Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
More than Half of Adults with Diabetes Hindered from
Needed Exercise by Painful Arthritis
CDC study says 29.8% of adults with arthritis and
diabetes were totally inactive
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Both arthritis and diabetes are common chronic
diseases among senior citizens - see chart in news story. |
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May 6, 2008 - Physical activity is important for
adults suffering with diabetes but a new study says more than half of
these patients also have arthritis, which is often a painful barrier to
exercise. Read
more...
Senior Citizens Offered Help in Dealing with a
Diabetes Diagnosis
Almost 10.5 million adults aged 60 and older in the
U.S. have diabetes
By the National Diabetes Education Program
May 6, 2008 - Senior citizens who have been told by a health care
professional that they have type 2 diabetes usually feel anxious or
uncertain. But if there is comfort in numbers that should know they are
not alone – almost 10.5 million adults aged 60 and older in the U.S.
have diabetes. Diabetes is serious, but it can be managed. The National
Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) offers tips to help older adults learn
to manage diabetes, avoid or delay serious complications, and live
longer, healthier lives.
Read more...
Women Who Stop Smoking Will See Their Risk of Death
Begin to Drop Rapidly
Communicating risks to smokers, helping them quit
should be integral part of public health
May 6, 2008 - An extensive review of the health
histories of thousands of women shows that when they stop smoking their
risk of death from any disease begins to decline. Within five years they
will significantly reduce their risk of dying from coronary heart
disease and will reduce their risk of death from smoking-related cancers
by 20 percent. The study reported in May 7 issue of the Journal of
the American Medical Association is good encouragement for older women
who may hesitate to stop, because they think it is too late.
Read more...
Calm the Heart to Stop a Stroke from Irregular
Heartbeat that Causes 20 Percent of Cases
Treatments for atrial fibrillation aim to reduce the
chance of a stroke, ease symptoms, for millions
May 6, 2008 – There’s an electrical storm brewing
inside the hearts of more than 2.2 million Americans. And just like
lightning, this kind of storm can have devastating consequences.
Read more...See
Video...
Little Doubt Left that Severe Obesity Can Lead to
Heart Failure
Study in 7,000 men and women ties obesity,
inflammatory proteins to heart failure
May
1, 2008 - Any remaining doubt that being severely overweight leads to
heart failure was probably erased today by the release of what is
described as the first wide-scale evidence of prolonged inflammation and
resulting damage to heart tissue causing failure of the body's
blood-pumping organ among the obese.
Read more...
Device to Detect Fat Content of Plaque Inside of
Coronary Arteries Cleared by FDA
InfraReDx LipiScan NIR Catheter Imaging System uses
infrared imaging to detect plaques
April 29, 2008 - Nearly a million Americans -
mostly senior citizens - will suffer a heart attack this year and about
half will die. The odds may swing in a more positive direction, however,
with the Food and Drug Administration's approval today of the marketing
of a device that a doctor can use to see inside a blood vessel to assess
the fat content of the plaque which builds up on the wall of the
coronary arteries.
Read more...
Avandia, Actos Double the Risk of Fractures Among
Diabetes Patients
These two drugs account for 21% of oral diabetes
medications in U.S.
April 29, 2008 - Diabetics taking rosiglitazone (Avandia)
or pioglitazone (Actos) approximately double or triple their odds of hip
and other non-spine fractures, according to a report in the April 28
issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives
journals. Diabetes is a leading chronic disease among senior citizens
that are often fighting the dangers of bone fractures from osteoporosis.
And, it was a no win day for these elderly, as the journal also reported
a drug for this ailment may cause atrial fibrillation (see sidebar).
Read more...
Osteoporosis Drug Fosamax Linked to Atrial
Fibrillation in Older Women
Merck's Fosamax is most widely used drug for bone-thinning osteoporosis
April 29, 2008 - Older women who use Fosamax (alendronate)
to prevent fractures from osteoporosis are nearly twice as likely to
develop the most common kind of chronically irregular heartbeat (atrial
fibrillation), according to research from Group Health and the
University of Washington published in the April 28 Archives of Internal
Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Read more...
Seniors Targeted by New Consumers Union Education
Campaign on Prescription Drugs
Attorneys General provide grant of $4.4 million to
Consumer Reports publisher
April 28, 2008 – Last week Attorneys General from
around the country announced a $4.4 million grant to Consumers Union
that will fund a public education program designed to eliminate huge
gaps in public knowledge about prescription drugs. Senior citizens, due
to their massive consumption of prescription drugs, will be a primary
target of the effort.
