_ A Breakthrough in Anti-Aging Treatment By Jane Farrell articleThe hormone oxytocin – associated with childbirth, sex and social attachments – is also essential for muscle maintenance and repair, researchers have found. But an animal experiment found that it declines with age.The new study, published) in the journal Nature Communications, indicates that oxytocin, if it could be administered to humans, could eventually be a treatment for age-related muscle wasting, or sarcopenia.The discovery is especially significant because oxytocin is already approved by the Food and Drug Admnistration for use in people.
_ Vision HealthToward a Cure for Dry Eye By Adprime Admin articleDry eye syndrome, a condition that is especially prevalent in women as they age, happens when the quantity of tears is no longer sufficient to lubricate the eyes. A burning sensation is typical and impaired vision including damage to the cornea may result. In search of a cure, researchers led by Kara Maki Ph.D. at the Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Mathematical Sciences in New York are testing computer simulations that map the way tears move across the surface of the eye. The study was published on May 6th 2014 in the journal Physics of Fluids.
_ MenopauseNon-Hormonal Hot Flash Remedy Works By Adprime Admin articleA study done at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and published in the May 27th 2014 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine compared low-dose oral estrogen and low-dose non-hormonal venlafaxine hydrochloride extended release (XR) to a placebo. Both treatments proved to be effective in reducing the number of hot flashes and night sweats reported by menopausal women.
I’ll Never Fall in Love Again By blogThis is the first blog in a series. To read the series, click here: Archive: The ThirdAge Romance Saga of Sally Franz.“I am sooooooo over marriage! I obviously have a broken picker and will never ever date again unless at least 45 of my closest friends approve of my choice.” Yes, I said those words and I meant every word when I signed my second divorce papers. Heck, even long term relationships that end can feel like divorce. And I have had scads of those.
Sleep Health7 Hidden Causes of Fatigue By Jane Farrell articleFrom 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
Heart HealthViagra for Heart Failure? Works Better for the Guys By articleClear-cut gender differences stand out in measuring impact of Viagra as therapy for heart failure, according to a study done at Johns Hopkins and posted online May 16th 2014 in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Specifically, in female mice modeling human heart failure, the benefits of sildenafil, the generic name for Viagra, ranged from robust to practically nonexistent depending on the animals' levels of the hormone estrogen. Yet in male mice, sildenafil generally appears to work well because it targets a different biological process independent of estrogen.
_ OsteoporosisDo You Really Need Vitamin D Supplements? By articleYou may have heard that researchers who analyzed hundreds of studies have concluded that vitamin D supplements won’t protect healthy, middle-aged adults from osteoporosis. And even worse, the scientists say the supplements may increase the risk of death from other diseases. However, none health experts at the Cleveland Clinic warn that you need to make sure you aren’t deficient in vitamin D before you stop taking the supplement, especially if you are past menopause.
Doc, Doc, Dockin’ on Heaven’s Door By blogI 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.
One Lump or Two By blogI just recently turned 63. Not much different than turning 53, give or take a whole lot of wrinkles that have turned from surface lines to trenches. But mentally I don’t feel all that much older.
Why Do More Women Develop Alzheimer's Disease? By blogRecently, I turned on the radio in my car and heard the last few minutes of an MPR [Minnesota Public Radio] All Things Considered segment about Alzheimer’s disease. A few days later I googled the subject matter and found this MPR link to the audio and an accompanying online story. Take a few minutes to read or listen to the broadcast.
Going Bananas By blogThere it was on Facebook, a video I HAD to watch, or so they said. “You have to watch this video. You have been peeling bananas wrong your whole life!”
_ GrandparentingWatching Grandkids Once a Week Keeps Grandmas Sharp By articleTaking care of grandchildren one day a week helps keep grandmothers mentally sharp, according to a study from the Women's Healthy Aging Project in Australia, published online April 8th 2014 in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). That's good news for women after menopause, when women need to lower their risks of developing Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders.
_ Sleep HealthNight-Owl People Bigger Risk Takers Than Early Risers By Jane Farrell articleWomen who are night owls are as likely as men to be risk-takers. They’re also liable to be single or have short-term romantic relationships. Research by a professor from the University of Chicago suggests that night owls are different from early risers in very important ways. The research suggests that sleep patterns are linked with important character traits and behavior.
_ CT Scans Better At Finding Gout By Jane Farrell articleResearchers from the Mayo Clinic have discovered a new way of diagnosing gout that doesn’t involve needle aspiration. Until now the painful form of inflammatory arthritis has been detected only through drawing fluid or tissue from an affected joint via a needle and looking for uric acid crystals. But needle aspiration doesn’t seem to work as well as the one just developed by Mayo: X-rays known as dual-energy CT scans. According to a release from Mayo, the scans found gout in one third of patients who had tested negative for the illness.
How to Love an Angry Man: Part 3 – Help Him by Helping Yourself By blogI’ve been writing about angry men for some time now. That’s because I recognized how destructive anger can be in our relationships, but also how common it is. In my book, Stress Relief for Men: How to Use the Revolutionary Tools of Energy Healing to Live WellI describe the experiences that many people have living with an angry and abusive male:
How to Love an Angry Man: Part 2 – Dealing with Anger vs. Rage By blogDear Dr. Jed, I’m worried about my husband. He’s angry all the time and blames me for everything that is wrong. He calls me names, yells at me, looks at me with such hatred, I want to disappear. He’s never hit me, but I’m afraid of him. He totally denies that there are any problems with him. When he gets mad he calls me a bitch and a lot worse and tells me I’m crazy and should be hospitalized.
_ OsteoporosisOsteoporosis and Strength Training By Jane Farrell articleBy Neil Short, Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach Osteoporosis is called the “silent disease” and for good reason. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), more than 50% of women over the age of 50 have it, and few will know until they fall and break a bone. And it doesn’t stop there. The NOF estimates that a full 20% of seniors who break their hip will die within one year from complications due to surgery or recovery, and most end up in nursing homes well before their time.
Women's Health and WellnessDiabetes & Stroke Linked for Women By articleNew research done at at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and published in the journal Diabetologia shows that diabetes in women is associated with an increased risk of stroke. Yet the data do not show the same association among men. Also, the researchers found the risk of stroke among diabetic women was substantially raised for women aged 55 years and over compared with younger women.