_ Study: A Flu "Patch" May Be Alternative To The Needle By Jane Farrell article Instead of going to the doctor’s office for an annual flu shot, patients may eventually give themselves the same treatment via a painless patch. A study by researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine gave the “microneedle patch” to nearly 100 people in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The investigators found that the subjects could successfully apply the patch. If the treatment becomes feasible, it could reduce health care costs and increase the number of people who are vaccinated.
_ The 12 Habits of Highly Healthy People: #1, Physical Activity By article By Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. The Mayo Clinic has created a program modeled on the same on that Mayo Clinic employees follow. It’s called "12 Habits of Highly Healthy People." The 12 habits are: 1) Physical activity 2) Forgiveness 3) Portion size
_ Ordinary Conditioner Removes Lice Eggs By article Back when your kids were in school, you may well have had to do battle with head lice and chances are that you bought special products such as prescription-only Kwell or over-the-counter RID. Now, though, if the grandchildren end up with eggs from head lice, also called nits, you may find that ordinary conditioner works just as well. That’s the conclusion of new research published in February 2015 in the Journal of Medical Entomology.
_ Caring for Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions By article The millions of Americans living with more than one chronic disease are at high risk of poor health outcomes, and account for a disproportionate share of health care costs. A special March supplement to Medical Carepresents updates from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Multiple Chronic Conditions (MCC) Research Network, formed to address knowledge gaps and research challenges in meeting the complex health care needs of this growing population.
_ Rural Docs Doing a Good Job By article Although studies have found that the quality of care delivered to rural patients is as good or better than that available in urban areas, the belief persists that top-quality primary care is only available in big cities. However, a new study done at Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the National Rural Health Association's Journal of Rural Health finds few meaningful differences between rural and urban primary care physicians on key measures of professionalism, including their attitudes about participation in quality care improvement.
_ Heart Health Study: Blood Pressure Should Be Taken in Both Arms By Jane Farrell article To get the best possible blood pressure reading, health care practitioners should start taking readings using both arms, because a difference between the two readings indicates a significantly higher risk of heart disease, new research shows. Most blood pressure measurements are taken using only one arm. Although the link between heart disease and differences in “interarm” readings had been suspected, this is the first study that provides statistics supporting that theory.
_ Widowhood Bereavement Ups Heart Attack & Stroke Risk By article We really can die of a broken heart – or at least suffer serious adverse health events. The risk of having a heart attack or stroke increases significantly during the 30 days after a partner's death, according to a study done at St. Georges College in London and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on February 24th 2014.
_ Pets The ASPCA Offers 9 Cold Weather Tips for Pets By Jane Farrell article Here, adapted with permission from an article by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, are guidelines for protect your pets when it’s cold outside:
_ Mental & Emotional Health Health-Care Coverage: A Tragic Exception By Jane Farrell article By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News Dealing with the aftermath of a suicide or attempted suicide is stressful enough. But some health plans make a harrowing experience worse by refusing to cover medical costs for injuries that are related to suicide—even though experts say that in many cases such exclusions aren't permitted under federal law. Yet patients or their loved ones often don't realize that.
_ Diabetes: ΓÇ£Lend a HandΓÇ¥ Prioritizes Goals By Sondra Forsyth article The "lend a hand " illustration that accompanies this article shows an open palm with the five major forms of diabetes interventions are arranged in descending order of importance from thumb to little finger as follows: smoking cessation, blood pressure control, metformin therapy, lipid reduction, and glucose control.
Aging Well With Age, Body Image Gets Better By article Boomers worry less about their appearance than Gen-Xers or Millenials do, according to a national online survey done by TODAY and AOL in February 2014. The results showed that 35% of Boomers aged 50 to 68 worry that people are judging their appearance, compared to 51% of Gen Xers aged 35 to 49 and 62% of millennials aged 16-34. Also, while 80% of women under age 24 worry about their appearance regularly, that number drops steadily with age. Among those who are 55+, 52% worry about appearance regularly.
Reducing the Stigma of Dementia Through Song By Jane Farrell blog Having older adults with Alzheimer’s and college students sing together can change younger choir members’ perceptions of dementia and reduce social isolation, both in those with the disease and their family caregivers. These are the findings of a pilot study conducted last spring at the John Carroll University in Ohio. (The study will be published in April 2014 in the American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias.)
_ A Step Forward in Treating Hepatitis C By Jane Farrell article Researchers have discovered the structure of a hepatitis C protein, and the finding could help scientists develop a vaccine for the deadly illness. Joseph Marcotrigiano, associate professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Rutgers University, says the research has uncovered the structure of an “outer region” of hepatitis C that enables the virus to evade the body’s immune system.
_ Racial Disparities in Type 2 Diabetes By article Two surprising risk factors – diminished lung function and low serum potassium levels - appear to have nearly the same impact as obesity in explaining why African-Americans are disproportionately prone to developing type 2 diabetes, according to research done at Duke University Medicine and published in the February 2014 print edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The finding points to potential new avenues for developing treatments.
_ Aging Well Older Women Self-Employed by Necessity By article Older women most often turn to self-employment because of financial need while older men typically choose self-employment. That is the sobering but not surprising finding of research done at the University of Missouri in Columbia. The study will be published in the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare in March 2014.
_ Pain Management Talk Therapy Best for Chronic Pain? By Jane Farrell article Psychological treatment often provides better relief for chronic pain than prescription drugs or surgery, according to a review published by the American Psychological Association. However, it’s used much less frequently. “Chronic pain affects 116 million American adults, making it more prevalent than heart disease, diabetes and cancer combined, and traditional medical approaches are inadequate,” said lead author Mark P. Jensen, PhD, of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington.
Exercise New Sitting Risk: Disability After 60 By article Regardless of exercise, too much sedentary time is linked to major disability after 60. If you're 60 and older, every additional hour a day you spend sitting is linked to doubling the risk of being disabled , according to a study done at a new Northwestern Medicine and published February 19th 2014 in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health.