Health

Medical Care
Senior Health

Orthopedic Surgery Safe at 80+

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Over the past decade, a greater number of patients age 80 and older have been undergoing elective orthopedic surgery. A study published in July 2014 in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) found that these surgeries are generally safe with mortality rates decreasing for total hip (THR) and total knee (TKR) replacement and spinal fusion surgeries, and complication rates decreasing for total knee replacement and spinal fusion in patients with few or no comorbidities (other conditions or diseases).

Heart Health

Potassium May Save Lives for Heart Patients on Diuretics

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Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that patients taking prescription potassium supplements together with loop diuretics for heart failure have better survival rates than patients taking diuretics without the potassium. The degree of benefit increases with higher diuretic doses. The team, including senior author Sean Hennessy, PharmD, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology in Penn’s Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB), report their findings in a study published online July 16th 2014 in PLoS ONE.

Heart Health

Niacin Linked to Death Risk

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Niacin has been a mainstay of cholesterol therapy for 50 years, but Northwestern Medicine preventive cardiologist Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D. maintains that the drug should no longer be prescribed for most patients due to potential increased risk of death, dangerous side effects, and no benefit in reducing heart attacks and strokes. His editorial was published in the July 17th 2014 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Coming Next Week! July 21st to July 25th 2014

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Monday, July 21stCan certain foods make you less anxious? The experts at the Mayo Clinic say the answer is yes!The gym can be a very germy place. Here’s how to avoid the bugs.There’s no place like home for living independently as you age. Learn how to adapt your house or apartment so you’ll stay safe as the years go by.Our video shows the nano laser peel treatment. Blogger Nancy Anderson asks whether you see others as they are or as you want them to be.Tuesday, July 22nd

Breast Cancer

Marginal Benefit from Prophylactic Mastectomy

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The choice of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) by women with breast cancer (BC) diagnosed in one breast has recently increased in the US but may confer only a marginal life expectancy benefit depending on the type and stage of cancer, according to a study published July 16th 2014 in the JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Aging Well
Brain Health

A New Look at Cognition & Aging

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From a cognitive perspective, aging is typically associated with decline. As we age, it may get harder to remember names and dates, and it may take us longer to come up with the right answer to a question. However, the news isn't all bad when it comes to cognitive aging. according to a set of three articles in the July 2014 issue of Perspectives in Psychological Science.

Cancer Center

12 Things To Do after Your Cancer Diagnosis

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By James Tamkin M.D. and Dave ViselThis article originally appeared on DemosHealth.com. It is adapted from The Myeloma Survival Guide.As a newly diagnosed cancer patient, you are beginning a long, complicated, physically and mentally taxing journey. Here are twelve things to start doing now to make your journey a little easier.

Stroke

Fewer Stroke Deaths Over Past 2 Decades

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Fewer Americans are having strokes and those who do have a lower risk of dying from them according to a a study led by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers and is published in the July 16th 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Medical Care

Antibiotic Use Prevalent in Hospices

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The use of antibiotics is still prevalent among terminal patients who have chosen hospice care as an end-of-life option, despite little evidence that the medications improve symptoms or quality of life, and sometimes may cause unwanted side effects. That is the finding of a study done at Oregon State University and the Oregon Health & Science University and published on July 14th 2014 in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Kidney Health

Supplements & OTCs May Hurt Your Kidneys

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How well are your kidneys working?Unless you’ve had problems in the past, you probably take for granted that your kidneys are working as they should. But more than one in 10 adults in the United States has kidney disease, and most people who have it don’t know it.

Pain Management

A New Means to Erase Pain

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A study published in the July 2104 issue of Nature Neuroscience by Yves De Koninck and Robert Bonin, two researchers at Université Laval in Quebec, reveals that it is possible to relieve pain hypersensitivity using a counterintuitive method that involves rekindling pain so that it can subsequently be erased. This discovery could lead to novel means to alleviate chronic pain.

Senior Health

Older Adults Can Safely Donate Kidneys

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Previous studies linking older age with kidney and heart disease have raised concerns about the safety of living kidney donation among older adults. However, in the first study to look closely at this issue, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report that older kidney donors (55 years and above) enjoy similar life expectancy and cardiovascular health as very healthy older people who did not donate their kidneys.

Skin
Skin Health

Help for Eczema Sufferers

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Scientists have developed a new medicine that may eventually give significant relief to people who suffer from eczema, the most common skin disorder.The study was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Coming Next Week! July 14th to July 18th 2014

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Here’s a sneak preview of the articles and blogs we’ll be posting during the coming week on ThirdAge, the biggest and best site for “boomer and beyond” women since 1997. As always, we’ll bring you the latest information from top experts about maintaining a healthy body, mind, and spirit as you navigate both the challenges and the joys of being a ThirdAger.In addition, be sure to come back every morning to check out the ThirdAge Exclusives, We write them after culling the most important new academic and government studies from around the world that are making news that day.

Beauty & Style
Skin
Skin Health

Are Your Skincare Products Making You Sick?

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By Diane BlumMost of us put on gloves when we clean our bathrooms, as we’re very aware of the dangers of toxic chemicals coming into direct contact with our skin. But what about all of the synthetic chemicals that we innocently apply to our bodies?Every day we absorb self-applied toxins, and most are no further away than our bathroom make-up counter. Shampoos, soaps, deodorants, and all the many “de-aging” skincare products we women use. How do we know they are all safe?

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