If you're an able-bodied senior citizen and can't remember the last time you exercised, Dr. Jon LaPook says it may be time to jog your memory
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/exercise-and-aging-good-for-mind-and-body/
Friday, March 25, 2016
Unusually late flu season not over yet
Flu season usually peaks in winter, but this year it's still going strong in spring
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/unusually-late-flu-season-not-over-yet/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/unusually-late-flu-season-not-over-yet/
Flu season in March? Doctors warn it's not over yet
An unusually late flu season has health officials warning that we still need to take precautions
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-warns-flu-season-not-over-yet/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-warns-flu-season-not-over-yet/
Couples Exposed to Zika Should Wait on Pregnancy
Couples who are trying to have a baby should wait a few months to get pregnant if either partner has been exposed to the Zika virus through travel, the CDC said today. WebMD has the details.
From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20160325/couples-zika-pregnancy?src=RSS_PUBLIC
How is Pelvic Congestion Treated with a Procedure?
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic2aOmmnrIQ
What are Procedures for Varicose Veins?
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9YFwyCcYBc
Dr. Melissa Neisen – Interventional Radiologist, Mayo Clinic
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg-seaD8j78
Episiotomies: What Your Mom Never Told You
Will you need an episiotomy, and how long will it take to recover? WebMD explains what your mom didn’t tell you about episiotomies.
From: http://www.webmd.com/baby/features/episiotomy-facts?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Why It’s Hard to Diagnose Crohn’s: Mimic Diseases and Tests
Crohn’s disease is a tough condition to pin down. You may get a wrong diagnosis first. WebMD explains why it can take a long time.
From: http://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/crohns-disease/features/crohns-difficult-diagnosis?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Sexually transmitted Zika: New advice for staying safe
How long can the Zika virus linger and spread? The CDC offers updated guidance
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sexually-transmitted-zika-virus-new-advice-for-staying-safe/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sexually-transmitted-zika-virus-new-advice-for-staying-safe/
Tribeca Film Festival under fire for anti-vax documentary
"This is very personal to me and my family," festival co-founder Robert De Niro says about controversial film
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tribeca-film-festival-under-fire-for-screening-anti-vax-documentary/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tribeca-film-festival-under-fire-for-screening-anti-vax-documentary/
Drug Combo Shuts Down Stem Cells, Tumor Growth in Lung Cancer
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1LJHSn8zug
Nearly All U.S. Doctors 'Overprescribe' Addictive Narcotic Painkillers: Survey
While 99 percent exceed the recommended 3-day dosage limit, a quarter write prescriptions for a full month
From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20160325/nearly-all-us-doctors-overprescribe-addictive-narcotic-painkillers-survey?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Surgeons' Experience Matters With Thyroid Removal
Track record best for doctors who perform 25-plus thyroidectomies a year, researchers say
From: http://www.webmd.com/women/news/20160325/surgeons-experience-matters-with-thyroid-removal?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Brain Stimulation May Help People With Anorexia
Depression treatment cut urge to restrict food, study says
From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/anorexia-nervosa/news/20160325/brain-stimulation-may-help-people-with-anorexia?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Caffeine Intake -- Even Dad's -- Linked to Miscarriage, Study Says
Behaviors prior to conception influence pregnancy loss
From: http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20160325/caffeine-intake----even-dads----linked-to-miscarriage-study-says?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Male Birth Control: More Options Soon?
Despite many attempts over the years at developing a contraceptive for men, condoms -- or permanent vasectomy -- remain the only choices. But that may be changing, as researchers are studying a number of options for male birth control. WebMD explains.
From: http://www.webmd.com/men/news/20160325/male-birth-control?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Pilocarpine could help patients with xerostomia, JADA research says
Pilocarpine offers statistically significant clinical benefits for the symptomatic relief of radiation-induced xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer, according to research published in the April issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association.
