Posts Tagged Aging
Go Ahead, Drink Your Milk!
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on May 25, 2011
Are you choking down huge, calcium horse pills? You may want to rethink your calcium strategy and osteoporosis prevention plan! New research conducted in Sweden shows that yes, calcium is critical to bone health, but too much may not be doing you any good. Taking in enough calcium over the long haul appears to be the best way to protect your bones. 
The study followed over 61,000 women born between 1914 and 1948. The researchers broke the women down into groups with those receiving less than 751 mg daily in one group, those receiving over 1,137 mg and the middle group who took in between 882 to 996 mg per day. The middle group was used as a reference group. Those in the lowest group based on amount of calcium ingested daily were more likely to suffer first fractures in general and hip fractures specfically. Those in the highest intake group didn’t show a marked difference overall, except for a slightly lower number of those with osteoporosis.
The researchers concluded that women shouldn’t toss out their calcium supplements yet, but should look to improve their calcium intake through foods first. For many of the risks of bone disease categories, getting over 750 mg didn’t improve women’s chances much. Looks like dairy, like carbs, are back on the “good for you” list as long as you eat or drink them in moderation. Get your vitamin levels tested so you know where you stand, but, a little of something is a good thing, but too much, again, is not good. Moderation is the key and unfortunately, it’s over a lifetime, not just later when you’re older and it’s too late. I just got up to check the amount of calcium in my daily vitamin supplement and, adding in the milk in my coffee and yogurt for breakfast, I’m still a little low. Maybe I’ll have a some ice cream for dessert instead of taking a calcium pill!
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How Long Will You Live?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests on May 19, 2011
If you could find out how long you have left to live, would you want to know? Science is getting us closer to an answer to this question but how would the information be used? If you only have 10 years left, would you blow all your cash and play? What if the test turns out to be wrong and then you’re out of money and still hanging in there? What if you only have 10 years left but you want to change that? Are you willing to change your lifestyle? 
Eat better, meditate, exercise? Maybe knowing the numbers would make a difference? A company in the UK is set to release a home test that will measure your telomeres, the caps that protect the end of your chromosomes. The theory is that if they are shorter than normal for a person of your age that translates to a shorter lifespan. Without telomeres or with short ones your chromosomes can’t reproduce so your body has a difficult time fighting off disease and you are more susceptible to systemic diseases like cancer.
There are many companies that already provide this testing in the United States, but the UK test will be the first version available for use at home. The test is intended to determine whether your biological age, measured by the length of your telomeres, is older or younger than your chronological age, which is the number of years you have lived. The British company, Life Length, who has developed the over-the-counter test, claims to have the most accurate test and therefore, the best for practical uses. The test won’t be able to give you the exact number of years or months a person is expected to live but researchers are expecting the tests to get more accurate over time. So, the bottom line is, do you really want to know? And what would you do with the information if you had it? What would insurance companies do with it? Raise the price on those of us “older” than our years? It’s interesting information, but I don’t think I’m ready to know yet and I sure don’t want my insurance company to know!
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Testosterone Replacement Therapy May Be OK With Prostate Cancer
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on April 26, 2011
Testosterone is the hormone that makes a man, a man. A long standing belief in the medical community is that men at a high risk or currently being treated for prostate cancer should not undergo testerone replacement therapy. The theory is that testosterone will encourage the growth of prostate tumors. While many men experience a gradual reduction in testosterone levels
as they age some may have extremely low levels of the hormone that create unpleasant symptoms, including erectile dysfuntion, low sex drive, mood problems, fatigue and sleep disturbances. Out of the overall number of men whose testosterone level is significantly below normal, one half to two thirds of them experience symptoms and the change is usually insidious. They don’t realize what is wrong or why they are suffering.
Going hand in hand with this male menopause, “andropause,” is an increase in prostate cancer as men age. Some good news has recently surfaced from a study conducted by Abraham Morgantaler and his colleagues and published in the Journal of Urology. The research showed that men with untreated prostate tumors did not show any progression of the disease after receiving testosterone treatment. It was a small study with only 13 men, but it certainly brings into question the long held strategy of denying testosterone treatment. It’s bad enough to have cancer, but suffering with low testosterone symptoms at the same time must be worse! Let’s hope that research continues. Men need to feel like men, even when they’re ill.
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Alzheimer’s Fears: Research Isn’t Helping
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on April 15, 2011
Alzheimer’s runs in my family. Not that anyone has been tested, but I’ve seen great aunts and uncles suffer from it. My grandmother died in her early 50s so her body didn’t have time to develop it. I do know that my father is terrified of the disease. He has told me that if he goes out on a boat and never comes back, that will be why.
