March 14th, 2010 by Joseph Scherger, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Research
Tags: Abdominal Fat, Belly Fat, Central Obesity, Dementia, Family Medicine, Geriatrics, Neurology
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One of the great fears we all have is to lose our mental ability as we grow old. No one wants to end their life with dementia (such as Alzheimer’s Disease). We all should be highly motivated to do things to avoid this tragic outcome. We already know that regular exercise is good for the mind and may reduce the risk of dementia. Recent evidence shows that the use of statin medications to lower cholesterol may help reduce dementia risk. Now we have evidence that the roll of fat around your waist may be a marker for increased dementia risk.
The University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter (February, 2010) reports on a study published in the journal Neurology that followed 1500 Swedish women for 30 years. Those with more fat around the waist were twice as likely to have dementia by age 70 compared with thinner women. A 2008 study from Kaiser Permanente that included men and women showed similar results. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at eDocAmerica*
March 14th, 2010 by Toni Brayer, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
Tags: Comfort Food, Diet, Food and Nutrition, Healthy, Psychiatry, Psychology, Weight Loss
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Comfort food is usually home made and carries some emotional significance with it. During times of stress or illness people often turn to “comfort foods” to feel better. Most everyone has a favorite comfort food and comfort foods are not necessarily one’s favorite food. Ask yourself…what is my favorite food? Then ask “At the end of a long day, when I’m tired and stressed or sick in bed, what food would I like a loved one (mom) to fix for me?
Comfort foods are often fattening or unhealthy…macaroni and cheese, chocolate cake, fried chicken, chocolate pudding. Foods that are high in carbohydrates and sugar are often connected to childhood and make you feel homey and good. And different cultures have different comfort foods. Rarely is yogurt or a handful of almonds a comfort food in any culture. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*
March 14th, 2010 by Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
Tags: Marie Osmond, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Son, Suicidal Ideation, Suicide, teens
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The coverage about Michael Blasil’s suicide raises important issues about how to really help depressed teens…and where to look for resources in our own communities.
In many ways, the coverage about the death of Marie Osmond’s son was excellent. The experts on all the news shows were spot on in discussing teen depression and suicide and all the news stations have posted important information for families on their sites. However, what was missing was the reality of how challenging it is to get care. All the experts I heard this morning made comments such as “if your child is depressed for 2 weeks or more, you need to get that child into treatment because treatment does work in over 90% of the time.” Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Gwenn Is In*
March 12th, 2010 by Medgadget in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News
Tags: breath test, Diagnosis, Infectious Disease, mycobacteria, tb, Technology, tuberculosis
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Menssana Research, Inc is touting results from a trial testing its Breathscanner for diagnosing patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Menssana has developed technology that may bring breath testing for a variety of conditions, including the already FDA approved breath test for heart transplant rejection.
Some details about the technology from Menssana:
The Mycobacteria that cause pulmonary TB generate a very distinctive pattern of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when grown in the laboratory. If these VOCs could also be detected in the breath of infected patients, it might provide a new method for detecting active infection with pulmonary TB. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
March 12th, 2010 by Dr. Val Jones in Health Tips
Tags: Allergen, Allergies, Allergy And Immunology, Animals, Cats, Dogs, Outdoors, Pollen, Springtime, Tips
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Allergists from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) have some tips for reducing allergy symptoms this spring. I thought they were excellent and worth sharing… Enjoy!
Do:
1. Wear glasses or sunglasses when outdoors. Covering your eyes keeps pollen and other irritants away from this sensitive area, which reduces itchiness and redness.
2. Shower and wash your hair before bed. Cleaning up before getting into bed helps remove pollen from your hair and skin, which reduces irritation. You should also consider keeping pets out of the bedroom if they’ve been outside, as pollen can cling to their fur. Read more »
