Health Headlines – thirdAGE

Some Foods May Extend Life of ALS Patients

People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who eat more foods high in certain omega-3 fatty acids like flaxseed oil, walnuts, canola oil and pumpkin seeds may have a slower physical decline from the disease and may have a slightly extended survival. The study, which looked at the survival of people with ALS over the course… Continue reading Some Foods May Extend Life of ALS Patients

Anemia And Low-Dose Aspirin

Recent follow-up analysis of data from an international clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that daily low-dose aspirin increases the risk of anemia in people aged 65 years and older by approximately 20%. Given these findings, older adults on low-dose aspirin and their care providers may want to consider periodic… Continue reading Anemia And Low-Dose Aspirin

American Pain

New cases of chronic pain occur more often among U.S. adults than new cases of several other common conditions, including diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure, according to new research. And among people who have chronic pain, almost two-thirds will still have it the following year. These findings come from a new analysis of National… Continue reading American Pain

Pre-Birth Surgery Treats Potential Heart Condition

For the first time, researchers performed a successful in-utero surgery to repair a potentially deadly developmental condition by treating an aggressive vascular malformation, called vein of Galen malformation, in a fetus’s brain before birth. The new research was published in May 2023 in Stroke, the peer-reviewed flagship journal of the American Stroke Association, a division… Continue reading Pre-Birth Surgery Treats Potential Heart Condition

Brain Food: Alzheimer’s and Diet

The MIND and Mediterranean diets — both of which are rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, beans, and fish — are associated with fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of older adults. Green leafy vegetables were associated with less Alzheimer’s brain pathology. This study, funded by the National Institute on Aging… Continue reading Brain Food: Alzheimer’s and Diet

Mammogram Guidelines Are Changing

An influential health panel has issued a “draft recommendation” that all women be screened for breast cancer every other year beginning at age 40. The draft recommendation is sharply at odds with earlier ones. In its announcement, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (U.S.P. T.) emphasized that their action today is one step short of… Continue reading Mammogram Guidelines Are Changing

Bariatric Surgery and Cancer

Bariatric (weight-loss) surgery may have a surprising – and welcome – side effect, according to a new study. Just 4% of patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery developed obesity-associated cancer in a 10-year followup, compared to 8.9% among those who did not have a weight-loss procedure, according to a study to be presented in… Continue reading Bariatric Surgery and Cancer

Narcan To Be Available Over the Counter

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Narcan, 4 milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray, for non-prescription use. But it may take some time before it is generally available. According to a news release from the FDA, Narcan (generic name Naloxone) is a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose and… Continue reading Narcan To Be Available Over the Counter

Genetic Testing And Heart Disease

Increasing use of genetic testing means people may discover they have a gene variant associated with some types of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A new scientific statement, published in March 2023 in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine, aims to help individuals and health care professionals understand what to do when… Continue reading Genetic Testing And Heart Disease

Heart Failure and Exercise

For many people who have heart failure, supervised exercise training is safe and may offer substantial improvement in exercise capacity and quality of life, even more than medications, according to a new, joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC). The statement was published in March 2023… Continue reading Heart Failure and Exercise

Hypertension During Pregnancy Linked to Cognitive Issues In Later Life

High blood pressure disorders during pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of thinking problems later in life, according to a study published in the March 1, 2023 online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). According to a news release from AAN, researchers found that those with these… Continue reading Hypertension During Pregnancy Linked to Cognitive Issues In Later Life

Why Cold Showers Could Be Good for You

Running out of hot water during your shower might be a good thing. A cold shower — even just for a few minutes — can work as therapy to help you heal, recover and generally feel good, especially after exercise. “Cold showers are a convenient way for a weekend warrior, amateur athlete or anyone who… Continue reading Why Cold Showers Could Be Good for You

Heart Health Begins Before Birth

Preventing heart disease starts much earlier than you may realize, according to a new American Heart Association (AHA) scientific statement published Feb. 13, 2023 in the AHA’s flagship, peer-reviewed journal Circulation. The statement, “Optimizing Prepregnancy Cardiovascular Health to Improve Outcomes in Pregnant and Postpartum Individuals and Their Offspring,” summarizes the available data connecting a woman’s… Continue reading Heart Health Begins Before Birth

Covid-19 and Epilepsy

People who have a COVID-19 infection are more likely to develop seizures or epilepsy within the six months following infection than are people who have an influenza infection, according to a study published in the online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). The increased risk was more noticeable… Continue reading Covid-19 and Epilepsy

Recovering from Surgery

Each individual’s experience and reactions to surgery is different and related to a number of variables, such as the reaction and aftereffects of anesthesia, the type and location of the surgery, and the patient’s general overall physical and mental health. With that said, I offer that all surgery is trauma to the whole body and… Continue reading Recovering from Surgery

The Difficulties of Diagnosis

You hear that we should get a second opinion a lot, particularly if a test result or medical diagnosis is challenging or unclear. But how independent are second opinions when information is shared between physicians? Researchers at UCLA examined how pathologists tasked with offering a second opinion for a patient might be influenced by being… Continue reading The Difficulties of Diagnosis

What You Need to Know about Monkeypox

The experts at UCLA Health answer your most basic and urgent queries about the virus that’s been making daily headlines. What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease originally transmitted from animals to humans. The virus is endemic in West and Central African countries and cases are often found near tropical rainforests where animals may… Continue reading What You Need to Know about Monkeypox