears that women who have these variants are more… Continue reading Hot Flashes May Have A Genetic Link
What You and Your Financial Adviser Are Missing
Imagine a person who has invested a hefty sum of money and is in dire need of assistance managing that investment. And imagine that person’s financial advisor saying he or she can do little or nothing to help. For many Americans who are saving for retirement, that scenario is a reality. “A huge chunk of… Continue reading What You and Your Financial Adviser Are Missing
Stress and Bad Food Choices
When it comes to food choices, stress counts for a lot, according to researchers from The Ohio State University. In their study, unstressed women who ate a biscuits-and-gravy breakfast made mostly with saturated fat fared worse in blood tests looking for precursors to disease than those women who ate an identical breakfast made primarily with… Continue reading Stress and Bad Food Choices
Stopping the Spread of “Dog Diseases”
Guidelines for how to avoid “dog disease” – illnesses spread by our furry friends – are now available thanks to an effort led by experts from the Ohio State University. The advice, which appears in a user-friendly guide and in a scientific paper in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, is intended to… Continue reading Stopping the Spread of “Dog Diseases”
How to Develop Health Literacy
When your doctor prescribes a medication, do you know what the correct dosage is or how to measure it? Are you comfortable asking your doctor questions when you receive a lab report and don’t understand the results? Do you understand how to use the information on the Nutrition Facts Label on food products when you… Continue reading How to Develop Health Literacy
What You Need to Know About Rosacea
Here, experts from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) tell you what you need to know about the skin condition of rosacea and how to treat it. Rosacea, a common skin disease, usually begins with a tendency to blush more easily than other people. It often begins with a tendency to blush or flush more… Continue reading What You Need to Know About Rosacea
Guidelines Have Little Effect on Prostate-Cancer Screenings
Although health officials have published controversial prostate cancer screening guidelines, the guidelines didn’t significant change the number of screenings given to men, according to an extensive review by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The study, published in the journal Cancer, covered more than 275,000 visits at the facility. Revised guidelines from the United States… Continue reading Guidelines Have Little Effect on Prostate-Cancer Screenings
Daylight Savings Time and Your Health
Even though “fall back” time gives us an extra hour (for 2016, the date is Nov. 6), when we move our clocks back the additional 60 minutes can have a number of health consequences. Most obvious is the disturbance to our sleep patterns, and the havoc that can wreak with our routine and our health. Inconsistent… Continue reading Daylight Savings Time and Your Health
What to Know about Ground-Meat Safety
Meat grinding isn’t something most of us think about in considering food safety. But the federal Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) says each year roughly 48 million people get sick from food. And grinding conditions are a big part of that. As a result, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now requiring… Continue reading What to Know about Ground-Meat Safety
Lifesaving Care Can Vary Widely Among Hospitals
Having major surgery comes with many risks, including problems that can crop up hours, days or even weeks after the patient leaves the operating room. These complications can be deadly, or require far more care in the hospital and beyond before the patient recovers. A new study shows just how much that care can cost,… Continue reading Lifesaving Care Can Vary Widely Among Hospitals
Millions of Unused Painkillers May Contribute to Opioid Epidemic
More than half of opioids prescribed to patients following surgical tooth extraction – such as the removal of impacted wisdom teeth – were left unused by patients, according to new research. The researchers, from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine, say the surplus is troubling given the ongoing… Continue reading Millions of Unused Painkillers May Contribute to Opioid Epidemic
An Earlier Menopause May Mean Longer-Lasting Symptoms
The earlier the onset of menopause, the longer a woman may experience symptoms, a new study shows. Researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health and Medical School found that women who are younger than 45 when they first notice changes in their monthly cycles and other symptoms can have a longer menopausal… Continue reading An Earlier Menopause May Mean Longer-Lasting Symptoms
Smartphone Security Tips
Seniors are one of the most at risk groups for identity theft in the United States, according to recent reporters. Hackers that gain access to smartphones have the ability to steal a wealth of personal information including addresses, banking information, private messages and more. Here, George Waller, co-founder of the cyber-security team Strikeforce, shares tips… Continue reading Smartphone Security Tips
Managing Your Heartburn
The common condition known as heartburn actually has nothing to do with the heart. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s a burning sensation in your chest, just behind your breastbone. Heartburn, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), occurs when stomach contents back up into your esophagus. You may also, Mayo says, feel a sour taste and… Continue reading Managing Your Heartburn
Can People Get By with Less Sleep?
People who sleep much less than they’re supposed to may be efficient sleepers, but their patterns of neural connections suggest they may also be more tired than they realize, new research shows. The study, from the University of Utah, was published in Brain and Behavior. “This is tantalizing evidence for why some people feel like… Continue reading Can People Get By with Less Sleep?
Six Signs That A Person with Dementia Might Wander
Anyone living with a form of dementia such as Alzheimer’s is at risk of wandering. “It’s predicted that six of 10 individuals with Alzheimer’s will wander during the disease process,” says Monica Moreno, director of Early-Stage Initiatives for the Alzheimer’s Association. That’s why it’s important to watch for the potential signs that someone could be… Continue reading Six Signs That A Person with Dementia Might Wander
Recycling Cancer-Fighting Tools
According to the World Nuclear Association, more than 10,000 hospitals worldwide use radioisotopes in medicine. Molybdenum-99, the parent isotope of technetium-99m, is the most widely used radioisotope for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, production costs and the limited viability of the isotope can be a challenge for clinicians and healthcare providers. Now, nuclear… Continue reading Recycling Cancer-Fighting Tools