Tag Archives: Health

Boomers Health: New Study Confirms Superior Weight Loss Benefits Of Morning Exercise

From an International Journal of Obesity July 2019 study:

Early Morning ExerciseThis study, combined with the results of previous studies, supports the hypothesis that engaging in morning exercise may result in more weight loss compared to engaging in a similar amount of exercise later in the day. Furthermore, we observed individuals who performed most of their exercise sessions in the afternoon or evening tended to have slightly higher levels of EI and reduced NEPA and NEEx, suggesting that there are potentially important differences in the components of energy balance based on time of day exercise is performed.

Background/objectives

Circadian physiology has been linked to body weight regulation and obesity. To date, few studies have assessed the association between exercise timing and weight related outcomes. The aim of this secondary analysis was to explore the impact of exercise timing (i.e., 24 h clock time of exercise session) on weight loss and components of energy balance.

To read more click on following link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-019-0409-x

New Research Reveals Huge Hidden Costs Of Alzheimer’s Disease And Related Dementias

From a Science Daily online article:

Journal of Alzheimer's Disease“We found staggering inconsistencies between how costs of dementia are calculated across studies and our analysis strongly supports that current estimates fail to recognise the true costs of the diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, that cause dementia. Some studies have estimated that out of pocket expenses for people with dementia are up to one third of their household wealth in the final five years of their life, and that caregivers have healthcare costs that are twice as high as non-caregivers. We also found evidence that costs begin rising up to 10 years prior to diagnosis — we need to better measure and factor all these into future societal cost estimates.”

Some of dementia’s hidden costs explored in the analysis include:

  • People developing other health conditions, such as anxiety or depression, as a result of caring for someone with dementia.
  • Families forced to cut back on spending or to use savings to support their loved ones.
  • Reduced quality of life for people with dementia and their care partners/carers.
  • Costs that are incurred in the years before a diagnosis of impairment or dementia is made.

Currently, dementia is estimated to cost the US economy $290bn a year; the UK economy £26bn a year, and $1tn globally. A team of experts from institutions in the UK, Canada, Spain and the US reviewed existing evidence to assess what different costs are associated with dementia and analyse how these costs are measured.

To read more click on following link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190730092616.htm

Research: UC Berkeley Announces First Large Scale Study Of Healthy Lifestyle On Aging Brains

From a Berkeley News online article:

UC Berkeley Helen Wills Neuroscience“A healthy diet and lifestyle are generally recognized as good for health, but this study is the first large randomized controlled trial to look at whether lifestyle changes actually influence Alzheimer’s disease-related brain changes,” said Susan Landau, a research neuroscientist at Berkeley’s Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, and principal investigator of the add-on study.

UC Berkeley was awarded a five-year grant expected to total $47 million from the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA) to incorporate advanced brain imaging into an Alzheimer’s Association-led study to explore whether lifestyle changes can protect memory in those at risk of developing dementia.

The expanded study will be the first large-scale investigation of how lifestyle interventions, which include exercise, diet, cognitive stimulation and health coaching, affect well-known biological markers of Alzheimer’s and dementia in the brain.

To read more click on following link: https://news.berkeley.edu/2019/07/29/47-million-grant-to-explore-how-a-healthy-lifestyle-changes-the-aging-brain/

Sleep Studies: Hot Bath Or Shower (104 Degrees), 1-2 Hours Before Bedtime Improves Duration And Quality Of Sleep

From Sleep Medicine Review, August 2019:

Sleep Medicine ReviewsPBHWB of 40–42.5 °C was associated with both improved self-rated sleep quality and SE, and when scheduled 1–2 h before bedtime for little as 10 min significant shortening of SOL. These findings are consistent with the mechanism of PBHWB effects being the extent of core body temperature decline achieved by increased blood perfusion to the palms and soles that augments the distal-to-proximal skin temperature gradient to enhance body heat dissipation

To read more click the following link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079218301552?via%3Dihub

The following is from “Health News from NPR”:

In their research review, Haghayegh and his colleagues examined results from 17 studies that met criteria for their analysis, i.e. studies that looked at using warm water exposures of various types to aid sleep onset and quality. Some involved body baths, some involved footbaths and one involved a shower. Thirteen of the studies had the full amount of data needed for a quantitative review.

Based on scientists’ review of these studies, a bath or shower of about 104 degrees Fahrenheit before bedtime that lasted for as little as 10 minutes was significantly associated with improved sleep quality, and increased the overall amount of time slept. In at least a couple of studies, taking a bath one or two hours before bedtime decreased the average amount of time it took the study participants to fall asleep — by about nine minutes.

To read more click on following link: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/07/25/745010965/a-warm-bedtime-bath-can-help-you-cool-down-and-sleep-better?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20190728&utm_campaign=health&utm_term=npr%20news&utm_id=46633831

Boomers Health Tips: Kaiser Health News And NPR Team Up To Explain Confusing Medical Bills

From a Kaiser Health News article:

In 2018 Kaiser Health News and NPR teamed up to create “Bill of the Month,” a crowdsourced investigative series in which we dissect and explain medical bills you send us. We have received nearly 2,000 submissions of outrageous and confusing medical bills from across the country.

Bill of the Month Video
Click link below to watch video

https://khn.org/news/your-go-to-guide-to-decode-medical-bills/

Each month we select one bill to thoroughly investigate, often resulting in the bill being resolved soon after the story is published. But what about the large number of Americans who receive surprise medical bills that reporters can’t examine?

