According to the latest report in The Journal of the American Medical Association by Becca Levy, an associate professor of epidemiology and psychology at Yale University who has been researching the effects of negative and positive stereotyping in older adults, suggests that seniors with this positive bias are 44% more likely to completely recover from a struggle with disability. Study showed that when seniors are introduced to negative stereotyping they are more likely to suffer memory loss, have poor physical functioning and possibly die earlier as opposed to seniors who are introduced to positive stereotyping. More here
Research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society states high blood pressure can effect your walking speed. Researchers were aware that older adults with high blood pressure were not as likely to function as well as adults without high blood pressure. Studies also have shown that adults with the condition run higher risks of becoming physically impaired as they age. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Washington in Seattle conducted a study that may give proof that high blood pressure can actually slow walking speed over the course of time. More here
Symptoms of cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks can be brought upon when blockage occurs in the arteries. Every year approximately 610,000 American endure their first heart attack, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A study from the University of Missouri discovered a defense to fight arterial blockage. Bilirubin, a drug usually used to treat newborns that have been diagnosed with jaundice may now bring hope for many people who suffer from cardiovascular disease. More here
Americans are now spending more money on medication used to treat conditions that were formerly considered part of the normal aging process than they are on drugs to fight chronic diseases. The research, presented at the American Public Health Association’s 140th Meeting, found that anti-aging medications cost an average of $73.30 per individual user last year, 16 percent higher than the amount spent on both high blood pressure and heart disease medication. And the cost of anti-aging drugs has increased along with their popularity. Since 2006, the price of aging medications, such as those used to treat sexual dysfunction and mental alertness, has risen 46 percent. More here.
A recent study from the American Heart Association has discovered a possible link between blood type and the risk of developing heart disease. The study, which tracked 89,500 adults for 20 years or more, found people with blood type A, B, or AB had a higher risk for coronary heart disease compared to people with blood type O. Blood type AB, which is only found in 7.0 percent of Americans, had the highest risk at 23 percent. Type B was associated with an 11 percent increased risk and participants with type A blood had an elevated risk of 5.0 percent. Type O blood, which is found in about 43 percent of Americans, had the lowest risk. Lu Qi, M.D., Ph.D., the study’s senior author and an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, said it’s good to know your blood type the way you know your cholesterol or blood pressure numbers. More here and here.
A recent study published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society found many agencies that hire caregivers to assist elderly clients don’t run background checks or drug tests on the aides they place in seniors’ homes. Because most of these caregivers are not allowed to administer medicine and are typically tasked with daily activities such as dressing and housekeeping, they don’t require medical training. However, the study found just 56 percent of agencies run federal background checks and just one third drug tested their employees. Also, there was very little training and, in some cases, none at all. The research highlights the need for seniors to use caution when hiring a caregiver and to be sure to ask caregiver agencies about available insurance, their screening process, capabilities, and hiring requirements before making a decision. More here.
A study of 713 women in their 70s found that those who ate the most fruits and vegetables and got the most exercise were eight times less likely to die over the next five years than participants who ate fewer fruits and vegetables and exercised less. Among participants, those who exercised the most were 74 percent less likely to die over the next five years and those who ate the most fruits and vegetables were 46 percent less likely to die. Combining a diet high in fruits and vegetables with exercise resulted in the greatest likelihood of increasing longevity. And though the study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, doesn’t prove that eating more produce and exercising after the age of 70 will lengthen your lifespan, it does add to numerous studies showing that combining a healthy diet with regular exercise leads to better health at any age. More here.
How much stress you feel and how you react under stressful situations affects your heart, whether it has a direct physical effect or leads to behaviors proven to increase risk such as smoking or overeating. Learning to effectively manage stress is an important part of maintaining a healthy heart and avoiding numerous health problems associated with stress, such as high blood pressure, asthma, and ulcers. Experts recommend managing stress with relaxation and natural techniques rather than medication and tranquilizing drugs. Exercising, maintaining a positive attitude, not smoking, cutting back on coffee, and maintaining a healthy weight and diet are among the top recommendations from the American Heart Association on how to manage stress and reduce risk of cardiovascular trouble. More here.
According to research from the University of Michigan and Johns Hopkins University, women in their seventies who exercise and eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables have a longer life expectancy than women who are less active and eat fewer fruits and vegetables. The study, published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society, looked at 713 women between the ages of 70 and 79 and discovered that those who were the most physically active and ate the most fruits and vegetables were eight times more likely to survive a five-year follow-up period than women with the lowest levels of exercise and fruit and vegetable consumption. The study found that 53 percent of participants did no exercise at all. Women in the most active group, however, had a 71 percent lower five-year death rate than women in the least active group. More here.
The list of health benefits associated with eating chocolate continues to increase, though experts warn that some of the research requires further testing. Researchers gathered at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society to discuss the evidence behind previous claims and the latest cocoa research. Among the benefits considered to be provable, chocolate is known to have a positive effect on blood pressure and cholesterol. Eric Ding, Ph.D., said chocolate has been found to, on average, lower systolic blood pressure by two points. In addition, there is evidence that chocolate increases HDL, or what is considered good cholesterol. But cocoa is also being studied for positive effects on colon cancer, migraines, congestive heart failure, and type 2 diabetes, though the evidence remains debatable. More here.
