Lifelong Health from Creators Syndicate

Statins Are Miracle Drugs but Can Have Serious Side Effects for 07/09/2009

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

If ever a type of medication could be called miracle drugs, statins fit the bill. These cholesterol-lowering powerhouses lower total cholesterol and LDL levels, which, in at-risk patients, significantly reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. What's more, recent research has shown that if a patient presents with other risk factors for heart disease but has normal cholesterol levels, statin ...

Updated: Thu Jul 09, 2009

Managing Chronic Pain Is a Careful Balancing Act for 07/16/2009

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Yes, narcotics for chronic pain can lead to addiction. However, that typically occurs in those in whom the pain was not severe in the first place, in those with addictive or drug-seeking personalities, and, sadly, in patients who have enabling physicians.

For those physicians who treat the richest and most famous among us, it's often difficult to say no. That was certainly the case for A ...

Updated: Thu Jul 16, 2009

Acetaminophen Can Be Too Much of a Good Thing for 07/23/2009

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Acetaminophen, more commonly known by the brand name Tylenol, is the most frequently recommended pain medication by physicians. Without reservation, it is recognized as the safest over-the-counter analgesic. And for more severe pain, acetaminophen increases the strength of prescription pain pills — such as codeine, hydrocodone and morphine derivatives. Acetaminophen is remarkably safe, pr ...

Updated: Thu Jul 23, 2009

Scientists Continue Pursuit of Longevity Contributors for 07/30/2009

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Since the beginning of time, man has sought fruitlessly for the Fountain of Youth. Today legions of scientists of all persuasions believe that it is various concoctions of vitamins, minerals, hormones and other molecules that can retard the aging process. Almost all are bogus, and even approaches to make our skin look younger are purely cosmetic.

And yet an array of studies done in tissu ...

Updated: Thu Jul 30, 2009

Mammogram Beneficial but Adds New Set of Risks for 08/06/2009

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

In the past two decades, the risk of death from breast cancer has decreased quantifiably. Although 40,000 American women still die of breast cancer every year, deaths declined by 24 percent between 1990 and 2003. While the number of deaths has decreased, the number of diagnosed cases of breast cancer has increased — leading scientists to question the nature of different breast cancers and ...

Updated: Thu Aug 06, 2009

Swine Flu Threat Continues in U.S., Throughout World for 08/13/2009

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Though this once-terrifying virus has long since lost its media allure, the swine flu is still causing trouble throughout the country. With each passing day, more individuals are in a panic; do they have swine flu? While the swine flu is not often fatal, any stuffy nose, sore throat, fever, headache or gastrointestinal distress raises concerns.

The initial panic over swine flu was likely ...

Updated: Thu Aug 13, 2009

Doctor Takes a Fall, Says, 'Learn from my Stupidity' for 08/20/2009

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Here's a secret: Doctors can do stupid things. I recently did something very stupid — and very bad for my health.

For the past several years, I have taken medications to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of recurrent heart attack. Unfortunately, dizziness is a common side effect of these medications. If I am not careful, sudden changes in blood pressure can cause me to faint ...

Updated: Thu Aug 20, 2009

For Health Care Reform, Right Treatment is Needed for 08/27/2009

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

With each passing day, the goals of health care reform seem to become harder to understand. As someone who has spent my life delivering hands-on, in-the-trenches care to thousands of older adults, I am convinced of one thing: We must improve health care or face dire consequences.

For every American — regardless of age — the "Graying of America" is the single greates ...

Updated: Thu Aug 27, 2009

Good Physicians Discuss End Care Before the End for 09/03/2009

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Despite the talk of so-called "death panels" and "death to grandma," numerous experts in hospice and palliative care maintain that this has actually been a positive discussion about end-of-life decisions. Although many pundits have attacked the idea of reimbursing physicians for this sort of counseling, good primary care doctors would be remiss if they did not ensure that pa ...

Updated: Thu Sep 03, 2009

Passionate Volunteers Accrue Health Benefits for 09/10/2009

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

It is easy to see how maintaining an active social life is good for your health, but new studies reveal that staying connected through volunteering can actually reduce the effects of aging. By specifically improving self-esteem and self-confidence, volunteering can help reduce heart rates and blood pressure, increase endorphin production and enhance the immune system.