NPR Kaiser Sample Hospital Bill 2019

New Health Studies: Alzheimer’s Disease Rates Are Higher For Women Than Men Ages 45 And 65

From and NPR Health News article:

Estimated Lifetime Risk for Alzheimer's Dementia by Sex Ages 45 and 65Scientists are beginning to understand why Alzheimer’s disease affects more women than men and why the disease seems to progress more quickly in women’s brains.

The explanation appears to involve social, biological and genetic differences, researchers reported Tuesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Los Angeles.

One study looked at sex differences involving a toxic protein called tau, which tends to spread like an infection through the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.

To read more click on following link: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/07/17/742372403/researchers-search-for-reasons-why-womens-alzheimer-s-risk-is-higher-than-men-s

Figures below are from “2019 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures Report”:

National Costs for Long Term Care

To read full report click on following link: https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures-2019-r.pdf

New Health Study: Partial Knee Replacements Should Be “Treatment Of Choice” For Older Patients (The Lancet)

From “The Lancet” published July 17, 2019:

Partial Knee Replacements“Knee replacement is increasing in frequency, and it has an associated substantial cost implication to any health-care provider. It is also essential that patients receive the most efficacious operation for this condition. Before our study, and despite several cohort-based reports, knowledge of whether one operation type is superior, remained uncertain. Our 5-year study has indicated that both TKR and PKR are beneficial interventions but, based on our combined clinical and cost-effectiveness data and providing the operation is performed by those with adequate experience, we recommend that PKR should be offered as the treatment of choice for late-stage isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee.

The Lancet Logo

To read entire study click on link below:

https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2819%2931281-4

Boomers Health Tip: Costochondritis Chest Pain Can Feel Very Similar To Onset Of Heart Attack (Harvard Medical School)

From a Harvard Medical School article:

Harvard Medical SchoolCostochondritis is caused by inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs and the breastbone, called the costosternal joints (see illustration). This uncommon condition can trigger a stabbing, aching pain that’s often mistaken for a heart attack.

The main symptom of costochondritis is chest pain, which may be sharp or dull and gnawing. It tends to get worse when a person takes a deep breath or coughs, and the chest may feel tender and possibly swollen when pressed. In contrast, people in the throes of a heart attack often say they feel chest discomfort rather than chest tenderness, and they describe sensations such as squeezing, tightness, pressure, or feeling like an elephant is sitting on my chest.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/chest-pain-thats-not-a-heart-attack

Boomers Health: Five Ways To Reduce Crippling Hand Pain (Harvard Medical)

From Harvard Medical School Health Letter:

Harvard Medical SchoolHand pain is more than just annoying. The stiffness and swelling that go along with hand pain can sap strength and diminish the ability to carry out routine functions, like buttoning clothes.

One common cause of hand pain is osteoarthritis—when the shock-absorbing cartilage between bones in the finger joints and at the base of the thumb becomes worn or damaged. Hand pain can also result from nerve conditions, like the pain and tingling you feel when there is pressure on the median nerve in the wrist or the ulnar nerve near the elbow. Sometimes hand pain results from tendinitis, an inflammation of the tissue that attaches muscles to the bones. Here are five methods to help manage hand pain, retain hand function, and avoid surgery.

 

  • Splinting

A splint stabilizes the position of your fingers, thumb, or wrist. “Wear a splint for a few weeks if arthritis flares, so the inflammation can settle down,” says Dr. Philip Blazar, an orthopedic surgeon and associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

  • Injections

An injection of a corticosteroid into a joint can reduce inflammation. “The relief it provides can last up to a year,” says Dr. Blazar. For some people the amount of relief diminishes with subsequent injections.

  • NSAIDs

A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) helps relieve hand pain by blocking enzymes that produce pain and swelling, but Dr. Blazar says it’s not effective for carpal tunnel syndrome. Long-term use of oral NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) are linked to ulcers, stomach bleeding, liver damage, and increased risk of heart attacks. Topical NSAIDs, such as diclofenac (Voltaren), may pose less risk.

  • Heat and cold

Heat can loosen hand stiffness. Dr. Blazar says a hot shower will do the job. Cold is effective for hand pain that results from activity, such as playing golf. “Apply it in the form of flexible gel pads you keep in the freezer, or even bags of frozen peas or corn, which conform well to the three-dimensional complexities of the hand,” says Dr. Blazar.

  • Exercises and stretches

These focus on your hand’s tendons and muscles. A physical therapist or occupational therapist can guide you through exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles, which can help absorb the stress on joints in the hand and reduce pain.

Health Studies: Healthy Lifestyle Can Reduce High Genetic Risk Of Dementia By 32% (Univ. Of Exeter)

 

Univ of Exeter Genetic Risk of Dementia benefited by exercise“Living a healthy lifestyle may help offset a person’s genetic risk of dementia, according to new research.

The study was led by the University of Exeter – simultaneously published today in JAMA and presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2019 in Los Angeles. The research found that the risk of dementia was 32 per cent lower in people with a high genetic risk if they had followed a healthy lifestyle, compared to those who had an unhealthy lifestyle.

Participants with high genetic risk and an unfavourable lifestyle were almost three times more likely to develop dementia compared to those with a low genetic risk and favourable lifestyle.”

To read more click on link below:

http://www.exeter.ac.uk/dementia/news/articles/healthylifestylemayoffset.html