When I was fully immersed in my first caregiving journey, one of the things that used to drive me to distraction was when people (who, by the way, had never cared for anyone) told me to relax and "just do my best."
Tag: depressive symptoms
What You Must Know About Glaucoma
By Sondra Forsyth
In April of 2013, I went for my annual eye exam. I’ve worn glasses or contacts for distance correction ever since elementary school but over the years, other than the usual age-related need for “readers”, I’ve never had any vision problems. This time, though, I saw a look of concern flash across the optometrist’s face when she did the test for ocular pressure.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
A Patch for Tracking Heart Rhythms
Research done at the Scripps Translational Science Institute in San Diego has found that a small adhesive wireless device worn on the chest for up to two weeks does a better job detecting abnormal and potentially dangerous heart rhythms than the Holter monitor that has been the standard of care for more than 50 years.
Online Colorectal Cancer Risk Calculator
Researchers at Cleveland Clinic have developed a new tool called CRC-PRO that allows physicians to quickly and accurately predict an individual's risk of colorectal cancer, as published in the January 2014 edition of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.
Brain Hot Spots for Post-Stroke Vision Recovery
Research done in Germany and published in the journal Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience suggests that vision restoration after a stroke depends mostly on activity of residual vision that is still left after the injury. The study showed that both local neuronal activity and activity in the immediate surrounding area influence the development of visual recovery "hot spots." The team maintains that this is evidence that recovery of vision is mediated by partially surviving neurons.
Turning Off the “Aging Genes”
Researchers at Tel Aviv University and Bar-Ilan University say they have found a possible way to stop the aging process. A release from the university notes that until now, restricting calorie consumption has been one of the few proven ways to combat aging. However, Keren Yizhak and colleagues have developed a computer algorithm that predicts which genes can be "turned off" to create the same anti-aging effect as calorie restriction.
Survival Tips for Heart-Attack Season
Snow shoveling is great exercise, but if you’re over a certain age or have health problems, it could prove deadly unless you protect yourself.
Watch: Medical Information on Your Phone
Here's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!
Type 2 Diabetes May Be an Inflammatory Disease
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
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.
Age-Related Obesity Explained
If you’ve found that you’re packing on more pounds as the years go by even if your calorie intake and activity level remain about the same, you’re not alone. Now research published in the January 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal shows that as we age, the thermogenic, or heat-producing, activity of brown fat is reduced. Brown fat is a "good" fat that helps burn "bad" white belly fat. The researchers also discovered a possible metabolic on/off switch that could reactivate brown fat.
Brain Training Works “With a Catch”
Do online exercises, games, software, and apps designed to “train your brain” really work? University of Oregon psychologists say, yes, but "there's a catch."
The catch, according to Elliot T. Berkman, a professor in the Department of Psychology and lead author on a study published in the January 1st 2014 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, is that training for a particular task does heighten performance, but that advantage doesn't necessarily carry over to a new challenge.
High BP Riskier for Women
Doctors may need to treat high blood pressure in women earlier and more aggressively than they do in men, according to scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The study was published in the December 2013 edition of the journal Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease.
Antioxidant Drug Knocks Down MS
Researchers led by P. Hemachandra Reddy, Ph.D. at Oregon Health & Science University have discovered that an antioxidant designed by scientists more than a dozen years ago to fight damage within human cells significantly helps symptoms in mice that have a multiple sclerosis-like disease. The study was published in the December 2013 edition of the journal Biochimica et Biophysica Acta Molecular Basis of Disease.
The Solution to Winter SADness
By Rita Anya Nara
Myths About Palliative Care
A specialized, multidisciplinary team approach to caring for seriously ill people and their families, is often errantly reduced to end-of-
life care. This misconception has led to palliative care involvement being introduced late in an illness, often depriving patients and
their families of comprehensive symptom control, support and assistance with complex decision-making throughout the course of
their illness when it could provide the most benefit.
Giant Pandas Could Be Source of Drugs
Giant pandas produce a powerful antibiotic in their blood stream that may be a rich source of powerful new drugs, Chinese scientists say.
The substance, which kills bacteria and fungi, could lead to new treatments against drug resistant superbugs and other diseases, they said.
Researchers at Nanjing Agricultural University identified the substance, cathelicidin-AM, by analyzing panda DNA, The Daily Telegraph of London reported Sunday.
HGB Dies at 90
All of us who are "Boomers and Beyond" are hoping to live long and well. Helen Gurley Brown did exactly that. Here's a link to our ThirdAge tribute to her, which we posted on her 90th birthday: http://www.thirdage.com/celebrities/happy-90th-bday-helen-gurley-brown