Read more...
Hemoglobin-based Blood Substitutes Linked with
Increased Risk of Death, Heart Attack
Heart attack risk jumps 2.7 times, death risk
increases by 30 percent
April 28, 2008 - What seems like a great idea - a
liquid blood substitute with a long shelf-life, that does not need
refrigeration and does not cause infection - is turning into a
nightmare. Studies of hemoglobin-based blood substitutes indicate their
use is associated with an increased risk of death and heart attack,
according to a report published online by the Journal of the American
Medical Association.
Read more...
Scraps Left from Heart Surgery Grow into New Heart
Muscle Cells
Good news for treatment, scientific research and
testing of potentially new drugs
April
23, 2008 - Stem cells derived from material left over from open heart
surgeries have been used to grow large numbers of stem cells and create
new heart muscle cells. The Dutch researchers say it is a "breakthrough"
in stem cell research - previously it was necessary to use embryonic
stem cells to make this happen. It also means stem cell research is
advancing rapidly and may prove useful to today's senior citizens in
fighting a variety of diseases.
Read more...
Mammography Beneficial After 75?, 80?; Breast Cancer
Spreads Faster After 70
Studies of breast cancer in older women point to
extending mammography
April 22, 2008 - A study released yesterday found
mammography, the gold-standard for breast cancer screening, can
significantly reduce the risk of being diagnosed with advanced stage
breast cancer in women over the age of 80, an age group currently
without clear guidelines for regular screenings. While a European study
released earlier found it is effective, appropriate and reduces deaths
from the disease in women aged up to 75 years old. Both report to be the
first to study cancer screening at these ages. Another study of breast
cancer in older women found the cancer found in women over age 70 is
more likely to spread.
Read
more...
Large Skin
Lesions More Likely to be Melanomas; Scalp, Neck Cancers More Deadly
Screening becomes increasingly critical as rate of melanomas
increases
April
21, 2008 - Skin lesions larger than 6 millimeters (.236 inch) in diameter are
more likely to be melanomas than smaller skin growths, according to a report in
the April issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
The researchers support the diameter guidelines currently used by dermatologists
in searching for this skin cancer that likes to strike older men.
Read more....
Risk of Death From Vioxx In Clinical Trials May Have
Been Misrepresented By Merck
JAMA focuses on drug-maker Merck's apparent attempt
to manipulate data
April
15, 2008 - A comparison of internal company documents, data submitted by
the company to the FDA, and published clinical trial results indicates
that the risk-benefit profile of rofecoxib, marketed as Vioxx and Ceoxx,
in clinical trials involving patients with cognitive impairment may have
been misrepresented by study sponsor Merck, according to an article in
the April 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association
(JAMA). Read more...
link to video
Cholesterol Fighting Statins May Also Help Senior
Citizens Battle High Blood Pressure
Statins may activate compounds that widen blood
vessels and improve their function
April
15, 2008 - Statins, the medication swallowed daily by millions of senior
citizens to lower their blood cholesterol levels, may also help fight
the most dominant chronic problem for senior citizens - hypertension. A
new study found statins modestly reduce blood pressure, according to a
report in the April 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of
the JAMA/Archives journals.
Read more...
Another Study Points to Higher Breast Cancer Risk
from Alcohol for Older Women
The more older (postmenopausal) women drink the
greater the risk
April 14, 2008 – A large study has confirmed
several previous studies showing that drinking alcohol is a substantial
risk factor among older women for the development of breast cancer. This
study focused on the most common type of breast cancer – the 70% found
positive for both estrogen and progesterone receptors, referred to as
"ER+/PR+" breast cancer. And, the study says the more one drinks the
higher the risk.
Read more...
Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers Killing More Senior
Citizens in Australia
More
elderly dying from Squamous Cell and Merkel
Cell Carcinomas
April 14, 2008 – Skin cancer is the most common
cancer in the U.S. – more than a million are diagnosed annually – but it
is the melanoma skin cancer that older Americans fear most, because of
the high death rate. There is a new skin cancer worry for senior
citizens emerging in Australia, however, where deaths from non-melanoma
skin cancer (NMSC) are increasing rapidly among older Australians.
