Gaps in US Healthcare Limit Options for Older Adults: There are 50 million family members providing care to older adults in the United States, according to the MetLife Foundation and national caregiving associations. When older adults are hospitalized and discharged, their families face numerous choices about where they will go and how they will receive care. A University of Missouri nursing expert says the complexity of this process will intensify with increasing demands for health care and workforce shortages. Science Daily
Walnuts are Top Nut for Heart Healthy Antioxidants: A new scientific study positions walnuts in the number one slot among a family of foods that lay claim to being among Mother Nature's most nearly perfect packaged foods: Tree and ground nuts. In a report given in Anaheim, California at the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society on March 27, scientists presented an analysis showing that walnuts have a combination of more healthful antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut… Years of research by scientists around the world link regular consumption of small amounts of nuts or peanut butter with decreased risk of heart disease, certain kinds of cancer, gallstones, Type 2 diabetes, and other health problems. Science Daily
Airport Full-Body Screening-What is the risk? In the past year, the Transportation Security Administration has deployed full-body scanners in airports across the United States in response to heightened security needs. Several groups have opposed the scans, citing privacy concerns and fear of the radiation emitted by the backscatter x-ray scanners, 1 of the 2 types of machines in use. The radiation doses emitted by the scans are extremely small; the scans deliver an amount of radiation equivalent to 3 to 9 minutes of the radiation received through normal daily living. Furthermore, since flying itself increases exposure to ionizing radiation, the scan will contribute less than 1% of the dose a flyer will receive from exposure to cosmic rays at elevated altitudes. The estimation of cancer risks associated with these scans is difficult, but using the only available models, the risk would be extremely small, even among frequent flyers. We conclude that there is no significant threat of radiation from the scans. Arch Intern Med. Published online March 28, 2011.
FDA Warns of Risks with Soladek Vitamin Solution: Federal health officials warned consumers Monday to avoid Soladek vitamin solution because it may contain dangerously high levels of vitamins. The Food and Drug Administration said it has received seven reports of serious health problems among people who used the product, including vomiting, diarrhea and kidney malfunction. The agency also said it has received information showing that samples of Soladek contain unsafe levels of vitamins A and D.
Special Report: When the drugs don’t work
Diet high in fish linked to stronger bones: Older adults who eat greater amounts of fish end up preserving their bone density better than people who don't eat as much fish, a new study finds.The study doesn't prove that such habits strengthen bones, but researchers believe that the combination of different oils in the fish protects bones from losing mass over time. "We think omega 3 fatty acids from fish help to prevent" bone loss. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 3/2/11
Many skip prescriptions because of cost: A significant portion of people – perhaps as many as one in five - don't take drugs a doctor has prescribed because they can't pay for them, according to a new survey of people visiting an emergency room. Academic Emergency Medicine
Praying for others helps anger fade: A series of studies found that after people were intentionally provoked into anger, asking them to pray for a person who needs extra help or support (a cancer patient, for example), helped calm them down. The researchers also suggested that the method seemed to be effective even in people who weren't particularly religious or regular churchgoers. Nor did religious affiliation make a difference in the ability of prayer to calm people, although nearly all participants identified themselves as Christian, according to the report published online March 18 in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
Will my house sale be taxed to pay for health-care reform? Contrary to a chain e-mail that has been circulating for a year, unless you make a big profit on the sale of your house, not to worry. Beginning in 2013, individuals with an adjusted gross income above $200,000 a year and married couples filing jointly with one over $250,000 must pay a 3.8 percent Medicare tax on unearned income, such as dividends, interest payments, royalties, and the capital gain on the sale of a home. But the tax code excludes from capital gains taxes the first $250,000 in profit from a home sale for single filers and $500,000 for married couples filing together, so your home would have to have appreciated substantially for this tax to affect you. (That exclusion does not apply to second homes.) Consumer Reports
Yellow and green veggies cut risk of heart disease, cancer. According to a study published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, people with higher blood levels of alpha-carotene had a significantly lower risk of death from all causes. Yellow-orange and dark-green vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, broccoli, green beans, green peas, spinach, turnip greens, collards, and leaf lettuce have higher levels of alpha-carotene than other types.
Simple Strategies can reduce BPA Levels: Families that switch to a diet high in fresh, organic foods and make other simple changes in the kitchen can reduce their levels of the potentially harmful chemical bisphenol A (BPA), suggests a small study out this week in Environmental Health Perspectives, published by the National Institutes of Health.
Most Americans Seem to Have Healthy Levels of Vitamin D: Nearly two-thirds of U.S. residents have sufficient levels of vitamin D levels, but about a fourth of the population is at risk for vitamin D inadequacy and 8 percent are at risk for vitamin D deficiency, a new federal government study indicates. An additional 1 percent of Americans have vitamin D levels high enough that could be harmful, according to the report, released Wednesday by researchers at the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Digital Divide in Patient use of Online Medical Records When it comes to taking advantage of Internet-based medical information in the form of physician-provided online "personal health records," some American patients are more plugged in than others, new research reveals. Differences in race, income and age all affect the likelihood that patients will log on to check out their own health history, the study shows, with patients who are white, older, and/or wealthier more likely to request access to their online medical history. Archives Internal Medicine 3/28/11
Too Much Choice Can be a Bad Thing: Thinking about choices makes people less sympathetic to others and less likely to support policies that help people, according to a study published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Yoga halves irregular-heartbeat episodes: Yoga, already proven to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, can cut in half the risk of a common and potentially dangerous irregular heartbeat, according to a U.S. study released on Saturday. The small study was the first to examine the benefits of yoga on atrial fibrillation -- a problem that is a leading cause of stroke and is most common in the elderly. In addition to halving the episodes of atrial fibrillation, the study found that yoga also reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression related to the condition. American College of Cardiology Meeting
Exercise Preserves, Builds Heart Muscle: Consistent lifelong exercise preserves heart muscle in the elderly to levels that match or even exceed that of healthy young sedentary people, a surprising finding that underscores the value of regular exercise training, according to a new study. American College of Cardiology Meeting
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