Scientists believe they have an explanation for the axiom that stress, emotional shock, and overexertion may trigger heart attacks in vulnerable people. Hormones released during these events appear to cause bacterial biofilms on arterial walls to disperse, allowing plaque deposits to rupture into the bloodstream, according to research published in published in June 2014 in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
Author: Sondra Forsyth
Sondra Forsyth is Co-Editor-in-Chief of ThirdAge.com. She is a National Magazine Award winner with scores of major magazine bylines and twelve books to her credit. Her most recent book is “Candida Cleanse: The 21-Day Diet to Beat Yeast and Feel Your Best”. Sondra was Executive Editor at “Ladies’ Home Journal,” Features Editor at “Cosmopolitan,” and Articles Editor at “Bride’s”. A former ballerina, she founded Ballet Ambassadors, an arts-in-education company in New York City, and served as Artistic Director for 16 years.
Imaging the Adult ADHD Brain
Brain scans done at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology differentiated adults who have recovered from childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and those whose difficulties linger. The study was published in the June 10th 2014 issue of the journal Brain.
A release from MIT notes that about 11 percent of school-age children in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD. While many of these children eventually outgrow the disorder, some carry their difficulties into adulthood: About 10 million American adults are currently diagnosed with ADHD.
Superbugs in “Handcuffs”
Staph infections become resistant to multiple antibiotics because of a genetic parasite called a plasmid that the bacteria carry. RepA is a protein that sticks to the beginning of the plasmid’s DNA sequence and starts a copying process. When a pair of RepA proteins bumps into another pair, which can happen when the cell is starting to get crowded with plasmids, the two pairs of RepA stick to each other and form a four-part molecule. Scientists say that the plasmids are therefore “handcuffed” because the plasmid can no longer replicate.
When a Loved One Is Diagnosed With Parkinson’s Disease
By Judy Santamaria MSPH
The incidence of Parkinson’s disease, which is common in people over the age of 60, is expected to rise with the aging of our populations. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that mainly affects movement. The primary symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are tremor, rigidity or stiffness of the muscles, slow movement, loss of movement, and balance and walking problems.
What You Need to Know About Exercise As You Get Older
By Soriyya Bawa
While exercise and weight loss are both important elements of any anti-aging regimen, many seniors worry that the risks outweigh the potential benefits. Exercise at an older age means risking serious injury due to falling, injuring the ligaments of the knee, and other forms of musculoskeletal injuries; the risk is even greater if the person is obese. However, a recent study has found that the benefits from exercise at an older age, and the subsequent weight loss, far exceed any possible risk of injury.
Mice With MS Walk Again After Stem Cell Tx
Mice severely disabled by a condition similar to multiple sclerosis (MS) could walk less than two weeks following treatment with human stem cells. The study, which uncovers new avenues for treating MS, was don e at the University of Utah and published online on May 15th 2014, in the journal Stem Cell Reports.
Watch: Preventing & Treating Swimmer’s Ear
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7 Things You Should Know About Cooking With Oil
By The Beating Edge Team HealthHub from Cleveland Clinic
When it comes to cooking with oils, do you have to choose between cooking for taste or cooking for health? People have strong opinions about what’s best.
Health Hub sat down recently to chat about cooking with oils with James D. Perko, CEC, AAC, Executive Chef for Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute and its Center for Lifestyle Medicine and nutritionist Katherine Patton, MEd, RD, CSSD, LD.
No More Eye Drops for Glaucoma
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the Singapore Eye Research Institute have jointly developed a new nanomedicine, liposomal latanoprost, that will allow glaucoma patients to do away with daily eye drops. The nanomedicine is delivered to the front of the eye via a painless injection and will stay and release the anti-glaucoma drugs slowly over the next six months.
“Solomon’s Paradox” Causes Unwise Choices
If you’re faced with a troubling personal dilemma, such as a cheating spouse, you are more likely to think wisely about it if you consider it as an observer would, according to a study done at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada and the University of Michigan. The findings, which will appear in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, demonstrate that talking about yourself in the third person and using your name when reflecting on a relationship conflict helps you solve the issue wisely.
Protein Keeps Aging Blood Stem Cells Healthy
The notion that a protein called SIRT1 is a powerful regulator of aging has been highly debated, but its connection to the health of blood stem cells “is now clear,” according to Saghi Ghaffari, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Developmental and Regenerative Biology at Mount Sinai’s Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine in New York City. “Identifying regulators of stem cell aging is of major significance for public health because of their potential power to promote healthy aging and provide targets to combat diseases of aging,” Dr. Ghaffari said.
Summer Beauty, Health, and Fitness Dilemmas
Top experts share tips on how to sidestep some top seasonal ailments so you can savor your summer days.
Don’t Get Burned by Skin Cancer
Protect Your Tendons
You’ve probably heard of such sports injuries as tennis elbow or jumper’s knee. These are just two examples of tendinitis, a painful condition caused by overusing and straining the joints in your body.
Tendons are the tough but flexible bands of tissue that connect muscle to bones. You have about 4,000 tendons throughout your body. Tendons make it possible for you to bend your knee, rotate your shoulder, and grasp with your hand.
Transplanted Neurons Last Many Years in PD Brains
Neurons transplanted into Parkinson’s-affected brains appear healthy after 14 years, according to research done at Harvard University and McLean Hospital and published June 5th 2014 in the journal Cell Reports.
Early Palliative Support Helps Cancer Caregivers
Dartmouth researchers have found that those caring for patients with advanced cancer experienced reduced depression and felt less burdened by caregiving tasks when palliative support services were offered soon after the patient’s diagnosis. The team presented the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncologist (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago on June 3rd 2014.
Sleeping in Sync When the Wife is Happy
A study done at the University of Pittsburgh suggests that couples are more likely to sleep in sync when the wife is more satisfied with their marriage. Results show that overall synchrony in sleep-wake schedules among couples was high, as those who slept in the same bed were awake or asleep at the same time about 75 percent of the time. When the wife reported higher marital satisfaction, the percent of time the couple was awake or asleep at the same time was greater.
Virtual Reality Therapy for Pain
Virtual reality as a means of distraction, inducing positive emotions, or creating the perception of “swapping” a limb or bodily area affected by chronic pain can be a powerful therapeutic tool, according to a series of studies done in Belgium, the U.S., Korea, and Spain. Subsequent articles were published in print and online in June 2014 Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
Watch: Can Music Improve Your Health?
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