Although too many of us to count have been touched in some way by either cancer or Alzheimer's, you've rarely heard of both diseases affecting the same individual. And, at least among Caucasians, there's evidence that suggests a protective link between the two, based on a review of 3,020 seniors (age 65-older).

More than 160 and 522 patients had already been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or cancer, respectively, at the beginning, and roughly 850 more patients developed one condition or the other during the course of the study. Surprisingly, the risk of a future bout with cancer among patients who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at the start of the study dropped by an amazing 69 percent compared to folks who didn't have the mind-robbing disease in the beginning. And, among Caucasian patients, those who were already fighting cancer at the outset of the study were 43 percent less likely to succumb to Alzheimer's

The same didn't hold true for patients of color, however, specifically for folks treated for cancer at the beginning of the study who had a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's. Even though this finding sounds very distressing, researchers played down its significance due to the low number of patients tracked (29).

All that said, these findings tended to support previous studies that found brain degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease may share some of the same molecular underpinnings with cancer. These interesting connections could partly explain why an existing cancer drug may be used to fight Alzheimer's some day.

Neurology December 23, 2009

ABC News December 23, 2009

EurekAlert December 23, 2009

Earlier this year, we learned how the Baby Boomer generation may be harming their health for the long term by reducing the amount of food and vital nutrients they consume every day. Unfortunately, these very same problems may plague the elderly, even those living in nursing homes, according to a recent study.

Based on statistics compiled on more than 6,000 patients from global data pooling, the pervasiveness of malnutrition among the elderly is rampant in rehabilitation settings -- a startling 91 percent -- and hospitals (86 percent). Even nursing home residents aren't immune to malnutrition, with some two-thirds of seniors at risk.

In hopes of correcting this nutritional problem, an expert in geriatric medicine has developed a shorter version of the Mini Nutritional Assessment tool that identifies patients in one of three categories (malnourished, at risk and well-nourished) and takes just four minutes to be completed by a health professional.

Data from the global pool demonstrated how measuring an elderly patient's calf circumference can be a valid alternative when other vital health statistics -- specifically their body mass index -- is unavailable.

European Hospital November 22, 2009

The best exercise program may not be the most conventional, structured one but it can certainly be more effective for you and your health, as evidenced in this study about the beneficial, gentle effect of Tai Chi on the knees of seniors.

Forty healthy seniors over age 65 with knee osteoarthritis were divided into two groups pursuing very different treatment options over the course of the 12-week study. One group participated in hour-long Tai Chi sessions twice a week, learning and practicing self-massage, movement, breathing and relaxation techniques while the control group attended classes that reviewed various ways (among them diet and nutrition) to treat knee osteoarthritis for 40 minutes followed by 20 minutes of stretching exercises.

Compared to the control group, seniors who practiced Tai Chi enjoyed a significant decrease in knee pain and, generally, better physical and mental health.

Before starting any exercise program, however, you'll want to review our 10 tips that will, not only, help you sidestep the inadvertent aches and pains that come with exercise and keep doing it long after the other 50 percent throw in the towel.

Arthritis Care & Research, Vol. 61, No. 11, pp. 1545-1553, November 15, 2009

ScienceDaily November 1, 2009

Yahoo News October 29, 2009

Premature signs of aging, aided and abetted by pain, are only one of many potential problems facing Baby Boomers heading into their golden years. New research from UCLA suggests Baby Boomers in their 60s may suffer far more complications from disabilities in comparison to previous generations.

Scientists studied two data sets from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) to compare how the incidence of disability among three different age groups (60-69, 70-79, and 80-and-older) changed over time, paying attention to various disability trends, including functional limitations (kneeling or crouching), mobility (walking a quarter-mile without stopping), instrumental activities (preparing meals or doing household chores) and basic daily living activities (getting out of or into bed or walking around the house).

The amount of problems reported among Baby Boomers in the 60-69 age bracket exploded between 40-70 percent in three of four disability trends (all but functional limitations). And, these problems weren't escalating among folks in the 70-79 and 80-and-older brackets either.

These disturbing trends may be linked to big changes already happening in America, especially with rapid growth among Hispanics and African-Americans, two demographic groups who suffer from lower social-economic status and far greater rates of obesity, two factors associated with higher risks of disabilities and functional limitations.

American Journal of Public Health November 12, 2009

Contra Costa Times November 12, 2009

ScienceDaily November 13, 2009

healthfinder.gov November 13, 2009

The headline above sounds very much like an oxymoron, but the numbers show beyond a reasonable doubt that retired baby boomers who maintain at least a part-time work schedule are more likely to experience better mental and physical health, compared to folks who stop working entirely.

Researchers collected data from more than 12,000 retirees (between ages 51-61) who were surveyed multiple times over a six-year period for the U.S. Health and Retirement Study. As compared to folks who retired completely from the American workforce, patients who maintained part-time jobs or did temp work lessened their risks of eight diseases. Among them:

1. Cancer

2. Stroke

3. Diabetes

4. Lung disease

5. Hypertension

Those benefits stood up even after taking physical and mental health before retirement, financial status, age, education levels and gender into consideration. One caveat: Baby boomers who continued to work in their pre-retirement professions enjoyed better mental health than those who chose other jobs in other fields. In fact, retirees who endured more financial struggles than the rest often worked in different professions after retirement.

Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 374-389, October 2009

Reuters October 22, 2009

healthfinder.gov October 16, 2009

Faced with devastating, long-term projections for the Alzheimer's epidemic soaring as high as 120 million worldwide by 2050, science may have stumbled onto a new weapon to fight this mind-robbing disease from a completely unexpected source: A cancer drug that may be able to improve the way in which the brain records new memories.

Columbia University Medical Center researchers discovered the drug, made from a group of compounds called histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, improved the memory of mice afflicted with Alzheimer's disease.

Brain neurons create new memories by manufacturing new proteins. The initial step in that process is enabling the DNA to be read. That happens when neurons attach groups of reactive chemicals called acetyls to spools where DNA is wound very tightly, thus unwinding DNA to make it more accessible.

Mice whose brains were tainted with a form of Alzheimer's disease, however, were unable to attach more than half as many acetyls and possessed poorer memories, however, compared to healthy mice. The HDAC drug worked on the Alzheimer's mice by increasing the amount of DNA spooling and gene transcription, improving their memory performance to levels measured in normal mice.

Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 131-139, September 2009

EurekAlert September 6, 2009

UPI.com September 8, 2009

Many more people are living with Alzheimer's and dementia -- a projected 10 percent increase to more than 35 million worldwide by 2010 -- than experts expected, and the number of patients harmed by this mind-robbing disease is expected to explode by the year 2050, according to the latest World Alzheimer Report released by Alzheimer's Disease International.

Although the report estimates 4.4 million North Americans are harmed by Alzheimer's, the Alzheimer's Association is far less conservative about U.S. estimates, pegging the number of patients affected domestically at more than 5 million. Overall, one out of eight Americans older than age 65 are harmed by Alzheimer's as are almost half of seniors over age 85.

Even more alarming, an estimated 115 million people in the world may be affected by the ravages of Alzheimer's as soon as the year 2050.

New studies assessing the reach of Alzheimer's around the world (nearly 7 million people apiece in Western Europe, and South and Southeastern Asia) prompted the worldwide coalition of some 70 non-profit groups to ask British researchers to rethink their estimates.

One huge problem: Many folks still believe dementia is a normal part of the aging process, not a disease that can be treated.

Alzheimer's Association Free Full PDF Report

USA Today September 21, 2009

MSNBC.com September 21, 2009

Ever wondered why American women live longer than their male counterparts? Although the gap in lifespan between the sexes is narrowing, the most recent CDC report still gives women more than a five-year lead over men.

What gives? Old school beliefs about masculinity that push men away from timely, preventative health care -- even guys who could more than afford the time and expense -- may be the problem, according to data collected on the health of 1,000 Baby Boomer males participating in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study.

Regardless of their marital status, family backgrounds, socioeconomic status and health history, middle-aged men who held onto traditional beliefs about their masculinity were 50 percent less likely to follow through on preventative health care maintenance -- a prostate exam, flu shot and physical -- annually.

Interestingly, there was a single but important exception to these findings. Men who worked in low-status, blue-collar jobs (truck drivers, farm workers, machine operators and construction workers) took better care of their health, in spite of their traditional views. As men who viewed life through the "John Wayne" filter climbed the corporate ladder, however, the likelihood they would take preventative healthcare measures dropped significantly.

All Academic Research Free Full Text Study

Rodale.com September 4, 2009

EurekAlert August 10, 2009

Medline Plus August 11, 2009

Changing your sleep habits with behavioral therapy -- not a prescription -- can do a world of good for your health, especially for older Baby Boomers battling osteoarthritis and related comorbid (secondary) insomnia, according to a recent study.

Researchers compared the effect of treating osteoarthritis and insomnia with cognitive behavior therapies on 23 patients (average age 69) over the course of a year versus assigning 28 patients (mean age 66.5) to a stress management/wellness control group.

No surprise, sleep latency (the time it takes to transition from being fully awake to asleep) among patients learning new therapies decreased significantly at the outset (almost 17 minutes) and those same benefits persisted a year later (11 minutes). Wake after sleep onset (the time spent from sleep onset to final awakening) also fell sharply by 37 minutes and almost 20 minutes 12 months later.

The pain associated with arthritis declined significantly too (by 9.7 points initially and 4.7 points a year later), leading researchers to conclude that insomnia coexists as a separate illness alongside osteoarthritis, not as a symptom, so improving sleep habits can have a beneficial impact on both conditions.

Learn how to get more and better sleep every night and treat the aches and pains that may be associated with it by reviewing these latest Sleep Tips to Improve Your Waking Health.

Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, Vol. 5, No. 4, August 15, 2009. p. 355-362

healthfinger.gov August 20, 2009

EurekAlert August 15, 2009

The surgical options of Baby Boomers may sharply decline over the next 15 years, thanks to a severe shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons coupled with a health demands of a growing, aging population, according to a new study.

