World Osteoporosis Day is observed annually on October 20th and marks the beginning of a year-long campaign dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal diseases. For 2014, the focus is on the fact that men can get osteoporosis even though it is often thought of as… Continue reading World Osteoporosis Day 2014: Real Men Build Strength from Within
Author: Jane Farrell
Happy Walking Could Help with Depression
Want to improve your mood? It can help to walk as if you’re happy, according to new research. A study from Canadian researchers showed that people who were prompted to walk in a slump-shouldered style experienced worse moods than those who were prompted to walk in a happier, bouncing style. Nikolaus Troje, of Queen’s University,… Continue reading Happy Walking Could Help with Depression
Hidden Population: Tween and Teen Caregivers
While the typical preteen or adolescent can be found playing sports or video games after school, more than 1.3 million young people spend their free time caring for a family member who suffers from a physical or mental illness, or substance misuse. According to a release from the American Academy of Pediatrics, these “caregiving youth”… Continue reading Hidden Population: Tween and Teen Caregivers
How Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners Affect Your Health
We know that sugar isn’t an optimal ingredient in our food. But how undesirable is it, and are artificial sweeteners a good substitute? If you’ve ever struggled with your sweet tooth, you should know more about what you’re fighting. Here, experts from the National Institutes of Health share their knowledge: First, we need one kind… Continue reading How Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners Affect Your Health
More Injuries with Robotic Surgery – At Least for Now
Robotic surgery for some procedures may be more expensive than conventional surgery – and, at least for now, result in more complications as well, according to researchers from Columbia University Medical Center. The finding, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, focused on surgery for benign gynecological conditions. The researchers in this study looked at… Continue reading More Injuries with Robotic Surgery – At Least for Now
Battling “Chemo Brain”
Scientists have identified a culprit in the condition known as “chemo brain,” a decrease in mental sharpness attributed to chemotherapy. The researchers, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, made the discovery in a study of an animal memory model. It has been estimated that up to half of patients taking cancer… Continue reading Battling “Chemo Brain”
Curbing Weight Gain on Insulin
By Mayo Clinic Staff Weight gain is a common side effect for people who take insulin — a hormone that regulates the absorption of sugar (glucose) by cells. However, controlling your weight is not only possible, but also an important part of your overall diabetes management plan. The link between insulin and weight gain When… Continue reading Curbing Weight Gain on Insulin
Solve the Medical Riddle: She Constantly Feels as Though She’s Swaying and Rocking, Fourth 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. The first week of this riddle, the patient reported her symptoms and the doctor proceeded with the… Continue reading Solve the Medical Riddle: She Constantly Feels as Though She’s Swaying and Rocking, Fourth Week
Fast Food Restaurants Now Offer Lower Calorie Menu Items
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that large chain restaurants, including fast food places, have introduced newer food and beverage options that on average contain 60 fewer calories than their traditional menu selections in 2012 and 2013, which were generally high in calories, fat, and sodium. The findings appear in… Continue reading Fast Food Restaurants Now Offer Lower Calorie Menu Items
A Possible Treatment for Binge Drinking
Scientists have discovered profound changes in proteins that could lead to treatment for alcohol-related liver diseases. The researchers, from the University of Missouri School of Medicine, said the changes occur because of binge drinking. The National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse defines binge drinking as five drinks over a two-hour period for men, and… Continue reading A Possible Treatment for Binge Drinking
Free Menopause Mobile App
The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) is set to launch a first-ever menopause mobile app, MenoPro, designed for use by both clinicians and patients to help manage menopausal symptoms and assess risk factors. An article about the app is published in the October 15th 2014 issue of Menopause. A release from NAMS explains that MenoPro… Continue reading Free Menopause Mobile App
Curb the Cost of Vaccines
Few medical interventions have been as successful as vaccines in improving public health. Whether they are childhood vaccinations, vaccines to prevent healthy adults from contracting influenza or the more recent HPV vaccine for adolescents, these preventive methods have resulted in dramatic benefits for individuals and the public. We have only to think of the eradication… Continue reading Curb the Cost of Vaccines
Passengers Can Help Drivers with Directions, Not Safety
A driver can get good help for directions from a passenger in the car – but there’s also an increased risk of a collision, according to new research. That conclusion comes from a study performed by experts at the University of Illinois who used a simulator to judge drivers’ responses while talking to passengers, driving… Continue reading Passengers Can Help Drivers with Directions, Not Safety
Do Natural Bedbug Remedies Really Work? Sometimes
Some natural pesticides can help against bedbugs, but only if you manage to actually spray the bugs and eggs directly. Non-synthetic pesticides, containing ingredients such as geranial, cedar extract, rosemary oil and cinnamon oil, have proliferated in recent years because of concerns over human exposure to synthetic pesticide. Researchers from Rutgers University looked at nine… Continue reading Do Natural Bedbug Remedies Really Work? Sometimes
Drug for a Genetic Disease Slows Parkinson’s
Research done at the University of California, Los Angeles discovered that a drug being evaluated to Gaucher disease, a rare genetic disorder, helped slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease in mice. The study was published in the October 2014 edition of the journal Neurotherapeutics. A release from the university explains that that a drug called… Continue reading Drug for a Genetic Disease Slows Parkinson’s
ThirdAge Health Close-Up: Becoming a Triathlete at 50 After Surviving a Devastating Auto Accident
Ten years ago Maureen Kemeny’s SUV was hit by a tourist bus. The now 55-year-old says, “Luckily my children who were 7 and 12 at the time weren’t with me. The bus hit exactly where one of them would have been sitting!” Maureen suffered severe herniated discs in her neck and lower back. “Pain was… Continue reading ThirdAge Health Close-Up: Becoming a Triathlete at 50 After Surviving a Devastating Auto Accident
How to Protect Yourself from Internet Hackers
These days, we hear about a steady stream of cyber-attacks that result in the “hijacking” of millions of accounts online. Big corporations and even the government have proven vulnerable. Those headlines are cause for concern – and remind us of why we need to be smart about protecting our information on our own computers. Here,… Continue reading How to Protect Yourself from Internet Hackers
A “Good Fat” to Battle Diabetes
Researchers have found a new class of molecules that may help protect against diabetes. The molecules are produced in both human and mouse fat. The investigators, from the Salk Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, found that giving the new fat, or lipid, to mice with the equivalent of Type 2 diabetes lowered their… Continue reading A “Good Fat” to Battle Diabetes