Read more...
Nano-Sized Technology Has Super-Sized Effect on
Slowing Tumor Growth
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A tumor treated with fumagillin nanoparticles
(left) is smaller than an untreated tumor. Nanoparticles containing an
image-enhancing metal (yellow) show that the treated tumor has much less
blood vessel growth than the untreated tumor. |
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Researchers find success with 1,000 times lower
dose of chemotherapy
April 2, 2008 - In the world that most senior citizens live in,
discussions frequently turn to cancer treatments, since contemporaries are
often battling the disease. The struggle against the
side-effects of chemotherapy frequently comes up. There is good news
today, however, that researchers may have found a way to use
nanotechnology to dramatically reduce the dose of chemo required.
Read more...
New Discovery of Four More Genetic Variants Involved
in Type 2 Diabetes
This brings total to 16 for diabetes - one
has link with prostate cancer
April 1, 2008 – An unprecedented analysis of
genetic data from over 70,000 people has identified six more genetic
variants involved in type 2 diabetes. That brings the number to 16 of
genetic risk factors associated with increased risk of the disease. None
of the new variants had previously been suspected of playing a role in
type 2 diabetes. Intriguingly, the new variant most strongly associated
with type 2 diabetes also was recently implicated in a very different
condition: prostate cancer.
Read more...
Antidiabetic Agent Proves It Can
Slow Plaque
Build-Up in Coronary Arteries
Thiazolidineddiones drug pioglitzsone (Actos) beats
sulfonyhlureas drug glimepiride (Amaryl)
March 31, 2008 – A new study has found the
medication pioglitzone – from a newer class of antidiabetic agents – is more
effective than glimepiride in slowing the development of plaque in the
coronary arteries of diabetics. More importantly, the researchers say it
is the first demonstration of the ability of any hypoglycemic agent to
slow the progression of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with
diabetes. Read
more...
New CPR Recommendation Takes Little Training – Just
Push Hard and Fast
Mouth-to-mouth no longer recommended for bystanders
trying to save lives
March 31, 2008 - Chest compressions alone, or
Hands-Only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), can save lives and can
be used to help an adult who suddenly collapses, according to a new
American Heart Association scientific statement posted on the Web site
today. Read more...
Morbid Obesity Levels the Playing Field for
Cardiovascular Risk Between Men, Women
Interestingly, excess obesity appears to offer
protection from heart attack
March 31, 2008 - Heart disease remains the leading
killer of men and women; but while men tend to be at greater risk for
developing heart problems, cardiovascular risk profiles often vary
between genders. A new study suggests such gender-related differences
disappear in patients who are morbidly obese compared to those who are
overweight or obese, according to data presented today at the American
College of Cardiology’s 57th Annual Scientific Session.
Read more...
Anniversary of Loved Ones Death Shown to Trigger
Sudden Death, Men Especially
History of heart attack, family SD or coronary
disease, cardiovascular risks add to vulnerability
March
31, 2008 - If the date of a loved one’s passing is approaching, beware.
The anniversary of the death of a close family member, especially a
mother or father, is a significant trigger for Sudden Death (SD),
especially in men, according to research presented today at the American
College of Cardiology’s 57th Annual Scientific Session.
Read more...
Colon Cancer Usually Preventable if Older People
Just Step Up to Screening
Researchers working to make screening less
invasive, more accurate
By Nicole Fawcett
March 28, 2008 - Colon cancer screening is a tough
sell. It’s icky, uncomfortable and the thought of a
colonoscopy, especially the prep, can be intimidating, to say the
least. But here’s what clinches the sale:
Colon cancer can be largely prevented through proper screening.
Read more...
Body Fat More Reliable Measure of Heart Disease Risk
Than Obesity, BMI
Normal Weight Not Safe Zone for Heart, Metabolic
Problems
March
28, 2008 – So you finally did it – you reduced your weight to the
“normal” level. Now the Mayo Clinic has some bad news for you. More than
half of American adults considered to have normal body weight in America
have high body fat percentages - greater than 20 percent for men and 30
percent for women - as well as heart and metabolic disturbances.
Read more...
Seven Conditions Common to Senior Citizens Can Be
Managed Without Drugs
Harvard Health Letter says the no-drugs approach
often as good as pills
March 27, 2008 – Seven of the most common and
distressing conditions that hit senior citizens the hardest can be
managed without medications, which have side effects and are expensive.
