Many older Americans have concerns about elective surgery beforehand, but most who go through with it are satisfied with the outcome, a new survey finds. Elective surgery includes many operations for conditions that are not immediately life-threatening, such as knee replacement, hernia repair, cataract removal or taking out a gall bladder. “If your physician is… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Heaters, Pools, Bed Rails: Household Dangers Can Kill Seniors
A new report delivers a troubling statistic: Seven in 10 consumer product-related deaths occur among those over 65, even though these people only account for 16% of the U.S. population. Each year, consumer products are linked to roughly 3,800 deaths and nearly 3 million emergency department visits among older Americans, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety… read on > read on >
Some Americans Gained Better Habits During Pandemic, Poll Finds
About one-quarter of Americans say they made positive changes to their daily habits during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new poll shows. As U.S. states ended masking mandates and infection numbers dropped this year, most (64%) respondents said their mood had been stable since January and that the pandemic either hadn’t affected their daily habits (49%)… read on > read on >
More Evidence That Education May Protect Against Dementia
Not everyone who becomes forgetful as they age develops dementia, and a new study suggests that those with college degrees and advanced language skills are likely to get better. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an early stage of memory loss marked by lapses in memory and thinking problems that don’t interfere with everyday life. While… read on > read on >
Good End-of-Life Care Out of Reach for Many Black Nursing Home Residents
Palliative care can be a godsend in the final days of one’s life, but new research shows that Black and Hispanic nursing home residents are far less likely to receive it than their white peers are. Overall, nursing homes in the Northeast provided the most palliative care, while those in the South provided the least… read on > read on >
More Hurricanes Mean Rising Death Toll for Americans
From drowning to being struck by flying debris, the immediate dangers of hurricanes are well known, but these events also boost your risk of dying from a host of hidden diseases and conditions that occur in the storm’s aftermath. The new research is concerning given the increase in the number and strength of hurricanes due… read on > read on >
Half of Americans Live With Legacy of Childhood Lead Poisoning
If you were born before 1996, there’s a good chance you were exposed to high levels of lead as a kid, and new research suggests this may have harmed your IQ and boosted your chances of lead-related health concerns down the road. “A significant proportion of Americans alive today had very high lead exposure as… read on > read on >
AHA News: Historic Black Church and Its Nonprofit Focus on Faith, Body and Mind
TUESDAY, March 8, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — At the 142-year-old Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton, New Jersey, the 1,500-member congregation has learned that tending only to spiritual needs is not enough. So, the predominantly Black church works together through its nonprofit Shiloh Community Development Corporation to address spiritual, physical and mental health, said… read on > read on >
Brain Changes May Fuel ‘Long COVID’ Anxiety, Confusion
Here’s more evidence of the toll that COVID-19 takes on the human brain: A new study finds biomarkers of neuron damage and brain inflammation in the blood are associated with brain function changes in both hospitalized COVID-19 patients and people with long COVID. Combined blood biomarker evidence of damage to neurons and activation of cells… read on > read on >
Begin Now to Protect Your Heart as Clocks ‘Spring Forward’
The lost hour of sleep when clocks spring forward for daylight saving time on Sunday, March 13 can pose risks to your heart — but there are ways to protect yourself. A number of studies have found an increase in heart problems and stroke after the spring time change, according to the American Heart Association.… read on > read on >