_ When Swelling Isn't So Swell: Curbing Chronic Inflammation By Jane Farrell article By Dr. Mickey Barber Of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States, chronic, low-level inflammation contributes to … Read More→
_ Weight Loss Technologies for Weight Loss By Sondra Forsyth article Despite US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for screening and treating obesity, there are many barriers. However, several of these problems may be ameliorated through technological approaches, according to a study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center published online August 21st 2014 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM).
_ Relationships & Love Meaningful Relationships Help Us Thrive By Sondra Forsyth article Deep and meaningful relationships play a vital role in overall well-being. Past research has shown that individuals with supportive and rewarding relationships have better mental health, higher levels of subjective well-being and lower rates of morbidity and mortality. A paper published in August 2014 in Personality and Social Psychology Review provides an important perspective on thriving through relationships, emphasizes two types of support that relationships provide, and illuminates aspects where further study is necessary. What is ΓÇ£thrivingΓÇ¥?
I've Fallen in Love with Someone New ΓÇô Happy Grandparents Day! By blog September 7th is Grandparents Day!!!!!!!!!!!! On August 8th 2014 in Seattle, Washington, our daughter Sarah and her husband Sol brought a beautiful pink bundle of joy into this world. I am a grandma! Now, I understand why grandparents go on and on, bragging about their grandchildren.
_ Medical Care An Effective Treatment for Ebola By Sondra Forsyth article A leading Ebola researcher from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has gone on record stating that a blend of three monoclonal antibodies can completely protect monkeys against a lethal dose of Ebola virus up to five days after infection, at a time when the disease is severe.
_ Preventing Falls and Fractures By Jane Farrell article A simple thing can change your lifeΓÇölike tripping on a rug or slipping on a wet floor. If you fall, you could break a bone, like thousands of older men and women do each year. A broken bone might not sound awful. But, for older people, a break can be the start of more serious problems.
_ Alternative Health Warning Issued About Chinese Wolfsbane Remedy By Sondra Forsyth article EditorΓÇÖs note: Although this item describes a case in Australia, the information could be valuable to anyone who goes to a Chinese herbal medication practitioner. A preparation prescribed by a Chinese herbal medication practitioner in Melbourne, Australia for back pain resulted in life-threatening heart changes, prompting a team of intensive care and emergency physicians to call for appropriate patient education by practitioners who prescribe complementary medications.
_ Skin Skin Health Discovery Could Cure Skin Infections By Sondra Forsyth article Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and partners have tested the use of ionic liquids to break bacterial biofilm layer on skin. A release from the laboratory explains that biofilms, which are like a protective tent over a colony of harmful bacteria, make the treatment of skin infections especially difficult. Microorganisms protected in a biofilm pose a significant health risk due to their antibiotic resistance and recalcitrance to treatment.
_ Healthy Diet & Nutrition Medical Care Change in Tube Feeding Boosts Nutrition By Sondra Forsyth article While the importance of enteral nutrition (EN), or feeding patients through a tube, in an intensive care unit is well understood, underfeeding is still common. A practice of a certain amount of feeding per hour can be interrupted by tests, procedures, or emergencies. Changing to a volume-based system, which calls for a certain nutrition volume per day, could reduce underfeeding, according to a quality improvement audit published in the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition's (A.S.P.E.N.) Nutrition in Clinical Practice journal on August 26th 2014.
_ Menopause Women's Health and Wellness GSM, New Term for Postmenopausal Problems By Sondra Forsyth article Talking about genital, sexual, and urinary problems can be uncomfortable for postmenopausal women and their doctors. Having a term that doesn't carry stigma, isn't embarrassing to say, and is medically accurate could go a long way in helping women get the help they need and allowing them to make smarter healthcare decisions. That term is "genitourinary syndrome of menopause" or GSM. The term was developed and endorsed by The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) and the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH).
_ Aging Well Healthy Diet & Nutrition Are You as Old as What You Eat? By Sondra Forsyth article Researchers from University College London (UCL) have demonstrated how an interplay between nutrition, metabolism, and immunity is involved in the process of aging. The two new studies, supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), could help to enhance our immunity to disease through dietary intervention and help make existing immune system therapies more effective.
Coming Next Week! August 25th to August 29th 2014 By Sondra Forsyth article HereΓÇÖs a sneak preview of the articles, slideshows, and blogs weΓÇÖll be posting during the coming week on ThirdAge, the biggest and best site for ΓÇ£boomer and beyondΓÇ¥ women since 1997. As always, weΓÇÖll bring you the latest information from top experts about maintaining a healthy body, mind, and spirit as you navigate both the challenges and the joys of being a ThirdAger.
_ Staying Smoke Free After Hospital Discharge By Sondra Forsyth article Smokers admitted to U.S. hospitals canΓÇÖt smoke during their stay and could use this time as an opportunity to quit, but few are able to stay smoke-free after returning home. Now a study done at Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the August 20th 2014 issue of JAMA describes a program that increased the proportion of hospitalized smokers who successfully quit smoking after discharge by more than 70 percent.
Why Our Minds Are Velcro for the Bad, but Teflon for the Good By blog Most everyone has at least one traumatic memory embedded in their brains. One that still resonates for me was the time my mother left me alone when I was six years old to take the baby sitter home. When I looked apprehensive, she told me not to worry. ΓÇ£IΓÇÖll be right back,ΓÇ¥ she said smiling brightly and drove off. As it got dark I became more and more frightened that something had happened to her and she wasnΓÇÖt coming back. By the time she returned I was totally terrified. She found me standing outside wailing. She scolded me and took me inside.
_ Menopause Many Menopausal Women Go to Anti-Aging Docs By Sondra Forsyth article Feeling that conventional doctors did not take their suffering seriously, women instead sought out hormonal treatments for menopausal symptoms from anti-aging clinicians, according to a sudy done at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
_ Caregiving Managing Dementia Related Personality Changes By Sondra Forsyth article AlzheimerΓÇÖs disease causes brain cells to die, so the brain works less well over time. This changes how a person acts. Here, from the National Institute on Aging, are suggestions that may help you understand and cope with changes in personality and behavior in a person with AlzheimerΓÇÖs disease. Common personality and behavior changes you may see include: ΓÇó Getting upset, worried, and angry more easily ΓÇó Acting depressed or not interested in things ΓÇó Hiding things or believing other people are hiding things
_ Mental & Emotional Health How to Cultivate Contentment By Jane Farrell article By Mayo Clinic Staff Do you know how to be happy? Or are you waiting for happiness to find you?
_ Anxiety (Panic Disorders, Phobias) Mental & Emotional Health Spiritual Health Prayer Eases Anxiety for Some, But Not All By Sondra Forsyth article For many people with anxiety-related disorders, prayer doesn't ease the symptoms. ThatΓÇÖs the finding of research done at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. What seems to matter is the type of attachment a person feels toward God. According to the Baylor study, those who prayed to a loving and supportive God whom they thought would be there to comfort and protect them in times of need were less likely to show symptoms of anxiety-related disorders such as irrational worry, fear, self-consciousness, dread in social situations, and obsessive-compulsive behavior.