Diabetes: 7 New Genetic Regions By article Seven new genetic regions associated with type 2 diabetes have been identified in the largest study to date of the genetic basis of the disease. DNA data was brought together from more than 48,000 patients and 139,000 healthy controls from four different ethnic groups. The research was conducted by an international consortium of investigators from 20 countries on four continents, co-led by investigators from Oxford University's Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics. The study is published in the February 2014 issue of journal Nature Genetics.
6 Little Known Secrets For A Lifetime of Passion and Love By blog Everyone wants a great sex life, but few people know how to achieve that goal and even fewer know how to maintain it in a long-term relationship. Couples try new positions and look for “sexy” things to wear. They try to improve their communication and relationship skills. But to really have a great sex life you have to know the secrets of what it means to be male and female.
_ Sleep Health Sleep: Myths vs. Facts By Jane Farrell article How much do you know about one of life’s most important activities? Here, the experts from the National Center on Sleep Disorder Research, a division of the National Institutes of Health, separate the facts from the myths and misunderstandings: Sleep is a time when your body and brain shut down for rest and relaxation
_ Database of ΓÇ£Health Legacy FoundationsΓÇ¥ By Jane Farrell article A new database of philanthropic foundations has been created by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The team suggests that consideration of the adoption of the more comprehensive generic term "health legacy foundation" would be a way to foster more precise thinking of the variation in the diverse but related phenomena occurring in health care mergers and other consolidations. The goal of the database is to help communities nationwide better understand local resources.
Breast Cancer Running Trumps Walking for Breast Cancer Survival By article Previous studies have shown that breast cancer survivors who meet the current exercise recommendations of 2.5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity per week are at 25% lower risk for dying from breast cancer. Now research from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and reported in the International Journal of Cancer suggests that exceeding the recommendations may provide greater protection, and that running may be better than walking.
_ The High Cost of "Free" Foods By Jane Farrell article Think twice before reaching for that fat-free cookie or sugar-free ice cream bar as an afternoon snack. In most cases, you’re better off having the real thing in moderate portions, says Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD, wellness manager at Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute. The issue, Kirkpatrick says, is that choosing heavily processed foods over natural foods often means taking in too many additives and refined ingredients with questionable nutritional value. Substitutions — but no substitute for the real thing.
_ How Should You Exercise? Three Questions to Ask Your Doctor By Jane Farrell article Anyone who's ever read an article about exercise knows that checking with your doctor is always essential before you start an exercise program. But what exactly should you say to your doctor when you're asking about beginning or resuming physical activity?
Genetic Counseling Via Phone Is Effective By article Genetic counseling delivered over the telephone is as effective as face-to-face counseling, according to the largest randomized study to date comparing the two methods. The multi-center study, led by researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, was published in January 2014 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
_ Aging Well Enjoy Life and Be Healthier By Jane Farrell article When it comes to a positive attitude and the quality of life in older age, there really is a connection, according to a new study. Researchers whose findings were published in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) found that the benefits of enjoying life include faster walking speeds and better physical function in daily activities. The investigators looked at 3,199 men and women aged 60 or over who were residents of England.
_ The 7 Hidden Causes of Fatigue By Jane Farrell article From the Cleveland Clinic Fatigue can signal anemia, diabetes, hypothyroidism or hepatitis C. But once your doctor rules out major medical causes of fatigue, it’s time to consider hidden ones. "We look for the less obvious roots of fatigue — that’s our job,” says Tanya Edwards, MD, Medical Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Integrative Medicine. Hidden causes include: 1. A junk food diet
_ Exercise Safety for Senior Athletes By Jane Farrell article Aging affects multiple organ systems, from the heart and lungs to your bones and metabolism. Of all the changes, musculoskeletal issues have the most impact on the aging senior’s sport. These changes include:an overall decrease in muscle and bone mass; stiffening of muscles; weakening of tendons and cartilage.
_ ICE Your Cell Phone for Cold Weather Safety By article As frigid temperatures continue to affect every state in the union, Visiting Angels -- one of the nation’s largest in-home senior care agencies -- has launched the ICE a Cell Phone Safety Campaign to help people in case of emergency. ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. To ICE your cell phone or the phone a loved one in your care, load emergency contacts with the word ICE in front of the names so that if you’re ever in trouble, people will know who to call.
_ Drugs Protect Against Post-Stroke Damage By article Anticoagulant medications such as Warfarin have long been known to help prevent strokes, but now a large Danish study has shown that the blood thinners can also reduce the risk of death and brain damage when a stroke happens anyway. The research was published in Stroke - Journal of the American Heart Association.
_ Online Colorectal Cancer Risk Calculator By article Researchers at Cleveland Clinic have developed a new tool called CRC-PRO that allows physicians to quickly and accurately predict an individual's risk of colorectal cancer, as published in the January 2014 edition of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.
_ Age-Related Obesity Explained By article If you’ve found that you’re packing on more pounds as the years go by even if your calorie intake and activity level remain about the same, you’re not alone. Now research published in the January 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal shows that as we age, the thermogenic, or heat-producing, activity of brown fat is reduced. Brown fat is a "good" fat that helps burn "bad" white belly fat. The researchers also discovered a possible metabolic on/off switch that could reactivate brown fat.
_ Women's Health and Wellness High BP Riskier for Women By article Doctors may need to treat high blood pressure in women earlier and more aggressively than they do in men, according to scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The study was published in the December 2013 edition of the journal Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease.
Why Men Never Remember and Women Never Forget By Jane Farrell blog “Men and women think differently, approach problems differently, emphasize the importance of things differently, and experience the world around us through entirely different lenses,” says Marianne J. Legato, M.D., Founder of the Foundation for Gender Specific Medicine and author of numerous books on men and women including, Why Men Never Remember and Women Never Forget.
7 Surprising Health Conditions That Affect Men More Than Women By blog Sex and gender differences are central to our lives. We all think about them, struggle with them, and seek to better understand them. From Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady who lamented “Why can’t a woman be more like a man”; to Sigmund Freud who wondered “What do women really want?”; to our nursery rhymes which taught us to believe that “Little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice,” while “Little boys are made of snakes and snails and puppy-dogs tails”; to Charles Boyer who