_ Stem Cells Make ΓÇ£Heart Disease-on-a-ChipΓÇ¥ By Jane Farrell article Harvard scientists have merged stem cell and “organ-on-a-chip” technologies to grow, for the first time, functioning human heart tissue carrying an inherited cardiovascular disease. The research appears to be a big step forward for personalized medicine because it is working proof that a chunk of tissue containing a patient's specific genetic disorder can be replicated in the laboratory.
_ Skin Skin Health Is It Shingles? By Jane Farrell article Shingles is one of the most common conditions for American adults: more than 50 percent have had it by the time they reach 80. However, it’s most frequent in the years between 60 and 80. How can you tell if you have this bothersome, painful problem, and what should you do about it? The experts at the SeniorHealth division of the National Institutes of Health have some answers:
Tools To Take Charge Of Your Cancer Survivorship By blog Most major cancer centers today offer a survivor care plan to organize your diagnosis, treatment and follow-up plan. It will soon be a standard of care to provide treatment summaries and survivorship care plans to all cancer patients. The primary components of a plan include: Diagnostic tests performed and results; including tumor site, stage, grade and other biomarker information.
The Life-or-Death Molecule By Jane Farrell article Researchers have zeroed in on a molecule that’s involved in cell death, a discovery that could lead to better treatment for inflammatory illnesses such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease. The investigators found that a previously identified molecule, RIPK1, inhibits necroptosis (cell death), which is implicated in inflammatory conditions. Paradoxically, RIPK1 is also responsible for initiating cell death.
_ Women's Health and Wellness Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines May Be Wrong By Jane Farrell article A study has found that cervical cancer rates are higher than previously believed, especially among women 65 and older as well as African-American women in all age groups. The finding brings into question current screening guidelines that don’t recommend Pap smear screenings for women 65 and older. The study, led by researchers from the University of Maryland School of medicine, was published in the journal Cancer.
Promise of New Meds for Allergies By article Help for sneezy, wheezy, itchy seasonal allergies may be at hand. Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, also in Finland, have identified several target molecules that are suitable for the development of new allergy drugs. The work, completed in a large-scale European Union project, was published in May 2014 in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Vision Health Plugging Blood Vessels to Save Vision By article The growth of malformed blood vessels that can burst is a leading cause of vision loss in North America. Retinopathy and retina degeneration are associated with premature birth, with diabetes, and with increasing age. Now a new drug approach has been developed by a research team led by Dr. Andras Nagy at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto for safer clean-up of deformed blood vessels in the eye. The study was published in May 2014 in EMBO Molecular Medicine.
Aging Well Well-being A Sense of Purpose May Add Years to Your Life By article Feeling that you have a sense of purpose in life may help you live longer, no matter what your age, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The research has clear implications for promoting positive aging and adult development, according to lead researcher Patrick Hill of Carleton University in Canada:
Grounding (Earthing): The Easiest Way to Fight Stress By blog We all know that the world is becoming more stressful every day. We worry about the economy, another war in a place we’ve never heard of, our parents getting old and dying, the well-being of our children, our own health. Sometimes it seems like our lives are one endless series of stresses. The bad news is that stress is on the rise and it’s causing major problems for many of us. The good news is that there are simple ways to combat stress and get back in control of our lives.
Life After 50: How to Bloom Abundantly By blog Yesterday, I spent several hours working in my butterfly garden. The long, unusually cold winter had taken its toll on most everything that was still alive from last year, and I had a lot of pruning and re-planting to do. As I was enjoying the morning, I began thinking how my garden was much like the life of a midlife woman, and represented many of the things I incorporate into my coaching and speaking practices.
_ A Molecule That Could Battle Breast Cancer By Jane Farrell article Researchers have developed a new technique that uses a so-called “energy molecule” to trigger the release of anti-cancer drugs directly into cancer cells. It may be especially effective in breast cancer treatment. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications. Once inside the cancer cells, the molecule, adenosine-5’-triphosphate (ATP), releases its “payload”: a collection of molecules embed with an anti-cancer drug called doxorubicin, which targets the nucleus of the cancer cell.
_ Heart Health Determining The Benefits Of Aspirin By Jane Farrell article Scientists have developed a method for figuring out who should take aspirin to prevent heart attacks. Although the remedy has been recommended for more than 30 years, it’s been unclear exactly which individuals might benefit. New research published today in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes shows that coronary artery calcium (CAC) score, a measurement of plaque in arteries that feed the heart, could help determine whether a person should take aspirin.
_ Caregiving Aging in Place: The ΓÇ£Granny PodsΓÇ¥ Trend By article By Hilary Young According to the American Association of Retired Persons, over 80 percent of adults now intend to age in place. Nursing homes are no longer the norm. Many seniors prefer to stay active and remain independent for as long as possible. One major trend that is helping to make this wish come true is the proliferation of transitional housing options, otherwise known as “Granny Pods.”
Longevity Gene May Be a Brain Booster By article If you’re lucky, you inherited a longevity gene that will up your chances of living to a ripe old age. Better yet, scientists at the University of California San Francisco have shown that people who have a variant of a longevity gene called KLOTHO are blessed with superior brain skills such as thinking, learning, and memory regardless of their age, sex, or even whether they have a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
_ Vision Health AMD Patients May Not Need Monthly Injections By article Here’s good news if you suffer from age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of severe vision loss among people 50 years of age or older in industrialized countries. A team of researchers at Miguel Servet University Hospital in Zaragoza, Spain and the University of Toronto in Canada have found that, contrary to previous clinical trial findings, monthly injections to counteract AMD may not be necessary. The study was in May 2014 presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in Orlando, Florida..
Doc, Doc, DockinΓÇÖ on HeavenΓÇÖs Door By blog I have to confess I open up my junk mail if that’s all there is in the mailbox. I don’t know if that is a true sign I am turning into an old lady, or just curious. Well, it serves me right. There in a plain brown wrapper in an oversized envelope was a multitudinous stack of official looking papers, the crown piece being a “real certificate” with all that blue and white scrolly-doily looking edging.
Caregiving Without An Attitude By blog A few months ago, I attended a memory loss conference and encountered what I refer to as an “Alpha Alzheimer’s Caregiver.” I’ll call her Deborah.