Hospitals should prepare simple standardized treatment protocols for early recognition and treatment of sepsis, a condition in which infections spread to the bloodstream. That’s the finding of researchers who were able to cut the number of patients who died from sepsis, by 40% (from 12.5% to 7.1%) after the introduction of relatively easy steps at… Continue reading Simple Measures Cut Sepsis Deaths Nearly in Half
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.
The Perilous First Dates: What You Need to Know
The first date is one of the most perilous parts of any relationship. People micro-analyze each other’s behavior and each tries to be on their best behavior. However, the good news is that peoples’ true selves are betrayed in ways they may not be aware of. Pay attention to some of these and you can… Continue reading The Perilous First Dates: What You Need to Know
Driving Diastolic Blood Pressure Too Low Is Linked to Heart Damage
By analyzing medical records gathered over three decades on more than 11,000 Americans participating in a federally funded study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have more evidence that driving diastolic blood pressure too low is associated with damage to heart tissue. A release from Johns Hopkins notes that the researchers caution that their… Continue reading Driving Diastolic Blood Pressure Too Low Is Linked to Heart Damage
Tips for Avoiding Falls
Taking a tumble is no trivial matter for older adults, but falling happens to more than one-third of Americans over age 65 each year: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among seniors, resulting in more than 2.8 million injuries treated in… Continue reading Tips for Avoiding Falls
Be Safe When Cleaning After Flooding
Flooding has ravaged multiple regions of the U.S., causing extensive damage. As the nation recovers from this flooding, Mayo Clinic Health System physicians have several health-related tips to keep in mind. Floodwater may be contaminated, but it’s unlikely that simple skin contact will make you sick ─ even if raw sewage is visible. However, swallowing… Continue reading Be Safe When Cleaning After Flooding
It’s Outcome, Not Income, That Should Be Stressed In Retirement Planning
Most Americans are pessimistic about how well off they’ll be financially when they reach retirement. People have a lot of worries and that’s understandable. Their savings may not be what they hoped for. Pensions for most people are a thing of the past. And many are uneasy about the future of Social Security. A Gallup… Continue reading It’s Outcome, Not Income, That Should Be Stressed In Retirement Planning
Glaucoma: Drug-Dispensing Contact Lens Lowers Eye Pressure
A contact lens designed to deliver medication gradually to the eye could improve outcomes for patients with conditions requiring treatment with eye drops, which are often imprecise and difficult to self-administer. In a study published online on August 29th 2016 in Ophthalmology, a team of researchers have shown that a novel contact lens-based system, which… Continue reading Glaucoma: Drug-Dispensing Contact Lens Lowers Eye Pressure
Age Discrimination in Healthcare
Are you or your loved ones over 70? The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for 2016 to 2030 effectively discriminate against anybody older than 69. The SDG definition of “premature mortality” is deaths occurring among people aged 69 years old or younger. Consequently, the stated goal of reducing by a third “premature death” from… Continue reading Age Discrimination in Healthcare
When Parents Resume Dating – and What Their Children Have to Say
When our children were young, it seems like everything that we parents did was “right” – at least in their eyes. We were the omnipotent heroes, the sageS, the wisest among the wise. We had all of the answers before the questions were even asked. We fixed the impossible and solved the improbable. It was… Continue reading When Parents Resume Dating – and What Their Children Have to Say
Afraid You’ll Be Forced To Work In Retirement? That May Not Be So Bad
Many older Americans who once dreamed of lounging around the house in retirement instead are waking up each morning to get ready for work. A recent Pew Research Center study showed that the percentage of Americans 65 and over still employed is on the rise, having reached 18.8 percent as of May, up from 12.8… Continue reading Afraid You’ll Be Forced To Work In Retirement? That May Not Be So Bad
Internet and Mobile Devices Prompt Positive Lifestyle Changes
People are more likely to adopt heart healthy behaviors when guided and encouraged via the Internet, their cellphones or other devices, according to 23 years of research reviewed in August 2016 in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. A release from the association quotes… Continue reading Internet and Mobile Devices Prompt Positive Lifestyle Changes
“Baby Simulator” Programs Meant to Discourage Teen Pregnancies May Backfire
$Parent and grandparent alert! Teenage pregnancy prevention programs used in schools in 89 countries, including the USA, involving “baby simulator” robotic dolls appear to encourage rather than discourage girls to become pregnant. Boys, the potential fathers, are not involved in the prevention programs. Also, many parents, grandparents, and teachers have observed that the girls become… Continue reading “Baby Simulator” Programs Meant to Discourage Teen Pregnancies May Backfire
Mental Workouts To Strengthen Your Brain
Have you ever walked into a room and forgot what you went in there for? Perhaps you lost your train of thought mid conversation after being distracted by a noise. Maybe you forgot a name or a number or to buy milk. We’re human! We forget things. However, the more we multitask, the less we… Continue reading Mental Workouts To Strengthen Your Brain
Outsmarting Poison Ivy and Other Poisonous Plants
First comes the itching, then a red rash, and then blisters. These symptoms of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac can emerge any time from a few hours to several days after exposure to the plant oil found in the sap of these poisonous plants. The culprit: the urushiol oil. Here, from the U.S.… Continue reading Outsmarting Poison Ivy and Other Poisonous Plants
The Gene Associated with Age-Related Hearing Loss
The gene Slc4a10 had already been identified as necessary for eye function, but a new study linked defective Slc4a10 to age-related hearing loss for the first time. Age is a risk factor for many conditions, including hearing loss, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia and others, but the genes that we carry also influence whether we are more or… Continue reading The Gene Associated with Age-Related Hearing Loss
How To Discover The Princes, Paupers, and Horse Thieves In Your Family History
Genealogy websites that help people trace their family histories love to focus on fortunate souls descended from royalty, or related in some distant and indirect way to George Washington. Yet genealogical research is just as likely to turn up horse thieves, drifters and scandals of every sort. “You’re going to find stuff you don’t want… Continue reading How To Discover The Princes, Paupers, and Horse Thieves In Your Family History
Regenerative Bandage Heals Diabetic Foot Wounds Faster
A Northwestern University team has developed a new treatment for diabetic foot ulcers, a severe and potentially deadly complication of diabetes. Called a “regenerative bandage,” the novel material heals diabetic wounds four times faster than a standard bandage and has the added benefit of promoting healing without side effects. The study was published online in… Continue reading Regenerative Bandage Heals Diabetic Foot Wounds Faster
Music Alleviates Cancer Patients’ Symptoms
A systematic review published by the Cochrane Library in August 2016 found that there is significant evidence that music interventions help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, pain and fatigue in cancer patients, while also boosting their quality of life. Led by Joke Bradt, PhD, associate professor in Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions, a… Continue reading Music Alleviates Cancer Patients’ Symptoms