The April 2008 issue of the Harvard Health Letter tells how to do it. It
takes some discipline, but in many cases, the nonpharmacological
approach can do as much as pills.
Read more....
Xenical/alli and Meridia Help Adults Lose Weight but Just One Lowers
Blood Pressure, Too
Those fighting high blood pressure most successful
with orlistat (alli/Xenical) or just diet
March
24, 2008 – Although orlistat, sold as alli or Xenical, and sibutramine (Medidia)
both appear to help adults lose weight, orlistat or just a weight-loss
diet are best for losing weight and lowering blood pressure, according
to analysis of previously published studies reported in the March 24
issue of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Read more...
Men Inherit High Risk of Hypertension Throughout
Life if Either Parent has It
Early-onset high blood in both parents indicates a
6.2-fold higher risk
March 24, 2008 – High blood pressure tends to
cluster in families, according to a new study, which has found that men
with one or two parents with hypertension apparently have a
significantly increased risk of elevated blood pressure throughout their
adult lives. Read
more....
Type of
Prostate Cancer Treatment Affects Quality of Life: Factor to Consider
Prostate
size, other neglected factors influence satisfaction with treatment outcomes
March 20, 2008 – The wide spread prevalence of prostate
cancer, and the fact that it often strikes men so late in life, feeds an
on-going debate about the best way to treat it. A major new study, however,
says that of the three major treatment options, there is a distinct
difference in how each affected the quality of life after treatment.
Read more....
Genomic Medicine’s Help for Seniors Fighting Chronic
Disease Stuck in Bottleneck
Knowledge about genomic medicine way ahead of
incorporating it into clinical practice
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Link to video in
news story. |
March 19, 2008 – Using genomic medicine to treat or
even prevent chronic diseases cannot develop fast enough for millions of
senior citizens – the adults most likely to have such devastating
diseases. But, there is a bottleneck between what knowledge is available
about genomic medicine and incorporating it into clinical practice for
assessing the risk and battling such diseases as cardiovascular disease,
diabetes, and cancer, according to a systematic review in the Journal of
the American Medical Association.
Read more...
Robo4 Stops Age-Related Macular Degeneration,
Diabetic Retinopathy in Mice
‘This is a major breakthrough in an area where the
advances have been minimal’
March 17, 2008 - Two major eye diseases and leading
causes of blindness - age-related macular degeneration and diabetic
retinopathy - can be reversed or even prevented by drugs that activate a
protein found in blood vessel cells, researchers at the University of
Utah School of Medicine and several other institutions have announced in
a new study. Read more...
Killers of 300,000 a Year: DVTs, PEs Most Likely to
Strike as We Age
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Send this
life-saving e-card to a friend. See how below story. |
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Most deaths can be prevented by education, preventive
actions
March 17, 2008 - They kill 300,000 people a year -
but most of them could be prevented. They strike more than a million
people every year, most of them out of the blue - and half without
causing symptoms. They target the bedridden, the hospitalized, the
elderly - and even some generally healthy people too. They are among
those villains that are more likely to strike as we get older. But many
senior citizens have no idea what they are, who gets them, or how to
avoid them. Read
more...
Obesity Means More Aggressive Breast Cancer; Body
Mass Index May Predict It
Women with locally advanced, inflammatory breast
cancers also have poor outcomes if overweight
March 14, 2008 - Women with breast cancer have more
aggressive disease and lower survival rates if they are overweight or
obese, according to findings published in the March 15 issue of Clinical
Cancer Research. The researchers suggest Body Mass Index (BMI), the
measure of a person's fat based on their height and weight, may be an
effective prognostic tool for specific types of breast cancer.
Read more...
Senior Citizens Taking Ibuprofen for Pain, Aspirin
for Stroke are at Risk
‘…interaction between aspirin and ibuprofen… one of
the best-known, but well-kept secrets in stroke medicine’
|
Brand names for ibuprofen include Advil, Motrin,
Genpril, Haltran, IBU, Menadol and Midol. There are other combination
products that contain ibuprofen. |
March 13, 2008 – Many senior citizens fight pain –
often from arthritis – with ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.). At the same
time, many of these seniors are taking aspirin to reduce the risk of a
second stroke, and other cardiovascular problems. It’s not working. A
new study confirms that ibuprofen undermines aspirin’s ability to act as
an anti-platelet agent, say researchers at the University of Buffalo.
