Health Shorts
Not too late to get COVID-19 boosters With new omicron variants again driving COVID-19 hospital admissions and deaths higher in recent weeks, states and cities are rethinking their responses, and the White House is stepping up efforts to alert the public. The highly transmissible BA.5 variant now accounts for 65% of cases, with its cousin BA.4 contributing another 16%. The variants have ... READ MORE
Technology program catches on locally
Six years ago, Montgomery County, Maryland, launched a program to help older adults become confident using technology. Called Senior Planet Montgomery, the program offered hands-on courses where participants could learn the basics of computers, word processing programs, how to safely navigate the internet and more. The training programs were developed by a nonprofit based in Brooklyn,... READ MORE
Experiment shrinks tough-to-treat cancer
In a novel experiment, a woman with advanced pancreatic cancer saw her tumors dramatically shrink after researchers in Oregon turbocharged her own immune cells, highlighting a possible new way to someday treat a variety of cancers. Kathy Wilkes isn’t cured, but said what’s left of her cancer has shown no sign of growth since the one-time treatment last summer. “I knew that... READ MORE
Some surprising news on what’s healthy
Perhaps you don’t give much thought to your morning bowl of oatmeal, lunch of turkey and cheese sandwich, and pasta for dinner. It all seems healthy, right? Well, research is making it clear that when it comes to the calories we consume every day, form matters. Not all fruits, breads, oats, potatoes and nuts are created equal concerning their impacts on your body. Here are the... READ MORE
Is hyperbaric oxygen therapy effective?
Dear Mayo Clinic: What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy? What is it used for? A: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room to increase a person’s blood-oxygen level. The body’s tissues need an adequate supply of oxygen to function. When tissues are injured, they require more oxygen than usual to survive. HBOT increases the amount of oxygen... READ MORE
Foods dietitians swear by for better sleep
A balanced diet and a good night’s sleep are mainstays of healthy living. But lately research has begun to uncover just how much the former impacts the latter. A 2021 review in the journal Sleep Medicine Review concluded that eating a healthy diet was associated with better sleep quality. Few people know this better than registered dietitians, who are well-versed in the role different... READ MORE
Study pairs flu shot and shingles vaccine
Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new recommendation: People over age 65 should get a stronger flu vaccine than the general public. Why? Because they’re more likely to suffer serious complications from the flu. That’s because our immune systems don’t work as well as we age. “As we get older, our ability to respond to vaccines —... READ MORE
Disease risks may be related to height
An interesting study was published in the June 2022 issue of PLOS Genetics, and it has to do with height. Researchers evaluated hundreds of thousands of people to see if their height had any correlation with medical problems. The average height of a man is 5’ 9” and a woman is 5’ 4” — so anything above that is considered “tall.” As it pertains to the study, the mean... READ MORE
Too cold? Sweat at night? Some answers
Q: I am cold all the time. Sometimes I get so cold that all I can do is take a really hot shower or bath. It has gotten to the point where being so sensitive to the cold interferes with my work and life. What causes this problem, and what can I do? A: While feeling colder than others around you is quite common, your symptoms are more pronounced than usual. Therefore, I would... READ MORE
Active body and mind delays dementia
There is new evidence from two studies by investigators at Rush University in Chicago that cognitive and physical activities can make a real difference in the development of Alzheimer’s disease — the most common cause of dementia. Cognitive activity delays onset In the first study, investigators asked 1,903 older individuals without dementia in the Rush Memory and Aging Project to... READ MORE
Health 2025
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