Women's Health and Wellness Post-Menopausal WomenΓÇÖs Fall Risk By article A study published in the March 2014 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) showed that women with distal radius (wrist) fractures had decreased strength compared to similar patients without fractures. The authors suggest that this fact could explain why these women were more likely to fall and might sustain future fractures.
_ Weight Loss Food and Exercise for Weight Control By article By Jana Klauer MD A large study, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, surveyed diet and exercise patterns of U.S. men and women over a 20-year period. The participants were evaluated at 4-year intervals for diet, physical exercise, and body weight. Here’s what the researchers found about diet: Higher amounts of vegetables and fruit, whole grains (instead of refined grains), nuts and yogurt protect against weight gain.
_ Breast Cancer 14 Questions About Your Breast Cancer Diagnosis By article prognosis and medical choices.
_ Body Clock Controls Healing of Hearing Damage By article A discovery at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden paves the way for medication to help people with hearing disabilities. The researchers have identified a biological circadian clock in the hearing organ, the cochlea. This circadian clock controls how well hearing damage may heal.
The Secret of Life is One Thing: How to Be Successful at Love and Work By blog After spending his life helping people, the “father” of modern psychology and psychoanalysis made a simple observation: “Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness.” Most of us recognize that when things are going well at home and at work our lives are joyful. If our love life or our work life is stressful, we suffer.
_ Pets The ASPCA Offers 9 Cold Weather Tips for Pets By Jane Farrell article Here, adapted with permission from an article by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, are guidelines for protect your pets when it’s cold outside:
_ Heart Health "Sticky Blood" and Strokes By Jane Farrell article Scientists at Imperial College London have discovered that iron deficiency may increase the risk of stroke by making blood stickier and more vulnerable to dangerous clothing. The Imperial team found that iron deficiency increases the stickiness of platelets, small blood cells that initiate blood clotting when they stick together.
_ New Tx for Ovarian Cancer Discovered By article Researchers at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island have developed a biologic drug that would prevent the production of a protein known to allow ovarian cancer cells to grow aggressively while being resistant to chemotherapy. A release from the hospital quotes Maureen G. Phipps, MD, MPH, chief of obstetrics and gynecology, as saying, "This is a tremendous discovery and could mean the difference between life or death for some women with ovarian cancer.”
Aging Well Rejuvenated Stem Cells Help Aging Muscles Heal By article Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have pinpointed why normal aging is accompanied by a diminished ability to regain strength and mobility after muscle injury: Over time, stem cells within muscle tissues dedicated to repairing damage become less able to generate new muscle fibers and struggle to self-renew.
_ Exercising Before Joint Surgery By Jane Farrell article By the Cleveland Clinic Replacing worn body parts has become pretty common today. Of course, none of us are The Six Million Dollar Man of 1970s TV fame, and if you’re facing major joint surgery like hip or knee replacement or reconstruction, you may be concerned about what happens after the surgery. In thinking about what to expect from the recovery process, you may wonder how quick your recovery will be or how much pain you’ll experience.
_ The ΓÇ£Golden HourΓÇ¥ for Surviving a Stroke By Jane Farrell article An 8-year trial at the University of California-Los Angeles found that with the help of paramedics in the field, intravenous medications can frequently be administered to stroke victims within the "golden hour" during which they have the best chance to survive and avoid debilitating, long-term neurological damage. However, the same study found that giving stroke patients intravenous magnesium within an hour of the onset of symptoms does not improve stroke outcomes. Dr.
_ Weather Changes Linked to Strokes By article Stroke hospitalization and death rates may rise and fall with changes in environmental temperature and dew point, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2014 in San Diego.
_ Helping Spinal Cord Patients Breathe on Their Own By article Diaphragm pacing, a system that gained nationwide attention when Raymond Onders, MD of University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Clevelandimplanted the stimulator in actor Christopher Reeve, has now been shown to be successful not only in weaning patients from mechanical ventilators but also in bridging patients to independent respiration. The study, done at the center, was published in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.
_ Living with Chronic Kidney Disease By Jane Farrell article You've been told that you have chronic kidney disease (CKD). What does that mean? And what does it mean for your health and your life? Here, the experts from the National Kidney Disease Education Program, part of the National Institutes of Health, offer expert tips on living with the condition. First, the basics: Your illness affects your two kidneys. Each is about the size of your fist. They filter wastes and excess water from your blood to make urine. They also help control blood pressure, and they manufacture hormones.
Simulated Blindness Sharpens Hearing By article Researchers at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University have overturned the long-held belief that adult brains can’t be re-wired to improve hearing by simulating vision loss. The findings, published February 5th in the journal Neuron, may lead to treatments for people with hearing loss or tinnitus, according to lead author Patrick Kanold and his research partner Hey-Kyoung Lee.
_ Sleep Health Sleep: Myths vs. Facts By Jane Farrell article How much do you know about one of life’s most important activities? Here, the experts from the National Center on Sleep Disorder Research, a division of the National Institutes of Health, separate the facts from the myths and misunderstandings: Sleep is a time when your body and brain shut down for rest and relaxation
Re-Emerging By blog One definition of the word re-emerge is to once again make popular. Life has a way of going full circle and dreams from our past at times re-emerge. I found this to be true when my husband completed an improv class a few months ago. As a child, Kevin enjoyed entertaining his family by putting on silly shows and making them laugh. Many times things we are passionate about are things we did when young. If we are lucky and smart when grown we allow ourselves to let them re-emerge.
_ Humidifiers and Your Health By Jane Farrell article Dry sinuses, bloody noses and cracked lips — humidifiers can help soothe these familiar problems caused by dry indoor air. Humidifiers can also help ease symptoms of a cold or another respiratory condition. But be cautious: Although useful, humidifiers can actually make you sick if they aren't maintained properly or if humidity levels stay too high. If you use humidifiers, be sure to monitor humidity levels and keep your humidifier clean. Dirty humidifiers can breed mold or bacteria. If you have allergies or asthma, talk to your doctor before using a humidifier.