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.

A Knee, Hip or Shoulder Replacement To Go

When retired NHL goaltender Olie Kolzig underwent hip surgery a few years after his 14-year professional hockey career ended, I planned something unusual for his recovery. “They were trying a different approach,” says Kolzig, 45, who played nearly his entire career with the Washington Capitals. “They felt the hospital wasn’t the best place for my… Continue reading A Knee, Hip or Shoulder Replacement To Go

Your Brain Might Be Secretly Thwarting Your New Year’s Resolutions

The human brain is wired to pay attention to previously pleasing things — a finding that could help explain why it’s hard to break bad habits or stick to New Year’s resolutions. In the February 2016 issue of Current Biology, Johns Hopkins University neuroscientists demonstrate for the first time that when people see something associated with… Continue reading Your Brain Might Be Secretly Thwarting Your New Year’s Resolutions

Solve the Medical Riddle: She Has Been Fainting Often Since She turned 68, Although She Never Passed Out Before That, Third 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 to her PCP. The doctor proceeded with… Continue reading Solve the Medical Riddle: She Has Been Fainting Often Since She turned 68, Although She Never Passed Out Before That, Third Week

Allergy Shots Effective for Boomers Who Have Seasonal Allergies

Recent years have seen an increase in those suffering from allergies, including baby boomers. And because older people tend to have additional chronic diseases, diagnosis and management of allergic rhinitis (hay fever) can be a challenge. A new study shows immunotherapy (allergy shots) reduced symptoms by 55 percent after three years of therapy, and decreased… Continue reading Allergy Shots Effective for Boomers Who Have Seasonal Allergies

12 Reasons Your Marriage is Miserable

It was the happiest day of your life. You publically proclaimed your vows to your love in front of friends and family and promised to honor them till death do you part. But along the way something happened. Over the years you drifted apart, became interested in different things, and that once solid relationship started… Continue reading 12 Reasons Your Marriage is Miserable

Mild Stress Could Help Activate “Good” Brown Fat

Mild stress stimulates the activity and heat production by brown fat associated with raised cortisol, according to a study published in February 2016 in Experimental Physiology. A release from the Physiological Society notes that brown adipose tissue (BAT), also known as brown fat, is one of two types of fat found in humans and other… Continue reading Mild Stress Could Help Activate “Good” Brown Fat

How Artificially Low Interest Rates Have Penalized Retirees

Retirees who depend on interest from savings to make it month to month haven’t had much to cheer about for several years. Interest rates were so low they might as well have been set at zero.Those low rates have been great for Wall Street, but not so great for retirees. Short term, Wall Street would… Continue reading How Artificially Low Interest Rates Have Penalized Retirees

Minorities Have Lower Risk of Coronary Heart Disease Than Whites

In a study of more than 1.3 million Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California that stretched over 10 years, researchers found that blacks, Latinos and Asians generally had lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to whites. The study was published January 26th 2016 in American Journal of Preventive Medicine. A release from Kaiser quotes… Continue reading Minorities Have Lower Risk of Coronary Heart Disease Than Whites

Recognizing Verbal Abuse So You Can Take Steps to End It

During the first twelve years of my second marriage, my husband and I were involved in a verbally abusive relationship. Because I had experienced ongoing verbal abuse since childhood, I was unaware of what was occurring in my marriage as it was unfolding. It wasn’t until we’d been together 10 years and the abuse began… Continue reading Recognizing Verbal Abuse So You Can Take Steps to End It

Solve the Medical Riddle: She Has Been Fainting Often Since She turned 68, Although She Never Passed Out Before That, 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: She Has Been Fainting Often Since She turned 68, Although She Never Passed Out Before That, Second Week

Does Radiation Therapy Improve Survival for Women with Ductal Carcinoma in Situ?

Approximately 60,000 patients in the United States will receive a diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in 2016. DCIS is not an invasive form of cancer and the 10-year survival rate for women with DCIS is greater than 98 percent. However, incidence of DCIS has increased dramatically over the last three decades, and being… Continue reading Does Radiation Therapy Improve Survival for Women with Ductal Carcinoma in Situ?

Being Pleasingly Plump as You Age May Keep You Sharp

Although obesity remains a health hazard, being pleasingly plump as you age may help to keep you lucid. Don’t use that as an excuse to overeat, but you probably don’t need to be concerned if you’re not quite as thin as you were in high school! Increasing weight loss per decade as people age from… Continue reading Being Pleasingly Plump as You Age May Keep You Sharp

3 Ways Retirees May Benefit Financially From Embracing Technology

While millennials can remember all the way back to their MySpace days, baby boomers may remember their family’s first color TV and “The Greatest Generation,” those American-s who fought World War II, may remember a time before their home had a telephone. But don’t let the disparity of technological upbringing fool you. Today’s technology is… Continue reading 3 Ways Retirees May Benefit Financially From Embracing Technology

Advice for Preventing the Spread of Zika

A February 2016 release from the American College of Physicians notes that in an article published in Annals of Internal Medicine, experts offer advice for preventing the spread of Zika virus in the West. Zika virus, a mosquito-borne illness that causes fever and flu-like symptoms, has been rapidly emerging in the Western Hemisphere over the… Continue reading Advice for Preventing the Spread of Zika

Are You Married To Your Opposite?

A frequently cited statistic – that nearly half of marriages end in divorce in the United States – has an emotional pull on the intuitions of many. Recent data suggests, however, that the 45- to 50-percent divorce rate is not presently accurate, as our divorces apparently have been lowering in numbers since the 1990s. Does… Continue reading Are You Married To Your Opposite?

Hypothermia and Older Adults: Tips for Staying Safe in Cold Weather

The cold truth about hypothermia is that Americans aged 65 years and older face this danger every winter. Older adults are especially vulnerable to hypothermia because their body’s response to cold can be diminished by underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, some medicines including over-the-counter cold remedies, and aging itself. As a result, hypothermia can… Continue reading Hypothermia and Older Adults: Tips for Staying Safe in Cold Weather

Veggies Sautéed in Olive Oil Are Better For You

Researchers from the University of Granada in Spain, have proven that frying in Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the cooking method that increases the phenolic fraction, a health-boosting factor present in raw vegetables. This cooking method is a key component of the Mediterranean diet. The veggies that benefit the most from being prepared with olive… Continue reading Veggies Sautéed in Olive Oil Are Better For You