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/march/pilocarpine-could-help-patients-with-xerostomia-jada-research-says
From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/march/pilocarpine-could-help-patients-with-xerostomia-jada-research-says
This vitamin could help protect against cataracts
Researchers say it matters which way you get your vitamins
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/vitamin-c-may-help-protect-against-cataracts/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/vitamin-c-may-help-protect-against-cataracts/
Highly contagious dog flu flares up again
Spring outbreak sickens at least 150 dogs in the Chicago area
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dog-flu-flares-up-chicago/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dog-flu-flares-up-chicago/
Dr. Sheila Jowsey comments on symptoms of too much media
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23H7Vpwj2xc
Dr. Sheila Jowsey comments on binge-watching negative news
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGSQ9OnHHXs
Mayo Clinic Minute: A Dietitian's Advice on Eggs
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUluyemdttM
Mammograms May Also Help Spot Heart Disease, Study Suggests
The breast screening test compared well to heart CT scans, researchers say
From: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20160324/mammograms-may-also-help-spot-heart-disease-study-suggests?src=RSS_PUBLIC
A twist on the genetic link between Alzheimer’s and heart disease
Alzheimer’s disease often strikes fear in people’s hearts because it gradually erodes a person’s ability to remember, think, and learn. There is no cure, and available treatments alleviate symptoms only temporarily. An estimated 5.3 million Americans currently have Alzheimer’s disease, yet this brain disorder is far less common than heart disease. More than 85 million people in the United States are living with some form of cardiovascular disease or the after-effects of stroke, which also affects brain function.
Many people don’t realize that Alzheimer’s and heart disease share a genetic link: the apolipoprotein E gene, also known as ApoE. Genetic testing for ApoE — which is done mainly in research settings and isn’t yet widely available — cannot predict whether a person will develop Alzheimer’s disease, only whether they may be more likely than others to do so. The results of ApoE testing can be distressing for people who discover they carry a potentially a worrisome variant of the gene, but a recent Harvard study revealed a surprising silver lining.
Understanding the ApoE gene
The ApoE gene provides instructions for making a protein that transports cholesterol in the bloodstream. It comes in three different forms: e2, e3, and e4. Everyone inherits two variants, one from each parent. More than half of people in the general population have two copies of the most common variant, e3, which doesn’t appear to affect the risk of either heart disease or Alzheimer’s disease. The potentially problematic variant is e4. Having at least one copy of the e4 variant increases blood levels of both harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides by about 10 points. This translates to a slightly higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
“It’s a well-proven association. But the effect of the e4 variant on Alzheimer’s disease risk is stronger,” notes Dr. Kurt Christensen, instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Exactly how the e4 variant is related to Alzheimer’s disease remains a mystery. But the variant seems to hamper the clearance of amyloid plaque, the clumps of protein found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. Amyloid plaque is thought to destroy brain cells, causing the disease’s devastating symptoms, says Dr. Christensen.
People who inherit one copy of e4 face a two-fold higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s than those without the e4 form. Those who inherit two copies of the e4 form have up to a four-fold higher risk. But it’s important to understand that these people won’t necessarily develop Alzheimer’s disease, and that people without the e4 variant can still get the disease. In fact, up to 60% of people with Alzheimer’s disease don’t have an e4 variant.
What the new study found
Dr. Christensen and colleagues recently published a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine that included 257 people who were interested in knowing their genetic risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Nearly 70% had a parent or sibling with the disease. All received information about their genetic risk of Alzheimer’s. But half were randomly assigned to get additional information about ApoE’s connection to heart disease, along with suggested strategies to lower their risk, including quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, losing weight, treating high cholesterol, and exercising (with a doctor’s permission).
Among the people who had a higher risk based on their ApoE status, learning about the additional risk to their hearts actually reduced their distress, says Dr. Christensen. And over the following year, something even more unexpected happened: They made a number of healthy behavior changes, such as improving their diets, reducing their stress levels, and being more physically active. And while these habits haven’t been proven to help stave off Alzheimer’s disease, doctors generally agree that what’s good for the heart is good for the brain.
The findings offer reassurance that disclosing genetic information about possible health risks can be helpful — particularly when the knowledge comes with action-oriented suggestions about ways to lessen the impact of that risk.
Related Post:
The post A twist on the genetic link between Alzheimer’s and heart disease appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
From: Julie Corliss http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/a-twist-on-the-genetic-link-between-alzheimers-and-heart-disease-201603259383
Heart Attacks Striking Younger, Fatter Americans: Study
Doctors, patients need to work together to prevent cardiac disease, experts say
From: http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20160324/heart-attacks-striking-younger-fatter-americans-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Alzheimer's: Consider options for long-term care
From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/caregivers/in-depth/alzheimers/art-20047171
Boot camp workout: Is it right for you?
From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/boot-camp-workout/art-20046363
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)