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Healthwise is a regular column written
especially for laterlife.com members and
visitors by Helen Franks, journalist and author.
Welcome to healthwise 84.
For previous articles in the
healthwise series visit
'more
healthwise'
Helen Franks
Helen has specialised in writing about health and
ageing and is a member of the Guild of Health Writers. She has
written for a variety of newspapers and magazines including the
Guardian, Times, Observer, Woman, Family Circle, Vogue and
Choice.
Helen has also written several books including
Getting Older Slowly Your Guide to Successful Ageing and
Bone Boosters
co-authored with Diana Moran of TV Green Goddess fame.
Don't forget to take a look at Helen's separate
talkback
page too.
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New breakthroughs in
memory research
New studies in memory research are providing exciting clues about memory
loss and how to prevent it. One study shows that the short-term memory
problems that generally accompany ageing are more a matter of an inability
to filter out distractions than problems with focusing attention.
Young adults aged 19 to 30 were compared with older adults aged 60 to 77,
using a simple memory test that introduced irrelevant information. The tests
were conducted while the subjects were being scanned using functional
magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) so that activity in the brain could be
pinpointed.
While the younger subjects were able to suppress brain activity in areas
that process irrelevant information, older adults were generally unable to
suppress the distracting information. However, both groups had similar brain
activity in the areas dealing with information relevant to the task.
This could be the key to many cognitive problems accompanying ageing. Now
that areas of the brain that are markers for focusing, and ignoring visual
information have been identified, it may be possible to use this knowledge
to better assess therapies designed to treat cognitive disorders.
In other memory-related news, scientists have demonstrated definitive proof
that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils can help protect the brain
against the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Folic acid boosts minds of
over 50’s
Folic acid is usually recommended for pregnant women, but it is now also
recommended for the over 50’s to boost mental alertness, says a report in
the Lancet.
Swiss researchers enlisted over 800 people who had high concentrations of
homocysteines in their blood. These are amino acids believed to be
indicators of poor cognitive performance.
Folic acid lowers homocysteines. The key daily amount of folic acid seems to
be 800 microgrammes, the equivalent of 1.2kg of strawberries.
The Food Standards Agency says it will consider the new evidence as part
of its project for adding folic acid to flour.
And another
protection against Alzheimer’s disease
Caffeine lovers protect themselves against Alzheimer's disease with 3 cups
of coffee every day, says the Alzheimer's Society commenting on research in
the Lancet.
These findings add weight to the body of existing evidence suggesting
long-term caffeine intake may have a protective effect against the onset of
Alzheimer's disease.
It is too soon to say that our morning coffee or afternoon cup of tea is
anything more than a pleasant pick-me-up. It is important to now research
further how caffeine consumption impacts on dementia risk.
Gene identified for type 2
diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is one of the commonest conditions in older people.
Scientists from Britain and Canada reporting in the publication Nature say
that 70% of people have a genetic background for the condition.
A zinc transporter, SLC30A8, is the main culprit. This is involved in
regulating insulin secretion, one of the signals for type 2 diabetes, the
other being obesity.
Predicting type 2 diabetes is a high probability now, with the possibility
that those at risk will take measures to avoid this condition.
How to lower your blood
pressure with positive emotions
Many studies have shown that positive emotions can help keep a person's
chemical and neural responses in balance, and help people handle stress
better. Latest findings suggest that improving people's emotional well-being
could be an effective way to help control their blood pressure as well.
A study of more than 2,600 Hispanic seniors, evenly divided among the
sexes, showed that the higher a person scored on a questionnaire measuring
positive emotions, the lower his or her blood pressure was.
The effect was strongest among people who were not taking any drugs to lower
their blood pressure. All of the subjects completed a questionnaire that
ranked their degree of positive emotions on a scale of 0 to 12. Higher
scores directly translated into lower blood pressure readings.
Testing for bone disease – at the
dentist
Osteoporosis (bone-thinning) affects almost 15% of women in their 50’s, and
as many as 70% of women by the time they are over 80, so dentists taking
routine dental X-rays would be ideally suited to check on this condition.
Scientists at Manchester University have developed a technique to analyse
the jaw in order to look for signs of this condition and hope that it
becomes a routine procedure.
Screening at present is up to the GP and the symptoms of the patient, and is
not available widely in the UK.
Websites
www.prostate-research.org.uk: research on prostate cancer
www.lunguk.org : website of the British
Lung Foundation, concentrating on its current campaign about COPD (chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease)
www.asthma.org.uk : Asthma UK website
www.alzheimers.org.uk : info on
all forms of dementia
If in any
doubt about any of the information covered in
healthwise articles and it's relevance for you, consult
your GP.
IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION
In edition 83:-
The
power of honey
An ancient remedy is gaining new respect
Foot comfort
Do you suffer from corns, callouses or sore spots?
Facts
about kissing
A good passionate smooch burns up 28 calories per minute
Why chocolate protects the heart
Chocolate has a strange biochemical effect
The Alzheimer's society
Provides information and education, support for carers, and quality day and
home care
What laser eye surgery can't do..
Those who hope that laser eye surgery will improve their vision if it's
deteriorated with age will be disappointed
Remedy for Rheumatoid and osteoarthritis
Studies suggest that acupuncture and an extract of turmeric might offer pain
relief to arthritis patients
It's all due to the sun
It's not genes or scientific advances that determine longevity, but solar
cycles, according to a research group
Useful
websites
More useful health websites
The
complete family health guide
 Essential medical reference that's a must for every home. Published
in association with the BMA, it includes comprehensive coverage of
every important aspect of health and medicine, as well as
user-friendly charts for at-a-glance information and easy reference.
Also lists the best medical websites...
 Maximise your memory
This work provides detailed instructions, illustrations and sample
exercises that show the reader how to build a system of personalized
frameworks for storing and recalling information on demand.
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