_ Dental Health Oral HealthMixed Messages About How to Brush Teeth By Sondra Forsyth articleAdvice on how we should brush our teeth from dental associations and toothpaste companies worldwide is “unacceptably inconsistent”, according to research done at the University College London and published in August 2014 in the British Dental Journal.The study looked at the brushing advice given by dental associations across ten countries, toothpaste and toothbrush companies, and in dental textbooks. The team found a wide range of recommendations on what brushing method to use, how often to brush, and for how long.
_ Aging WellGenes That Protect Against Frailty By Sondra Forsyth articleFrailty is a common condition associated with old age, characterized by weight loss, weakness, decreased activity level and reduced mobility, which together increase the risk of injury and death. Yet, not all elderly people become frail. Some remain vigorous and robust well into old age. The question remains: Why?
_ Alzheimer's Disease and other Dementias Brain Health Mental & Emotional HealthDepression & Cognitive Decline = Faster Brain Aging By Sondra Forsyth articlePeople who develop depression and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) after age 65 are more likely to have biological and brain imaging markers that reflect a greater vulnerability for accelerated brain aging, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The findings were published online in Molecular Psychiatry.
_ Aging Well Well-beingWatch: How to Live Over 100 Years By Sondra Forsyth articleHere's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!
_ Mental & Emotional HealthSay Yes to NO! By Sondra Forsyth article By Jaime Kulaga, Ph.D., LMHC No has gotten this bad reputation. “No, you can’t do that.” “No, it’s too hard.” “No, I don’t have time.” “No, I’m too old.” “No, I’ll do it some other time.”I am sure that you have said some of these statements before. And, yes, when it comes to stopping a life dream, skipping out on a risk, or self-sabotaging with the word “No,” ….YES that IS negative. In fact, saying “No” all the time could skew people’s opinions of you, making them think you are a pessimist or have a negative attitude. I get it.
_ Healthy Diet & NutritionCaffeine Lowers Incidence of Tinnitus By Sondra Forsyth articleResearchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that higher caffeine intake is associated with lower rates of tinnitus, often described as a ringing or buzzing sound in the ear when there is no outside source of the sounds, in younger and middle-aged women. This study was published in the August 2014 issue of the American Journal of Medicine.
_ Healthy Diet & NutritionCheese Still Loaded With Salt By Sondra Forsyth articleThe high salt content of cheese is a “global challenge”, according to research in the UK who published their findings in August 2014 in the online journal BMJ Open. A release from the publisher notes that a high dietary salt intake is linked to high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for stroke, heart attacks, heart failure and kidney disease. It also increases the risk of stomach cancer and osteoporosis, and is indirectly linked to obesity.
_ Medical CareMany Hospitals Missed E-health Deadline By Sondra Forsyth articleMany of the nation's hospitals struggled to meet a federally mandated electronic health records deadline, and as a result could collectively face millions of dollars in reduced Medicare payments, according to a study done at the University of Michigan published online August 7th 2014 and slated to be published in the September print issue of the journal Health Affairs.
_ Aging Well Brain HealthRight Brain Stays Youthful as We Age By Sondra Forsyth articleAt least one part of the human brain appears to be able to process information the same way in older age as it does in the prime of life, according to research conducted at the University of Adelaide in Australia and presented at the 12th International Cognitive Neuroscience Conference in Brisbane in July 2014.
_ Healthy Diet & NutritionFast Food Redeemed: Beyond Burgers and Fries By Sondra Forsyth article By Dr. Kevin J. McLaughlin Across the United States, North America and throughout the world, the impact of the fast food industry has really overtaken our collective culinary culture. It has driven demand, competitive pricing for fast meals and disease rates right through the roof in the U.S.To put it bluntly, fast food is one of the main reasons why Americans are getting fatter, sicker, and living with high morbidity as they age. This trend is also occurring within a much younger demographic than ever before.
Coming Next Week! August 11th to August 15th 2014 By Sondra Forsyth articleHere’s a sneak preview of the articles, slideshows, and blogs we’ll be posting during the coming week on ThirdAge, the biggest and best site for “boomer and beyond” women since 1997. As always, we’ll bring you the latest information from top experts about maintaining a healthy body, mind, and spirit as you navigate both the challenges and the joys of being a ThirdAger.
_ Healthy Diet & NutritionEating Out = Poorer Nutrition By Sondra Forsyth articleEating at both fast-food and full-service restaurants is associated with significant increases in the intake of calories, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, according to a study published August 7th 2014 online in Public Health Nutrition. The researchers found that on days when adults ate at a restaurant, they consumed about 200 additional total daily calories whether they ate at fast- food restaurants or at full-service restaurants.
Prescription Drugs prescription medicinesSafety Concerns About New Drugs By Sondra Forsyth articleThe authors of a study published in the August 2014 issue of Health Affairs contend that when the FDA approval process for medications changed in 1992 with the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), which allowed the FDA to collect fees to expedite drug approvals, the new process may have led to the release of drugs before they could be adequately evaluated for safety issues.
_ Hep C Could Become a Rare Disease By Sondra Forsyth articleNewly implemented screening guidelines and improved, highly effective drug therapies could make hepatitis C a rare disease in the United States by 2036, according to the results of a predictive model developed at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.The results of the analysis, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and performed with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, were published in the August 5th 2014 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
_ Wellness Coaching Improves Quality of Life By Sondra Forsyth articleWellness coaching improves quality of life, mood and perceived stress, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in August 2014 in the peer-reviews journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Matthew Clark, Ph.D., L.P., lead author of the study and resiliency expert at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, answered some common questions about wellness coaching:
_ Mental & Emotional HealthWatch: Everything You Need to Know About Breaking Habits By Sondra Forsyth articleHere's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!
_ MenopauseWhat to Expect and How to Prepare for Menopause By Sondra Forsyth articleBy Marni AndrewsThere are a record number of North American women now entering a new period of their lives, menopause, which marks the official end of their reproductive period. Women are born with a finite number of eggs in their ovaries—by the time they reach their 50s, the number of fertile eggs has dropped significantly. When the remaining eggs are released, or hormones in the body can no longer stimulate their release, the body enters menopause. This generally happens between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age being around 51.
_ Medical CareFor-Profit Home Care: Higher Costs, Lower Quality By Sondra Forsyth articleFor-profit home health agencies are far costlier for Medicare than nonprofit agencies, according to a nationwide study done at the City University of New York School of Public Health and published Monday, August 4th 2014 in the August issue of the journal Health Affairs. Overall cost per patient was $1,215 higher at for-profits, with operating costs accounting for $752 of the difference and excess profits for $463. Yet the quality of care was actually worse at for-profit agencies than at non-profits, and more of the patients required repeat hospitalizations.