Getting the right amount of vitamin D may be just as vital for the physical health of seniors as it is for children with growing bones, according to a new study that examined connections between the sunshine vitamin and physical functioning.

Researchers studied the health of nearly 2,800 seniors (with a median age of 75) for four years, first by analyzing blood samples for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (this determines if bone weakness or the metabolism of calcium is occurring due to having too little or too much vitamin D). Additionally, scientists measured how 25-hydroxyvitamin D was connected to physical functioning in an array of tests, among them measuring a patient's ability to walk 6 meters, stand up from a sitting position five times and maintain their balance.

No surprise, patients whose bodies had the most 25-hydroxyvitamin D functioned the best. What's more, even as physical functioning declined as the study continued, the most physically vital of patients were those who had the highest levels of vitamin D at the beginning.

Two caveats worth considering. For one, vitamin D consumption was very low among this generally healthy group of seniors (more than 90 percent consumed less than daily recommended amount of vitamin D). Interestingly, a majority of patients took a dietary supplement.

EurekAlert April 25, 2010

NutraIngredients-USA.com April 26, 2010

Despite warnings seemingly everywhere, postmenopausal women remain hurtfully unaware of their elevated osteoporosis-related risks, according to the Global Longitudinal Study of Osteoporosis in Women (GLOW) of some 60,000 female patients living in Australia, Europe and North America. That's one scary conclusion, considering the chances women over age 50 will experience a fracture related to osteoporosis are 50-50, not to mention the escalating likelihood they will experience these problems as they get older.

By the numbers:

* Just a third of the women who reported two or more risk factors for fractures believed they were at a higher risk for fractures than peers in their own age group.

* Only 43 percent of female patients judged their risks of sustaining a fracture to be greater than those of women of a similar age.

* The disconnect among American women who reported at least two risk factors was particularly acute and alarming, with only 35 percent believing themselves to be at greater risk for fractures than their peers.

* Also among the 28,000 Americans who participated in the GLOW study, 38 percent reported a recent fall, 23 percent had already experienced a fracture and 20 percent had been diagnosed with osteoporosis.

All the more reason, you should exercise as often as your body and schedule allows and eat the best foods for your heart, mind and body.

Osteoporosis International March 31, 2010

University of Massachusetts Medical School April 2, 2010

Knowing how devastating falls can be for older adults -- the CDC says they are the leading cause of death among seniors -- the real trick is, not only to find physical activities that will help them maintain their balance, but ones they'll enjoy doing regularly. Hard to imagine physical activity more fun -- and social -- for seniors than dancing, and a pair of recent studies from the University of Missouri bear that out.

Not surprisingly, the effect of a low-impact, dance-therapy program -- The Lebed Method tailored for seniors in two elder-care environments -- did the trick for patients who participated regularly in therapy sessions, improving their ability to maintain balance, gait and overall functionality.

Interestingly, the Lebed Method was developed by Sherry Lebed Davis, a former professional ballroom dancer and cancer survivor with the help of her two brothers who are physicians, originally to brighten the spirits of her mother who was recovering from breast cancer. After receiving her own breast cancer diagnosis in 1996, Sherry used that very same regimen to dance her way back to emotional and physical health.

Watch Susan DeCristofaro, a nursing veteran of some 30 years and director of patient and family education at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, demonstrate The Lebed Method, a gentle way cancer patients can incorporate an exercise plan during and after their recovery.

Nursing Administration Quarterly, Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 156-161, April/June 2010

ScienceDaily April 17, 2010

With no cure for Alzheimer’s in sight, evidence is piling up on the benefits of memory food, the array of protective measures you can take to protect your brain. The latest news from the research front is particularly awesome, especially if you eat a nutritious diet.

Scientists studied the diets of some 2,150 seniors over age 65 over a four-year span, checking for signs of Alzheimer’s disease every 18 months. Thankfully, less than 12 percent of this study group succumbed to Alzheimer’s.

The patients who were the least prone to developing Alzheimer’s consumed fewer high-fat dairy products, organ meat and red meat. Among the foods healthy folks ate most often:

• Veggie superfoods such as cruciferous veggies (broccoli)

• Fish

• Tomatoes

• Nuts

• Chicken

• Olive-oil based salad dressing

Archives of Neurology April 12, 2010 Free Full Text Study

NewsDaily April 12, 2010

Considering recent studies I've posted in this space about the potential health problems facing Baby Boomers down the road, I felt the need to hedge a little bit on the question posed above today's post.

Why?

First, a bit more about a survey from the Texas-based consulting research firm Decision Analyst that polled more than 16,000 American grocery shoppers about the reasons in which they choose healthy foods. When it comes to antioxidants, iron and omega-3 fatty acids, using the adjective rich to describe foods (rich in fill in the blank) in comparison to the word added (fill in the blank added) makes a huge difference in the minds of American consumers.

The problem: The "marketing-speak" used by food marketers on occasion to sell you on "magic" ingredients like omega-3 fatty acids or antioxidants may badly blur or inflate the actual health value of the products they sell. So, when 40 percent of consumers say they're more likely to buy a product rich in anything, now I better understand why Baby Boomers (me included) should pay more attention to the entire label, not just the marketing buzzwords.

Yes, there's nothing inherently wrong in making a mental note about nutrient-rich products you've considered buying at the grocery store, just so long as you spend a minute or two doing your homework and comparing labels. This same deliberate approach should also apply to the supplements you take for your health.

NutraIngredients-USA.com March 30, 2010

Decision Analyst March 22, 2010

For far too long, video games have been a popular and all-to-easy punching bag for pop culture critics looking to pin society's failures on (and make excuses for) the lethargy and poor health habits of our nation's kids.

Over the past year, however, the reputation of video games may be turning a corner, thanks to a steadily growing number of studies supporting the use of video games as a fun and easy way to boost a child's activity levels, and, consequently, their health without a whole lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Even better for the collective health of Americans, not all of this recent good news is age-centric. Seniors can use video games -- specifically those made for Nintendo's Wii game console -- to help them fight Parkinson's disease and minor depression.

One report demonstrated how survivors of mild to moderate (ischemic) strokes who used virtual tennis and cooking games for the Wii to relearn their motor skills showed greater improvement (by 30 percent) than a control group assigned to more conventional card or block games.

Another study examined the use of Wii to jump-start the mental and physical health of seniors fighting subsyndromal depression, a common malady linked to functional disability and substantial suffering. More than a third of the patients who played a sports-themed Wii game of their choice on their own during 35-minute sessions three days a week (over two weeks) reduced the symptoms associated with their depression by at least 50 percent. And, many more enjoyed significant improvement in their mental health-related quality of life and greater cognitive stimulation.

More evidence that "youthful" things like the Wii or the iPhone aren't always "wasted" on the young...

American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 221-226, March 2010

ScienceDaily February 28, 2010

American Heart Association February 25, 2010

BusinessWeek February 25, 2010

Image source: Nintendo of America

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