Using an ambulance that included a computed tomography (CT) scanner, point-of-care laboratory, telemedicine connection and a specialized prehospital stroke team resulted in decreased time to treatment for ischemic stroke, according to a study in the published in the April 23/30 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association, a neurology theme issue.
Tag: depressive symptoms
Support Group Weight Loss Helps Diabetics
Weight loss and control of blood sugar can reduce the risk of complications in patients with diabetes but paring off the pounds is difficult for many people. Now a randomized controlled trial of obese adults with type 2 diabetes done at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis suggests that participants enrolled in a community-based structured weight loss program are able to shed more of their excess avoir dupois, improve blood sugar control, and reduce or even eliminate insulin use.
Exercise Helps Brain Health
Add one more to the already long list of exercise benefits: A study of older adults at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease shows that moderate physical activity may protect brain health.
Everyone loses some brain volume with age, but people with a genetic risk for Alzheimer’s usually show greater weakening overtime in the area of the brain known as the hippocampus. The hippocampus is responsible for memory and spatial orientation.
We Feel Younger Than Our Years!
Good news about Boomers and Beyond! The ninth annual 100@100 survey by UnitedHealthcare reported that Americans at age 65 say they feel 55 on average. Not only that, but our hardy centenarians say they feel as though they are 83 “years young” on average, and more than half live independently without the support of a caregiver to help them with their daily activities.
Go Green With Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning Tips
Freshen Up Your Home the Natural, Non-Toxic Way
By Robert Nickell
Anxiety Medications as You Age
Anxiety medications can affect you differently as you age. The National Institutes for Health Senior Health Portal alerts you in to possible problems:
The research on treating anxiety disorders in older adults is limited. However, most disorders can be treated with medication or psychotherapy. For some people, a combination of medication and psychotherapy may be the best treatment approach.
Antidepressants
Can An Alzheimer’s Protein Be Stopped?
Researchers have devised a new approach to the treatment of Alzheimer’s by identifying a class of compounds that can decrease a deadly protein associated with dementia.
The compounds, called pharmacologic chaperones, can decrease levels of amyloid-beta. That protein is thought to contribute to the development of dementia.
The mouse-model study, by researchers from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), Weill Cornell Medical College, and Brandeis University, was published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.
Developing A Safer NSAID
Researchers are drawing closer to a safer alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that relieve pain but can cause heart attacks, strokes and even sudden cardiac death.
Investigators from the University of Pennsylvania built on previous work to further explore the role of an enzyme, mPGES-1, in delaying the development of atherosclerosis. Their findings were reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Watch: 10 Ways Your Mind Plays Tricks on You
Here's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!
Why You Should Get Creative with Your Food!
By Jon Yaneff
People show their creativity in different ways. You may sing, dance, rap, paint, sculpt, design, direct, write, cook, or go with the flow with something else and give it your own unique spin. Your canvas can be anything that you desire, including your plate.
National Park Service Updates Service Animals Rule
Just in time for National Parks Week, April 19th t0 27th 2014, the National Park Service (NPS) invites public comment on a proposed rule to revise regulations governing service animals in national parks. Last amended in 1983, federal statutes governing accessibility for persons with disabilities, as well as the use of service animals, have changed significantly.
Love Your Gums!
One in every two adults age 30 and older suffers from periodontal disease, commonly referred to as gum disease. The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) is calling for Americans to Love the Gums You’re With and take better care of their gums. To learn more, take a brief quiz on perio.org/loveyourgumsto evaluate the current state of your gum health, learn the signs and symptoms of periodontal disease, and receive tips on how to properly care for their gums.
Ground-Breaking “Brown Fat” MRI Scan
The first MRI scan to show “brown fat” in a living adult could prove to be an essential step towards a new wave of therapies to aid the fight against diabetes and obesity.
Researchers from Warwick Medical School and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust in the UK used a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based method to identify and confirm the presence of brown adipose tissue in a living adult. The study was published on April 17th 2014 in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Detecting Diabetes Eye Damage Early
Indiana University researchers have detected new early-warning signs of the potential loss of sight associated with diabetes. This discovery could have far-reaching implications for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy, potentially impacting the care of over 25 million Americans. The study was published in April 2014 in the journal Biomedical Optics Express.
Dealing With Your Digital Legacy
Editor’s Note: The overwhelming growth of internet use and social media has made it clear how we need to think about conventional matters in new ways. One of these subjects is making your will. While traditional wills left physical objects to loved ones, or specified what should be done with those objects, digital wills deal with the text, photos, videos and music we have put on the Internet. They can be just as important a part of our legacy as more conventional possessions, and should be treated as such.
Internet Use Could Help With Depression
Internet use by elderly people can sharply reduce the likelihood of depression, a common ailment among older Americans, research shows.
The finding comes from Michigan State University researchers, who followed the lives of thousands of older Americans for six years.
They concluded that Internet use by elderly people can reduce the risk of depression by more than 30 percent.
Dementia Drugs Not Always Necessary
Experts say a team-based approach to handling undesirable behaviors in dementia patients could lead to a reduction in the use of psychiatric drugs.
The approach is known as DICE – Describe, Investigate, Evaluate and Create. The researchers said they hope that using the DICE approach will create better teamwork among people who care for dementia patients at home, in hospitals and clinics and in residential facilities.
The panel of experts published their analysis in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Childhood Bullying Still Hurts at 50+
Were you bullied as a child? You may still be feeling the negative social, physical and mental health effects. A studydone at King's College London and published in April 2014 in the American Journal of Psychiatry is the first to look at the effects of bullying beyond early adulthood. The findings come from the British National Child Development Study that includes data on all children born in England, Scotland, and Wales during one week in 1958. The 7,771participants were then followed up until the age of 50.