Summer temperatures can pose a danger to older adults. Working or playing in the sun, spending time in an un-ventilated home, or sitting in a closed vehicle can result in uncomfortable and even dangerous temperatures. As we grow older, our bodies are less efficient at regulating temperature. Especially at risk are people with health problems such as cardiovascular disease,…
New research out of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and reported by CNN, points to falls as being more common among individuals with the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s. Researchers found that silent biological changes in the brain may take place a decade or more before the outward symptoms begin to manifest. An estimated 5.4 million Americans are currently living…
Bed Rest serves as a time honored treatment for both injury and illness, and is prescribed more often around flu season. A normal muscle, at complete rest, in absence of illness, loses up to 15% of its strength each week.1 During bed rest, the first muscles to become atrophied are the trunk and lower extremity muscles involved in gait and…
While arthritis is associated with a deteriorating physical condition, a new study suggests that it also can affect an arthritis patient’s psychological condition. Arthritis includes more than 100 different rheumatic diseases and conditions, the most common of which is osteoarthritis. Other forms of arthritis that occur often are rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, and gout. Symptoms include pain, aching, stiffness,…
As a certified physical therapist, my staff and I understand the importance of staying active as we age, so our health aides encourage our clients to increase their activity during the day. This becomes all the more important when you realize that adults 60 and over, spend an average of two-thirds of their waking time being sedentary — roughly nine hours…
A story by United Press International (UPI) discovered that traumatic spinal cord injuries are on the rise in the United States and the leading cause no longer is motor vehicle crashes, but falls, researchers say. The story appeared in the Journal of Neurotrauma. UPI’s source was Dr. Shalini Selvarajah, a post-doctoral surgical research fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School…
Quoting from a study by the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, HealthDay News reports that being physically fit can help prevent heart attacks and increase survival in people with stable coronary artery disease. This was true whether or not the patients underwent a procedure to open blocked heart arteries. Researchers analyzed data from more than…
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which has analysed data from the Hospital Cost and Utilization project , senior health conditions accounted for 9 out of the 10 most frequent, fastest growing conditions leading to hospitalization in 2011. While seniors may not account for most of the conditions listed, they are common among this age group. .According to AHRQ’s Statistical Brief…