There is a lot of research on Alzheimer’s and what
causes it, but so far they are learning better ways to identify it earlier so you’ll know if you might be at risk for getting it, but they haven’t figured out very much about how to treat it and stop it’s progression. Delay it a little, yes, but still at some point your mind is gone and your spouse or children or strangers have to take care of everything for you and you won’t even realize it. The newest study, conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and printed in the journal
Neurology, shows that there are physical signs of brain atrophy as many as ten years before symptoms ever develop.
I know that this could be a step, and maybe even THE step, that finds the cure for this debilitating disease. But knowing that I’m going to have it would be scary, maybe too scary. It would certainly send my father to the dock to outfit his boat for that last trip so he was ready when he felt it was time. Getting a genetic predisposition test and recognizing symptoms may allow you to be treated and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s, but I think I’ll wait until they have a cure to go along with the death sentence.
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Are You Going Red?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on February 3, 2011
Tomorrow, February 4th, is Go Red for Women or National Wear Red day. Will you be doing your part? 
Not just by wearing a red shirt, but knowing the risks of heart disease for women to protect yourself and the women in your life. The focus on overweight and obesity in the media lately is a major factor in heart disease, but many women aren’t aware of the other risk factors that could contribute to the disease and how high their risk really is. Heart disease has become the Number One killer of women in the United States, but most people still think of it as a man’s disease. It is critical to pay attention to factors that you can control, be aware of the ones you can’t that put you at greater risk and get the right tests to monitor your health.
There are quite a few factors that women can control or change to reduce their risk:
- Cholesterol
- Blood Pressure
- Smoking
- Physical Activity
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Stress
- Birth Control
- Alcohol and Illegal Drugs
Your health is in your hands. No, you can’t control everything, such as your genetics and family history, but the actions you take now can make a real difference in your longevity and your quality of life. So, yes, wear a red shirt and help others become more aware of their risks, but take a walk in your red shirt and eat a healthy lunch. Don’t take heart disease sitting down!
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An Anti-Aging Pill? Not Yet!
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on November 30, 2010
Do you think you know what you are supposed to do to live a long life? Stop smoking, eat less (a LOT less!), eat fruits and vegetables, exercise…but what if there was a drug you could take that would reverse the aging process and allow you to live longer? There isn’t yet, so don’t get too excited, but new research released this week is showing promise in reversing aging in mice. There are quite a few caveats, of course! The mice were genetically engineered to age quickly so that makes direct application to our natural causes of aging trickier. One major potential problem is that the drug could cause cancer. It looks like this could be a balancing act for researchers to figure out how to provide a benefit, longer life, without the tremendous drawback of cancer.
The research is based on telomeres, the small protective caps that are found at the end of chromosomes. Over time, through cell division and oxidative stress (exposure to actual stress and toxins in the environment), our telomeres shorten causing chromosomes to fray and stop replicating. Shortened telomeres is believed to be a natural sign of aging and is linked to many health problems including Alzheimer’s and increased risk of certain types of cancers. The estrogen-based drug used in the study turned on the mice’s dormant telomerase gene which increased the telomere lengths in the animals and their telomerase levels.
Don’t wait for the miracle pill, it will be quite a while before this is ready for prime time. In the meantime, do all the boring stuff you know you should and take antioxidants supplements including vitamins C, E, B12 and A (beta-carotene) which have been shown to increase your telomerase levels. A test is available that can measure your telomere lengths and a micronutrient test could also provide valuable information about your body’s ability to utilize antioxidants. Time to get off your butt! Eat right, exercise, keep busy in retirement, if you do retire, and take care of what you’ve got. They may not figure this out in time to reverse your aging so take care of it yourself!
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Start Early to Prevent Dementia in Old Age
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, DNA / Paternity, Wellness on November 12, 2010
Many people are afraid of finding out that they may get Alzheimer’s disease or any other form of dementia, primarily because there is no treatment. Would you want to know that you won’t recognize your spouse or children and that you won’t be able to take care of yourself? Maybe not, if there was nothing you could do to stop it! Then every slip of the tongue or forgetful moment could cause a panic attack. Would you be able to look forward to your “golden” years? I don’t know if I would. Because most people don’t think about it until they already have full blown symptoms, there isn’t much that can be done. New research is being developed that could detect signs of dementia in patients in their 40s that could allow for preventive changes in diet and exercise that could delay or even prevent the disorder.
