Side effects of grieving put health at risk
Nothing quite prepares you for the heartache of profound loss. It settles in like a gloomy thrum — sometimes louder, sometimes softer — with a volume switch you can’t entirely shut off. For me, that heartbreak arrived this past October, when my mother died after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, dementia and disability. Now, for the first time in my life, I’m... READ MORE
Exploring dental and mental health link
Can better oral hygiene slow the progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer’s disease, even for a few years? The question arises after a medical study last January established a link between Alzheimer’s disease and the bacteria that cause gum disease. A new pilot study at the University of Maryland’s Claude D. Pepper Center will take a closer look at the... READ MORE
Using new (and old) drugs to help hearts
Novel drugs — and old ones as well — may offer fresh ways to reduce heart risks beyond the medicines typically used to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. One new study found that heart attack survivors benefited from a medicine long used to treat gout. Several experimental drugs also showed early promise for interfering with heart-harmful genes without modifying the genes... READ MORE
Study seeks to better understand asthma
Asthma is a common lung condition that causes symptoms such as wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. One in 13 Americans, or about 8% of the population, suffers from asthma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That means more than 25 million people suffer from asthma in the U.S. alone. Although generally thought of as a treatable disease,... READ MORE
To avoid winter falls, consider these tips
Winter season can be a time of increased danger for everyone, but especially older adults. Fall-related deaths among people aged 75 and older have almost tripled since 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Here are some suggestions for staying safely on your feet this winter: —If you use a cane, get an ice gripper cane tip. These metal-spike attachments cost less than... READ MORE
Not all oxygen tanks work for everyone
Here is a cautionary tale: A Maryland woman bought a portable oxygen concentrator for her mother, who suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Somehow, though, the device didn’t seem to be helping. After several months, her mother became confused and lethargic. The family rushed her to an emergency room, where doctors successfully treated her for respiratory... READ MORE
Drug shown to curb dementia’s delusions
A drug that curbs delusions in Parkinson’s patients did the same for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia in a study that was stopped early because the benefit seemed clear. If regulators agree, the drug could become the first treatment specifically for dementia-related psychosis and the first new medicine for Alzheimer’s in nearly two decades. It targets... READ MORE
Does weather really affect arthritis pain?
Medical myths die hard. Maybe that’s because there’s no agreement on whether a common belief is indeed a myth. For example, there’s the longstanding belief that weather affects arthritis pain. Many of my patients notice a clear connection; some are so convinced of the link that they believe they can predict the weather better than the TV meteorologists. And maybe that’s... READ MORE
Rustic bean soup brings back memories
I first learned to cook in a kitchen ruled by two strong, loving women: my mother and grandmother. They were both amazing cooks, and all these years later my mouth still waters when I think about the food they prepared. They weren’t fancy about our daily food. Though they both knew how to prepare the finest traditional Austrian dishes, they ran our home smartly and frugally. They... READ MORE
Four ways to improve your cholesterol
Every cell in your body contains cholesterol — it’s an important building block for tissues that make up your organs — but if your levels are out of whack, it can spell all kinds of health trouble. Too much LDL cholesterol gloms up the walls of your blood vessels and can lead to heart disease. HDL, on the other hand, is considered the “good” cholesterol because it transports... READ MORE