Read more...
Trial of Significant New Option to Treat Advance
Emphysema Needs Patients
Exhale Airway Stents for Emphysema Trial (EASE) is
international
March 12, 2008 – The test of a “significant new
option” for those suffering with advanced emphysema will be the mission
of EASE (Exhale Airway Stents for Emphysema) Trial, an international,
multi-center clinical trial. Over 3.1 million Americans have been
diagnosed with emphysema, of which 91% were 45 years of age or older.
Predominantly caused by smoking, it generally strikes people between
ages 50 and 60.
Read more...
Discovery May Revive Penicillin to Battle
Antibiotic-Resistant Pneumonia, Staph that Kill Millions
Streptococcus pneumoniae strikes one million a year
of U.S. elderly, 7% die
March 12, 2008 – Senior citizens, by far the most
often requiring hospitalization or other confined care, have been the
most alarmed by the antibiotic-resistant infections festering in health
care institutions. There is welcomed news today that researchers have
learned what makes Streptococcus pneumoniae resistant to antibiotic
penicillin, which could lead to new drugs that can stop this killer, as
well as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Read more...
Very Low Survival after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac
Arrest Improved by New Resuscitation
MICR emphasizes minimal interruption of chest
compressions
March 11, 2008 – Those experiencing a cardiac
arrest outside of a hospital have a scant chance of survival, despite
massive efforts in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training and
efforts to place more automated external defibrillators in public
places. A new study, however, finds hope in minimally interrupted
cardiac resuscitation (MICR), which emphasizes minimal interruption of
chest compressions during a rescue attempt.
Read more...
Lack of Statin, Aspirin Therapy May be Why Women
Trail Men in Decline of Cardiovascular Deaths
Only 78.1% of women treated with statins, 90.8% of
men; men 6 times more likely to get aspirin, beta-blockers, too
March 7, 2008 – The use of statins, aspirin and
beta-blockers seem to have led in a dramatic decrease in the
cardiovascular death rate for men. Women, however, who have led men in
the number of cardiovascular-related deaths since 1984, have not shown
this same rate decline and a new study suggests it is because women are
significantly less likely than their male counterparts to be treated
with these therapies.
Read more...
Aspirin, NSAIDS May Reduce Breast Cancer by 20
Percent, Large Study Finds
May also help in treating women with
established breast cancer
March 6, 2008 - Anti-inflammatory drugs like
aspirin may reduce breast cancer by up to 20 per cent, according to an
extensive review carried out by experts at London’s Guy’s Hospital, who
reviewed 21 studies covering more than 37,000 women published between
1980 and 2007.
Read
more...
It’s Never Too Late to Quit Smoking and at
Retirement Looks Promising
English researchers say point of retirement is one of
the most effective times for many healthy improvements
March 6, 2008 - Many people spend a lifetime trying
to give up smoking, but there is good news for older smokers from
research carried out at the Peninsula Medical School in South West
England. It may work best as part of a healthy retirement.
Read more...
Age Should Not be Factor in Who Gets ACL Repair,
Study Finds
Success achieved in anterior cruciate ligament repair
for Baby Boomers and older
March
5, 2008 - Baby boomers and Weekend warriors – Baby Boomers and senior
citizens - are staying active well into their later years, making them
susceptible to injuring those aging frames-especially vulnerable to
tearing their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). A new study presented
today at the 75th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic
Surgeons (AAOS), found that “boomers” and patients up to age 66, who
undergo ACL surgery, are about as likely to return to pre-injury levels
of activity as much younger people.
Read more...
Women in Halted 2002 Clinical Trial of Estrogen Plus
Progestin Still have Cancer Risk
Report in JAMA finds those on therapy with more
cancer than placebo-takers
March 4, 2008 – Back in 2002 they stopped the
clinical trial where thousands of women were given the hormone therapy
of estrogen plus progestin, while others received a placebo, because
there were indications of increased breast cancer risk for those
receiving therapy. Now there is new evidence that these women may still
have an increased risk of cancer.
Read more...
Osteoarthritis Leads Surge of
Rheumatic Disease Creating
Major Health Challenge
Report shows prevalence of arthritis and other
rheumatic conditions in U.S.
