A call a day may keep the doctor away
A new program provides older Fairfax County residents with daily phone calls from volunteers to address their social and emotional needs, provide medication reminders, help prevent neglect, and provide a connection with others.The program, called CareRing 2.0, is provided by volunteers through the nonprofit Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (PRS).PRS Program Director Laura Mayer said that ... READ MORE
Studying drugs for persistent depression
While many people find the fog of depression lifts after taking anti-depressant medications and/or talking with a therapist, some are unable to find relief, even after trying several different drugs. This is called treatment-resistant depression. Now, researchers at CBH Health in Rockville, Md., are studying two drugs that might work quickly to ease depression. One drug, called... READ MORE
Helping immigrants feel at home
When Vivien Hsueh arrived in Pennsylvania from Hong Kong with a full scholarship to Harcum Junior College in the early 1960s, she found herself one of the only Asians there, and 8,000 miles from anyone she knew. As she went on to study the nascent field of computer science, her choice was rarer still — a woman in a field nearly completely occupied by men. So Hsueh (pronounced... READ MORE
Eye implant allows clear close-up vision
Squinting while texting? Always losing your reading glasses? An eye implant that takes about 10 minutes to put in place is the newest in a list of surgical repairs for the blurry close-up vision known as presbyopia, a bane of middle age.But who’s really a good candidate to toss their specs?“It’s not bringing anybody back to being 20 again,” cautioned Dr. Shilpa Rose, ... READ MORE
Heart study seeks healthy volunteers
Resveratrol is a compound found in the leaves and skin of grapes, in peanuts, and in the roots of the Japanese knotweed plant. It became popularly known in the 1990s, when researchers began to suspect that resveratrol may be the major reason for the positive effect of wine on cardiovascular health.Since then, studies have found that resveratrol has a number of biological effects on blood... READ MORE
Games, crafts may help prevent dementia
Even in your 70s and beyond, simple activities — including web-surfing, playing bridge and socializing — can stave off mental decline, new research says. Benefits were greatest in computer users and in those without a gene variation linked with Alzheimer’s disease. But even among seniors with that genetic trait, mental decline that sometimes precedes dementia was less ... READ MORE
Let your mind wander to lessen anxiety
When we think of anxiety disorders, we generally think of them as uncomfortable emotional responses to threat. These responses may include symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating, trembling or absolute paralysis.While there is nothing inherently wrong in thinking about anxiety this way, a recent study pointed out that there is an entirely different way of thinking about ... READ MORE
Sciatica can resolve with time, treatments
Dear Mayo Clinic:Three weeks ago I was diagnosed with sciatica. I didn’t have much pain initially, but it has been extremely painful the past few days — usually when I’m sitting. Would physical therapy be an option for treatment? I don’t like to take medications for pain. Are there other treatments I should try? Could surgery help? Answer: Sciatica can cause... READ MORE
Study examines if cleaner air helps COPD
Johns Hopkins Medicine is currently conducting a study to investigate whether indoor air cleaners can improve air quality and the health of those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although the respiratory effects of outdoor air pollution are well-known, indoor environment is also of particular concern to researchers, as most people spend over 85 percent of their time... READ MORE
What foods do and don’t pose cancer risk
About a third of America’s most common cancers can be prevented through healthy eating, regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.But the wide range of cancer myths can make it hard to figure out what those healthy eating choices involve. Here are some common questions and their answers.1. Does sugar... READ MORE
Health 2024
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