_ Osteoarthritis 6,000 Steps a Day Helps Ease OA By Sondra Forsyth article Research done at from Sargent College at Boston University in Massachusetts shows that walking just 6,000 steps a day reduces the risk of developing mobility issues such as difficulty getting up from a chair and climbing stairs that are often associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The typical recommendation I 10,000 steps ΓÇô about five miles -- a day but BU team found that fewer steps will do the trick. The study, which was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, was published in June 2014 in in Arthritis Care & Research.
Back to School After 50? By blog I work with many women who are experiencing career burnout, entering the empty nest, or recently divorced, and who are looking for a new way to be productive, fulfilled and financially stable. Often they ask ΓÇ£Should I go back to school?ΓÇ¥ Or ΓÇ£Is it too late for me to finish my college degree?ΓÇ¥ Let me first address that word should. Many of us live our lives in accordance with what we think we should be doing, not what we want to do.
_ Friendship Friends and Your Health By Jane Farrell article Friendships can have a major impact on your health and well-being, but it's not always easy to build or maintain friendships. Understand the importance of friendships in your life and what you can do to develop and nurture friendships. What are the benefits of friendships? Good friends are good for your health. Friends can help you celebrate good times and provide support during bad times. Friends prevent loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too. Friends can also: Increase your sense of belonging and purpose
Breast Cancer A Possible Link Between Carbohydrates and Breast Cancer By Jane Farrell article Limiting carbohydrate intake could reduce the risk of one type of breast cancer, researchers have found. The findings, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, focused on the cancer whose tumor tissue has the IGF-1 receptor. "There is a growing body of research demonstrating associations between obesity, diabetes, and cancer risk," said lead author Jennifer A. Emond, an instructor in the Department of Community and Family Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College.
_ Gene Variants Identified As Source of Deadly Illnesses By Jane Farrell article Two widely carried gene variants that lead to longer chromosome caps also increase the risk of developing the brain cancers known as gliomas. The researchers, led by scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, found that the variants lead to longer telomeres, the caps on chromosome ends that are thought to protect cells from aging. The genetic variants, in two genes known as TERT and TERC, are respectively carried by 51 percent and 72 percent of the general population.
Aging Well Seniors Have Roomies, Too By Jane Farrell article By Judy Santamaria, MSPH Most of us know that loneliness isn't good for us -- but as we age, many of us find our circle of friends and family diminishing in size for various reasons. Sometimes consciously, sometimes not, loneliness can creep in, and begin to affect our spirits in a less-than-healthy way. Recently, I've been hearing about some really interesting ways seniors are stacking the deck in their own favor to combat loneliness associated with aging, and I wanted to share a few of them with you here.
_ How Long Should Hep C Treatment Last? By Jane Farrell article As new treatments for hepatitis C virus (HCV) are approved, biomedical scientists are exploring their mechanisms and what they reveal about the virus. An online publication in May 2014 in Hepatology is the first to report real-time tracking of viral decay in the liver and blood in 15 patients with HCV.
E-Cigs Not Healthy By Jane Farrell article Researchers at the Mayo Clinic Division of Allergy and Immunology warn that although one of the initial "health benefits" proposed by e-cigarettes makers was that it would help those who smoke cigarettes cut back, that theory hasn't been proven and there's no evidence to support the claims. An article about the findings was published in the June 2014 issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).
Cancer Center Cancer Center Ads Emotional, Not Informative By Jane Farrell article Emotional reactions to cancer center consumer advertisements may lead to unrealistic expectations and inappropriate treatments, according to a study done at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and published in May 2014 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. A release from the American College of Physicians notes that in response to a rapidly increasing demand for cancer care in the United States, a growing number of cancer centers are marketing their clinical services directly to patients through consumer advertising.
_ Common Beliefs About Obesity Could Be Wrong By Jane Farrell article Why do we have an obesity epidemic? Experts have come up with a number of reasons, and most of them might be wrong, according to new research. The findings, by investigators from the University of Illinois, Champaign, indicate that people have better access to fresh, affordable food than they did years ago.
_ Exercise Fitness Trends: Hot or Not? By Jane Farrell article By Scott Weiss, D.P.T., A.T., CSCS With summer just around the corner, many people are focusing their energy on getting back into shape. Unfortunately, what used to be a simple trip to the gym has now turned into a roundabout of trial and error, checking out each of the new classes and workouts that keep popping up. Variety is both fun and beneficial, but while choosing which activities best suit your needs, also remember to be wary of the trendy workouts topping the charts. Here are my recommendations:
_ The "Diet" Antibiotic By Jane Farrell article Researchers have found exactly how a drug works to mimic the action of eating well and, as a result, possibly extending lifespan. The drug, an immunosuppressant and antibiotic called Rapamycin, was approved for use about 15 years ago.
_ Why Olive Oil Is A Dietary Miracle By Jane Farrell article ItΓÇÖs generally accepted that olive oil is healthy, but researchers have found exactly how it makes its dietary magic. Researchers from KingΓÇÖs College London looked at whether unsaturated fats such as olive oil, and nitrite-rich vegetables (lettuce) benefited from their inhibition of an enzyme.
_ Aging Well Successful Aging: Toward a Broader Definition By article An aging population poses challenges for governments around the globe as nations grapple with how to satisfy the physical, social and economic needs of older adults. About 40 million adults 65 years and older live in the United States while 126 million adults 65 years and older live in China - the country with the largest population of senior citizens.
The Power of Shame By blog I have always wondered at the power of shame to shape our worlds. So much so, that when I began my six month counseling internship at a rehab hospital, I knew within weeks that my M.A. thesis would be about shame. We have so much shame in our culture around aging and disability! In my thesis I explain the Chinese word for I’m sorry: σ»╣Σ╕ìΦ╡╖, which means literally “I cannot look up at you.” That’s exactly what shame feels like.
_ How Can We Avoid Another Global Pandemic? By Jane Farrell article An investigation into the 1918 flu pandemic has yielded some findings that could help experts improve current health policies, researchers say. Researchers from the University of Missouri looked at remote regions in North American to see how environmental, nutritional land economic factors determined the effect the pandemic had on them. The flu pandemic infected more than 500 million people and killed at least 50 million.
_ For Older Adults, Complex Frailty Score Predicts Post-Op Outcomes By article More than half of all operations are performed on patients 65 years and older in the United States. Frail elderly patients who undergo surgery are more likely to have postoperative complications. But tools to estimate operative risk have their limitations because they often focus on a single organ system or solitary event. In geriatric medicine, the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is widely used to detect disabilities and conditions associated with frailty.
_ Age Discrimination Worse Than Sexism or Racism By Jane Farrell article People who believe they are a victim of age or weight discrimination are linked to worse health than those older adults who are the targets of racism and sexism, according to a new study. The findings, by researchers from the Florida State University College of Medicine, were published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.