Stent vs. Endarectomy

According to studies by the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurology at the University College London and the Duke Stroke Center in Durham, North Carolina (CREST):

If you're 70 or older and have a blocked neck artery, opt to surgically widen the artery rather than having a stent put in because research has found that your chances of dying or having a stroke are 50% as likely than inserting a stent.

Until now (September 10, 2010) many experts thought that the lesser-invasive stenting procedure would be safer.

Source: MedlinePlus, health information from the National Library of Medicine

For more on heart disease and stroke, visit 50somethinginfo.com

No Rest For Car-Man

We finished a movie. I lingered in my office going over my email. Then I ambled into the bedroom to join Car-man.

I moved over to snuggle into his arms and we fall asleep.

I awakened to his laughter. I had pushed him over to the end of the bed. He had been dreaming about dogs (maybe this is a good sign--I want one). In his dream, one dog in particular, a German Shepherd, leaned against him with his full weight. Car-man moved to steady himself...and he almost fell out of bed.

I gave him half the bed and we both settled into restful slumber.

I don't know what I was dreaming about (I have an overblown imagination) when I yelled, "Help."

Poor Car-man. No wonder he dragged himself out of bed this morning.

This whole scenario could be a problem if it happened regularly. Studies have shown that "men who slept for short periods of time were much more likely to die over a 14-year period."

Why? It may be that sleep problems may contribute to clogged arteries or disrupt the immune system.

Lifelong Healthy Weight Ups Your Chances For Not Dying of Colon Cancer

We've heard so much about obesity lately--how it can ruin your health. Well, here's another reason to avoid lifelong obesity: Your chances of survival as a postmenopausal woman are greater if you are diagnosed with colon cancer. And losing weight after the fact may be too late.

There have already been several studies revealing the association of excess body weight to a higher risk of colon cancer. In an Iowa Women's Health Study obese women had a 45% greater chance of all causes of death than women within a healthy weight range and a 32% greater chance of dying from colon cancer.

Source: MedlinePlus, health information from the National Library of Medicine

For more on cancer and obesity, visit 50somethinginfo.com.

Smoking: You Can Get Help to Stop

Nicotine craving is a major hurdle. Some people try to kick the smoking habit by applying an antidepressant drug delivered through a patch on the skin, hopefully to reduce the craving, making it easier to quit. The drug proved not to be better than a placebo.

According to studies taken place at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, Dr. Joel D. Killen and his team determined that successful smoking cessation has to be a combination of pharmacologic aids and behavioral changes.

Good news from Medicare:

"Medicare will now pay for cessation counseling for any beneficiary who wants to quit (smoking). Until now, this service was covered only for Medicare recipients who had a smoking-related illness or symptoms of such an illness," according to a 9/1/2010 article written by Eleni Berger.

Smokers will be able to get counseling for 2 cessation attempts (at 4 sessions per attempt) but a qualified physician or other Medicare-recognized practitioner must provide the counseling.

Medicare Part D allows Medicare beneficiaries who are eligible to get prescription medication that can help the process.

Source: MedlinePlus, health information from the National Library of Medicine

For more on smoking, visit 50somethinginfo.com

PTSD and Cognitive Impairment

After physicians studied 10,481 veterans 65 and older, it was reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society on September 2, 2010 that people with post-traumatic stress disorder are at significantly greater risk for cognitive impairment (dementia) than their peers who had combat injuries but no stress disorder.

New studies will hopefully show whether the risk of dementia can be reduced by effectively treating PTSD.

"Confirmation of a causal link between PTSD and cognitive impairment in late life would have enormous global implication in a world facing a rising societal burden of dementia, a shrinking workforce to sustain its economies, and the difficulties of containing human violence," according to Dr. Soo Borson of the University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle. Moreover, "Soldiers and other U.S. war veterans are just one of many groups exposed to deeply traumatizing experiences with lifetime effect."

Source: MedlinePlus, health information from the National Library of Medicine

For more on PTSD and Mild Cognitive Impairment, visit 50somethinginfo.com

Be Nice, Work Less and Stay Warm: It May Lower Your Chances of Getting a Heart Attack or Stroke

Those having competitive or aggressive personalities may be at increased risk of heart attack or stroke, a recent study revealed.

It was found that those traits caused a greater thickening of arteries of the neck.

Out-of-shape men need to rethink "working overtime." Working more than 45 hours per week more than doubled their risk of dying of heart disease, according to a recent Danish study.

Winter sports tourists are at greater risk for heart attacks due to low temperatures, high altitude and inadequate conditioning, according to Dr. Berhard Metzler of the European Society of Cardiology.

Source: MedlinePlus, health information from the National Library of Medicine

For more on behavior changes , anger and heart disease, visit 50somethinginfo.com

Fall Risk vs. Perceived Fall Risk

A study conduct in Sydney, Australia, of 500 people ages 70-90 reported that "both actual and perceived fall risk contribute independently to a person's future risk of falling. People with a high level of anxiety about falling are most likely to suffer a fall."

Most of the participants in the study had a clear perception of their fall risk. But about 1/3 of them either under- or over-estimated their risk.

Information taken from MedlinePlus, health information from the National Library of Medicine

For more on falls, barrier-free aids, and accident prevention, visit 50somethinginfo.com