The price tag for informal caregiving of elderly people by friends and relatives in the United States comes to $522 billion a year, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Replacing that care with unskilled paid care at minimum wage would cost $221 billion, while replacing it with skilled nursing care would cost $642 billion… Continue reading Cost of Informal Caregiving Is $522 Billion Annually
Tag: depressive symptoms
What You Need to Know About Generic Drugs
Editor’s note: No matter what prescription drugs you’re taking, there are several issues you should be aware of: how effective the drugs are, whether they interact with any other medicines you might be taking, and whether a chaper generic is as good as a more expensive brand name. The generic-vs.-name brand issue can be especially… Continue reading What You Need to Know About Generic Drugs
How to Win the Winter Skin Battle
Even though the first flakes haven’t (officially) fallen, it’s not too soon to start thinking about your winter skin. For many people, it’s a time when skin dries out and becomes flaky, dull and even itchy. But it doesn’t have to be that way. “There’s no reason to have dull dry-looking skin in those holiday… Continue reading How to Win the Winter Skin Battle
Care Guidelines to Prevent Acute COPD
The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) and the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) announced in October 2014 the release of Prevention of Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: American College of Chest Physicians and Canadian Thoracic Society Guideline in the journal CHEST. The guideline, a first of its kind, provides evidence-based recommendations aimed at… Continue reading Care Guidelines to Prevent Acute COPD
Coping with Crohn’s Disease
Editor’s Note: Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, affects up to 700,000 people in the U.S., according to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA; www.ccfa.org). The foundation lists typical symptoms as persistent diarrhea; rectal bleeding; urgent need to move bowels; abdominal cramps; a sensation of incomplete evacuation; and constipation, which… Continue reading Coping with Crohn’s Disease
A Link Between Bra Wearing and Breast Cancer? Forget about It
Despite what some people believe, there’s absolutely no evidence of a link between wearing a bra and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women and wearing a bra, according to research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. “There have been some concerns that one of the… Continue reading A Link Between Bra Wearing and Breast Cancer? Forget about It
Senior Eye Health: The Facts and the Myths
Good vision is precious throughout life, but it’s especially important as we grow older. Having vision problems can make a difference in our ability to perform everyday tasks, and even to live independently. With so much information (both good and bad) available about health issues, it’s crucial to distinguish truth from myth. Here, the experts… Continue reading Senior Eye Health: The Facts and the Myths
Congress and A Failure to Address Health-Care Costs
Although the U.S. Senate has killed a bill that would have changed the way Medicare pays doctors, that issue remains just as crucial, according to a commentary in the journal JAMA Surgery. The bill, the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act, was supported by physicians’ organizations as well as both… Continue reading Congress and A Failure to Address Health-Care Costs
“Spice” Up Your Health
Did you know that one of the easiest things you can do to improve your health is to use a handful of spices each day? Simply adding the right spices increases nutrients in your diet, allows you to use less salt and sugar for taste, and also has important health side benefits. Here are a… Continue reading “Spice” Up Your Health
Breast Screening Over Age 70 May Lead to Overdiagnosis
Mammograms for women over the age of 70 s doesn’t prompt a sharp fall in advanced disease and may instead lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment, according to research led by a team based at Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. Their paper was published in BMJ,, coinciding with the opening of the Preventing Overdiagnosis… Continue reading Breast Screening Over Age 70 May Lead to Overdiagnosis
Diabetes Duration Linked to Blood Vessel Complications
Research published in Septemner 2014 in Diabetologia,the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, shows that age (or age at diagnosis) and duration of diabetes disease are linked to the risk of death and marcovascular complications, meaning those in larger blood vessels. However, only diabetes duration is linked to the risk of… Continue reading Diabetes Duration Linked to Blood Vessel Complications
6 Ways to Steer Clear of Identity Theft
Editor’s note: These days, people are more vulnerable than ever to identity theft, and many seniors find themselves faced with it at the most vulnerable time in their lives. A lifetime’s savings can suddenly disappear, leaving you without the money to provide the best possible health care for yourself and your family. Here, experts from… Continue reading 6 Ways to Steer Clear of Identity Theft
Belly Dancing = Fewer Body Image Hang-ups
Women who belly dance in their free time have fewer hang-ups about their bodies, according to a study led by Marika Tiggemann of Flinders University in Australia and published in September 2014 in the journal Sex Roles. The researchers found that most women who participate in this form of dancing do so because it is… Continue reading Belly Dancing = Fewer Body Image Hang-ups
An Update on Alzheimer’s Drugs
Editor’s Note: Alzheimer’s, a frightening and ultimately fatal disease, is becoming a more crucial issue with every passing year. An aging global population means not only that there will be millions of new patients over the next few decades but that millions of other people such as the patients’ caregivers and families will also be… Continue reading An Update on Alzheimer’s Drugs
Stopping Aging via Remote Control
An anti-aging process that involves remote control of cells? It sounds like science fiction, but it’s getting closer to reality thanks to biologists from UCLA. The scientists, working with fruit flies, remotely increased levels of a gene called AMPK. The gene, a crucial sensor of energy in cells, gets activated when cellular energy levels are… Continue reading Stopping Aging via Remote Control
Filling in Wrinkles Safely
In the quest for youth—or at least a more youthful appearance—women and men are seeking treatments to minimize laugh lines, crow’s feet, and frown lines, as well as to plump up lips and cheeks. A popular treatment involves injecting dermal fillers into the face. In studies of FDA-approved dermal fillers, people generally report they are… Continue reading Filling in Wrinkles Safely
Single-Dose Flu Drug Appears Safe and Effective
An analysis of phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials shows that a single injected dose of the neuraminidase inhibitor (NAI) peramivir is safe and effective at alleviating influenza symptoms, including fever and viral shedding, when administered within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. Researchers reported their findings in September 2014 at the 54th… Continue reading Single-Dose Flu Drug Appears Safe and Effective
10 “Healthy” Food Practices That Could Make You Sick
Could your commitment to healthy living be making you sick? Some everyday food practices that most of us do with the best of intentions could actually be undermining all your efforts to eat less fat, increase fruit and veggie intake, and prepare meals hygienically at home. Danger lurks in your kitchen, in packaged foods and… Continue reading 10 “Healthy” Food Practices That Could Make You Sick