Posts

Learn How Aging Muscles Can Benefit from High-Intensity Training

/in /by

aging musclesIt’s so easy to fall into a more sedentary lifestyle in our later years, especially if aches and pains from aging muscles and chronic conditions such as arthritis are a factor. But new research shows that even short bursts of high-intensity exercise – less than 15-minute intervals – can make a significant difference on the health and wellbeing of older adults.

Case in point: a recent study of adults over age 55 involved briskly walking for three minutes, followed by slower walking for another three, resulting in better blood pressure and stronger endurance levels than walking at a steady, moderate pace for the same duration.

Testing on frail, sedentary laboratory mice equivalent in age to 65-year-old humans showed that a program of high-intensity interval exercise on a treadmill, three times weekly over a period of four months (equivalent to eight human years) were stronger, had greater muscle mass and endurance, and were more active than their sedentary counterparts.

Dr. Bruce Troen, professor of medicine and head of the division of geriatrics at the University of Buffalo and conductor of the study, found most impressive that “the animals had tolerated the high-intensity training very well, despite their advanced ages.”

Responsive Home Care’s Florida senior care services team urges seniors to check with their physicians for approval to begin a high-intensity exercise program, or other activities to enhance health and wellbeing and improve the condition of aging muscles. And our care team is happy to help implement and provide the encouragement to enable seniors to stay on track and reap the rewards. Contact us at 954-486-6440 for assistance!

Understanding Heart Attacks

/in /by

Home Health Care Sunrise FL

Home Health Care Sunrise FL

As a family caregiver for your aging parent, it is important that you are aware of the risks that your aging parent faces so that you can make the decisions that are right for them to help reduce this risks and protect their healthy, active, fulfilling lifestyle. One of these risks is heart attack. By educating yourself about heart attacks, you can better prepare yourself to give your parent the level of care that they need and deserve as they age in place.

Some things that you should know about heart attacks include: 

  • Approximately 1 in 4 deaths throughout the United States each year is related to cardiovascular disease.
  • This accounts for approximately 610,000 deaths each year.
  • Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death throughout the United States for both men and women.
  • Each year throughout the United States, approximately 735,000 people suffer from a heart attack.
  • Of these people, around 535,000 occur in people who have never had a heart attack before.
  • The remaining heart attacks occur in those who have already had a heart attack, furthering their risk of suffering another and increasing the chances of severe complications associated with it.
  • Deaths associated with heart disease are largely equal among blacks and whites, and are lower among Asians, American Indians, and Alaska Natives.
  • Approximately 92 percent of people acknowledge chest pains as the primary sign of a heart attack.
  • Only 27 percent of people report knowing all of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
  • Only just over a quarter of people report knowing that they should call for emergency medical services when someone is showing signs of suffering a heart attack.
  • Just under half of all sudden deaths associated with heart attack occur outside of a hospital setting.
  • In many situations, sudden death occurs because the person or their caregiver does not recognize the early signs of heart attack so the victim does not get the care that they need when they need it.

If your parent has recently suffered from a heart attack or is at increased risk of suffering a heart attack, now may be the ideal time for you to consider hiring home health care for them. If your parent has already suffered from a heart attack, this in-home senior care services provider can be there to help your loved one keep up with the care guidelines and recommendations offered by their doctor. This can help them to get the rest that they need to get their body healthy and strong again, and can provide valuable reminders for medications and other treatments that your parent needs to handle. If they have not yet had a heart attack but are at increased risk, having a home health care provider in the home with them can mean improving their lifestyle so that they can reduce this risks. This can mean helping them make better food choices, encouraging them to be more active, or offering support when they are trying to get away from vices that can increase the chances of heart attack, such as smoking or drinking.

Sources: https://www.cardiosmart.org/Heart-Basics/CVD-Stats http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/statistics.htm

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Health Care Services in Sunrise FL to provide companionship, compassion and motivation, please contact the caring staff at Responsive Home Health. Call today 954-486-6440.

CAN INJECTIONS OF YOUNG BLOOD REVERSE AGING?

/in /by

It sounds like something from a sci-fi movie: injecting blood from a young person into an aging, Alzheimer’s patient, and watching as renewed youth is awakened. But that’s exactly the outcome realized in studies of mice, which showed astounding brain cell growth in the area of the brain critical to memory and learning—the hippocampus. Perhaps just as incredible was the effect on the brains of the younger mice who received injections of older mouse blood, resulting in stunted neuron growth.

The first human trial is already underway on Alzheimer’s patients, led by Tony Wyss-Coray, neurology professor at the Stanford School of Medicine, with results expected by the end of the year. But what will the impact be if the study proves that young blood does reverse aging in humans? Practical applications may involve short periods of infusions to help older patients heal faster after a surgery, but there are many fears about the unknown impact of interfering with the body’s natural aging process.

Learn more by listening to Wyss-Coray at a recent TED conference.

THIS ONE SIMPLE TEST COULD PREDICT BREAST CANCER RELAPSE

/in , /by

Cancer survivors whose disease has gone into remission have so much to celebrate and be thankful for, and many are celebrating this October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But there may always remain a concern in the back of their minds: could the cancer return? For women who have survived breast cancer, there may at last be a way to put this fear to rest once and for all.

A simple blood test is showing great promise in predicting a relapse of breast cancer—as much as eight months in advance of it being detected by current imaging methods. And although the initial testing group was small, the prediction was accurate in an astounding 12 out of 15 women.

According to Dr. Nicholas Turner of the Institute of Cancer Research, lead author of the study, “We have shown how a simple blood test has the potential to accurately predict which patients will relapse from breast cancer, much earlier than we can currently.”

Although the test is not yet available to those outside of the study, the goal is to one day utilize this method to be able to individually tailor treatments, and hopefully bring us one step closer to eliminating breast cancer altogether.

IBUPROFEN AND NAPROXEN ALERT: FDA ISSUES ELEVATED WARNING FOR HEART ATTACK AND STROKE RISK

/in /by

The latest findings from the FDA are in, and should make every one of us stand up and take notice: ibuprofen and naproxen, those seemingly harmless over-the-counter medications that we reach for so often for every ache and pain (Advil, Motrin, Aleve), have a confirmed hidden danger.

Although the FDA has long warned that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) could potentially increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, the wording of this warning is being revised to reflect a more serious nature, as it’s been proven that NSAIDs, in fact, DO increase that risk. And the danger applies to even short-term use, increasing when taken over an extended period of time.

What does this mean for the average consumer who occasionally takes ibuprofen or naproxen? According to Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist with the Cleveland Clinic, “If you are someone with a low risk of heart disease, and you have back pain or arthritis pain and need these drugs to function, it’s reasonable to take them.” Basically, the FDA’s recommendation is to take the least possible amount of the medication for the least possible amount of time.

Those who should be concerned about their use of NSAIDs include patients with a history of heart disease, heart attack, heart surgery, high blood pressure, or chronic pain—particularly those older than 65. The risks are estimated to generally increase when taking ibuprofen or naproxen as follows:

  • Over-the-counter dose: about 10% higher risk
  • Prescription medication low dose: about 20% higher risk
  • Prescription medication higher dose: as much as 50% higher risk

As with any medical concern, talk with your physician before starting, stopping or modifying any prescribed medication regimen.