Researchers have drawn closer to an understanding of higher cognitive processes by discovering that people learn pain cues even though they are unaware of such cues. Investigators from the Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm, looked at 49 people who were assigned into four groups that would examine the levels of conscious awareness during the experiment. According… Continue reading Understanding the Signals of Pain
Author: Jane Farrell
Better Treatment for Hep C Patients
A new system can help identify which hepatitis C patients are most in need of new anti-viral drugs. An awareness campaign directed at baby boomers, born between 1946-1965, to be screened for hepatitis C , took off as effective treatments emerged to wipe out the liver-damaging virus. But high costs – up to more than… Continue reading Better Treatment for Hep C Patients
Memorial Day: Honoring and Helping Vets
Memorial Day isn’t only the kickoff to summer, it’s also a time to thank those who fought and died for our country. But for some veterans, there may not be much cause for celebration. We hear of far too many mental, emotional and physical problems among the men and women who have served the United… Continue reading Memorial Day: Honoring and Helping Vets
Can the Fountain of Youth Be Found in Your Bedroom?
Can sex really make you feel and look younger? According to several studies, the answer is: yes. Sex is on the list of effective anti-aging solutions because it’s natural and, for most people, can be very enjoyable, to say the least. Here’s why sex is an effective tool to help you look younger: Estrogen. Most… Continue reading Can the Fountain of Youth Be Found in Your Bedroom?
An Ebola Vaccine – Without a Needle?
A single-dose Ebola vaccine, given without a needle, has protected primates against infection for at least 21 weeks, according to a new study. The vaccination was given to macaques, a kind of Asian monkey, through their nose and lungs. The study was reported in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics. The researchers noted that the current Ebola… Continue reading An Ebola Vaccine – Without a Needle?
Solve the Medical Riddle: Her Daughter Feels as Though the Room is Shrinking, First Week
Editor’s note: Welcome to our ThirdAge feature that gives you a chance to play medical sleuth as we share the details of what happened when a patient presented with a problem that stumped the physician at first. We’ll start this week by letting you know what the patient told the doctor and how the doctor… Continue reading Solve the Medical Riddle: Her Daughter Feels as Though the Room is Shrinking, First Week
Care Guidelines to Prevent Acute COPD
The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) and the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) announced in October 2014 the release of Prevention of Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: American College of Chest Physicians and Canadian Thoracic Society Guideline in the journal CHEST. The guideline, a first of its kind, provides evidence-based recommendations aimed at… Continue reading Care Guidelines to Prevent Acute COPD
Dogs and Our Health: The Benefits of our Furry Friends
For thousands of years, dogs have been domesticated and bred to have qualities humans deemed suitable–a literal transformation from wild animal to man’s best friend. They are our companions, friends, family, and service dogs. That feeling we get when we see our furry friend jump with joy, give us a kiss (and accidentally hit us… Continue reading Dogs and Our Health: The Benefits of our Furry Friends
Psoriasis-Hypertension Link
Patients with more severe psoriasis are also more likely to have uncontrolled hypertension, according to research done at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Through a cross-sectional study using information collected from a medical records database, the results provide further evidence of a strong link between psoriasis and hypertension. The results… Continue reading Psoriasis-Hypertension Link
Getting the Most from Your Oral Healthcare Providers
Editor’s note: This is the eighth in a series of articles on getting the most from the members of your healthcare team. It used to be that if you went to the dentist, unless you needed some special work, the dentist took care of just about everything. But over the years, dentistry and its specialties… Continue reading Getting the Most from Your Oral Healthcare Providers
Improving Bladder Function After Spinal Cord Injuries
People who have suffered spinal cord injuries are often susceptible to bladder infections, and those infections can cause kidney damage and even death. Research done at the University of California, Los Angeles may go a long way toward solving the problem. A team of scientists studied 10 paralyzed rats that were trained daily for six… Continue reading Improving Bladder Function After Spinal Cord Injuries
Discovery May Help Prevent Blindness
A team of researchers at the Institut de Researches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM) led by Michel Cayouette, PhD discovered that a protein found in the retina of the eye plays an essential role in the function and survival of light-sensing cells that are required for vision. These findings could have a significant impact on the… Continue reading Discovery May Help Prevent Blindness
Pill-Only Regimens Cure Hep C
Two new pill-only regimens that rapidly cure most patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C (HCV), the most difficult to treat form of the infection, could soon be widely prescribed across Europe. Recently-published studies confirmed the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with two oral direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs), with around 90% of patients cured after… Continue reading Pill-Only Regimens Cure Hep C
OTC Meds May Affect Your Driving
Anyone who operates a vehicle of any type—car, bus, train, plane, or boat—needs to know there are over-the-counter medicines that can make you drowsy and can affect your ability to drive and operate machinery safely. Over-the-counter medicines are also known as OTC or nonprescription medicines. All these terms mean the same thing: medicines that you… Continue reading OTC Meds May Affect Your Driving
Make Your Dating Life Healthy Again!
You’ve made the big decision to start dating again. You’ve heard about all the health benefits of good relationships: reducing the risk of stress, depression, even heart disease. But basically, you’d just like a guy in your life again. All your friends are telling you the only way to go is to get on Match… Continue reading Make Your Dating Life Healthy Again!
Why You’re Taking Care of Yourself (or Not) As You’re Aging
People over 50 who feel comfortable with aging are likelier than those who don’t to get preventive health care services, University of Michigan researchers have found. Previous research has shown that older adults can take several different paths of health. Some decline, some stay the same, and some get healthier. What path an adult takes… Continue reading Why You’re Taking Care of Yourself (or Not) As You’re Aging
New Hope for Healing the Heart
Researchers from UCLA have discovered that cells that form scars in the heart can change into the kind of cells that help the heart to heal. The study focused on the scar-forming cells, known as fibroblasts, and their ability to transform into endothelial cells, which form blood vessels. That discovery could pave the way for… Continue reading New Hope for Healing the Heart
What You Should Know for the 2014-2015 Influenza Season
Editor’s note: Although the Ebola crisis has dominated the news recently, here at ThirdAge.com we don’t want you to lose sight of the fact the current flu season is here. The CDC offers the following information and advice about protecting yourself and your loved ones. What sort of flu season is expected this year? It’s… Continue reading What You Should Know for the 2014-2015 Influenza Season