Electronic Cigarettes: Not as Harmless as Some May Think By blog I'm not a proponent of electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes. While I concede that they may be the lesser of two evils, smoking a combustible cigarette or an e-cigarette, I still believe they are dangerous and should not be promoted.
_ Making the Best Decisions With Your Doctor By Jane Farrell article Talking with a doctor about a health-care decision is crucial - and can be an intimidating process. Here, from the experts at the National Institute on Aging, are some ways to get the most out of it: Giving and getting information are two important steps in talking with your doctor. The third big step is making decisions about your care.
_ A Declaration Of Independence From Tobacco By Jane Farrell article July 4th is a great time to celebrate freedom and independence of all kinds. Why not make it an occasion to declare your own independence ΓÇô from tobacco? The federal Centers for Disease Control has made July 4th its focal point for its program on freeing yourself from nicotine addiction. Anyone whoΓÇÖs ever quit can tell you itΓÇÖs a tough process, but understanding why itΓÇÖs so tough may help you deal with those moments when you feel you canΓÇÖt go one moment longer without a cigarette. Here are some insights from the CDC:
_ Medical Care Mustaches & Oxygen Therapy = Burns By Sondra Forsyth article Facial hair and home oxygen therapy can prove a dangerously combustible combination, according to a Mayo Clinic report published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. To reach that conclusion, researchers reviewed home oxygen therapy-related burn cases and experimented with a mustachioed mannequin, a facial hair-free mannequin, nasal oxygen tubes and sparks. They found that facial hair raises the risk of home oxygen therapy-related burns, and encourage health care providers to counsel patients about the risk.
_ It's Never Too Late to Quit By Jane Farrell article When it comes to quitting smoking, older people may be faced with some especially discouraging issues. Maybe theyΓÇÖve tried to quit ΓÇô more than once. Maybe they think theyΓÇÖre too old and that the damage has been done. But according to experts, itΓÇÖs never too late to stop smoking, and to do it successfully. ItΓÇÖs not that older smokers donΓÇÖt want to quit. Many of them do, knowing that being smoke-free would have a number of positive results, from the avoidance of serious diseases like stroke and heart disease, to the likelihood of having more money and more energy.
_ "Brain Marijuana" Can Help with Dementia By Jane Farrell article The protein beta-amyloid, long suspected to play a key role in AlzheimerΓÇÖs, may begin its destructive process by blocking marijuana-like substances in the brain. A study by researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine focused on the blocking of endocannabinoids in the early stages of AlzheimerΓÇÖs. Endocannabinoids are signaling substances that are the brainΓÇÖs versions of the psychoactive chemicals in marijuana and hashish. As a result of the discovery, the investigators are now focusing on the molecular details of exactly how the blocking occurs.
Coming Next Week! June 23rd to June 27th By Sondra Forsyth article HereΓÇÖs a sneak preview of the articles and blogs weΓÇÖll be posting during the coming week on ThirdAge, the biggest and best site for ΓÇ£boomer and beyondΓÇ¥ women since 1997. As always, weΓÇÖll bring you the latest information from top experts about maintaining a healthy body, mind, and spirit as you navigate both the challenges and the joys of being a ThirdAger. In addition, be sure to come back every morning to check out the ThirdAge Exclusives, We write them after culling the most important new academic and government studies from around the world that are making news that day.
_ 7 Colonoscopy Myths Debunked By Jane Farrell article By Digestive Health Team, Cleveland Clinic Everyone has reasons for not getting a colonoscopy. Often, itΓÇÖs based on misunderstandings ΓÇô both about the procedure and about colon cancer, says Carol A. Burke, MD, Director of the Center for Colon Polyp and Cancer Prevention in Cleveland ClinicΓÇÖs Digestive Disease Institute. People may not realize that colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers ΓÇô and that a colonoscopy is a short, mildly uncomfortable test that can save their life.
_ High blood pressure / hypertension Lower BP Not Always Better By Sondra Forsyth article For decades, common medical wisdom has been "the lower the better" in treating the approximately one in three people in this country who have high blood pressure. But does that approach result in reduced risk for dangerous heart events? Not necessarily, according to research done at Wake Forest Baptists Medical Center in Winston Salem, North Carolina, and published in the June 16th online edition of JAMA Internal Medicine.
_ Is Medical Marijuana Safe? By Jane Farrell article EditorΓÇÖs note: As of earlier this year, 20 states have legalized the use of marijuana for some serious medical conditions, including cancer, glaucoma and HIV/AIDS. But using medical marijuana isnΓÇÖt a casual decision. Here, the National Institute on Drug Abuse offers (NIDA) offers a briefing on the most controversial medicine of our time: According to NIDA, the term ΓÇ£medical marijuanaΓÇ¥ refers to the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its crude extracts. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesnΓÇÖt recognize or approve those substances as medicine.
_ Pain Management NIH Proposes Standards for Back Pain Research By Sondra Forsyth article Standardized research methods are needed to make greater progress toward reducing the high burden and costs of chronic low back pain, according to a National Institutes for Health Task Force report published in the June 15th 2014 issue of the journal Spine.
Medical Care Better Screening for Brain Aneurysms By Jane Farrell article New research by an international consortium, including a researcher from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, may help physicians better understand the chronological development of a brain aneurysm. The study was published in the June 2014 print issue of the journal Stroke.
Oral Health The Best Foods to Eat for Optimal Oral Health By Jane Farrell article By Dr. K.J. McLaughlin Did you know that your diet can directly influence the level of your oral health? The health of your teeth and gums is extremely important as this area of your health can also have an impact upon the health of your heart, arteries, and immune system. Of course poor oral health also affects has your appearance. Your lifestyle, including smoking, alcohol consumption, and your diet, can greatly influence your teeth and gums.
E-Cigs Not Healthy By Jane Farrell article Researchers at the Mayo Clinic Division of Allergy and Immunology warn that although one of the initial "health benefits" proposed by e-cigarettes makers was that it would help those who smoke cigarettes cut back, that theory hasn't been proven and there's no evidence to support the claims. An article about the findings was published in the June 2014 issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).
_ AFib = Dementia Risk If Meds Are Out of Range By article A study done by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City has found that atrial fibrillation patients who are on blood thinning medications are at higher risk of developing dementia if their doses are not in the optimal recommended range. The findings presented at the 2014 Annual Heart Rhythm Society Scientific Session on Friday, May 9th, 2014 in San Francisco.
_ New Cancer Tx Raises Blood Pressure By article The upside of new cancer therapies that block vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling is that these agents have improved the outlook for patients with some cancers and are now used as a first line therapy for some tumors. However the downside is that almost 100% of patients who take VEGF inhibitors (VEGFIs) develop high blood pressure, and a subset develops severe hypertension. That is the finding of a study done at the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow.
_ Widowhood Mourning the Death Of A Spouse By Jane Farrell article Losing a spouse is one of life’s most heartbreaking events. You may react in a number of different ways: sorrow, fear, even anger (that your husband didn’t look after his health, for example). You can also feel guilty that you have survived, while he hasn’t. You may even feel a certain sense of relief, especially if you have been an in–home caregiver or your spouse has been in a nursing home.
37 Million Could Be Saved Through Global Health Programs By Jane Farrell article Reaching globally-agreed targets for health risks such as smoking and alcohol can prevent more than 37 million deaths by 2025, according to new statistics. The study, led by researchers from Imperial College London, said the health risks are caused by the “big four” illnesses: cancer, diabetes, lung disease and cardiovascular disease. The study, published in The Lancet, found that the majority of death prevention would be in low- to middle-income nations, while the reductions for smoking and blood pressure will lead to the largest benefits.