Simply put, experts believe a boom in retirements -- the number of Americans turning age 65 will double to 70 million over the next two decades -- will coincide with a diminishing supply of physicians -- a minimum 21 percent drop in the number of available heart surgeons -- by 2025, creating an increased demand for surgeons nearing 50 percent.

Why the shortfall? Medical residents with training in cardiothoracic surgery had difficulty finding jobs as the number of heart bypass surgeries dropped by 28 percent and the use of stints -- procedures done by cardiologists -- dramatically increased by 121 percent.

Even worse, an immediate increase in cardiothoracic professionals wouldn't be enough to prevent a dire shortage, taking into account the anticipated increase in patients over age 65, because it takes a decade of training to become a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Circulation, Vol. 120, No. 6, pp. 488-494, August 11, 2009

healthfinder.gov July 28, 2009

heartwire July 27, 2009

Ever wonder how squirrels find their nuts and stay well fed, even during the coldest parts of the winter? If you believe it's related to a squirrel's acute sense of smell, guess again...

Fact is, an amateur scientist living in the U.K. won a prize last year from NewScientist magazine for demonstrating how squirrels use their spatial memory, not their sense of smell.

Unfortunately, humans may not be so lucky, as a recent study found most folks reach their cognitive peak as early as age 27. As the flow of blood to the brain slows down, so does the production of receptors on brain cells as well as the gradual loss of receptors on brain cells. Long story short, as many as two-thirds of Baby Boomers over age 50 may have some memory loss.

That said, memory loss isn't a given, and there are a great many things you can do to preserve and improve your memory, without the need for a single drug. Read about them here: Memory Food: The Many Ways to Protect Your Brain.

New Scientist Blogs: The Last Word February 13, 2008

New York Times June 11, 2009

The health benefits of flavonoids -- a class of plant-based chemicals known for their antioxidant properties -- may also protect your brain from Alzheimer's, according to a new study.

Epicatechin -- the flavonoid found in many plants and, in high quantities, in tea, cocoa and grapes -- may protect brain cells from damaging beta-amyloid peptides deposited abnormally via a mechanism unrelated to its antioxidant properties, scientists said.

All the good news notwithstanding, researchers believe the real challenge is to identify any single flavonoid or combinations of chemicals that can do the job and determine how they work before committing to any clinical trials.

Science Daily July 19, 2009

The Press Association July 9, 2009

If you believe the nearly $34 billion spent out-of-pocket on complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) in America over the past year is a lot of money, think again.

Based on data culled from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey funded by the CDC and the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, CAM amounts to just 1.5 percent of the $2.2 trillion spent by consumers on health care and 11.2 percent of the $286.6 billion spent on out-of-pocket treatments.

About two-thirds of those out-of-pocket expenses were spent on self-care costs (classes, materials and products), with a majority (nearly $15 billion) devoted non-vitamin, non-mineral, natural products. The remainder of that total ($11.9 billion) was allotted to more than 350 million office visits with chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists and their peers.

What's more, CAM-related spending on products and office visits represented a mere fraction of the amounts paid by consumers for prescription drugs (about 33 percent) and office visits to physicians (25 percent).

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine July 30, 2009

USA Today July 31, 2009

Nutraceuticals World July 31, 2009

If you've been looking for more natural solutions to cut your cholesterol levels, consider adding walnuts to your diet, according to a recent meta-analysis of 13 studies conducted at Harvard University.

Although researchers were quick to point out longer and larger trials are necessary to evaluate the long-term effects -- good and bad -- of including walnuts in a healthy diet, a review of short-term trials tracking the health of 365 patients from four to 24 weeks -- and with walnuts providing up to 24 percent of a person's total calories -- looks promising.

In comparison to the diets of control subjects, patients whose diets were supplemented with walnuts enjoyed a significantly greater decrease in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. What's more, walnuts may provide significant benefits beyond lowering cholesterol, researchers said, including no adverse effect on body weight and boosting antioxidant levels.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 90, No. 1, p. 56-63, July 2009

NutraIngredients-USA.com July 2, 2009

With concerns about soaring health care costs in America -- leading to heated debate about serious reforms at the federal level -- more sectors of conventional medicine are realizing how dietary supplements can be an inexpensive and important part of a healthy lifestyle, the theme of a lecture presented by William Cooper, MD, an assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University's School of Medicine at a recent meeting of the Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus.

Cooper's talk underscored the importance of taking dietary supplements, in concert with exercise and good nutrition, focusing the discussion on preventative care as a way to avoid becoming one of his cardiac patients. "When you get to me," Cooper says, "you really don't want to buy what I'm selling."

"As a nation, we are consistently inconsistent. But there are simple things that all of us every day to better our health -- and that includes taking dietary supplements." In fact, the first step toward true health care reform will happen, Cooper adds, "when you and I change our habits to be healthier."

Cooper's talk was well received by Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.), who co-chair the caucus. "I know that these products provide so much benefit for consumers. I'm a product of it," Chaffetz says.

Nutraceuticals World June 16, 2009

NPI Center June 15, 2009