March 4, 2008 - Few senior citizens in the U.S.
will be surprised to learn that arthritis is the most common cause of
disability in the United States. According to recent estimates by the
National Arthritis Data Workgroup, more than 21 percent of U.S. adults
have arthritis or another rheumatic condition that has been diagnosed.
This is over 46 million Americans, but the number is projected to shoot up to 67
million by 2030.
Read more...
Prostate Cancer Killed in Animals by Blocking Stat5
Protein
Researchers say this vital protein is now target for
drug therapy
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Age is the most important risk factor for prostate cancer. More
than 65% of cases are diagnosed in men over age 65 - average age
at the time of diagnosis is 70. –
NIH SeniorHealth |
|
Feb. 28, 2008 – By blocking a protein – Stat5 –
researchers effectively killed prostate cancer cells in both laboratory
and experimental animal models. This protein that is key to the cancer’s
growth and remaining vital is now viewed as a viable target for drug
therapy, according to the study from Thomas Jefferson University’s
Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
Read more...
Older Stroke, Heart Attack Victims Most Likely to
Benefit from Aspirin Therapy
‘Aspirin Failure’ leaving 20% of all ages unprotected
from second stroke, heart attack
Feb.
26, 2008 – It is well established in medical research that taking
aspirin will lower the risk of a second cerebrovascula event (stroke).
But new research has found that as many as one of five patients do not
have the antiplatelet response – the protective effect that prevents
blood platelets from clogging arteries – after taking aspirin.
Read more...
Contribution of Specialist Breast Cancer Care Nurses
Is Hard to Gauge
Research shows they do help navigate life and
social adjustments
By Taunya English, Associate Editor
Health Behavior News Service
Feb. 25, 2008 - In the United States and in other
high-income countries, women diagnosed with breast cancer are commonly
matched with a specialist cancer nurse who provides care, support and
information. However, a new review of randomized controlled trials
reveals that research on the subject is slim and the ability to assess
the contribution of specialist nurses is, so far, elusive.
Read
more...
Obesity Linked to Large Stroke Increase Among
Middle-Aged Women
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Watch Video -
Link in Story |
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Still only about 2% have stroke buy increase
is almost four-fold
Feb. 21, 2008 - Middle-aged women’s waists aren’t
the only thing that increased in the last decade. So did their chance of
stroke. In a new study reported at the American Stroke Association’s
International Stroke Conference 2008. Rising obesity rates have been
linked to a four-fold increase in strokes among women aged 35 to 54.
Read more...
Canadians Claim Major Discovery in Fight Against Dry
Form of AMD
Age-related macular degeneration discovery is new
hope to fight leading cause of blindness in senior citizens
Feb. 20, 2008 – Canadian scientists are claiming a
major victory in the fight against age-related macular degeneration, or
AMD, the blinding eye disease that affects millions of people and is the
leading cause of blindness in senior citizens. The international team,
led by researchers at Sainte-Justine Hospital and the Université de
Montréal, says it has identified the deficient receptor that causes the
dry form of AMD.
Read more....
Cancer Death Rates Continue Decline but at Lower
Rate Causing Deaths to Jump
Half million cancer deaths have been avoided says
American Cancer Society report
Feb. 20, 2008 – There is good news and there is bad
news in the latest statistics on cancer in the United States. The bad
news - there was an increase of 5,424 deaths (559,312 in
2005 compared to 553,888 in 2004). The good news – The
cancer death rate continues to decline and has decreased by 18.4%
among men and by 10.5% among women since the decline in rates began in the early 1990s. This means 534,500 fewer
deaths, according to the
report by the American Cancer Society.
Read more...
Being Taken to Level 1 Trauma Center May Not Be As Desirable as It
Sounds
New
study finds the results being produced by these premier hospitals
inconsistent
Feb. 18, 2008 - A survey in 2005 found nine out of ten
Americans think it is really important to be taken to a trauma center in the
event of a life-threatening injury. But, most Americans probably do not
really know what a trauma center is, nor what they do. Even most disturbing,
a new study finds widely varying results are being produced in the country’s
few Level 1 Trauma Centers.
Read more...
Rapidly Emerging New Drug Resistant Infections Spurs
Call for More Healthcare Action
Infection control group say new organisms
resist strongest antibiotics
Feb. 13, 2008 – The alarm was sounded today on the
rapidly increasing new strains of antibiotic resistant infection that
are endangering Americans, particularly those in healthcare
institutions. Kathy Warye, CEO of the Association for Professionals in
Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), says “the very nature of
these organisms is changing -- producing infections that are
increasingly resistant to our strongest antibiotics.”
