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.
_ Chocolate, Tea & Berries May Prevent Diabetes By article Chow down on chocolate, sip some tea, and eat lots of berries if you’re hoping to avoid being diabetic. That’s the advice of researchers at the University of East Anglia and King's College London who found that high intakes of phytochemicals called flavonoids and pigments called anthocyanins are associated with lower insulin resistance and better blood glucose regulation.
_ Experience, Not Cognitive Decline, Slows Aging Brains By article Older brains are slow due to greater experience rather than cognitive decline, according to astudy led by Dr. Michael Ramscar of the University of Tuebingen in Germany and published in the journal Topics in Cognitive Science. The researchers found that aging brains may take longer to process ever increasing amounts of knowledge and that this phenomenon has often been misidentified as declining capacity.
_ Sleep Deprivation & Prostate Cancer By article Lower levels of melatonin, a hormone involved in the sleep-wake cycle, may suggest an increased risk for developing advanced prostate cancer, according to findings presented in San Diego at the American Association for Cancer Research Conference held January 18th to 21st 2014.
_ 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.
Aging Well Sun Exposure May Help Lower Blood Pressure By Jane Farrell article Exposure to sunlight has a newly found health benefit: reducing blood pressure and cutting the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a new study. The findings, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, indicate that sunlight alters the level of nitric oxide (NO), a small messenger molecule, in skin and blood. Martin Feelisch, Professor of Experimental Medicine and Integrative Biology at the University of Southampton, UK, comments: “NO along with its breakdown products, known to
_ Winterizing Diabetic Feet By article Cold winters can be a challenge for all of us who want to stay active. For people who have diabetes mellitus, facing the elements can be especially challenging and should be approached with caution. Georgeanne Botek, DPM Medical Director of Cleveland Clinic’s diabetic foot clinic suggests the following tips to keep feet healthy:
10 Ways Your Makeup Can Make You Look Younger By article By Andrea Warshaw-Wernick When it comes to trying to keep yourself looking younger, your face is obviously Priority #1. While plastic surgery, fillers, Botox, and other tools are available, you don’t always have to go that route. Just changing the way you apply your makeup can take years off your face. Here are my 10 basic beauty tips for how to give your face an immediate “lift”, without a visit to the doctor’s office. These beauty tricks are definitely a great way to achieve a more youthful appearance:
The Joys of a Birthday Morning on Facebook By Sondra Forsyth blog When I booted my computer early on the morning of January 14th 2014, I went straight to my Facebook timeline. Sure enough, the birthday wishes had already begun to arrive. What a joy to be in touch with such a diverse group of people! I had long since lost touch with many of them before I started to use Facebook at the end of 2008. In a very real sense, the hundreds of people who are my Facebook friends give me the invaluable benefits of social support -- the buzz phrase for having frequent contact with people you care about and who care about you.
Reiki 2: Taking Your Healing to the Next Level By blog When I started my Healing journey in 2001, I found that most people hadn't heard of Reiki, let alone experienced it. Nowadays, I find this has changed. Most people I run across have at least heard of Reiki and many have even given it a try. Because anyone can learn Reiki, the number of practitioners in the world is growing by the day.
_ Heart Health Hope for New Meds for Heart Arrhythmia By article A common mechanism of cardiac arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, is calcium overload in the heart. However, the underlying mechanism has remained a mystery for decades. Now findings published in the January 19th 2014 edition of the journal Nature Medicine report the discovery of a physiological process that causes the calcium-triggered arrhythmias. The researchers at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta in Canada hope their work will one day help design molecularly tailored medications that correct the pathophysiology.
_ Study: Warning Labels Don't Always Work By Jane Farrell article Although warning labels are meant to warn consumers of a product's potential dangers, they may actually decrease awareness of those dangers over time. A new study Dr. Yael Steinhart of Tel Aviv University's Recanati Business School, along with Prof. Ziv Carmon of INSEAD in Singapore and Prof.
A Protein Plays a Role in AD Memory Loss By article Cleveland Clinic researchers have shown that a protein called Neuroligin-1 plays a critical role in the memory loss seen in Alzheimer's patients. The study was posted online in the January 19th 2014 issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience. A release from the clinic notes that amyloid beta proteins accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and induce inflammation. This inflammation leads to gene modifications that interrupt the functioning of synapses in the brain. This leads to memory loss.
_ Brain Health Mental & Emotional Health Stress Management Stress-Free Living NatureΓÇÖs Balm for the Stressed Brain By article New findings on nociception, a system in the brain that naturally moderates the effects of stress, shows promise for the development of therapies for anxiety and addiction. Collaborating scientists at The Scripps Research Institute, the National Institutes of Health, and the University of Camerino in Italy published their results in the January 8th in the Journal of Neuroscience.
The Growing Crisis of Visual Disorders in Seniors By Jane Farrell article Along with a host of other conditions such as diabetes, obesity and dementia, age-related eye disease is a growing health care issue, especially for older people. Forty million people worldwide are blind or have significant visual impairment. The vast majority of them - 82 percent of those who are blind and 65 percent of those who are visually impaired - are over 50. Researchers worldwide are working on "the aging eye" to address unmet needs of patients and to make scientific findings a reality in the eye doctor's office.
_ Mental & Emotional Health Laugh it Up! The Best De-Stressing Technique By article Whether you're guiltily guffawing at an episode of "South Park" or quietly giggling at the latest New Yorker cartoon, laughing does you good. Laughter is a great form of stress relief, and that's no joke. Here, from the experts at the Mayo Clinic, is proof that laughter really can be the best medicine. Stress relief from laughter A good sense of humor can't cure all ailments, but data are mounting about the positive things laughter can do. Short-term benefits
Why I Will Have Norah Jones Playing at My Funeral By blog Buddhist tradition says that when an enlightened one dies there’s an opportunity for enlightenment for all of those present. In my personal opinion, when anyone dies, there’s an opportunity for enlightenment for those remaining.
Statins May Reduce Delirium in Hospital Patients By Jane Farrell article The use of statins for critically ill patients may help prevent delirium, a new study shows. The findings, by British researchers, were published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Of the 470 patients included in the study, 151 received statins the evening before being admitted to the hospital. They were given only to patients who had been given statins, blood-thinning medicines, in the past.