Alzheimer's disease is the sixth most common cause of death in the United States, an estimated 5 million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer's. As the cells of the brain slowly and progressively fail, those afflicted with Alzheimer's begin to experience problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's, several risk factors have been identified including age, family history, and genetics. Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do about any of that. But, researchers have identified several modifable risk factors that may help prevent the disease, such as heart health and healthy aging. A new study suggests that exercise improves cognition in adults that are at risk for Alzheimer's disease. According to the study, adults age 50 and older who are physically active are less likely to experience cognitive decline than inactive adults. It is not clear yet why exercise acts as a guard against memory loss, however it is speculated that it may be related to improved cerebral vascular function and the neurovascular integrity associated with exercise. The take home message is, if you're already exercising regularly, keep it up. If not, start exercising today and do what you can to maintain a sound mind and body, no matter what your age.
(Source: To Your Health, Nov. 2008)
Alzheimer's disease is the sixth most common cause of death in the United States, an estimated 5 million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer's. As the cells of the brain slowly and progressively fail, those afflicted with Alzheimer's begin to experience problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's, several risk factors have been identified including age, family history, and genetics. Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do about any of that. But, researchers have identified several modifable risk factors that may help prevent the disease, such as heart health and healthy aging. A new study suggests that exercise improves cognition in adults that are at risk for Alzheimer's disease. According to the study, adults age 50 and older who are physically active are less likely to experience cognitive decline than inactive adults. It is not clear yet why exercise acts as a guard against memory loss, however it is speculated that it may be related to improved cerebral vascular function and the neurovascular integrity associated with exercise. The take home message is, if you're already exercising regularly, keep it up. If not, start exercising today and do what you can to maintain a sound mind and body, no matter what your age.
(Source: To Your Health, Nov. 2008)
Do your thumbs hurt? If you're sending lots of text messages, you may have the trendiest new malady: "BlackBerry thumb". Most users of this popular wireless device type much faster by using their thumbs. Many people learn to type 40 words per minute. Lots of messages mean lots of repetitive thumb motions and that could mean trouble. The thumb is actually the least dexterous part of the hand and it is really designed as a stabilizer for pinch gripping with a finger, this is why you only have two of them, not eight.
Any repetitive motion can predispose someone to various injuries such as tendinitis, which in this case could be trigger thumb or de Quervain's tenosynovitis or it could even aggravate an underlying arthritis.
What's the treatment for BlackBerry thumb? Lay off the thumb typing. Minimizing the stress and strain on your thumbs by typing on your traditional keyboard and then syncing it over to your BlackBerry.
Scurvy or vitamin C deficiency, was once a prevalent disease most commonly associated with the British sailors who ate limes in order to prevent the debilitating disease that affects the bones and joints. While Scurvy is not as common now as it was back in the days of the old British Royal Navy, research now suggests that vitamin C deficiency can lead to a number of other health problems. A recent study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that reduced levels of vitamin C in the body can dramatically increase the risk for stroke. A group of researchers studied the health records of over 20,000 men and women to determine the effect of increased vitamin C intake on their risk for stroke. Over a four year period, there were a total of 448 strokes among all of the subjects. However, those with the highest vitamin C intake had an astonishing 42% lower risk of stroke than those with the lowest intake levels. In conclusion, the researchers stated " Plasma vitamin C concentrations may serve as biological markers of lifestyle or other factors associated with reduced stroke risk and may be useful in identifying those at high risk of stroke." While eating lime after lime like the British sailors may not sound appealing, go ahead and load up on the other citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits. After all, as the latest research suggests, it could save your life!
