_ Avoiding Complications After Hip Replacement Surgery By article If you’re scheduled for hip replacement surgery, you’re in good company. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, 120,000 people have total hip arthroplasties annually in the United States. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons reports that most patients who undergo the operation are 50 to 80 years old. Here, from the National Institutes for Health’s Senior Health portal, is advice about how to remain complication-free following a hip replacement:
_ Aging Well Spiritual Health Religious Music Lifts Our Spirits as We Age By article If you need an emotional lift, try listening to hymns. Better yet, choose gospel music. A team of researchers from four top universities reports that listening to religious music is associated with a decrease in anxiety about death and increases in life satisfaction, self-esteem, and sense of control over our lives as we age. In particular, listening to gospel music is linked to reducing anxiety about death and an increase in sense of control.
Aging Well Resilient Older Women Show Compassion By Sondra Forsyth article If you’re 50+ and you’ve recently been through a tough time but you’ve bounced back, chances are you would score high on a compassion test given by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. The study, published in the April 2014 issue of the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, reported that resilient older women who have suffered a recent major loss are more likely to be compassionate toward those they don’t even know than are other older adults.
_ Massage Really Does Do a Body Good By Sondra Forsyth article Improved circulation and relief of muscle soreness are common claims made for massage therapy but no studies had ever been done to substantiate these assertions even though massage therapy is increasingly used as an adjunct to traditional medical interventions. Now researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago have shown that massage therapy not only improves general blood flow and alleviates muscle soreness after exercise but also helps people who have not worked out such as those who are bedridden.
Why I Now Believe in Love! By blog Short answer? Because in the long-run love is all that really matters. Everything else I could provide for myself. Yep, all you need is love, but it can sure take some of us a long time to figure that out! It took me approximately 49 years to totally embrace the importance of authentic love in my life and then take all the necessary risks to find it.
_ Mental & Emotional Health Understanding Bipolar Disorder By Jane Farrell article Editor’s Note: Bipolar disorder is often talked about, but sometimes misunderstood. The story of days-long manic episodes followed by prolonged depressed periods is a familiar one. But that isn’t the only form this disorder takes. And if someone you love has a variation on classic bipolar disorder, it’s important to recognize the condition and seek diagnosis and treatment. The experts at the National Institute of Mental Health offer the distinctions between the different types of bipolar disorder:
_ 8 Ways To Make A Super Salad By Jane Farrell article Here, from the Cleveland Clinic, some smart advice on creating healthy salads you’ll actually want to eat, plus a listing of the vitamins you’ll get with every forkful! 1. Start off strong Lettuces: The darker and redder, the better – think romaine and leaf lettuces (Vitamin C, folic acid, potassium) Greens: Jazz things up with spring mix, kale mix, baby greens or arugula (beta – carotene, antioxidants) Note: Steer clear of iceberg and other pale lettuces. Their high water content means fewer nutrients.
_ Why Some Lyme Disease Patients Don't Respond To Treatment By Jane Farrell article Study: Scientists are coming closer to understanding exactly how variations in immune-system reactions can play a part in patients’ widely differing responses to Lyme disease. The study, conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins and Stanford, was published in the journal PLOS One.
_ Apathy Could Indicate Brain Changes By Jane Farrell article Among older people without depression, apathy may be an indicator of significant brain changes, according to new research. “Just as signs of memory loss may signal brain changes related to brain disease, apathy may indicate underlying changes,” said Lenore J. Launer, PhD, with the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
_ The Screen-Time Diet By Jane Farrell article To help manage your body weight, you need to reduce the amount of time you spend being sedentary. For many of us, that includes time (lots of it) spent in front of a screen, whether you’re watching TV, playing video games or using the computer. A sedentary lifestyle can easily lead to excess weight and even obesity, with its myriad health risks.
_ For Older COPD Patients, Common Meds Pose a Risk By article A group of drugs commonly prescribed for insomnia, anxiety, and breathing issues "significantly increase the risk" that older people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also known as emphysema, need to visit a doctor or Emergency Department for respiratory reasons. That is the finding of research done at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and published online on april 17th 2014 in the European Respiratory Journal.
_ Low-Calorie Menus and Bad Food Choices By Jane Farrell article “Low-calorie” menus may not be so healthy after all, because they can lead people to eliminate good foods right away, a new study shows. “People have come to expect low-calorie food to taste bad or not fill them up,” write authors Jeffrey R. Parker (Georgia State University) and Donald R. Lehmann (Columbia University). “We propose that by calorie organizing a menu, restaurants make it easier for people to use the general ‘low-calorie’ label to dismiss all low-calorie options early in the decision process.”
_ Diagnosing Muscle Loss By Jane Farrell article Researchers have come up with a way of measuring the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, and the discovery could lead someday to consistent diagnosis and even treatment for the condition.
Pain Management Alternative Healing for Chronic Pain and Fatigue By article By Janet Komanchuk The numbers involved in America’s problem with chronic pain are staggering and probably larger than most realize. More than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, costing nearly $600 billion annually in medical treatments and lost productivity, according to the Institute of Medicine, which adds that the total surpasses that of all people affected by heart disease, diabetes, and cancer combined.
_ Vitamin D Deficiency & Cognitive Decline By article Vitamin D deficiency and cognitive impairment are common in older adults, but there hasn’t been a lot of conclusive research into whether there's a relationship between the two. Now a study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina, published online ahead of print in April 2014 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, enhances the existing literature on the subject.
_ Pricier Rx If Docs Get Free Drug Samples By article At least for dermatologists, access to free drug samples from Big Pharma representatives means costlier prescription for patients. That’s the finding of Stanford University Medical Center researchers who published the results of their study April 16th in JAMA Dermatology.
_ Creative Activities Boost Job Performance By article When the workday ends, do you turn to a favorite creative activity such as painting with water colors, writing poetry, making up new recipes, or planting and tending a beautiful flower garden? If so, you’re probably boosting your performance on the job. That’s the finding of a study done by San Francisco State University organizational psychologist Kevin Eschleman and colleagues that was reported in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology in April 2014.
Skin Skin Health Skin Disorders and Aging By Jane Farrell article Your skin changes with age. It becomes thinner, loses fat, and no longer looks as plump and smooth as it once did. Your veins and bones can be seen more easily. Scratches, cuts, or bumps can take longer to heal. Years of sun tanning or being out in the sunlight for a long time may lead to wrinkles, dryness, age spots, and even cancer. But there are things you can do to protect your skin and to make it feel and look better. Here are tips from the National Institute on Aging: Dry Skin And Itching