Vitamin D supplements – Do you need them?

by

Vitamin D only strengthens bone in those with significant vit D deficiencyVitamin D supplements

May 16, 2017

“An international study of older adults has found that mass, untargeted provision of vitamin D supplements provides little clinical benefit to many when it comes to the common bone disease,  osteoporosis. Instead, the study recommends targeting vitamin D supplements at individuals whose levels of this vitamin are markedly reduced.

The results of the study – carried out by researchers at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA – were announced today by Professor Ian R. Reid at ECTS 2017, the 44th European Calcified Tissue Society Congress being held in Salzburg, Austria.

Professor Reid said: ‘We know that severe vitamin D deficiency causes osteomalacia, yet trials in the community have not consistently shown that vitamin D supplements improve older adults’ bone density or reduce the risk of fracture. So we set out to determine whether a higher dose of vitamin D influences bone density or whether benefit is dependent on the level of vitamin D already present in the individual.'”

Read more

Wine, olive oil, and afternoon naps…

by

secret of long lifeThe secret to a long life? It’s all Greek to me

By Diane Carman, The Denver Post

May 12, 2017

“A few years ago, I read about the island of Ikaria in Greece where people ‘forget to die.‘ They routinely live into their 90s, making people all over the world wonder exactly what is their secret.

Most on Ikaria say they stay up late at night and sleep late in the morning. Unemployment is high, so there’s not much pressure to set the alarm clock.

They enjoy a glass of wine with lunch, followed by a lovely nap. They eat lots of fruits and vegetables from their gardens, all dressed with fresh local olive oil, and they shy away from dairy products, except for milk from the neighborhood goats.

In Greece, the secret to a long, healthy life appears simple: wine, olive oil and afternoon naps.

In the U.S., it’s money.

A study released in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Monday identified three Colorado counties — Summit, Pitkin and Eagle — as having the highest life expectancies in the country.

The lowest life expectancies were in Oglala Lakota County, home of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and one of the poorest counties in America.

So what is it about the lifestyles of the rich that makes them live longer?”

Read more about the secret of a long life

 

Substitute teaching – a great part time job

by
substitute teaching
worthschools.net

School is almost out for the summer, so why would I be writing about substitute teaching?  If you’ve thought about working part-time, summer is a great time to prepare to substitute at your neighborhood schools this fall.  If you hold a current teaching license or a bachelor’s degree you can become a substitute teacher.

Most states have a licensing procedure for becoming a substitute teacher if you don’t hold a current teaching license.  Just check the state’s Department of Education website and search for substitute licensing.  In Colorado for instance, you can apply for a one-year, a three-year or a five-year license.  All three of these licenses require the applicant be fingerprinted and results submitted to the state’s Bureau of Investigation. Licensing in Colorado costs $60 for a one-year license and $90 for the three- or five-year license.  The five-year license in-state applicants must hold or have held a Colorado teaching license.  An out-of-state applicant must hold an unexpired (non-Colorado) teaching license.  

Read more

Safety behind the wheel

by

HealthinAging.org

Testing Driver’s Safety

“When it comes to driving, there is no set age at which people become less safe when they’re behind the wheel. Safety largely depends on the older driver’s physical and mental health, which of course vary widely from person to person. The following issues can be warning signs that suggest that you or an older adult in your care should get tested for their ability to drive safely:

  • Getting lost in familiar areas
  • Ignoring traffic signs and signals
  • Becoming easily agitated or angered when driving
  • Falling asleep or inability to concentrate when driving
  • Reacting too slowly to dangerous situations
  • Forgetting or ignoring driving basics – when to yield right of way, for example
  • Having trouble judging distances

    driver's safety
    insure.com

Several tests and reviews can help determine how safe a driver an older adult may be. If you suspect that an older adult you care for is having difficulty driving safely, consider taking these actions:

  1. Start with a good physical
  2. Have their vision checked
  3. Get a driving evaluation
  4. Consider cognitive testing
  5. Check your state’s rules
  6. Know what medications the older driver is taking”

For more details and resources

Osteoporosis is preventable

by
Osteoporosis
medicalnewstoday.com

Take steps to improve bone health before osteoporosis becomes problematic

By Dr. Jessica Pennington, Lexington Herald Leader

May 5, 2017

“Osteoporosis is a common bone disease that occurs most often in older adults. It makes bones weak and more likely to fracture due to a deficiency in calcium and vitamin D. Nearly 10 million Americans are currently suffering from osteoporosis. It is important for older adults to take measures to improve bone health and prevent osteoporosis-related injury.

Bones are living, growing tissues that are constantly regenerating. They are structured like a honeycomb, with intricate gaps and spaces. With osteoporosis, the spaces in the bone structure are much larger than in a healthy bone. These bones become porous and less dense, so they weaken and are more likely to fracture.

Osteoporosis often has no symptoms. People with this disease cannot feel their bones getting weaker, and many people do not know they have osteoporosis until they experience a fracture, which most often occurs in the hip, spine or wrist. These can be caused by falling or bumping into an object, or in severe cases, from simple movements like sneezing or hugging.”

Nearly one in two women and one in four men over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.

Read more about improving bone health

Benefits of walking

by
walking
Photo : Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

I try to walk everyday for exercise and weight management.  I even wear a pedometer to keep track of my daily steps.  Now, after reading the following article I will be walking to improve my brain health.

Walking Could Improve Neural Connectivity, Lowering Risk of Alzheimer’s in Older Adults

By John Raphael, Nature World News

May 5, 2017

“A new study led by the University of Maryland School of Public Health revealed that walking interventions could improve the neural connectivity in older adults, potentially reducing the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s disease.

The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, showed that walking for 30 minutes for four times a week can increase the neural connectivity between the brain’s posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus region and other brain regions of patients diagnosed with MCI.

‘The brain’s posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus region is a hub of neuronal networks which integrates and disperses signals,’ said Dr. J. Carson Smith, director of the Exercise for Brain Health Laboratory and senior author of the study, in a press release. ‘We know that a loss of connectivity to this hub is associated with memory loss and amyloid accumulation, both signs of MCI and Alzheimer’s.'”

Read more about the benefits of walking

 

When should antidepressants be prescribed?

by

Research Snapshot: Depression screening in older adultsantidepressants

Erin McHenry
April 24, 2017

“The number of antidepressants prescribed in the U.S. is skyrocketing as more primary care providers give antidepressants to patients even though many of them don’t have a psychiatric diagnosis.

A group of University of Minnesota researchers set out to study how that trend might be affecting older adults.

‘We found that physicians were less likely to prescribe unnecessary antidepressants when they screened their patients for depression,’ said Greg Rhee, Ph.D., M.S.W., primary author of the study affiliated with the College of Pharmacy.

The study looked at adults age 65 or older.

The study, recently published in Preventive Medicine, utilized data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. It surveyed primary care physicians to randomly sample over 9,000 visits made among older adults in 2010-2012.”

Out of 9,313 visits analyzed in Rhee’s study, only 209 included a depression screening.

Find out more