People 75+ sought for flu vaccine study

By Carol Sorgen
Posted on May 22, 2017

Seasonal influenza (flu) is the fourth-leading cause of death for older Americans. That’s why it’s highly recommended that all adults 50 years of age or older receive an annual flu vaccine immunization. However, despite the fact that more older adults are receiving the vaccination, mortality has actually increased. Researchers theorize that may be due to the fact that the... READ MORE

Combine good foods to get more benefit

By Matthew Kady, R.D.
Posted on May 17, 2017

Some foods play really well together. Food synergy occurs when components of different foods work together to maximize benefits. Think of it as 1 plus 1 equals 4 instead of 2; the total result is greater than the sum of the individual parts.Try these good-chemistry eats to watch your health grow exponentially.Garlic and lemonPerhaps Italians were onto something by frequently pairing these... READ MORE

A call a day may keep the doctor away

By Talia Denicoff
Posted on May 16, 2017

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

By Barbara Ruben
Posted on May 10, 2017

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

By Barbara Ruben
Posted on May 08, 2017

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

By Lauran Neergaard
Posted on May 02, 2017

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

By Carol Sorgen
Posted on April 24, 2017

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

By Lindsey Tanner
Posted on April 12, 2017

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

By Dr. Srini Pillay
Posted on April 04, 2017

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

By Randy Shelerud, M.D.
Posted on March 29, 2017

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