An estimated 15.7 percent of people 65 or older may have received screenings for prostate and breast cancers that were not recommended because the patients had limited life expectancies of less than 10 years, according to an article published online in January 2016 by JAMA Oncology. A release from the publishers notes that existing guidelines… Continue reading Older People May Be Getting Cancer Screenings That Are Not Recommended
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.
Solve the Medical Riddle: She Has Been Fainting Often Since She turned 68, Although She Never Passed Out Before That, 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: She Has Been Fainting Often Since She turned 68, Although She Never Passed Out Before That, First Week
A Method That May Repair Nerve Damage
Nerve damage from neurodegenerative disease and spinal cord injury has largely been considered irreversible, but Dartmouth researchers report progress in the effort to synthesize rare natural products that promote regeneration and growth of injured nerve cells. The findings were published in January 2016 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. A release from Dartmouth… Continue reading A Method That May Repair Nerve Damage
5 Arenas For Improving Wellness at Work In 2016
While it’s no surprise that losing weight consistently ranks at the top of New Year’s resolutions, obsession with weight is often too narrow a focus. For many, weight is a symptom of a lifestyle that’s not conducive to wellness. Since much of our lives revolve around work, it makes sense to focus our attention on… Continue reading 5 Arenas For Improving Wellness at Work In 2016
The Caregiving Imperative: New Year’s Resolutions to Preserve Physical Health and Mental Well-Being
As we age, the years pass quickly from one to the next. Unless we truly look back at our accomplishments or the changes in our lives we may feel like we have made no progress nor accomplished any goals. Some see New Year’s resolutions as a negative because the list results in projects that are… Continue reading The Caregiving Imperative: New Year’s Resolutions to Preserve Physical Health and Mental Well-Being
You Health May Decline When You Stop Driving
For older adults, driving a car is an important aspect of having control over one’s life. While 81 percent of the 29.5 million U.S. adults aged 65 and over continue to hold a license and get behind the wheel, age-related declines in cognition and physical function make driving more difficult, and many seniors reduce or… Continue reading You Health May Decline When You Stop Driving
How To Protect More Than Your Heart This Valentine’s Day
There may be no worse feeling than having your heart broken, especially on Valentine’s Day. But anyone who has had their heart broken – whether in a divorce or a long-term relationship where assets were an issue – knows that romantic heartbreak can extend to financial heartbreak. Moving forward after a divorce can leave you… Continue reading How To Protect More Than Your Heart This Valentine’s Day
A Test for Whether Antibiotics Are Needed
Researchers at Duke Health are fine-tuning a test that can determine whether a respiratory illness is caused by infection from a virus or bacteria so that antibiotics can be more precisely prescribed. A release from Duke reports that the team of infectious disease and genomics experts has developed what they call gene signatures, patterns that… Continue reading A Test for Whether Antibiotics Are Needed
A Whopping 92% of Restaurants Offer High Calorie Meals
Meals consumed at fast-food restaurants are often seen as one of the biggest contributors to the obesity epidemic. But according to a January 2016 study by Tufts University published in the Journal of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 92 percent of 364 measured restaurant meals from both large-chain and non-chain (local) restaurants exceeded… Continue reading A Whopping 92% of Restaurants Offer High Calorie Meals
Telomeres – A Key to Aging?
In each of the human body’s cells there are 23 chromosomes, which are twisted, double-strands of DNA molecules. Chromosomes are vital as they provide our singular genetic map to every cell within our body. Lucky for us, on the ends of each of our chromosome strands sits a protective cap called a telomere. This cap… Continue reading Telomeres – A Key to Aging?
Solve the Medical Riddle: She Has Intermittent Severe Pain in Her Abdomen, and She Saw Blood in Her Urine, Fourth Week
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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 Intermittent Severe Pain in Her Abdomen, and She Saw Blood in Her Urine, Fourth Week
ACP, CDC Offer Advice on Prescribing Antibiotics
The American College of Physicians an the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise physicians to think twice before prescribing antibiotics for common respiratory infections. Antibiotics are overused for the common cold, bronchitis, sore throat, and sinus infections – illnesses that often resolve on their own In a paper published in January 2016 in Annals… Continue reading ACP, CDC Offer Advice on Prescribing Antibiotics
Dietary Nitrate & Green Leafy Vegetables May Lower Risk of Glaucoma
Greater intake of dietary nitrate and green leafy vegetables was associated with a 20 percent to 30 percent lower risk of primary open-angle glaucoma, according to a study published online in January 12016 by JAMA Ophthalmology. A release from the publisher explains that elevated intraocular pressure and impaired autoregulation of optic nerve blood flow are… Continue reading Dietary Nitrate & Green Leafy Vegetables May Lower Risk of Glaucoma
5 Tips for Getting Smarter About 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 5 Tips for Getting Smarter About Medications in 2016
Poor Sleep in Seniors Linked to Hardened Brain Arteries
Poor sleep quality in elderly people is associated with more severe arteriosclerosis in the brain as well as a greater burden of oxygen-starved tissue (infarcts) in the brain – both of which can contribute to the risk of stroke and cognitive impairment. The findings were published in the January 2016 issue of the American Heart… Continue reading Poor Sleep in Seniors Linked to Hardened Brain Arteries
Tips to Help You Get Back to Working Out at the Gym
Rocking the gym as part of your New Year’s resolution can be a daunting task. While showing up may be half the battle, real results only come to those pushing out of their comfort zones and correctly utilizing equipment that may give you a twinge of the January Scaries – AKA that awful feeling of… Continue reading Tips to Help You Get Back to Working Out at the Gym
Is Ignorance Ruining Your Retirement?
Americans are part of an amazing yet curious phenomenon: most are extremely well-educated in their professions and careers, yet are quite uneducated when it comes to the purpose behind their jobs – money. Our society is awash in information about money, but most people still end up making decisions based on emotion and lack of… Continue reading Is Ignorance Ruining Your Retirement?
Could “Dry January” Do More Harm Than Good?
Could alcohol abstinence campaigns like “Dry January” do more harm than good? Two experts debated the issue in a January 2016 issue of The BMJ . A release from the publisher explains that lack of evidence that such campaigns work and don’t have unintended consequences concerns Ian Hamilton, a lecturer at York University. The “Dry… Continue reading Could “Dry January” Do More Harm Than Good?