_ Women's Health and WellnessWatch: How to Treat An Overactive Bladder By Jane Farrell articleHere's another addition to our ThirdAge video collection. Press play to start learning!
_ Your Television May Be Killing You By Jane Farrell articleWatching too much TV can be fatal: Adults who indulge for three or more hours each day may double their risk of premature death, according to new research.Researchers, who published their findings in the Journal of the American Heart Association, said that watching television is one of many bad lifestyle habits on the rise.
_ How Private Is Your Mental-Health Information? By Jane Farrell articleWhatever you think of the Affordable Care Act (and there are many different and heated opinions) there’s no doubt that it’s expanded mental health and substance use disorder benefits and protections to 62 million Americans.Leon Rodriguez, Director of the Office for Civil Rights, Department of Health and Human Services, wrote in a federal blog that the c hange represents “the largest expansion of behavioral health coverage in a generation and will help make treatment more affordable and accessible.”
_ Making Sense of Carbohydrate Counting By Jane Farrell articleIf you or a loved one have been recently diagnosed with diabetes, you know that the nutrition guidelines for diabetics can seem overwhelming at times. And following the guidelines, which include carbohydrate counting, is crucial to a diabetic’s health.Here, from the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, part of the National Institutes of Health, is an easy-to-understand explanation of carbohydrate counting. This tool for planning meals will help you keep track of the amount of carbs you’re eating each day, and whether you’re in goal range.
_ Multiple Sclerosis and Cognitive Decline By Jane Farrell articleIn a landmark study of multiple sclerosis patients, researchers have traced the pattern of cognitive impairment of MS sufferers.The study, by investigators from the Kessler Foundation and the Cleveland Clinic, followed the patients over 18 years. That length of time allowed researchers a unique insight into the cognitive decline of people who have MS.
_ Watch: Dairy Products for the Lactose Intolerant By Jane Farrell articleHere's another addition to the ThirdAge video collection. Press play to start learning.
_ How Do You Recover from Anesthesia? By Jane Farrell articleA new study has found important clues about the process the brain uses to “navigate” back to consciousness after being on anesthesia.Earlier research has revealed some elements of brain activity under anesthesia, but until now there haven’t been any findings on the navigation process out of anesthesia.
_ It's Never Too Late to Quit By Jane Farrell articleWhen it comes to quitting smoking, older people may be faced with some especially discouraging issues. Maybe they’ve tried to quit – more than once. Maybe they think they’re too old and that the damage has been done. But according to experts, it’s never too late to stop smoking, and to do it successfully.It’s not that older smokers don’t want to quit. Many of them do, knowing that being smoke-free would have a number of positive results, from the avoidance of serious diseases like stroke and heart disease, to the likelihood of having more money and more energy.
_ 5 Tips for Safe Online Shopping By Jane Farrell articleYou might have resisted the idea of online shopping for a while, but these days, chances are you’re doing it just like millions of other Americans.Unfortunately, though, with the convenience of online shopping comes the possibility of fraud. How can you protect yourself and your personal information? The Internet security firm McAfee has some suggestions:
_ "Brain Marijuana" Can Help with Dementia By Jane Farrell articleThe protein beta-amyloid, long suspected to play a key role in Alzheimer’s, may begin its destructive process by blocking marijuana-like substances in the brain.A study by researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine focused on the blocking of endocannabinoids in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Endocannabinoids are signaling substances that are the brain’s versions of the psychoactive chemicals in marijuana and hashish.As a result of the discovery, the investigators are now focusing on the molecular details of exactly how the blocking occurs.
_ Skin Skin HealthWatch: Overcoming Skin Cancer By Jane Farrell articleHere's another addition to the ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning.
_ 7 Colonoscopy Myths Debunked By Jane Farrell articleBy Digestive Health Team, Cleveland ClinicEveryone has reasons for not getting a colonoscopy. Often, it’s based on misunderstandings – both about the procedure and about colon cancer, says Carol A. Burke, MD, Director of the Center for Colon Polyp and Cancer Prevention in Cleveland Clinic’s Digestive Disease Institute.People may not realize that colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers – and that a colonoscopy is a short, mildly uncomfortable test that can save their life.
_ Breast CancerMany Elderly BC Patients Are Taking Hormone Therapy By Jane Farrell articleWomen over 65 with non-metastatic breast cancer are likely to follow recommendations for preventive hormone treatment. But non-white women were much less likely to have that therapy.The women who had the therapy suffered from estrogen-positive breast cancer and were given either an aromatase inhibitor or tamoxifen. Those hormones prevent tumors from using estrogen to fuel growth.The study was reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
_ Two Anti-Smoking Treatments Better Than One By Jane Farrell articleA combination of quit-smoking therapies is more effective than using just one for male smokers and people with a high level of nicotine dependence.Researchers from Duke Medicine analyzed the outcomes of 349 people who reported smoking ten or more cigarettes per day. The participants were given a six-item questionnaire that measured their level of nicotine dependence. Before they quit, the researchers provided the subjects with a nicotine patch.
_ The Best Way to Take Your Medicine By Jane Farrell articleIt pays to be cautious at any age about taking medications. But it’s especially important for older people, who are likely to have multiple prescriptions. And that, according to the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), can increase the chances of harmful drug interactions.
_ The "New Normal": Life After Cancer Treatment By Jane Farrell articleCancer is a frightening and even traumatic experience not only for patients but for caregivers. But once diagnosis and treatment are over, people who cared for a loved one may expect to put it behind them and go back to their normal life.As the National Cancer Institute (NCI) explains, though, that’s not usually the case. Caregivers are faced with a “new normal” that may make life seem more forbidding and uncertain. Here, experts from the NCI take a look at a situation that’s often neglected, and share some strategies for coping:
A Microwave Device that Helps Treat Strokes By Jane Farrell articleA device that detects different kinds of strokes in patients could be a lifesaving instrument, according to new research.Strokefinder, which is placed on a patient’s head, uses microwaves to examine the patient’s brain tissue. The device interprets the findings to determine if the stroke is caused by a blood clot or bleeding. The difference between those two kinds of strokes can be crucial in emergency treatment.Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, in Sweden, studied 45 patients.