One test, a computer screening test, takes only 30 seconds and identifies white matter lesions in the temporal lobe that appear to be related to early signs of dementia. Another is a verbal screening test, dubbed the “Sweet 16″ for the 16 questions in the test that appears to be as effective or better than the current standard test the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) which identifies dementia symptoms in older patients allowing for quick and easy detection. There are also Genetic Predisposition Tests that can look at your overall genetic pattern and possible risk of Alzheimer’s and other diseases. Knowing that there are more ways being developed that can identify this dreaded disease and preventive measures you can take means maybe we won’t have to get in a boat and sail off in the sunset to avoid burdening our loved ones.
A Possible Alternative to the Colonoscopy!
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on October 29, 2010
I’m not 50 yet, but it’s closer every day and I’m dreading the official start of colonoscopies. I know, it’s not what everyone thinks about when nearing the half century mark, but I would really prefer not to go through it. Good News! There is research being done on a simple, non-invasive test that will encourage me to get checked, along with thousands of other fraidy cats. Not only does the test scare me, but the disease REALLY scares me! Only 60% of people over 50 ever get tested and doctors believe that this is due to the tremendous inconvenience involved in the testing procedure.
The new test involves collecting a stool sample and is still in the research phase, but looks very promising. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic reported at the American Association for Cancer Research special conference on Colorectal Cancer that “This DNA methylation test is likely to transform colorectal cancer screening procedures.” The test doesn’t require a special diet or “cleansing” routine and can even be done at home. There is a Cancer Screen and Tumor Marker blood test that could identify potential problems in the meantime and scientists are hoping to do additional human trials on the new test in 2011. I’m hoping for results and a working test before I turn 50! Get busy folks!
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Alzheimer’s Has a High Price Tag
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on October 12, 2010
There are many reasons to continue research into what causes Alzheimer’s and how to prevent it, not least of which is the high cost this cruel disease exacts in financial terms. Alzheimer’s Disease International, a non-profit organization based in the United Kingdom, presented in their 2010 World Alzheimer Report the financial burden placed on society by those suffering with the disease. The medical costs of care are higher in wealthier countries because more of the care is provided by healthcare professionals. In developing countries the cost is much lower, not due to lack of care, but because the care is provided at home by family members and not by professionals. The time expended is still very high and poses a burden to families.
The report indicated that the costs of dementia will rise significantly. Alzheimer’s Disease International recommends that cost effective medical and social strategies need to be developed to assist the families and the individuals affected throughout the course of the illness. Additionally, evidence-based prevention strategies need to be developed and implemented. Tests can provide information about individuals’ risks of contracting the disease but the financial burden isn’t lessened by early detection.
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Easing Your Path Through Menopause
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on September 24, 2010
Menopause can be a difficult time for some women but there are ways to ease into it. A combination of approaches could reduce hot flashes, bloating, and fatigue, all symptoms that women struggle with during this phase of life. A recent article in Health magazine lists several tips for staying healthy as you approach and enter menopause. To stay slim, reduce symptoms, and cut the health risks that can rise after menopause do the following:
- Eat two servings a fish a week: Fish oil has been linked to a decreased risk of breast cancer.
- Lose weight: If you are overweight, losing a few pounds can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and reduce hot flashes.
- Drink milk: Increase your calcium intake to 1200mg a day with dairy products or supplements to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
- Reduce salt and processed carbohydrates: Reducing the amount of these foods in your diet can help with the bloating many women experience.
- Put down that glass: Although red wine has been linked to cardiovascular health, it is also linked to breast cancer in postmenopausal women and may increase hot flashes.
- Eat soy: Eating soy food products may reduce hot flashes and is not linked to breast cancer.
- Try some iced herbal tea: Hot beverages and caffeine may contribute to hot flashes so try a cool, non-caffeinated drink.
- Find a diet that works: However you decide to incorporate these changes into your life, do it in a way that makes them easy.
Menopause can be the healthiest time of your life, if you head into it positively!
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CDC H1N1 Flu Updates:- Press Briefing Transcript: Dr. Thomas Frieden's Remarks at the 2010 Influenza Workshop for Journalists
- HHS News Release: WHO Declares End to 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic
- WHO Statement on H1N1 in post-pandemic period
- UPDATE: 2009 H1N1 Flu International Situation Update
- UPDATE: 2009 H1N1 Flu International Situation Update
- MMWR: Regional Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccination Campaign -- Skokie, Illinois, October 16--December 31, 2009
- UPDATE: 2009 H1N1 Flu International Situation Update