Breast cancer patients who take opioids to manage their pain are less likely to adhere to a potentially lifesaving treatment regimen, according to new research. The treatment, adjuvant endocrine therapy, commonly known as hormone therapy, is used to prevent the cancer from returning after surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Opioid use, however, was “significantly associated”… Continue reading Study: Breast-Cancer Patients on Opioids Less Likely to Follow Treatment Regimen
Tag: Depression
Study: A New Way to Treat Multiple Chronic Conditions
When we have several chronic health conditions as we age, the symptoms of those disorders can reduce our quality of life. In fact, having multiple chronic conditions is linked to symptoms that can restrict our ability to perform our daily routines. Some 70 percent of adults over the age of 75 have more than two… Continue reading Study: A New Way to Treat Multiple Chronic Conditions
Folic Acid and Depression
Vitamin B9, also known as folic acid, gets a lot of attention during pregnancy. It’s important for prenatal development, and too little can lead to a host of birth defects. But a lack of it impacts some people no matter what their age, and it may affect a somewhat surprising condition: depression. Folic acid can… Continue reading Folic Acid and Depression
From Gardening to the Gym, “Social Prescribing” Improves Health
People who suffer from chronic conditions are likelier to engage in healthy activities if they have outside support to help them continue, according to a new study. Researchers from Newcastle University, in the UK, found that a “Link Worker” who provided support and encouragement, as well as helping the subjects decide what activities they wanted… Continue reading From Gardening to the Gym, “Social Prescribing” Improves Health
The Mind Plays an Important Role in Well-being in Later Life
What does it take to have a sense of well-being as we age? Summarizing the results of a study done at Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health and published in July 2017 in BMC Geriatrics, Prof. Karl-Heinz Ladwig said, “Aging itself is not inevitably associated with a decline in mood and… Continue reading The Mind Plays an Important Role in Well-being in Later Life
Magnetic Stimulation to “Rewire” the Brain for People with Depression
The Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California-Los Angeles is one of a handful of hospitals and clinics nationwide that offer a treatment for depression that works in a fundamentally different way than drugs. The technique, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), beams targeted magnetic pulses deep inside patients’ brains — an approach… Continue reading Magnetic Stimulation to “Rewire” the Brain for People with Depression
Virtual Support Groups Help Grieving Spouses with Depression
As the U.S. population ages, it’s estimated that half of women older than 65 are widows, while one-sixth of men of the same age have lost their spouses. Support groups have proved to be a helpful resource for those dealing with grief, but for older individuals, obstacles such as geographic location and physical immobility can… Continue reading Virtual Support Groups Help Grieving Spouses with Depression
Aligning Depression Treatment to Patients’ Needs
Depression looks different in every person, making it a challenge to ensure that each receives the appropriate care. According to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, many patients get treatment too intensive for their condition while others don’t get enough. A release from the university reports that by taking into account five predictive indicators, including… Continue reading Aligning Depression Treatment to Patients’ Needs
Tackling Depression by Changing the Way You Think
Depressed people “don’t need to worry and ruminate,” says Professor Roger Hagen at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s (NTNU) Department of Psychology. “Just realizing this is liberating for a lot of people.” Hagen and NTNU colleagues Odin Hjemdal, Stian Solem, Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair and Hans M. Nordahl have recently published a scientific… Continue reading Tackling Depression by Changing the Way You Think
A Personal Treatment for Depression
An innovative psychological treatment can help older people who are suffering from lower-severity depression and prevent more severe depression, say researchers at the University of York, in the UK. Depression is common amongst older people, with one in seven meeting the criteria for full-blown depression. Older people at the greatest risk of depression are those… Continue reading A Personal Treatment for Depression
When Medications Work against Weight Loss
While diet, exercise and behavior modification are essential components of obesity management, a successful long-term weight loss strategy should also include avoiding or minimizing medication-related weight gain, according to researchers. In a paper published in Gastroenterology, investigators from the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine underscore the necessity for physicians to evaluate the… Continue reading When Medications Work against Weight Loss
When Food is Medicine
HIV-positive people who received healthy food were more likely to adhere to their medication regimens, and they, as well as people with type 2 diabetes, were less depressed and less likely to make trade-offs between food and healthcare, according to a new study. The study was done jointly by researchers from University of California San… Continue reading When Food is Medicine
The Latest in Treatments for Bipolar Disorder
You—or a loved one—feel depressed. Then very excited, or even “hyper.” Then depressed again. These ups and downs can be a sign of bipolar disorder, a brain disorder. Though there is no cure for this disorder, medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can treat symptoms and help you feel better. Symptoms Bipolar… Continue reading The Latest in Treatments for Bipolar Disorder
Singing the Holiday Blues?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But sadly, not for everyone. Whether it’s dealing with loss, getting over an addiction, being new in town, helping children post-divorce or caring for a senior citizen, here are my suggestions to help make the holidays a bit easier to navigate. For the newly divorced or widowed Loss is… Continue reading Singing the Holiday Blues?
Surprising Uses for Botox That Have Nothing to Do with Wrinkles
When most people think of Botox the first thing that usually comes to mind is wrinkle reduction. Indeed, Botox is the world’s most popular treatment for eradicating wrinkles and fine lines. The toxin is specifically FDA approved for treating frown lines between the eyebrows (glabellar lines) and lines around the eyes (crow’s feet). However, in addition… Continue reading Surprising Uses for Botox That Have Nothing to Do with Wrinkles
An Immune-System Factor in Depression?
Drugs used to treat arthritis and psoriasis could be used to treat depression, researchers have found. The discovery further implicates the immune system in mental-health disorders. Researchers from the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge University led a team that analyzed data from 20 clinical trials involving the use of anti-cytokine drugs to treat a range… Continue reading An Immune-System Factor in Depression?
Depression in Later Years and Your Five Senses
Depression can occur any time in life. But it’s especially difficult when it begins in your golden years. Geriatric depression, a mood disorder occurring at age 65 or older, doesn’t look the same as depression at earlier ages—and 90 percent of seniors who are struggling with depression are often misdiagnosed. Symptoms of depression in later… Continue reading Depression in Later Years and Your Five Senses
Depression After Age 65 Linked to Increased Risk of Heart Disease
A wide range of studies has confirmed that depression is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, a 2016 new study done at The Reading Hospital in Pennsylvania is the first to demonstrate how this risk may differ by age. The study results were be presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of… Continue reading Depression After Age 65 Linked to Increased Risk of Heart Disease