Author: Staff (Page 138 of 157)

      Middle Aged Fitness Can Determine Future Risk for Heart Disease and Stroke

      May 19, 2011 /

      If you’re middle-aged, a strong predictor of your risk of heart attack or stroke over the next decade or more can be determined by a fairly simple fitness test:

      How fast can you run a mile?

      The National Institutes of Health and The American Heart Association funded these studies.

      In two separate studies, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found that how fast a middle-age person can run a mile can help predict the risk of dying of heart attack or stroke decades later for men and could be an early indicator of cardiovascular disease for women.

      In one recent study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers analyzed the heart disease risk of 45-, 55- and 65-year-old men based on their fitness level and traditional risk factors, such as age, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, total cholesterol and smoking habits. The scientists found that low levels of midlife fitness are associated with marked differences in the lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease.

      Research, Wellness

      Drug and Alcohol Treatment Doubles for Seniors

      May 19, 2011 /

      Surveys show the vast majority of older drug addicts and alcoholics reported first using their substance of choice many years earlier.

      However, older people metabolize alcohol differently from their younger counterparts causing more severe damage.

      That lifelong use can lead to liver damage, memory loss, hepatitis and a host of other medical issues.

      A minority of people find comfort in drugs and alcohol far later in life, fueled by drastic life changes, loneliness or legitimate physical pain.

      Seniors use the drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism whether it is loss and loneliness or feeling of displacement.

      Experts have observed a rise in illicit drug use, while treatment for alcohol has dropped even though it remains the chief addiction among older adults. The 2008 statistics show 59.9 percent of those 50 and older seeking treatment cited alcohol as their primary substance, down from 84.6 percent in 1992. Heroin came in second, accounting for 16 percent of admissions in that age group, more than double its share in the earlier survey. Cocaine was third, at 11.4 percent, more than four times its 1992 rate.

      Research, Wellness

      Your Morning Cup of Coffee May Cut the Risk of Prostate Cancer

      May 19, 2011 /

      That morning “Jo” may be more helpful than just an eye opening jolt of energy.

      Whether caffeinated or decaffeinated studies show that men who drink one to three cups of coffee per day lower thier risk of aggressive prostate cancer by 13%.

      More findings indicate that increased amounts of coffee continues to cut the overall risk.

      The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, also found men who drank six or more cups of coffee per day over some 20 years were 60 percent less likely to develop the more aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

      Research, Wellness

      Special Diet for Children with Epilepsy?

      May 19, 2011 /

      New findings recommend a special diet for childhood epilepsy

      During the seizure, the child’s hands and feet are spasmodic, convulsive; muscle spasms, contractures.

      Children can lose consciousness, control of urinary and anal sphincter.

      There can be changes in eye position.

      After cessation of seizures, the child may be upset or tired.

      Normally, our bodies run on energy from glucose, which we get from food and we can’t store large amounts of glucose-only have about a 24-hour supply.

      When a child has no food for 24 hours — which is the way the diet begins, usually in a hospital — he or she uses up all the stored glucose.

      With no more glucose to provide energy, the child’s body begins to burn stored fat.

      An anti-seizure diet is typically recommended for young adults whose epilepsy has not responded to other treatments. Adults may not use this diet as effectively because they have trouble following it, according to the nonprofit Epilepsy Therapy Project.

      Epilepsy has many forms, and not all are effectively treated via an anti-seizure diet. However, infantile spasms, Rett syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome are some of the conditions that seem to respond to an anti-seizure diet.

      Research, Wellness

      Some common but unexpected reasons for Summer rashes

      May 19, 2011 /

      Doctors and dermatologists may not always know the cause of skin growths or skin ailments.

      However, they do know that some of them are caused by viruses and others are a result of environmental exposures.

      The one thing that everyone agrees on is the fact that brown rash or any rash, growth or blemish should be checked out by a medical professional.

      Question: I have had a weird rash on my hands for about a week. It started out like blisters after I was outside one day but now is flat and brown. It does not hurt or itch but does seem to be getting a little lighter. I’m not on any medications and did not use any sunscreen or skin products that day. What could be causing this?

      Answer: As the weather gets warmer and people spend more time in the sun, I hear this same story quite often. You may be experiencing what is called “phytophotodermatitis,” or a reaction of the skin involving the sun and chemicals that can be found in items such as limes, lemons, parsnips, celery, parsley, figs, other plants and perfumes. A common scenario involves a person cutting or squeezing limes before going out to the pool or beach.

      Research, Wellness

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