_ Why Newly Proposed Nutrition Labels are (Mostly) Good By article By Michael (Dr. Mike) S. Fenster M.D. Nutritional labeling hasn’t been overhauled in 20 years but proposed update, which could take a year or more to appear on store shelves, is being driven by first lady Michelle Obama as part of her “Let’s Move” campaign. Our current nutrition labeling is the same as that implemented in the 1990s, except for the 2006 addition of trans fats information. It’s based on nutrition data and eating habits from the 1970s and 1980s.
Esophageal Cancer Month, April 2014 By article April is Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month and ECAN, the Esophageal Cancer Action Network, is urging Americans to get the facts about this deadly disease, which usually isn’t detected until it’s too late. Some basic facts about Esophageal Cancer in the U.S. *Most cases of esophageal cancer in the United States are caused by the effects of GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease), where acid from the stomach moves back into the esophagus. The most common symptom of GERD is heartburn.
_ Grandparents Could Be Factor in the "Baby Blues" By Jane Farrell article For some new mothers, living with baby’s grandparents may not be a good thing. A study by researchers from Duke University indicates that living with the new baby’s grandparents either lessens or increases the rate of post-partum depression, depending on the mother’s marital status. Both married and single mothers suffer depression when they live in multi-generational households during their baby’s first year of life. But unmarried women who live with their romantic partner in a multi-generational household show lower rates of depression.
_ 5 Easy Food Swaps to Kiss Your Cravings Goodbye By article By Jon Yaneff It could be late at night or during the day, and BOOM, out of nowhere, you have to have your salty treat. Your life just stops if you don’t consume your sugary and sweet chocolate treat. And, every morning you can’t get through your day without your coffee—milk, two sugars.
_ Does a Junk Food Diet Make You Lazy? By article A University of California, Los Angeles psychology study provides evidence that being overweight makes people tired and sedentary — not the other way around, according to a UCLA release written by Stuart Wolpert. The research is online and will be published April 10th 2014 in the print edition of the journal Physiology and Behavior.
How to Love an Angry Man Part 4: Understanding Male Shame, Depression, and Dependency By blog For most of my life I haven’t understood my anger or why it was so often directed at the women in my life. I’ve been married three times. My first marriage lasted 10 years and ended in an acrimonious divorce. My second marriage began with extreme attraction and passion and luckily ended before one of us killed the other. I’m not talking metaphorically here.
_ Weight Loss Can Sun Exposure Help You Lose Weight? By Jane Farrell article Exposure to light in the morning rather than later in the day may be a good way to manage weight, new research shows. The study, from Northwestern Medicine, found that the timing, intensity and duration of light exposure is linked to Body Mass Index (BMI).
_ Aging Well Beauty & Style Skin Skin Health Anti-Aging Tricks to Banish Dark Circles By article By Soriyya Bawa Without proper anti-aging skin care, the process of aging can take a heavy toll on the eyes, especially because the skin in that area is so sensitive. One of the most visible signs of aging on the face is the appearance of dark circles around the eyes, which, while not necessarily dangerous to human health, are unpleasant to look at, making them one of the main focuses of anti-aging skin care.
_ Digestive Health Are You Lactose Intolerant? By Jane Farrell article If you find yourself suddenly having unpleasant digestive effects from dairy products, the culprit might be lactose intolerance. Even if you’ve never suffered from it, lactose intolerance can manifest itself in adulthood. Here, from the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearing House (NDDIC), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is some information on what it is, why you might have it and how you can manage it:
_ Being Underweight Is as Hazardous as Obesity By article Being underweight puts people at the highest risk of dying just as obesity does, according to research dome at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and published in March 2014 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health. A release from the hospital written by Leslie Shepard notes that the connection between being underweight and the higher risk of dying is true for both adults and fetuses. This is so even when factors such as smoking, alcohol use or lung disease are considered, or adults with a chronic or terminal illness are excluded, the study found.
_ Digestive Health Diverticular Disease: Greatest Myths and Facts By article By Meagan Costedio, MD There is a lot of misinformation floating around about diverticular disease – namely diverticulosis and diverticulitis. Patients believe they can’t eat nuts or seeds, one of the most common myths, or they are simply confused about the difference between conditions. Below, the most common myths are dispelled.
Memory Loss: The Signs And The Symptoms By blog Editor’s note: Third Age staff recently came across a wonderful resource when it comes to memory care.
Pain Management Natural Migraine Prevention Tips By article By Romie Mushtaq M.D. Headaches are fifth-leading cause of emergency room visits among all Americans, according to a 2013 National Institutes of Health report that calls headaches a major public health problem. The key to preventing headaches is, of course, to figure out what’s triggering them. While migraine and stress headaches can both be triggered by stress, migraines have many other possible triggers and they vary from one individual to the next.
_ Tweaking Electronic Alerts to Reduce Rx Errors By article Changing how medication alerts are presented in electronic medical records resulted in safer prescribing, increased efficiency, and reduced workload for health care providers who placed drug orders, according to study published online in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. A release from Indiana Universoty quotes study leader said Alissa L. Russ, Ph.D as saying, "We are looking at ways to improve the alert system for providers and for patient care."
_ Gout Drug May Lower the Risk of Death By article In a study slated to be published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine found that the use of the drug allopurinol was associated with a reduced risk of death in patients with gout. The research suggests that the overall benefit of allopurinol on survival may outweigh the impact of rare serious adverse effects.
_ Immune Booster Halts Lethal Sepsis By article A breakthrough study done at the University of Leicester in the UK has shown that low dose injections of artificial properdin provide substantial protection against septic diseases in mice. The paper was published on March 24th 2014 in the online early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
I Want To Take The Alzheimer's Test By blog Last night I had trouble getting to sleep. Tossing and turning, I attempted to clear my thoughts, but my brain had other ideas. My mind was on an instant replay loop: A new study reveals researchers have developed a blood test that will predict if a healthy person — someone with no symptoms — is likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease within the next few years. The study focused on people over 70 and was about 90 percent accurate.
Breast Cancer Breast Reconstruction: Making the Decision By Jane Farrell article Every woman who has a mastectomy is then faced with another choice: whether to have breast reconstruction – surgery to rebuild the shape of the breast. There are other choices, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI): to wear a breast form, or padding, or to do nothing.