_ Hep C Not a Survival Threat for HIV+ Patients with Ca By Jane Farrell article Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia analyzed data from HIV+ patients diagnosed with lymphoma, collected over 17 years, to better understand how Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection influences survival outcomes. Study leader Stefan K. Barta, MD, MS, MRCP presented the group's findings at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in June 2014 in Chicago.
_ Osteoporosis Do You Really Need Vitamin D Supplements? By article You may have heard that researchers who analyzed hundreds of studies have concluded that vitamin D supplements won’t protect healthy, middle-aged adults from osteoporosis. And even worse, the scientists say the supplements may increase the risk of death from other diseases. However, none health experts at the Cleveland Clinic warn that you need to make sure you aren’t deficient in vitamin D before you stop taking the supplement, especially if you are past menopause.
37 Million Could Be Saved Through Global Health Programs By Jane Farrell article Reaching globally-agreed targets for health risks such as smoking and alcohol can prevent more than 37 million deaths by 2025, according to new statistics. The study, led by researchers from Imperial College London, said the health risks are caused by the “big four” illnesses: cancer, diabetes, lung disease and cardiovascular disease. The study, published in The Lancet, found that the majority of death prevention would be in low- to middle-income nations, while the reductions for smoking and blood pressure will lead to the largest benefits.
Love Your Gums! By article One in every two adults age 30 and older suffers from periodontal disease, commonly referred to as gum disease. The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) is calling for Americans to Love the Gums You’re With and take better care of their gums. To learn more, take a brief quiz on perio.org/loveyourgumsto evaluate the current state of your gum health, learn the signs and symptoms of periodontal disease, and receive tips on how to properly care for their gums.
_ Why It May Be More Than "The Blues" By Jane Farrell article Everyone feels blue now and then. It’s part of life. But if you no longer enjoy activities that you usually like, there may be a more serious problem. Feeling depressed without letup can change the way you think and the way you experience emotions. Doctors call this clinical depression.
_ The Aging Brain Needs REST By article Researchers at the Harvard Medical School have discovered that a gene regulator called REST, which is active during fetal brain development, switches back on later in life to protect aging neurons from stresses including the toxic effects of abnormal proteins. The team also showed that REST is lost in critical brain regions of people with Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment.
_ Curcumin Improves Chemotherapy Treatment By article A special form of the spice curcumin may improve cancer treatment, both directly with its activity against cancer cells and indirectly by sensitizing cancer cells to the effects of chemotherapy. That is the finding of a study done at Baylor University Mdical Center in Dallas and published in the journal PLoS ONE. A release from the university notes that the researchers also showed that BCM-95 Curcumin reduces cellular DNA damage that can lead to cancer.
_ Breast Cancer Biennial Mammograms Just as Good as Annual Ones? By Jane Farrell article The adoption of guidelines calling for mammograms every two years for women age 50 to 75 would yield effective breast screenings and save the United States $4.3 billion a year in health care costs, a new study said.
_ Omega-3s and Liver Health By article Oregon State University researchers in Corvallis and collaborators found that omega-3 fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), could “be of significant value in the prevention of fatty liver disease”, according to a release from the university.
_ Exercise Safety for Senior Athletes By Jane Farrell article Aging affects multiple organ systems, from the heart and lungs to your bones and metabolism. Of all the changes, musculoskeletal issues have the most impact on the aging senior’s sport. These changes include:an overall decrease in muscle and bone mass; stiffening of muscles; weakening of tendons and cartilage.
What Every Man, and Women Who Love Them, Should Know About Suicide By blog Most of us don’t want to think about suicide, but it is part of the human condition. When people reach such a point of despair that they attempt to take their own lives, everyone they know is impacted, including family, friends, and colleagues. I know. I am still living with the effect of my father’s attempted suicide when I was 5 years old.
Manopause & Low Testosterone: What Every Man and Woman Should Know By blog When I first began research for my book on the “male change of life,” I wasn’t sure what I should call it. I assumed that what men went through was totally different than what women experienced. But the more I talked to men and women, the more it became clear that there were more similarities than differences. Andropause is the more technically correct term, but Male Menopause has come to be commonly used.