Volunteering has al ...

Updated: Thu Sep 10, 2009

Comparing Treatments is Important to Health for 09/17/2009

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Proposed health care reform will likely include increased funding for comparative effectiveness research, where one form of treatment is compared with another to determine which approach is best. Recently, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., attacked this element of the legislation, claiming that comparative effectiveness research is dangerous and a clear reason to oppose health care reform. He is concer ...

Updated: Thu Sep 17, 2009

Elder Abuse Includes Physical, Mental, Fiscal for 09/24/2009

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Recently, I saw a 78-year-old woman who was brought to the clinic with Alzheimer's disease. She had bruises on both of her arms and would not speak in the presence of her husband. Her husband claimed that she never listened to him and that moving her from one place to another often required force.

Though he refused to believe it, his action toward his wife was certainly considered elder ...

Updated: Thu Sep 24, 2009

Knowledge is Vaccine for Swine Flu Paranoia for 10/01/2009

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Swine flu, or H1N1, is spreading across the country, primarily affecting children and young adults who cluster together in schools and colleges. This is leading to a heightened fear and paranoia about the virus, fears that may only get worse as the vaccine becomes available and doctors must ration who receives it.

Remember, all the evidence suggests that swine flu is no more aggressive t ...

Updated: Thu Oct 01, 2009

Study: Bad Habits Early in Life Curtail Longevity for 10/08/2009

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

For many of my baby boomer friends and contemporaries, midlife brings an increased attention on health. Sandwiched between aging parents and grown-up children, most of us are acutely aware of the value of preventing disease and staving off chronic illness, which can often lead to major lifestyle changes such as finally quitting smoking, beginning an exercise routine or following a heart-healthy ...

Updated: Thu Oct 08, 2009

Broken Ankle Reveals Challenges of Disabled for 10/15/2009

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

For the last eight weeks, I have been given a tiny glimpse into the world of the disabled, with a broken ankle forcing me to bypass stairs, seek out ramps and navigate life without the physical ease so easily taken for granted. Frankly, it was an eye-opening experience.

Without the amazing work of Sen. John McCain and the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, who championed the Americans with Disabilit ...

Updated: Thu Oct 15, 2009

Top 10 Ways to Prevent Sickness from Medicine for 10/22/2009

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

An estimated 26 percent of all hospital admissions are due to complications from medical therapy. The problem is so widespread that we must all be engaged and involved in understanding the indications for a medication, intended benefits, possible side effects and how it should be taken. Here are 10 steps that may help:

1. Medications are beneficial in relieving symptoms and curing diseas ...

Updated: Thu Oct 22, 2009

Chronic Fatigue's Virus Link is a Big Step Forward for 10/29/2009

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

One of the most common complaints that doctors get behind clinic doors is also the daily refrain for millions of Americans: "I am so tired!"

While everyone can claim feeling tired or weary at some point during the week, for adults with chronic fatigue the exhaustion is so severe that it interferes with the ability to function normally and participate in any meaningful activity. ...

Updated: Thu Oct 29, 2009

End-Stage Alzheimer's Requires Good Decisions for 11/05/2009

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

It's common for patients in the final stages of Alzheimer's disease to be admitted to a nursing home. However, despite having advanced illness and being very dependent, the natural history of these patients remains unclear.

Until recently, there has been no clear consensus on the course of the illness, factors leading to death and quality of life after admittance to a long-term care faci ...

Updated: Thu Nov 05, 2009

Heart Attack Risk Rises in Middle-Aged Women for 11/12/2009

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

In recent years, American women have become increasingly aware that heart disease is not just a "man's issue."

Before menopause, a woman's risk of heart attack is lower than a man's. But post-menopause, the risk slowly increases and both sexes have similar statistics within a decade. And these days we now know that in the last two decades of life, a woman's risk of heart attack ...

Updated: Thu Nov 12, 2009

Exercise and Weight Loss: Best Antidotes to Diabetes for 11/19/2009

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Today, 24 million Americans — about 8 percent of the population — have diabetes. Another 57 million have elevated blood sugars and are at high risk of developing diabetes.

Most of these Americans have Type 2 diabetes, often referred to as "adult onset diabetes," which is associated with being significantly overweight. Fortunately, new research recently published in ...

Updated: Thu Nov 19, 2009