_ Osteoporosis Progress in Preventing Osteoporosis By Jane Farrell article Researchers are progressing in the development of a more effective treatment of osteoporosis, a widespread and serious health problem in the U.S. The investigators, from the UCLA School of Dentistry, are working on a treatment that both slows down the destruction of bone and promotes bone formation. The researchers found that a growth factor, Wnt4, which is secreted in the bone marrow, prevented bone loss in mice with osteoporosis. Wnt4 does that by blocking a signaling pattern that would otherwise promote inflammation.
_ Exercise How Exercise Can Improve Osteoarthritis By Jane Farrell article Osteoarthritis, the degeneration of joint cartilage, is age-related. Most cases involve stiffness in the knee, hip and thumb joints. But while it is a painful condition, osteoarthritis doesnΓÇÖt necessarily limit your from physical activity. In fact, the right kind of exercise can improve the condition.
Coming Next Week! August 18th to August 22nd 2014 By Sondra Forsyth article HereΓÇÖs a sneak preview of the articles, slideshows, and blogs weΓÇÖll be posting during the coming week on ThirdAge, the biggest and best site for ΓÇ£boomer and beyondΓÇ¥ women since 1997. As always, weΓÇÖll 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.
_ Aging Well Foods That WonΓÇÖt ΓÇ£FrailΓÇ¥ You By Sondra Forsyth article By Robert Ashton M.D. With aging comes frailty. The more frail we are, the more likely we are to get sick or die from chronic illnesses including heart disease, diabetes, and other leading causes of death. If you can slow the debilitating process, then you have a shot at living not only a longer life, but a healthier one too.
_ Vision Health ΓÇ£Seeing'ΓÇ¥ Through Virtual Touch By Sondra Forsyth article Surprising results from University of Cincinnati research could lead to new ways to help the visually impaired better navigate everyday life. Visual impairment comes in many forms, and it's on the rise in America. The University of Cincinnati experiment aimed at this diverse and growing population could spark development of advanced tools to help all the aging baby boomers, injured veterans, diabetics, and white-cane-wielding pedestrians navigate the blurred edges of everyday life.
_ Breast Cancer Active Lifestyle Decreases Breast Ca Risk After Menopause By Sondra Forsyth article Postmenopausal women who in the past four years had undertaken regular physical activity equivalent to at least four hours of walking per week had a lower risk for invasive breast cancer compared with women who exercised less during those four years, according to data published in August 2014 inCancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Can A Person Ever Be Fully Prepared to Care for Someone with Alzheimer's? By Jane Farrell blog Earlier this year, I attended a caregivers conference at the University of Minnesota. The morning keynote speaker was absolutely terrific ΓÇö an engaging, informed speaker who was also funny and self-deprecating.
_ Colon-Cancer Screenings: Weighing the Options By Jane Farrell article Editor's note: If you ever thought getting a colonoscopy was the only way to screen for colon cancer, you're wrong. Here, the experts from the Mayo Clinic explain what the choices are: WHAT IS YOUR DOCTORΓÇÖS APPROACH TO COLON-CANCER SCREENING? Make sure that you're comfortable with the colon cancer screening test your doctor recommends. If your doctor specializes in a particular test but you'd rather have another test, express your wishes. If necessary, your doctor might offer a referral to someone trained in the test with which you feel most comfortable.
_ Aging Well Genes That Protect Against Frailty By Sondra Forsyth article Frailty is a common condition associated with old age, characterized by weight loss, weakness, decreased activity level and reduced mobility, which together increase the risk of injury and death. Yet, not all elderly people become frail. Some remain vigorous and robust well into old age. The question remains: Why?
_ Too Hot For Your Health By Jane Farrell article Almost every summer, there is a deadly heat wave in some part of the country. Too much heat isnΓÇÖt safe for anyone, and itΓÇÖs even riskier if youΓÇÖre older or have health problems. ThatΓÇÖs why itΓÇÖs important to get relief quickly, and even better, to prevent overexposure in the first place. Being hot for too long can cause several illnesses grouped under the designation hyperthermia:
_ Mental & Emotional Health Say Yes to NO! By Sondra Forsyth article By Jaime Kulaga, Ph.D., LMHC No has gotten this bad reputation. “No, you can’t do that.” “No, it’s too hard.” “No, I don’t have time.” “No, I’m too old.” “No, I’ll do it some other time.” I am sure that you have said some of these statements before. And, yes, when it comes to stopping a life dream, skipping out on a risk, or self-sabotaging with the word “No,” ….YES that IS negative. In fact, saying “No” all the time could skew people’s opinions of you, making them think you are a pessimist or have a negative attitude. I get it.
_ Medical Care Many Hospitals Missed E-health Deadline By Sondra Forsyth article Many of the nation's hospitals struggled to meet a federally mandated electronic health records deadline, and as a result could collectively face millions of dollars in reduced Medicare payments, according to a study done at the University of Michigan published online August 7th 2014 and slated to be published in the September print issue of the journal Health Affairs.
_ Aging Well Brain Health Right Brain Stays Youthful as We Age By Sondra Forsyth article At least one part of the human brain appears to be able to process information the same way in older age as it does in the prime of life, according to research conducted at the University of Adelaide in Australia and presented at the 12th International Cognitive Neuroscience Conference in Brisbane in July 2014.
_ Pain Management If You've Been Diagnosed with Shingles By Jane Farrell article Shingles is a disease that affects nerves and causes pain and blisters in adults. ItΓÇÖs caused by the same varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox in children. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus doesnΓÇÖt leave your body, but continues to live in some nerve cells. For reasons that aren't totally understood, the virus can become active instead of remaining inactive. When it's activated in adults, it produces shingles. Most adults live with the varicella-zoster virus in their body and never get shingles.
_ Healthy Diet & Nutrition Fast Food Redeemed: Beyond Burgers and Fries By Sondra Forsyth article By Dr. Kevin J. McLaughlin Across the United States, North America and throughout the world, the impact of the fast food industry has really overtaken our collective culinary culture. It has driven demand, competitive pricing for fast meals and disease rates right through the roof in the U.S. To put it bluntly, fast food is one of the main reasons why Americans are getting fatter, sicker, and living with high morbidity as they age. This trend is also occurring within a much younger demographic than ever before.
_ Lack of Vitamin D May Mean High Dementia Risk By Jane Farrell article A deficiency in Vitamin D has been linked to a high risk of AlzheimerΓÇÖs and dementia in older people, according to new research. An international team of investigators studied 1,658 elderly Americans who participated in the Cardiovascular Health Study. They concluded that the participants who were severely deficient in Vitamin D were 125 percent likelier to develop dementia of any kind. People who were moderately deficient in Vitamin D had a 53 percent higher risk. The subjects were followed for six years after the initial assessment.
_ Menopause What to Expect and How to Prepare for Menopause By Sondra Forsyth article By Marni Andrews There are a record number of North American women now entering a new period of their lives, menopause, which marks the official end of their reproductive period. Women are born with a finite number of eggs in their ovariesΓÇöby the time they reach their 50s, the number of fertile eggs has dropped significantly. When the remaining eggs are released, or hormones in the body can no longer stimulate their release, the body enters menopause. This generally happens between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age being around 51.
_ Interval Walking Best for Diabetics By Sondra Forsyth article Research done by by Dr. Thomas Solomon, and colleagues at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and published in August 2014 in Diabetologia suggests that training with alternating levels of walking intensity, known as interval training, could be better than walking at a constant speed to help manage blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes.