_ New Drugs Could Help Treat Addiction By Jane Farrell article Scientists are zeroing in on a new treatment for disorders, including pain and addiction.
_ Heart Health New BP Guidelines Questioned By Sondra Forsyth article On December 19th 2013, ThirdAge.com reported on the new hypertension guidelines from The American Society of Hypertension Inc. and the International Society of Hypertension. The revised recommendation was150/90 for people 60+ before starting treatment, up from the recommendation of 140/80 that has been the standard for 30 years.
_ How to Handle A Clingy Elder By Jane Farrell article By Sheri Samotin One of the most frequent concerns I hear from caregivers is how to deal with a care recipient who never wants his or her caregiver out of sight. This can be a real challenge for caregivers who need to work, take care of other family members, or just have a little time to him or herself. It is also often hard for caregivers to tell the difference between helping and enablinga loved one.
New Love Research By blog The average British woman will kiss fifteen men, enjoy two long-term relationships, and have her heartbroken twice before she meets ‘The One’, a new study reveals British researchers found she will also average four disaster dates and be stood up once before she finally settles down with the man of her dreams, but she will also have been in love twice, lived with one partner, and had four one-night stands. In comparison, men face being stood up twice and having six one-night stands before they meet their ideal partners.
_ Pain Management Motion Evaluation Tool for Back Surgery Patients By article Patients who have had extensive back surgery typically need repeated X-rays to monitor their progress but a new technology that skips the X-rays and repeated radiation exposure is on the horizon. The method was developed by , opting instead for an innovative, noninvasive, non-X-ray device that evaluates spinal movement. The technology was created and patented by two engineering undergraduate students, Kerri Killen and Samantha Music, at the University of South Florida.
Pen-and-Paper Test to Spot Early Alzheimer's By article The Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE test), which takes less than 15 minutes to complete, is a reliable tool for evaluating cognitive abilities. Findings by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center confirm the feasibility and efficiency of the tool for community screening of large numbers of people. The study is published in the January 2014 issue of The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.
_ Mechanism Affecting Risk of Prostate Ca By article A research group at Biocenter Oulu in Finland has identified a mechanism that initiates a genetic program that ups the risk of prostate cancer metastasis. The study was published in the journal Nature Genetics in January 2014. A release from the Academy of Finland notes that prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men worldwide.
_ Aging Well DonΓÇÖt Fall for Scams Targeted to Seniors By article By Hilary Young It’s been estimated that over $2.6 billion was lost to scams that targeted seniors in 2013. Are you as shocked by that number as I am? In order to help you better protect yourself or your loved ones, I’ve put together a helpful guide to shield you from these rip-offs in 2014. There are five popular scams that predators use to target seniors:
_ 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.
Living in Place May Just Get Easier By Jane Farrell blog The business of aging is growing up. What is today a $2 billion aging in place technology and longevity industry is projected to reach $20 billion by 2020. Entrepreneurs, many just in their 20s and 30s, are scrambling to develop products and services that allow older adults to be independent and safe — and give their adult children peace of mind.
_ Heart Patients Get Too Much Radiation By Jane Farrell article Experts are urging cardiologists to reduce patient radiation because of possible severe risks. The paper, published in the European Heart Journal, said that cardiology accounts for 40 percent of patient radiology and equals more than 50 chest X-rays per person per year.
_ New Features on MyDiabetes.com By article Registration is free on the site called MyDiabetes.com, an online community for patients, friends, families, and healthcare professionals. In addition to sharing personal stories and getting access the latest information on the disease, members can use a diabetes management dashboard to keep track of important personal information such as blood sugar levels, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and medications. Now, for 2014, the site has added new features:
_ Marine Bacteria Fight Tough Infections By article Aggressive infections are a growing health problem all over the world. The development of resistant bacteria is rampant and in the United States, resistant staphylococci cause more deaths than AIDS on an annual basis. Now researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmarare studying a new form of treatment based on marine bacteria. The results have been published in the journal PLOS ONE.
_ FDA Warning About OTC Laxatives By article The Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers that over-the-counter laxatives with sodium phosphate, marketed as Fleet, are potentially dangerous if dosing instructions or warnings on the Drug Facts label are not properly followed or when there are certain coexisting health conditions including kidney disease, heart problems or dehydration. People over 55 are also at increased risk. An article on the FDA page for consumers notes that there have been “dozens of reports of serious side effects, including 13 deaths” with these laxatives.
_ Skin Skin Health Cause of Eczema Discovered By article Researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology in California have discovered a key player in the cellular interactions leading to eczema, a chronic inflammatory skin condition affecting more than 14 million Americans. The skin of sufferers becomes inflamed or irritated and is marked by redness, itchiness, and dry, cracked skin.
Making Peace with Failure: A Love Story By blog Allegedly, it is life at its best when we are succeeding and life at its worst when we are failing. How do we define success and failure? How do we come to have such a strong attachment to success and a deep aversion to failure? How does our relationship to success and failure define our relationship to life? What is Failure?
_ 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.