_ Sleep Health Restless Legs May Signal Heart Problems By article A nationally recognized sleep expert has published an editorial describing Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) as a possible biomarker for underlying disease. The editorial appears in the March 5th 2014 issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology and was written by Boston Medical Center neurologist Sanford H. Auerbach, MD. RLS is a disorder of the nervous system. Patients with RLS have uncomfortable sensations in their legs that lead to an overwhelming urge to move them – most often at night or whenever the patient is resting.
_ Heart Health The ΓÇ£DemonizationΓÇ¥ of Saturated Fats? By article After President Eisenhower had a heart attack in his 50s, the erroneous belief that diets low in saturated fat curb heart disease risk was strengthened, according to Dr, James DiNicolantonio, a cardiovascular research scientist and doctor of pharmacy based in Ithaca, New York. His editorial appears online in the March 2014 issue of Open Heart, a journal published by the British Medical Association. Dr.
_ Is Your Hearing Getting Worse? By Jane Farrell article From NIH SeniorHealth.gov. Hearing loss, a common yet complex problem, involves both the ear’s ability to detect sounds and the brain’s ability to interpret those sounds, including speech. Several factors have to be taken into account to determine how much of an effect hearling loss will have on quality of life. They include: *the degree of the hearing loss *the pattern of hearing loss across different frequencies (pitches) *whether one or both ears is affected
_ Protect Yourself Against Colon Cancer By Jane Farrell article Colon cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States, is often preventable and highly curable. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and it’s important to find out all about the illness that overwhelmingly affects people 50 and older. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 90 percent of people with the illness fall into that age category.
How to Love an Angry Man: Understanding and Helping Your Partner By blog We all get angry at times. When we feel we’re threatened we react with anger. But we know people who get overly angry or their anger causes problems with their relationships at home or at work. I was one of those people. I wrote two books about how it impacted me and how I learned to help myself and my clients: The Irritable Male Syndrome: Understanding and Managing the 4 Key Causes of Depression and Aggression and Mr. Mean: Saving Your Relationship from The Irritable Male Syndrome.
_ Chemo at End of Life Ups Risk of Dying in ICU By article The use of chemotherapy in terminally-ill cancer patients in the last months of life is associated with increased risk of undergoing resuscitation and dying in an intensive care unit, suggests a paper published on bmj.com today. The researchers suggest that end-of-life discussions may be particularly important for patients receiving chemotherapy and suggest that caregivers should ensure that patients are aware of their prognosis, likely outcomes of treatment and that their choices are aligned with their end-of-life values.
_ Pain Management Minimally Invasive Back Surgery By article Research done at the Beaumont Health Systems in Royal Oak, Michigan and published in the February 2014 online issue of the journal Spine has shown that patients who have a low back surgery called minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion end up better off in many ways than patients who have more invasive surgery to alleviate debilitating pain.
_ Alzheimer's in a Petri Dish By article Pearse, PhD, confirmed what had long been observed in mouse models—that the mutations associated with early-onset Alzheimer's disease are directly related to protein cleavage errors that cause a rise in amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein 42, which all people produce but somehow clump together to form plaques in Alzheimer's patients.
_ Weight Loss Food and Exercise for Weight Control By article By Jana Klauer MD A large study, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, surveyed diet and exercise patterns of U.S. men and women over a 20-year period. The participants were evaluated at 4-year intervals for diet, physical exercise, and body weight. Here’s what the researchers found about diet: Higher amounts of vegetables and fruit, whole grains (instead of refined grains), nuts and yogurt protect against weight gain.
_ Mental & Emotional Health Can Skype Make You Happier? By article By Hilary Young Loneliness and depression are not uncommon within the senior community. While the Centers for Disease Control reports that “depression is a true and treatable medical condition, not a normal part of aging,” the CDC also acknowledges that older adults do face a higher risk than other age groups of experiencing depression and anxiety. According to the CDC, about 80 percent of older adults are living with at least one chronic health problem, which could play a major role in the development of depression.
_ How Robotic Surgery Helps Prostate-Cancer Patiets By Jane Farrell article Prostate-cancer patients who have robotic-assisted surgery have less need for treatments such as hormone or radiation therapy, according to a new study. Researchers from UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center also found that the robotic-assisted surgery left fewer instances of cancer cells at the edge of the surgical specimen. The study, published in the journal European Urology, was led by Dr. Jim Hu, director of robotic and minimally invasive surgery in the urology department at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Heart Health Blood Test to Detect Heart Attacks Quickly By article A new blood test can detect heart attacks hours faster than the current gold-standard blood test, according to a study led by Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine researchers and published in 2014 in the American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
_ FDA Wants to Update Nutrition Labels By article The Food and Drug Administration wants to update the look and content of the Nutrition Facts Label to help consumers make better food choices and follow healthy dietary practices. The proposed changes include:
_ Proposed 2015 Medicare Part C Updates By article Medicare beneficiaries can get greater protections, value, and care in the Medicare services they receive through the proposed policies in March of 2014 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The 2015 Advance Notice and draft Call Letter takes important steps to improve payment accuracy for Medicare Advantage (Part C) for 2015.
_ Experts Have Overlooked Binge-Drinking Patterns By Jane Farrell article Studies linking moderate drinking to potential health benefits may have failed to take into account the issue of binge drinking among older “moderate” drinkers, a new study shows. Previous research, the investigators say, has focused on average drinking levels rather than drinking patterns. And that, the investigators say, hides underlying factors such as heavy episodic or weekend binge drinking.
_ Breast Cancer 14 Questions About Your Breast Cancer Diagnosis By article prognosis and medical choices.
The Advantages of Being Disagreeable By blog I am presently reading Malcolm Gladwell’s thought-provoking new book, David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants. There are a number of interesting points in this book, but one section in particular struck me as true. As a young girl growing up in this culture, I was taught to be agreeable. Even though this went against my natural tendencies, I tried my best. Mr.
_ A Simple Weapon Against Bacteria By Jane Farrell article An element in vinegar can kill even highly drug-resistant bacteria, according to a new study. The ingredient, acetic acid, can effectively kill even the stubborn Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an international team of researchers from Venezuela, France, and the US reports in the journal mBio®, of the American Society for Microbiology. Mycobacteria cause tuberculosis, and non-TB mycobacteria are common in the environment, even in tap water, and are resistant to commonly used disinfectants.