Using data from a national study, Johns Hopkins researchers determined in 2017 that heart CT scans can help personalize treatment for patients whose blood pressure falls in the “gray zone” of just above normal or mild high blood pressure. A release from Johns Hopkins explains that previously the appropriate blood pressure treatment for these patients… Continue reading Personalized Treatment for Those in Blood Pressure “Gray Zone”
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.
Childhood Diseases that Can Affect Adults
Many childhood diseases can actually cause worse symptoms for adults than children. Adults may even find themselves requiring hospitalization for serious symptoms beyond the rash or fever a child may get. The good news is that many adults are immune from most childhood diseases either because they had them when they were young or because… Continue reading Childhood Diseases that Can Affect Adults
Is There a Link Between Pain and Depression?
Pain and depression are closely related. Depression can cause pain — and pain can cause depression. Sometimes pain and depression create a vicious cycle in which pain worsens symptoms of depression, and then the resulting depression worsens feelings of pain. In many people, depression causes unexplained physical symptoms such as back pain or headaches. This… Continue reading Is There a Link Between Pain and Depression?
Fewer Than Half of Women Who Take Maternity Leave Are Paid
As a Boomer, you probably didn’t have the option of being paid if you took a maternity leave. News flash: Not much has changed. The number of U.S. women taking maternity leave has remained the same during the last 22 years and fewer than half of the women who did take leaves were paid. Those… Continue reading Fewer Than Half of Women Who Take Maternity Leave Are Paid
Children’s Menus Still Laden with Fat, Sodium, and Calories
Parent and grandparent alert! Despite a 2011 pledge among United States chain restaurants to improve the nutritional value of children’s menu options, a 2017 study done at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that no significant improvements have been made to cut calories, saturated… Continue reading Children’s Menus Still Laden with Fat, Sodium, and Calories
Eight Steps to Squash Struggle Forever
Almost everyone struggles with something, whether it’s the kids going off to college, an unfulfilling job, divorce, looming retirement, or simply not having enough fun. All of these situations can lead to struggle, but what if it doesn’t have to be that way? I believe that it is possible to face life head on, go… Continue reading Eight Steps to Squash Struggle Forever
High Survival Rate for Elderly Patients with Implantable Defibrillator
Of patients over age 65 who received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) after surviving sudden cardiac arrest or a near-fatal arrhythmia, almost 80 percent survived two years–a higher rate than reported in past trials performed to demonstrate the efficacy of the devices in this situation. That is the finding of ac a study published January 16th… Continue reading High Survival Rate for Elderly Patients with Implantable Defibrillator
Are You a Compulsive Online and Mobile Shopper?
Thanks to smartphones and tablets, people can access any store in the world from their beds at 2am, their offices, the beach, an airport, even in their cars in a traffic jam. Access to stuff right from the palm of our hands is a compulsive shopper’s dream! However this easy access can also become a… Continue reading Are You a Compulsive Online and Mobile Shopper?
Why the Empty Nest Reality Is Much Less Glum Than the Myth
You’re supposed to feel weepy, forsaken and bereft. And maybe you do. Sometimes. Some days. But many parents are realizing that they also feel exhilarated, freer and, yes, sexier, when their kids grow up, leave home and go out on their own. It might be an empty nest, but there’s no “syndrome”. At least, not… Continue reading Why the Empty Nest Reality Is Much Less Glum Than the Myth
10 Tips for Taking Medications Safely
Editor’s note: On January 17th 2017, we posted an article with information that caregivers for older people need to know about the medications loved ones take. Now we are offering this article with advice that everyone needs to know in order to avoid serious complications and interactions when taking medications. – Storing medications: Make sure… Continue reading 10 Tips for Taking Medications Safely
New Guideline for Treatment of Hypertension in Older Adults
The American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) have published an evidence-based clinical practice guideline on the appropriate systolic blood pressure target for adults 60 years old and older with hypertension. The joint guideline was published in January 17th 2017 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine and a summary… Continue reading New Guideline for Treatment of Hypertension in Older Adults
Is It Really “FDA Approved”?
“FDA approved!” Maybe you saw those words on a company’s website, or in a commercial promoting a new product or treatment. Some marketers may say their products are “FDA approved,” but how can you know for sure what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves? FDA is responsible for protecting public health by regulating human… Continue reading Is It Really “FDA Approved”?
Chemicals from Two Mediterranean Plants May Combat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
According to scientists from the University of Malta and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS/University of Bordeaux), chemicals extracted from the prickly pear and brown seaweed, two ubiquitous Mediterranean plants, have been elevated to possible drug candidates to combat the neurodegenerative diseases. Brown seaweed is commonly known as Peacock’s tail A release from… Continue reading Chemicals from Two Mediterranean Plants May Combat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Americans More in Control of Their Long-Term Care
The provision of long-term care in the U.S. has shifted from what was once a predominantly institutionally based system of care to one in which recipients can increasingly receive a range of both medical and supportive services at home and in the community, according to the latest edition of The Gerontological Society of America’s Public… Continue reading Americans More in Control of Their Long-Term Care
Itchy Skin? Dermatologists Share Tips for Relief
Everyone gets an itch once in a while. Usually it only lasts for a short time and is often caused by annoyances like a mosquito bite or scratchy fabric. However, if an itch lasts for more than six weeks, say dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology, it is considered a chronic itch and is… Continue reading Itchy Skin? Dermatologists Share Tips for Relief
3 Strategies For Living a Life That Makes a Difference In 2017
It’s common for people to think about putting their mark on the world and leaving it a better place than when they arrived. But in many cases people fail to put those thoughts into action – possibly because they’re hesitant to step outside their comfort zones. Too often we’re taught to be fearful and that… Continue reading 3 Strategies For Living a Life That Makes a Difference In 2017
Contrary to Decades of Hype, Curcumin Is Unlikely to Boost Health
Curcumin, a compound in the turmeric plant, has long been hailed as a natural treatment for a wide range of health conditions, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. However, a January 2017 review of the scientific literature has found that curcumin is probably not all it’s purported to be. The report in the American Chemical Society’s… Continue reading Contrary to Decades of Hype, Curcumin Is Unlikely to Boost Health
More Older Americans Using Cannabis
The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has reported in the January 2017 issue of The Gerontologist that cannabis use by persons over age 50 has outpaced recent growth observed across all other age groups. In 2000, about one percent of Americans over 50 had used it within the past year. By 2012,… Continue reading More Older Americans Using Cannabis