Read more...
Women Face Unique Challenges from High Blood
Pressure Says Themed Issue of Hypertension
Failure of men and women with high blood pressure
to follow diet guidelines highlighted by Archives of Internal Medicine
Feb. 11, 2008 - Women face unique risks for
developing hypertension and special challenges in keeping it under control, which is the feature of a special themed
edition of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. It
features more than 45 studies and editorials related to women and
hypertension as part of the recognition of the fifth anniversary of the
American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement,
which raises awareness of heart disease risks for women. But, also
today, the Archives of Internal Medicine is reporting that few men or
women with hypertension eat diets that align with government guidelines
for controlling the disease.
Read more...
Surprising Number of Deaths Cause NIH Institute to
Shut Down Diabetes Trial
For safety, NHLBI changes intensive blood sugar
treatment strategy in trial of diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Feb. 6, 2008 - The National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health has stopped one
treatment within a large, ongoing North American clinical trial of
diabetes and cardiovascular disease 18 months early due to safety
concerns after review of available data, although the study will
continue. Read
more...
Prostate Cancer Vaccine Successfully Prevents Cancer
in 90 Percent of Lab Mice
Might work for men with rising levels of PSA, says
USC researcher
Feb.
1, 2008 – A universal worry for older men is the threat of prostate
cancer but there is very encouraging news from researchers at the
University of Southern California that are working on a vaccine to
prevent it. In a recent test it prevented the development of cancer in
90 percent of young mice genetically predestined to develop the disease.
Read
more...
Urine Test Leads to More Accurate Diagnoses of
Prostate Cancer
Far more accurate than the PSA blood test currently
in use worldwide
Feb. 1, 2008 – A simple urine test that screens for
the presence of four different RNA molecules accurately identified 80
percent of patients in a study who were later found to have prostate
cancer, and was 61 percent effective in ruling out disease in other
study participants, according to researchers at the University of
Michigan. This test is more accurate than other available screening
methods, they say.
Read more...
Senior Citizens Experience Jump in Diabetes Cases as
Complications Grow
Prevalence increased by 62%,
death rate decreased by 8.3%
Jan. 30, 2008 - The annual number of Americans
older than 65 newly diagnosed with diabetes increased by 23 percent
between the 1994 to 1995 period and 2003 to 2004, according to a report
in the January 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the
JAMA/Archives journals.
Read more...
Senior Citizens Stunned by Doubts About Statin's
Ability to Fight Heart Disease
Major publications raising questions about America’s
most prescribed drugs
Jan.
29, 2008 - Statins, the pills millions of senior citizen depend on to
protect them from heart attacks, is now under attack by some who are
questioning this cholesterol-lowering miracle drugs ability to prevent
heart disease. Two major newspapers have reports today, according to
KaiserNetwork.org, and CBS with BusinessWeek raised questions in a
report on January 17.
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Human Stem Cells Implanted to Grow New Blood Vessels
in Dying Legs
First human trial is for patients at end of
therapeutic road
Jan. 23, 2008 – Two patients facing possible leg
amputation have become the first to be treated by transplanting a
purified form of the subjects’ own adult stem cells into the leg muscles
with severely blocked arteries in hopes new small blood vessels will
grow and restore circulation in the legs. This was the launch by
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine of the first U.S.
trial of the technique that has worked in laboratory animals.
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Caffeine Appears to Lower Ovarian Cancer Risk;
Smoking, Alcohol No Effect
Caffeine may lower risk, particularly in women not
using hormones
Jan. 23, 2008 - A very large new study has found
that cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption do not have an effect on
ovarian cancer risk, while caffeine intake may lower the risk,
particularly in women not using hormones. The study is published in the
March 1, 2008 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American
Cancer Society.
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Cancerous Melanomas Are
‘Ugly Ducklings’ of Skin Moles, Study Finds
This cancer that is an
increasing problem for older men has always been noted for its unusual
appearance
Jan.
21, 2008 – It is not exactly news but it is a good reminder. A study in
the January issue of the Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives
journals, says melanomas – the skin cancer that likes to hit older men –
are the “ugly ducklings” of skin moles.
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