Breast Cancer Some Cancers Respond to Anti-Inflammatory Drugs By Sondra Forsyth article Research done at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis raises the possibility that some cancer patients with aggressive tumors may benefit from a class of anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. The investigators published their findings in a 2014 issue of the journal Cell Reports.
_ Do We Need A Better Nutrition Label? By Jane Farrell article The nutrition facts-label on packaged food is one of the most important consumer tools for determining how healthy food products are. But the label, which lists fats, proteins, sugars and fibers, hasnΓÇÖt changed since 1993, except for one alteration in 2006, when details of trans fats were added. Now, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing an update to the label. Although the update isnΓÇÖt approved yet, the agency has been holding public hearings and soliciting comments on the proposals.
_ Making Sense of Carbohydrate Counting By Jane Farrell article If you or a loved one have been recently diagnosed with diabetes, you know that the nutrition guidelines for diabetics can seem overwhelming at times. And following the guidelines, which include carbohydrate counting, is crucial to a diabeticΓÇÖs health. Here, from the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, part of the National Institutes of Health, is an easy-to-understand explanation of carbohydrate counting. This tool for planning meals will help you keep track of the amount of carbs youΓÇÖre eating each day, and whether youΓÇÖre in goal range.
Aging Well A Drug to Slow Aging By Sondra Forsyth article A drug called rapimycin may mimic the effect of dietary restriction, one of the most-researched methods for slowing the aging process, according to an article published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences/em> in June 2014.
_ DonΓÇÖt Ruin Your Healthy Lifestyle With These Bad Habits By Sondra Forsyth article By LeanonLife Health and Fitness Team A Game Plan
Heart Coherence: 3 Simple Steps for Reducing Stress and Living Well By blog IΓÇÖve always prided myself on having a healthy heart. When IΓÇÖd have my yearly health checkups, the doctor always commented that I had the low blood pressure of an athlete. I do keep in good shape, but I havenΓÇÖt considered myself an athlete since high school when I played basketball and wrestled.
_ Weight Loss Sticking to a Diet: Compliance vs. Adherence By Sondra Forsyth article By Sondra Forsyth You may have noticed that most health care professionals have stopped using the word ΓÇ£complianceΓÇ¥ when referring to whether or not people stick with medication regimens or apply sunscreen daily or exercise on a regular basis. The word most often used now is ΓÇ£adherence.ΓÇ¥ The rationale is that telling patients to comply smacks of issuing a command, whereas asking them to adhere implies that they are partners in their care and can use free will to do whatΓÇÖs best for their health.
_ Aging Well Memory Loss Stress Management Stress-Free Living Stress Linked to Memory Loss as We Age By Sondra Forsyth article Research done at the University of Iowa reports a potential link between stress hormones and short-term memory loss in older adults. The study, published in June 2014 in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that prolonged high levels of cortisol can lead to memory lapses as we age.
_ Exercise Calling All Couch Potatoes: You Might Be at Risk for this Disease By Sondra Forsyth article HereΓÇÖs yet another compelling reason to get up off the couch: Physical inactivity can increase the risk of colon, endometrial, and lung cancers, according to a study published June 16th 2014 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Time spent watching TV was especially predictive of increased cancer risk.
_ Menopause Are You Setting Off Your Hot Flashes? By Sondra Forsyth article By Gary Elkins If you start taking note of your hot flashes, you may recognize some events, emotions, or activities that actually seem to contribute to, or ΓÇ£trigger,ΓÇ¥ the onset of a hot flash. Scientifically speaking, while the physiology of hot flashes is associated with a decrease in estrogen level or an increase in gonadotropin concentrations, the actual physiological mechanism of hot flashes is not known.
_ Injury Prevention & Treatment Medical Care ThirdAge Health Close-Up: I Fell and Dislocated My Shoulder By Sondra Forsyth article By Sherry Amatenstein, LCSW
_ Pain Management Getting Rid of Chronic Pain By Jane Farrell article As people age, chronic pain becomes a real problem. In your younger years, you probably had pain for a short while ΓÇô from a broken arm, say, or a bad toothache. But pain can become a constant, unwelcome companion for older people who have age-related illnesses like arthritis, cancer or diabetes. However, though chronic pain often accompanies aging, that doesnΓÇÖt mean itΓÇÖs something you should put up with. DonΓÇÖt delay going to your doctor. Here, from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), are tips on how to talk to your doctor so your pain problem can be solved.
_ High blood pressure / hypertension Lower BP Not Always Better By Sondra Forsyth article For decades, common medical wisdom has been "the lower the better" in treating the approximately one in three people in this country who have high blood pressure. But does that approach result in reduced risk for dangerous heart events? Not necessarily, according to research done at Wake Forest Baptists Medical Center in Winston Salem, North Carolina, and published in the June 16th online edition of JAMA Internal Medicine.
_ Aging Well Discussing Sensitive Subjects With Your Doctor By Sondra Forsyth article Much of the communication between doctor and patient is personal. To have a good partnership with your doctor, it is important to talk about sensitive subjects, like sex or memory problems, even if you are embarrassed or uncomfortable.
_ Is Medical Marijuana Safe? By Jane Farrell article EditorΓÇÖs note: As of earlier this year, 20 states have legalized the use of marijuana for some serious medical conditions, including cancer, glaucoma and HIV/AIDS. But using medical marijuana isnΓÇÖt a casual decision. Here, the National Institute on Drug Abuse offers (NIDA) offers a briefing on the most controversial medicine of our time: According to NIDA, the term ΓÇ£medical marijuanaΓÇ¥ refers to the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its crude extracts. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesnΓÇÖt recognize or approve those substances as medicine.
_ A New Kind of Drug for Alzheimer's? By Jane Farrell article Researchers have discovered a new drug target to fight AlzheimerΓÇÖs, and the finding could lead to a new diagnostic tool as well. Earlier drugs have long targeted the amyloid protein called plaques, which can cause neurons in the brain to die. But Penn State University researchers have found that another substance, a neurotransmitter known as GABA, could also be implicated in the development of AlzheimerΓÇÖs.
_ Healthy Diet & Nutrition Health Buzzwords on Food Products: False Promises? By Sondra Forsyth article Health-related buzzwords such as "antioxidant," "gluten-free" and "whole grain," lull consumers into thinking packaged food products labeled with those words are healthier than they actually are, according to a research done at the University of Houston. A release from the university reports that the team suggests that false sense of health as well as a failure to understand the information presented in nutrition facts panels on packaged food may be contributing to the obesity epidemic in the United States.
_ When a Loved One Is Diagnosed With Parkinson's Disease By Sondra Forsyth article By Judy Santamaria MSPH The incidence of Parkinson's disease, which is common in people over the age of 60, is expected to rise with the aging of our populations. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that mainly affects movement. The primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease are tremor, rigidity or stiffness of the muscles, slow movement, loss of movement, and balance and walking problems.