The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 percent—or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter—or higher. For a typical adult, this pattern of excessive alcohol use corresponds to consuming 4 or more drinks (female), or 5 or… Continue reading What You Need to Know about Binge Drinking
Tag: adults
Flu Shot Protects Against Heart Failure: Study
Among its other health benefits, an annual flu short can save heart failure patients’ lives. Flu season usually begins in fall and runs through spring, with cases often peaking during the winter months. An annual flu shot is regarded as a safe, low-cost way to reduce flu-related deaths and complications. It’s routinely recommended for patients… Continue reading Flu Shot Protects Against Heart Failure: Study
Very Few People Meet Standards for Metabolic Health
Even among people of normal weight, the prevalence of metabolic health in U.S. adults is extremely low, with just about one in eight Americans meeting the standards for the condition. A study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Public Health called the incidence of metabolic health in U.S. adults… Continue reading Very Few People Meet Standards for Metabolic Health
Anxiety, Depression May Increase Heart Attack and Stroke Risk in People Over 45
Adults ages 45 or older who experience psychological distress such as depression and anxiety may have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal. In a study of 221,677 participants from Australia, researchers found that: among women, high/very high psychological distress… Continue reading Anxiety, Depression May Increase Heart Attack and Stroke Risk in People Over 45
It’s OK When You’re Not OK: A Look at Emotional Resilience
Research on how adults deal with adversity has been dominated by studies claiming the most common response is uninterrupted, stable psychological functioning. In other words, this research suggests that most adults are essentially unfazed by major life events such as the loss of a loved one. These provocative findings have also received widespread attention in… Continue reading It’s OK When You’re Not OK: A Look at Emotional Resilience
Wearable Device Can Predict Older Adults’ Risk of Falling
A wearable device with motion sensors could predict which over-60 women are likely to fall – and knowing that means they could do preventative rehabilitation exercises that might help avoid that outcome. Every year, more than one in three individuals aged 65 and older will experience a fall. Falls are the most common cause of… Continue reading Wearable Device Can Predict Older Adults’ Risk of Falling
Ninety Percent of Adults Aren’t Eating Enough Fruits or Vegetables
Just one in every ten adults meet the federal fruit or vegetable recommendations, according to a new study published in the Center of Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Depending on their age and sex, federal guidelines recommend that adults eat at least 1½ to two cups per day of fruit and two… Continue reading Ninety Percent of Adults Aren’t Eating Enough Fruits or Vegetables
Cognitive Training Leads to Positive Brain Changes
A pilot study demonstrates that in healthy adults over 55, cognitive training improves innovative thinking, along with corresponding positive brain changes. The study, from researchers at the Center for BrainHealth at UT Dallas, was published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, reveals that a strategic cognitive-training program enhanced innovation in healthy adults. Performance was measured by… Continue reading Cognitive Training Leads to Positive Brain Changes
Food Allergies Often Begin in Adulthood
Although food allergies are often thought of in terms of children, almost half of all food-allergic adults reported one or more food allergies that began in adulthood, according to new research. The research was presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting. “Food allergies are often seen as a… Continue reading Food Allergies Often Begin in Adulthood
4 Myths about Adult Braces
Country music fans noticed something different about Faith Hill’s smile a few years back when she showed up for the Country Music awards. The popular singer wore braces, adding her name to the growing number of adults who decided to straighten their teeth through the traditional “mouth hardware” usually associated with children and teenagers. There… Continue reading 4 Myths about Adult Braces
Emergency-Room Visits Linked to Increased Disability Risks
Older adults who go to the emergency department (ED) for an illness or injury have higher risks for disability and decline in physical ability up to six months later, accordinig to a study from researchers at Yale. The study was published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Most adults aged 65 and older who visit… Continue reading Emergency-Room Visits Linked to Increased Disability Risks
Brain Activity Linked to Falls in Older Adults
Brain activity can help predict a healthy older adult’s risk of falling, according to researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among older Americans and all too often lead to physical decline and loss of independence. The findings were published in Neurology, the medical… Continue reading Brain Activity Linked to Falls in Older Adults
“Emotional Memory” in Older Adults
In a study exploring the relationship between memory for specific past experiences and recovery from strong negative emotions, researchers say that episodic memory be more important in helping midlife and older adults recover from a negative event than it is for younger adults. Rebecca Ready, associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University… Continue reading “Emotional Memory” in Older Adults
What You Must Know About Lead Poisoning
The stories about the high lead levels in the water supply of Flint, Michigan have brought the problem of lead poisoning front and center. According to experts from the Mayo Clinic, those at greatest risk of health problems, including serious brain and kidney damage, are children. But adults can be vulnerable as well. Lead poisoning… Continue reading What You Must Know About Lead Poisoning
Older Adults May Be Confused by Visual Stimuli
Older adults may have difficulty in combining what they see and hear – and that could have an effect on quick decision needed in situations like driving. A recent study from the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, found that seniors have a harder time distinguishing the order of events than younger adults. When researchers presented… Continue reading Older Adults May Be Confused by Visual Stimuli