_ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Breakthrough By article Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies in Japan, in collaboration with Osaka City University and Kansai University of Welfare Sciences, have used functional PET imaging to show that levels of neuroinflammation, or inflammation of the nervous system, are higher in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome than in healthy people.
Vision Health Folate May Lower Glaucoma Risk By article Exfoliation glaucoma (EG), caused by exfoliation syndrome, a condition in which white clumps of fibrillar material form in the eye, is the most common cause of secondary open-angle glaucoma and a leading cause of blindness and visual impairment. Elevated levels of homocysteine, a non-protein a-amino acid, may increase exfoliation material formation. Research studies have demonstrated that high intake of vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folate is associated with lower homocysteine levels.
_ Weight Loss Can Sun Exposure Help You Lose Weight? By Jane Farrell article Exposure to light in the morning rather than later in the day may be a good way to manage weight, new research shows. The study, from Northwestern Medicine, found that the timing, intensity and duration of light exposure is linked to Body Mass Index (BMI).
Good Vibrations for Diabetic Wounds By article Wounds may heal more quickly if exposed to low-intensity vibration, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago who published their study online in April 2014 in the journal PLOS One. The finding, based on laboratory work with mice, may hold promise for the 18 million Americans who have type 2 diabetes, and especially the quarter of them who will eventually suffer from foot ulcers. Their wounds tend to heal slowly and can become chronic or worsen rapidly.
_ Sleep Health Reversing Age-Related Sleep Problems By article With increasing age, many people experience a decline in sleep quality that in turn reduces their quality of life. In a study publishing April 1st 2014 in the journal PLOS Biology, scientists at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Biology of Aging in Cologne, Germany present findings that suggest that age-related sleep decline can be prevented and might even be reversible.
_ Why It May Be More Than "The Blues" By Jane Farrell article Everyone feels blue now and then. It’s part of life. But if you no longer enjoy activities that you usually like, there may be a more serious problem. Feeling depressed without letup can change the way you think and the way you experience emotions. Doctors call this clinical depression.
_ Aging Well Beauty & Style Skin Skin Health Anti-Aging Tricks to Banish Dark Circles By article By Soriyya Bawa Without proper anti-aging skin care, the process of aging can take a heavy toll on the eyes, especially because the skin in that area is so sensitive. One of the most visible signs of aging on the face is the appearance of dark circles around the eyes, which, while not necessarily dangerous to human health, are unpleasant to look at, making them one of the main focuses of anti-aging skin care.
_ Mental & Emotional Health Presurgical Psych Screening Largely Ignored By article Only 10 percent of orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons follow professional guidelines recommending routine psychological screenings of patients prior to major surgery for severe back and leg pain, according to a Johns Hopkins study published in the April 2014 edition of the Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques.
_ Mobile Tools Boost Smoking Cessation Counseling By article Smartphones and tablets may hold the key to getting more clinicians to screen patients for tobacco use and advise smokers on how to quit. Even though tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., clinicians often don't ask about smoking during patient exams.
The Power of Validation Techniques In Caring For Dementia Patients By blog Editor’s Note: Last spring, Rita Altman, Sunrise Senior Living's Vice President of Memory Care and Programming, spoke with the Washington Post, discussing her experiences caring for Sunrise residents diagnosed with advanced dementia. We thought the article that followed their conversation with Rita included some good tips on communication tactics with family members and friends who may be suffering from cognitive impairment, as did the blog shared by Sunrise. We've posted both below.
_ Heart Health Learn the True Age of Your Heart By article A new method of heart disease risk assessment developed by the Joint British Societies lets you learn the true age of your heart so that you can take preventive steps to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. The calculator is available online here: JBS3 risk calculator.
_ Grow Your Own Organic Produce By article By Bob McClendon Growing your own food can be a fun project that yields healthy results. Here are my tips to help you to start or make the best of your own garden at home:
_ Heart Health Are Relaxed BP Guidelines Safe? By Jane Farrell article Relaxed guidelines about hypertension could lead to 5.8 fewer million adults taking blood pressure medicine, according to an analysis by Duke Medicine researchers. That finding is the first peer-reviewed study the impact of guidelines announced in February by the Eighth Joint National Committee, an expert panel. The committee changed the blood pressure goal in adults 60 years and older to 150/90, instead of the previous goal of 140/90. Goals were also eased for adults with diabetes and kidney disease.
_ More Research Needed On Aging-Related Genes By Jane Farrell article More Research Needed On Aging-Related Genes Although there is still no definitive way for scientists to control genes associated with aging, research into the subject could lead to preventive treatment that would prolong lifespan, according to a new analysis of global research. The research is also paving the way for possible treatment of illnesses relating to aging, according to professor Alexey Moskalev, PhD, DSc, of the Russian Academy of Sciences and at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.
_ Digestive Health Diverticular Disease: Greatest Myths and Facts By article By Meagan Costedio, MD There is a lot of misinformation floating around about diverticular disease – namely diverticulosis and diverticulitis. Patients believe they can’t eat nuts or seeds, one of the most common myths, or they are simply confused about the difference between conditions. Below, the most common myths are dispelled.
_ New Era of Lung Cancer Treatment By article A new era of lung cancer therapy is close to dawning, using drugs that can prevent tumor cells from evading the immune system, according to experts who presented their findings at the 4th European Lung Cancer Congress in March 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Modified Medical Devices Should Be Re-Evaluated By article The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should require that clinical data be submitted as part of a more rigorous re-evaluation of medical devices that are modified after approval, according to University of San Francisco physicians in a commentary published online March 24th 2014 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
_ Vision Health Hope for New Tx for Retinal Blindness By article A report published online in in March 2014 in The FASEB Journal may lead the way toward new treatments or a cure for a common cause of blindness called proliferative retinopathies. Scientists at Harvard Medical Schools have shown that the body's innate immune system does more than help ward off external pathogens. It also helps remove sight-robbing abnormal blood vessels, while leaving healthy cells and tissue intact. This discovery is significant because the retina is part of the central nervous system and its cells cannot be replaced once lost.