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Guidelines Allow Earlier Definition of Alzheimer’s

April 20, 2011 by ·

For the first time in 27 years, the definition of Alzheimer’s disease is being recast in new medical guidelines that reflect fast-mounting evidence that it begins ravaging the brain years before the symptoms of dementia.

The guidelines, to be issued Tuesday by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association, divide the disease into three stages: a phase when dementia has developed, a middle phase in which mild problems emerge but daily functions can still be performed, and the most recently discovered phase, in which no symptoms are evident but changes are brewing in the brain.

“We’re redefining Alzheimer’s disease and looking at this in a different way than had ever been done,” said Creighton Phelps, director of the National Institute on Aging’s Alzheimer’s Disease Centers Program. “I think we’re going to start to identify it earlier and earlier.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Disease, Health Care, Research & Study ·

All Those Tweets, Apps, Updates May Drain Brain

April 17, 2011 by ·

Human minds evolved to constantly scan for novelty, lest we miss any sign of food, danger or, on a good day, mating opportunities.

But the modern world bombards us with stimuli, a nonstop stream of e-mails, chats, texts, tweets, status updates and video links to piano playing cats.

There’s growing concern among scientists that indulging in these ceaseless disruptions isn’t good for our brains, in much the way that excessive sugar or fat – other things we evolved to crave when they were in shorter supply – isn’t good for our bodies.

And some believe it’s time to consider a technology diet.

A team at UCSF published a study last week that found further evidence that multitasking impedes short-term memory, especially among older adults. Researchers there previously found that distractions of the sort that smart phones and social networks present can hinder long-term memory and mental performance. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health Care, Research & Study, Technologies ·

Caring For An Elderly Loved One Can Exact Toll

April 3, 2011 by ·

It’s a duty that many of us will eventually assume – that of caregiver of an elderly loved one.

Apart from the emotional demands, there’s also a financial cost caregivers must contend with – and should prepare for.

“You need to throw out the anchor before the storm hits, because once the storm hits, it’s too late,” said Brian Fant, a Dallas elder-law attorney. “What usually happens is people wait until they absolutely are forced into being a caregiver before they even consider what preparation would be helpful.”

There are 65.7 million caregivers, making up 29 percent of the U.S. adult population, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving. The numbers are expected to grow because of longer life expectancies.

Caregivers, on average, spend more than $5,500 per year in out-of-pocket expenses, said Sandra Timmerman, director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute. Long-distance caregivers shell out more than $8,700 per year for incidentals such as transportation, food and supplies, she said. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health Care, Humanities ·

Obesity Kills More People Than AIDS

March 20, 2011 by ·

Obesity kills more people than AIDS and is emerging as a serious threat, health experts said.

Shashank Joshi, president of the governing council of the All India Association of Advanced Research in Obesity (AIAARO), said obesity was not a new problem in India.

Speaking on Obesity in 2011, on the first day of the two-day national conference, the expert said that obesity was described in the ancient Indian texts such as the ‘Charak Samhita’. The health condition was emerging as a serious threat with 24 million people in India being obese.

”The Indian population is at a special risk because of the tendency to develop central obesity. The ‘thin fat Asian Indian phenotype’ is now well established,” said Joshi adding that Indians had a higher proportion of fat in their body composition and more so in the abdominal area.

”Obesity kills more people than AIDS and often underlines problems such as diabetes and heart diseases. It is also associated with accelerated ageing,” he added. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Disease, Health Care, Lifestyle ·

Cell Phone Bad For Pregnant Mums

March 3, 2011 by ·

A new study has suggested that pregnant mothers who use mobile phones regularly are likely to give birth to kids with behavioural problems, especially if those children start using mobile phones early themselves.

The study enrolled nearly 100,000 pregnant women between 1996 and 2002, with the intention of tracking their kids’ long-term health.

The mothers supplied detailed information on their lifestyle, dietary and environmental factors during and after pregnancy.

When their children reached the age of 7, the mums were quizzed again about their and their kids’ health, including behaviour, which were scored using validated assessments. They were also asked to provide details of their mobile phone use during pregnancy and their kids’ mobile phone use. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gadgets, Health Care, Research & Study ·

Folate Intake In Pregnancy Is Good — But It May Not Prevent Preterm Birth

February 10, 2011 by ·

Folate is a valuable nutrient, especially for pregnant women. Studies show adequate intake of folate — or folic acid — just before pregnancy and during pregnancy can significantly reduce the risk of spinal cord defects. However, a new study shows one thing folate apparently can’t do: lower the risk of preterm birth.

Researchers have long wondered if the amount of folate in the diet would have an impact on preterm birth. One previous study suggested that it might help. Preterm birth is a big problem in the United States, with about 12% of babies born too early.

In the new study, scientists examined data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, which includes 72,989 children. The data include questionnaires from women about their folate intake during pregnancy. The study did not show any difference in dietary folate intake or folate supplementation and preterm birth.

Still, women should get about 400 micrograms of folate per day before pregnancy and about 600 mcg. per day during pregnancy, according to the March of Dimes. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health Care, Research & Study ·

Lymph Node Study Shakes Pillar of Breast Cancer Care

February 9, 2011 by ·

A new study finds that many women with early breast cancer do not need a painful procedure that has long been routine: removal of cancerous lymph nodes from the armpit.

The discovery turns standard medical practice on its head. Surgeons have been removing lymph nodes from under the arms of breast cancer patients for 100 years, believing it would prolong women’s lives by keeping the cancer from spreading or coming back.

Now, researchers report that for women who meet certain criteria — about 20 percent of patients, or 40,000 women a year in the United States — taking out cancerous nodes has no advantage. It does not change the treatment plan, improve survival or make the cancer less likely to recur. And it can cause complications like infection and lymphedema, a chronic swelling in the arm that ranges from mild to disabling. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Disease, Health Care, Humanities ·