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.

Yogurt May Protect Women From High Blood Pressure

Women who ate five or more servings of yogurt per week had a lower risk of developing high blood pressure compared to those who rarely ate yogurt, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology/Lifestyle 2016 Scientific Sessions in Phoenix AZ. A release from the association quotes Justin Buendia, lead author of the… Continue reading Yogurt May Protect Women From High Blood Pressure

People in Their 60s Benefit From Giving Advice

A study done in 2016 found that people in their 60s who give advice to a broad range of others tend to see their lives as especially meaningful. However, this happens to be the age when opportunities for dispensing advice become increasingly scarce. According to the study, which appears in the March 2016 issue of… Continue reading People in Their 60s Benefit From Giving Advice

Combatting Acne from the Inside Out

Chocolate. Fried foods. Oily skin. Not washing your face. Unlike some questions that elicit a wide spectrum of answers, if you asked a random sampling of Americans what they felt caused acne; you’d most likely get very similar responses. Chances are the above culprits would come immediately to mind – irrespective of gender, ethnicity or age – simply… Continue reading Combatting Acne from the Inside Out

New Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock

Updated definitions and clinical criteria for sepsis should facilitate earlier recognition and more timely management of patients with or at risk of developing sepsis. The report, which appeared in the February 23rd issue of JAMA, was released to coincide with its presentation at the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s 45th Critical Care Congress in Orlando,… Continue reading New Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock

Solve the Medical Riddle: Her Hands Have Started Trembling, and Her Voice Is Shaky, Second 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. Last week, the patient reported her symptoms. The doctor proceeded with the examination using the components of the… Continue reading Solve the Medical Riddle: Her Hands Have Started Trembling, and Her Voice Is Shaky, Second Week

Could Customer Loyalty Programs Work in Healthcare?

When you buy a cup of coffee, a load of groceries, an airline ticket or a tank of gas these days, you probably pull out a customer loyalty card without even thinking about it. The card might even be linked to how you pay. You may be thinking mostly about the perks you’re earning. But… Continue reading Could Customer Loyalty Programs Work in Healthcare?

Combining Two Imaging Technologies to Identify Coronary Plaques

Combing optical coherence tomography (OCT) with another advanced imaging technology may more accurately identify coronary artery plaques that are most likely to rupture and cause a heart attack. In a report published online in March 2016 in JACC Cardiovascular Imaging, investigators from the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) describe the first… Continue reading Combining Two Imaging Technologies to Identify Coronary Plaques

Brain Tune-Up May Aid Self-Motivation

At our best, we motivate ourselves every day to get dressed and go to work or school. Although there are larger incentives at work, it’s our own volition that powers us through our innumerable daily tasks. If we could learn to control the motivational centers of our brains that drive volition, would it lead us… Continue reading Brain Tune-Up May Aid Self-Motivation

Anesthesia Not Linked to Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults

Research done in 2016 suggests older patients should not feel reluctant to have life enhancing surgeries due to concerns that undergoing anesthesia may boost their risk of developing cognitive issues. In a study of more than 8,500 middle-aged and elderly Danish twins published in Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists… Continue reading Anesthesia Not Linked to Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults

10 Ways Stress Is Written All Over Your Face

Stress is written all over our face and can result in looking years older when stressed for prolonged periods of time. My expertise is in understanding neural pathways as they respond to anxiety, stress and trauma explains that how we think directly impacts how we age and how youthful we appear. The routine stressors in… Continue reading 10 Ways Stress Is Written All Over Your Face

Social Security Loophole That Lets Couples Maximize Benefits Closes in April

The deadline for married couples and some divorcees to have their Social Security cake and eat it too is April 30, 2016. After that, couples won’t be able to maximize their benefits using the “file and suspend” strategy, as the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 will eliminate this valuable loophole. “Learn about and weigh your… Continue reading Social Security Loophole That Lets Couples Maximize Benefits Closes in April

Five Tips for Getting Smarter With Medications in 2016

With 4 in 10 Americans regularly taking a prescription medication and nearly $260 billion spent by consumers on prescriptions in 2014, expert pharmacist Dr. Linda Bernstein, a spokesperson for FamilyWize, is offering the following tips to help consumers get healthier with their medications in 2016: Know what medicine you are taking and why you are taking it:You should know at… Continue reading Five Tips for Getting Smarter With Medications in 2016

Discover the Truth about Maca, Libido, and Increased Sex Drive

A cruciferous root vegetable called maca (Lepidium meyenii) is getting attention these days as a possible aphrodisiac, especially for guys and for postmenopausal women. Not only that, but the root or tuber of the maca rightly deserves the title of superfood, (Move over, kale!) Maca was used by the ancient Incans in Peru for its… Continue reading Discover the Truth about Maca, Libido, and Increased Sex Drive

Financial Independence For Women –  Before It’s Too late 

Is there a meaningful difference in the way men and women consider money? There is, according to a study published in a recent issue of Social Indicators Research. Women associate money with love and emotion, according to the research, while men are twice as likely to link finances to independence and power. While the differences… Continue reading Financial Independence For Women –  Before It’s Too late 

Longer, Intense Rehab Boosts Recovery After Stroke and Brain Injury

Cognitive and functional recovery after a stroke or traumatic injury requires intense rehabilitative therapy to help the brain repair and restructure itself. February 2016 findings by researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that not only is rehabilitation vital – in an animal model, rats with cortical injury that did not… Continue reading Longer, Intense Rehab Boosts Recovery After Stroke and Brain Injury

Solve the Medical Riddle: Her Hands Have Started Trembling, and Her Voice Is Shaky, 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 her PCP and how the doctor… Continue reading Solve the Medical Riddle: Her Hands Have Started Trembling, and Her Voice Is Shaky, First Week

Are Lung Cancer Survivors Getting Too Many Costly Scans for No Reason?

Once you’ve made it through lung cancer treatment, you want to make sure you catch it early if it comes back again. However, a University of Michigan study published in February 2016 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggests that one approach to watching for a cancer’s return is being inappropriately used at… Continue reading Are Lung Cancer Survivors Getting Too Many Costly Scans for No Reason?