_ Why It May Be More Than "The Blues" By Jane Farrell article Everyone feels blue now and then. It’s part of life. But if you no longer enjoy activities that you usually like, there may be a more serious problem. Feeling depressed without letup can change the way you think and the way you experience emotions. Doctors call this clinical depression.
_ 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.
_ Customers Like Menus With Nutrition Facts By article Customers are more likely to frequent restaurants that provide both healthful foods and nutrition information, according to researchers at Penn State and the University of Tennessee. The results appeared in the February 2014 issue of the International Journal of Hospitality Management.
_ Mobile Tools Boost Smoking Cessation Counseling By article Smartphones and tablets may hold the key to getting more clinicians to screen patients for tobacco use and advise smokers on how to quit. Even though tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., clinicians often don't ask about smoking during patient exams.
The Power of Validation Techniques In Caring For Dementia Patients By blog Editor’s Note: Last spring, Rita Altman, Sunrise Senior Living's Vice President of Memory Care and Programming, spoke with the Washington Post, discussing her experiences caring for Sunrise residents diagnosed with advanced dementia. We thought the article that followed their conversation with Rita included some good tips on communication tactics with family members and friends who may be suffering from cognitive impairment, as did the blog shared by Sunrise. We've posted both below.
_ Heart Health Learn the True Age of Your Heart By article A new method of heart disease risk assessment developed by the Joint British Societies lets you learn the true age of your heart so that you can take preventive steps to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. The calculator is available online here: JBS3 risk calculator.
_ 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.
_ Aging Well Helping Boomers Age in Place By article As the Baby Boom generation ages, the number of older adults living in America will double by 2050, with nearly 19 million of those adults age 85 or older. While the needs of this older adult population continue to grow and change, the current paradigm of care—institutional settings like nursing homes and assisted living facilities—is an inflexible and expensive way of caring for older adults with physical limitations or chronic health conditions.
Modified Medical Devices Should Be Re-Evaluated By article The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should require that clinical data be submitted as part of a more rigorous re-evaluation of medical devices that are modified after approval, according to University of San Francisco physicians in a commentary published online March 24th 2014 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
_ Surgical Residents And Patients Benefit From 24-Hour Shifts By Jane Farrell article Limiting the number of working hours for surgical residents hasn’t improved patient outcomes and may actually have increased patient complications. Additionally, shorter hours seem to lead to higher failure rates on certification exams. The finding, by researchers from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, was published in the journal Annals of Surgery.
ΓÇ£White Coat EffectΓÇ¥ on BP Is True By Jane Farrell article Doctors routinely record blood pressure levels that are significantly higher than levels recorded by nurses, according to the first thorough analysis of scientific data on the so-called “White Coat Phenomenon”. The study was done at at the University of Exeter Medical School in the UK and published in March 2014 in the British Journal of General Practice.
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.
_ Keeping Your Feet Fit By Jane Farrell article Healthy feet are among the most basic elements of being physically active. Whether you’re just getting started or your feet have been through years of wear from physical activities including running, biking, tennis or dancing, they need to be in good shape for you to continue your fitness routine and gain myriad health benefit. The experts at the Go4Life program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have some suggestions on smart strategies to treat your feet well:
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.
Monitoring Reactions to AD Risk Status By article A new clinical trial will begin soon at the University of Pennsylvania to test whether early medical intervention in people at risk for Alzheimer's can slow down progression of disease before symptoms emerge. As part of the overall prevention trial, Penn Medicine neurodegenerative ethics experts will monitor how learning about their risk of developing Alzheimer's impacts trial participants. The trial was outlined in March 2014 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
_ Heart Health Maybe Saturated Fats ArenΓÇÖt So Bad After All By article A study led University of Cambridge in the UK and published March 18th 2014 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine raises questions about current guidelines that generally restrict the consumption of saturated fats and encourage consumption of polyunsaturated fats to prevent heart disease.