Working past age 65 could lead to longer life, while retiring early may be a risk factor for dying earlier, according to an Oregon State University study. Researchers found that healthy adults who retired one year past age 65 had an 11 percent lower risk of death from all causes, even when taking into account demographics, lifestyle and health issues. [...]
Physical fitness and mental fitness are good ways to begin to improve your memory. Exercise, first of all, is good for the lungs. People who have good lung function send more oxygen through blood vessels into their brain. It also helps reduce the risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, and strokes. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School offer the following [...]
Every day 46 Americans die from using prescription painkillers. The number hospitalized for pain overdoses has increased fivefold in recent years for the 45 to 85 population, soaring sevenfold for those 55-64. These statistics do not reveal the true toll this epidemic is taking on older Americans because when an older person with multiple medical problems dies, death is often [...]
Many people can reduce cholesterol levels simply by changing what they eat, like eating less meat (and leaner cuts) and more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains which can lower total cholesterol by 25 percent or more. Harvard Medical School offers four steps for using your diet to lower cholesterol. 1. Stick with unsaturated fats and avoid saturated and trans fats. [...]
Regular aerobic exercise can reduce anxiety by making the brain’s “fight or flight” system less reactive. Regular exercise also may boost mood by increasing a brain protein called BDNF that helps nerve fibers grow. Regular exercise, such as cycling or gym-based aerobic, resistance, flexibility, and balance exercises, can also reduce depression and be as effective as medication and psychotherapies. For [...]
New research shows the following five spices are good for the brain. Cinnamon – A recent study indicates if you want to react faster, chew cinnamon gum to speed the rate at which your brain processes visual cues. Cinnamon regulates blood-sugar levels which help you stay focused. (Suggestion: Sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon on your oatmeal.) Garlic – Garlic has [...]
Myth 1: Most people don’t need to worry about osteoporosis. One in two women and one in four men over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. The disease causes some two million broken bones every year. Myth 2: Osteoporosis is only a problem for older Caucasian women. Men and women of all races can have [...]
Popping a pill is the easiest way to lower blood pressure. It takes just a few seconds, and you are finished; however, fully relaxing your body and mind for a few minutes a day could lower your systolic blood pressure reading by 10 points or more—at no cost, and with no side effects. Researchers at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital compared [...]
Mnemonics, which comes from Mnemosyne, the Greek goddess of memory, are techniques for remembering information. One mnemonic device is thinking of a word that rhymes with a person’s name. Other techniques are Associations (learning something new and immediately relating it to something already known); Chunking (regrouping information); and the SQ3R method (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review). Research suggests ten other [...]
Seniors today are aging differently. Death from heart disease and many cancers have dipped significantly while life expectancy has inched upward and disability has declined. Why then is the United States slipping downward in longevity rankings compared to many other countries? Infectious disease and acute illnesses, once the leading cause of death, have given way to chronic ailments and degenerative [...]
