_ Your Television May Be Killing You By Jane Farrell article Watching too much TV can be fatal: Adults who indulge for three or more hours each day may double their risk of premature death, according to new research. Researchers, who published their findings in the Journal of the American Heart Association, said that watching television is one of many bad lifestyle habits on the rise.
_ Healthy Diet & Nutrition Convenience Store Confidential: Eat Smart When YouΓÇÖre on the Road By Sondra Forsyth article By Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD Americans love hitting the open road, especially during summer. Road trips mean long hours in the car, with pit stops at gas station convenience stores ΓÇö often the only options on long stretches of highway. Too often, when we fuel up our cars, we fuel up our bodies with snack choices we regret 20 miles down the road.
_ 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.
_ Food Allergies & Intolerance EpiPens Not Used Often Enough By Sondra Forsyth article Sudden allergic reactions can be fatal. The most common triggers of such reactions, also known as anaphylaxis, are wasp and bee venoms, legumes (pul, animal proteins, and painkiller. The incidence of anaphylaxis is age-dependent. Although epinephrine administered by injection is a know effective antidote, the treatment is not used often enough – at least not in German=speaking countries -- , according to a study published in the June 2014 issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International.
_ 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.
_ Brain Health Seeing the Inner Workings of the Brain By Sondra Forsyth article A team of scientists at Stanford University has improved a technique called CLARITY that they developed in 2013 to look into brains from deceased donors, according to a paper published June 19th 2014 in Nature Protocols. A release from the university explains that without this tool, the fatty outer covering of the brainΓÇÖs nerve cells blocks microscopes from taking images of the intricate connections between deep brain cells. CLARITY eliminates the fatty covering while keeping the brain intact with all its intricate inner wiring.
_ Vision Health AMD: Omega-3 Stops Unwanted Blood Vessel Growth By Sondra Forsyth article Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is characterized blood vessel growth, is the primary cause of blindness in the elderly in industrialized countries. The prevalence of the disease is projected to increase 50% by the year 2020. There is an urgent need for new pharmacological interventions for the treatment and prevention of AMD.
Pets Keeping Your Pet (and Yourself) Healthy By Jane Farrell article We Americans love our pets ΓÇô and weΓÇÖve got millions of them. According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 164 million owned pets across the country, in 62 percent of our households. But while pets provide love, comfort and companionship, they may also have health issues, and some of them can affect us. Here, from the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC), are some tips on keeping your pet (and your family) healthy.
Mice With MS Walk Again After Stem Cell Tx By Sondra Forsyth article Mice severely disabled by a condition similar to multiple sclerosis (MS) could walk less than two weeks following treatment with human stem cells. The study, which uncovers new avenues for treating MS, was don e at the University of Utah and published online on May 15th 2014, in the journal Stem Cell Reports.
_ 7 Things You Should Know About Cooking With Oil By Sondra Forsyth article By The Beating Edge Team HealthHub from Cleveland Clinic When it comes to cooking with oils, do you have to choose between cooking for taste or cooking for health? People have strong opinions about whatΓÇÖs best. Health Hub sat down recently to chat about cooking with oils with James D. Perko, CEC, AAC, Executive Chef for Cleveland ClinicΓÇÖs Wellness Institute and its Center for Lifestyle Medicine and nutritionist Katherine Patton, MEd, RD, CSSD, LD.
Death and Chickens By blog We live on a farm. My kids have seen chickens ΓÇ£bornΓÇ¥ and chickens die. Some of our chickens have died of old age, some of our chickens have been eaten by the dog, and some of our chickens have been eaten by us. My middle daughter casually calls this ΓÇ£the cycle of life.ΓÇ¥ :-) This past year a whole generation of our pets died off. For a while we even had a goldfish in the freezer awaiting official burial in our pet cemetery.
_ How Obesity-Induced Diabetes Begins By Jane Farrell article Scientists from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered the sequence of early cellular responses that can ultimately lead to obesity-induced insulin resistance and diabetes. The cells respond, the investigators said, to a high-fat diet. ΓÇ£WeΓÇÖve described the etiology [cause] of obesity-related diabetes. WeΓÇÖve pinpointed the steps, the way the whole thing happens,ΓÇ¥ said Jerrold M. Olefsky, MD, associate dean for Scientific Affairs and Distinguished Professor of Medicine at UC San Diego.
_ Lung-Cancer Drug Can Prolong Life By Jane Farrell article Ramucirumab, a drug designed to combat solid tumors, has proven effective as a second-line treatment for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer when itΓÇÖs combined with another drug, docetaxel. In a randomized phase III clinical trial, the two drugs showed greater effectiveness than docetaxel combined with a placebo. The findings were published in the British journal Lancet. A team of researchers, including corresponding study author Dr. Edward B. Garon, MD, of UCLA, looked at 1,253 patients.
Aging Well Latest Developments in Aging Research By Sondra Forsyth article The 43rd Annual Meeting of the American Aging Association (AGE), held May 30th to June 2nd 2014 at the Westin Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio, Texas, featured the latest scholarship and research findings in the field of aging research from more than 70 leading experts. The event has long been recognized as a launching pad for researchers to share cutting-edge discoveries into the underlying mechanisms of the causes of aging as well as the possible breakthroughs in finding ways to increase healthspan.
_ The Subtle Signs of Diabetes By Jane Farrell article FROM THE MAYO CLINIC Early symptoms of diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, can be subtle or seemingly harmless ΓÇö if you have symptoms at all. Over time, however, you may develop diabetes complications, even if you haven't had diabetes symptoms. In the United States alone, nearly 7 million people have undiagnosed diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. But you don't need to become a statistic. Understanding possible diabetes symptoms can lead to early diagnosis and treatment ΓÇö and a lifetime of better health.
Life-Saving Drug for Older Adults with Pneumonia By Sondra Forsyth article In a study that included nearly 65,000 older patients hospitalized with pneumonia, treatment that included azithromycin compared with other antibiotics was associated with a significantly lower risk of death but a slightly increased risk of heart attack, according to a study done at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and published in the June 4th 2014 issue of JAMA. The authors report that overall, the benefits outweigh the risks.
_ Beauty & Style Skin 6 Secrets for the Perfect Homemade Anti-Aging Skin & Hair Care Routine By article By Soriyya Bawa