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 [...]
An important way to lower the risk of a stroke is by controlling your weight. Excess pounds, which strain the circulatory system, can lead to other health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obstructive sleep apnea. Losing as little as 5–10 percent of your starting weight can lower blood pressure and other stroke risk factors. Keeping the [...]
Davidson County Department of Senior Services, in partnership with Novant Health, has relaunched the Passport to Better Health program, introduced last year with noteworthy success. The program, in which more than 50 participated in 2015, offers senior 55 and older the opportunity to learn how physical activity, food choices, lifestyle habits and maintaining positive mental health influences several chronic diseases. [...]
By Dr. Aaron Williams, DC Dr. Aaron Williams, DC is a graduate of Life University and vice president of the North Carolina Chiropractic Association central district. Many people with neck pain, tingling down the arms, low back pain and pain going down the leg into the foot often receive the diagnosis of Degenerative Disc Disease, as common condition highly misunderstood. [...]
Getting enough good-quality sleep is essential to staying healthy and aging well. Certain sleep problems such as sleep apnea require medical treatment, but Harvard Medical School has provided 10 simple steps that can help you overcome general sleep difficulties, including insomnia. 1. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule and routine. A set sleep routine will “train” you to fall asleep [...]
Some foods are particularly good at helping to lower cholesterol. They deliver a good dose of soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Others provide polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. • Oats. An easy way to start lowering cholesterol is to choose [...]
It’s a fact that, on average, women live longer than men. More than half (57 percent) of women ages 65 and older are female. By age 85, 67 percent are women. The average lifespan is about five years longer for women than men in the United States and seven years longer worldwide. A glance around most assisted living facilities shows [...]
