By Dr. J. Marvin McBride, MD Dr. McBride is a geriatrician with the Center for Aging and the Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the mid-1980s, when I entered practice, regular physical exams and screening tests were routinely recommended for most individuals. Young children were expected to see their doctor every few months for [...]
Hundreds of seniors participate in the Seniors Games. Randy Surratt spurts ahead in High Point Senior Games’ 1500M run. Jeannie Pegram concentrates on billiards. Christine Headen smiles.(She just made a strike.) Golden Girls – Dot Sowerby, left and Terry Hamilton, two of Greensboro’s golden girls, recently captured silver medals at the National Senior Games in Cleveland. Dot Sowerby, 80, finished [...]
With warm weather hopefully on the horizon, it’s more important than ever for everyone, and especially seniors, to be aware of the importance of hydration. Did you know that: • Dehydration has been associated with increased mortality rates among hospitalized older adults and can precipitate emergency hospitalization. • Dehydration is a frequent cause of hospitalization of older adults and one [...]
Your body needs less than half a teaspoon of table salt daily; however, most Americans consume up to four times that amount, increasing the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Most Americans consume more than twice the recommended daily amount of sugar, increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, and even depression. “Reducing Sugar and Salt,” a special [...]
The first clinical trial to examine the effects of weight loss on mobility in overweight, older adults is underway in Winston-Salem as a collaborative project between health researchers at Wake Forest University (WFU) and the YMCA of Northwest North Carolina. The five-year research study, titled the Cooperative Lifestyle Intervention Program (CLIP-II) and supported by the National Heart and Lung Institute [...]
Prince Deese Prince Deese, an All American Wrestler, a Hall of Fame Football Player, and a State Champion Body Builder, is a certified personal trainer and strength conditioning specialist. Prince Deese and Gina Deese own A.C.T. by Deese, a Fitness & Training Center in Greensboro, NC. Most seniors spend a lifetime promising themselves that one day SOON they’ll begin an [...]
By Zach Read – [email protected] Two years ago, the Carolina Geriatric Education Center at the UNC School of Medicine began training physical therapists to use the Otago Exercise Program. The reaction from physical therapists and patients has been overwhelmingly positive. For older adults, a fall can have serious consequences. It may lead to reduced mobility, early nursing home admission, higher [...]
PHYSICAL, MENTAL & EMOTIONAL WELLNESS Those of us who are already line dancers know the benefits. It isn’t simply getting some exercise. While many may start out with the intention of taking a session of classes for four to eight weeks, many more find themselves becoming addicted to line dancing because they love the music, the confidence that grows from [...]
Driving down LDL has been the main target for improving cholesterol levels. Powerful cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins can cut the risk of developing and dying from heart disease by 30 to 40 percent. But there’s more to the story of cholesterol and cardiovascular risk than LDL. Another key player is high-density lipoprotein (HDL), dubbed the “good” cholesterol. HDL removes LDL [...]
Watching the sugar in your diet can help you control your weight and potentially avoid serious chronic health problems, for example, heart disease and diabetes. The American Heart Association recommends keeping calories from added sugars under 100 calories a day (24 grams, or six teaspoons) for women and under 150 calories (36 grams, or nine teaspoons) for men. Cutting back [...]
