Statins May Reduce Delirium in Hospital Patients By Jane Farrell article The use of statins for critically ill patients may help prevent delirium, a new study shows. The findings, by British researchers, were published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Of the 470 patients included in the study, 151 received statins the evening before being admitted to the hospital. They were given only to patients who had been given statins, blood-thinning medicines, in the past.
Vitamin D Can Help Fibro Patients By Jane Farrell article Fibromyalgia patients, who suffer chronic pain, depression and fatigue, may show improvement in some areas with a Vitamin D supplement, according to new research. The investigators, whose study was published in the journal Pain, said that taking the supplements could be a cost-effective way to treat the condition.
_ When Your Doctor Shames You By Jane Farrell article New research has found that while 50 percent of patients leave their doctor’s office feeling ashamed or guilty, those feelings may have positive results depending on a number of factors. Researchers from the University of California San Diego said that investigating the issue of patient shame – and consequent avoidance of treatment – is crucial. "More than one third of all deaths in the United States are still essentially preventable and largely due to unhealthy patient behavior,” the researchers wrote.
_ Restoring Insulin-Producing Cells for Diabetics By article Two recent studies led by University of California-San Francisco scientists have shed new light on the nature of beta cells, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas that are compromised in diabetes.
_ Osteoporosis Drug Holidays From Osteoporosis Meds By article Due to the risk of fractures in the thigh bones and tissue decay in the jaw bone associated with osteoporosis drugs known as bisphosphonates, The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists currently recommends a drug holiday or break from these medications after four to five years of bone density stability if osteoporosis is moderate and after 10 years of stability if fracture risk is high.
_ New Drugs Could Help Treat Addiction By Jane Farrell article Scientists are zeroing in on a new treatment for disorders, including pain and addiction.
_ Heart Health New BP Guidelines Questioned By Sondra Forsyth article On December 19th 2013, ThirdAge.com reported on the new hypertension guidelines from The American Society of Hypertension Inc. and the International Society of Hypertension. The revised recommendation was150/90 for people 60+ before starting treatment, up from the recommendation of 140/80 that has been the standard for 30 years.
Shoulder Replacement Eases RA Pain By article Shoulder arthritis is a common problem for rheumatoid arthritis patients. According to a release from the Mayo Clinic, pain and difficulty moving their arms can grow so severe that daily tasks and sleep become difficult. If medication and physical therapy aren't enough, shoulder replacement surgery is a common next step. Despite surgical challenges with some rheumatoid arthritis patients, the procedure improves range of motion and reduces pain in nearly all cases, especially for those with intact rotator cuffs, a Mayo Clinic study shows.
_ Pain Management Motion Evaluation Tool for Back Surgery Patients By article Patients who have had extensive back surgery typically need repeated X-rays to monitor their progress but a new technology that skips the X-rays and repeated radiation exposure is on the horizon. The method was developed by , opting instead for an innovative, noninvasive, non-X-ray device that evaluates spinal movement. The technology was created and patented by two engineering undergraduate students, Kerri Killen and Samantha Music, at the University of South Florida.
Pen-and-Paper Test to Spot Early Alzheimer's By article The Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE test), which takes less than 15 minutes to complete, is a reliable tool for evaluating cognitive abilities. Findings by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center confirm the feasibility and efficiency of the tool for community screening of large numbers of people. The study is published in the January 2014 issue of The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.
_ Exercise Safety for Senior Athletes By Jane Farrell article Aging affects multiple organ systems, from the heart and lungs to your bones and metabolism. Of all the changes, musculoskeletal issues have the most impact on the aging senior’s sport. These changes include:an overall decrease in muscle and bone mass; stiffening of muscles; weakening of tendons and cartilage.
_ Marine Bacteria Fight Tough Infections By article Aggressive infections are a growing health problem all over the world. The development of resistant bacteria is rampant and in the United States, resistant staphylococci cause more deaths than AIDS on an annual basis. Now researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmarare studying a new form of treatment based on marine bacteria. The results have been published in the journal PLOS ONE.
_ Improved Delivery of Anti-Cancer Drugs By Jane Farrell article Scientists have taken a significant step in the field of nanomedicine, in which infinitesimal particles fight cancer by delivering a targeted drug to affected cells. Now, they have found out how to use nanoparticles to sequentially deliver the drugs to different parts of a cancer cell.
_ Drugs Protect Against Post-Stroke Damage By article Anticoagulant medications such as Warfarin have long been known to help prevent strokes, but now a large Danish study has shown that the blood thinners can also reduce the risk of death and brain damage when a stroke happens anyway. The research was published in Stroke - Journal of the American Heart Association.
_ Detecting Prostate Ca Overdiagnosis By article Use of a “nomogram,” – a calculating device for prediction – can estimate individual risks that a screen-detected prostate cancer has been overdiagnosed, according to a study done at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and published January 6th 2014 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
_ Aging Well Beauty & Style Healthy Diet & Nutrition Skin Skin Health Home Remedies to Keep Normal Skin Looking Young By article By Soriyya Bawa If you have normal skin, you may feel like you’ve won the skin care lottery. But despite what the name may suggest, normal skin requires just as much care as oily skin, dry skin, or combination skin. Before you rush out to rake up as many anti aging skin care products as you can, take a look around your home—you may already have everything you need to make your own anti-aging home remedies for normal skin.
Type 2 Diabetes May Be an Inflammatory Disease By article New research done in Denmark and published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that macrophages, a specific type of immune cell, invade the diabetic pancreatic tissue during the early stages of the disease. Then these inflammatory cells produce a large amount of pro-inflammatory proteins called cytokines, which directly contribute to the elimination of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. , resulting in diabetes. This discovery was published in the January 2014 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology
Vitamin E Helps AD Patients Function Better By article New research from the faculty of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City working with Veterans Administration Medical Centers suggests that alpha tocepherol, fat-soluble Vitamin E and antioxidant, may slow functional decline in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease and decrease caregiver burden. The study is published online first in the January 1st 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.