Women's Health and Wellness Women Fare Worse After Stroke By article Although more people survive a stroke now than 10 years ago, women have a poorer post-stroke quality of life than men do, according to a study done at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC and published in the February 7th 2014 online issue of the journal Neurology.
_ Shopping for Health Insurance in the Digital Age By article By Edward Oberg With the introduction of legislation such as Obama Care, The Affordable Care Act, and even DOMA, the world of insurance is in flux and shopping for a new policy is more confusing than ever. This leaves those who remain uninsured and those who have found themselves underinsured with the newly imposed restrictions in quite a quandary. Despite the plethora of new questions these changes pose, luckily there are answers to be had.
Watch Out for These Destructive Types By blog Like so many Americans, we changed health care plans this past month. Mike and I shared a terrible experience this week when we went to meet a new doctor It was truly the worst behavior I have ever witnessed from a trained professional.
_ Aging Well Well-being Feeling in Control Can Increase Longevity By article People who feel in control and believe they can achieve goals despite hardships are more likely to live longer and healthier lives, especially among those with less education, according to a study by Brandeis University and the University of Rochester and published online in the Journal of Health Psychology. Previous studies have shown that people with a high school diploma or less education tend to die younger than those with a college degree or graduate training. Yet, that’s not a hard and fast rule. Why?
_ Nerve Block Eases Hot Flashes By article Injecting a little anesthetic near a nerve bundle in the neck cut troublesome hot flashes significantly, according to a study done at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Chicago and published in the journal Menopause. the a new randomized, controlled trial published online today in Menopause,
_ Pain Management Beating Pain with Mindfulness Training By article A new intervention called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement, or MORE, trains people to respond differently to pain, stress and opioid-related cues University of Utah researcher Eric Garland developed the treatment, which has been shown to not only lower pain but also decrease prescription opioid misuse among chronic pain patients. The study was published published online February 3rd 2014 in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
Exercise Video Improves Post-Stroke Exercise Results By article About 80% of stroke survivors experience a condition called hemiparesis that causes weakness or the inability to move one side of the body. Core stabilization exercise to improve postural stability and independent walking in chronic hemiparetic stroke patients could be enhanced by real-time video feedback, according to research done at Sahmyook University in the Republic of Korea and published in the journal Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience.
Love and Intimacy By blog Did you know that over 50% of Americans over age 50 are single? And according to the latest research, those who choose to find a significant other, will find the person online. That may all be true, but I believe that how we meet isn’t half as important as where we are in our lives when we meet. The truth among us human beings is our tolerance for human closeness or intimacy will determine what kind of partner we choose next, and how far that relationship can go.
_ Men's Health Testosterone Tx Ups Heart Attack Risk at Any Age By article Previous studies have shown that testosterone therapy raises the risk of heart attacks in men over 65 but new research has found an increased risk of cardiovascular events even when men using the therapy are under 65. Yet as a result of a ubiquitous advertising campaign for testosterone gel and patches, sales of Androgel exceeded those for Viagra in 2013.
What Is Love? By blog I heard a great quote recently that defines love very well to me: “Love is the difference between loving the idea of who you need someone to be for you, and loving who they really are.” This is a concept that usually trips us up when we are young. We feel so needy and desperate for someone else to save us from ourselves that we give ourselves away far too easily. We do not yet value ourselves and what we have to offer others.
_ Calling Obesity a ΓÇ£DiseaseΓÇ¥ Undermines Healthy Behaviors By Jane Farrell article The American Medical Association declared obesity a disease in June 2013 but messages that describe obesity as a disease may undermine healthy behaviors and beliefs among obese people. That’s the finding of a study done at the University of Richmond in Virginia and the University of Minnesotaand published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Money Matters Hacking & ID Theft: Are You Next? By article By. Scott A. Merritt At least 110 million consumers were affected by the hack involving Target and Neiman Marcus and at least three other retailers. Whether or not millions more will have their identities manipulated and finances ruined within the coming months due to more breaches of security at other stores is anyone’s guess.
_ Electronic Health Records = Fewer Unnecessary Tests By Jane Farrell article Electronic health-records systems, in which medical information is securely shared, may be helping avoid unnecessary care, a new study shows. Fewer emergency patients got repeated medical scans when they went to a hospital that takes part in a health information exchange, or HIE, according to researchers published online in the journal Medical Care. Researchers from the University of Michigan said their findings are a good evaluation of the effectiveness of HIEs.
_ Heart Health When Good Cholesterol Goes Bad By article A dysfunctional version of the normally protective protein that makes high-density lipoprotein (HDL) – the so-called "good cholesterol" –promotes inflammation and coronary artery disease. That’s the finding of researchers at the Cleveland Clinic who discovered the process by which HDL loses its cardio-protective properties, and instead causes atherosclerosis, or the clogging and hardening of the arteries. Their research was published online January 26th 2014 in the journal Nature Medicine.
Regulator of Amyloid Plaque Buildup in AD By article Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have identified a critical regulator of a molecule deeply involved in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The new study, published in an advance online edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, shows for the first time that levels of this regulating protein are decreased in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease sufferers and that this decrease could be a significant factor in the advance of the disease.
Fibromyalgia and Alternative Treatments By Jane Farrell article http://dirline.nlm.nih.gov/Fibromyalgia, a collection of painful symptoms that may be linked with anxiety and depression, is often difficult to diagnose and to treat.
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.
_ How to Build a Healthy Meal By Jane Farrell article From the food authorities at choosemyplate.gov, here's how to put together healthy and tasty meals: Make half your plate veggies and fruit Vegetables and fruits are full of nutrients that may help promote good health. Choose red, orange and dark green vegetables such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes and broccoli. Add lean protein Choose foods such as lean beef and pork, chicken, turkey, beans or tofu. Twice a week, make seafood the protein on your plate.