10 Tips for a Healthy Heart – Home Care Services in Grosse Pointe, MI
1. Don’t let age discourage you from reaching your physical and fitness potential. Check with your doctor, make a plan and take a gradual approach to implementing it.
2. Do aerobic exercise 30 minutes a day, five days a week. This means increasing your heart rate.
3. Even moderate-intensity exercise—such as brisk walking, light jogging, swimming, Pilates and yoga—is good.
4. If you don’t have 30 minutes to spare, exercising in short bouts of at least 10 minutes, three times a day, can also be beneficial—as long as you get your heart rate up.
5. If you do “vigorous-intensity” aerobics—running, fast walking, bicycling, tennis, an exercise class—then 20 minutes a day, three days a week, is acceptable.
6. Adults 65 and older (or those over 50 with chronic conditions or limited mobility) need the same amount of exercise as younger people, but the activity can be less intense.
7. Strength training complements aerobic training and can help older adults prevent age-related bone and muscle-mass loss. Twice a week, perform at least one strength-training set targeted to the body’s major muscle groups. One set equals eight to 10 separate exercises, each repeated 10 to 15 times.
8. Start strength training slowly, lifting perhaps five pounds for five repetitions. Build up progressively to heavier weights and 10 to 15 repetitions.
9. Do balance exercises to prevent falls and injuries.
10. Flexibility is important, too. Ten minutes of stretching twice a week, with each stretch held for 10 to 30 seconds, is recommende
Most sports medicine professionals also suggest warming up before stretching and exercising (for instance, swimming slow laps, then picking up the pace) and cooling down afterward.
Contact Pure Home Care Services at (586) 293-2457 today! If you live in Macomb County or the surrounding area, we can help you care for your loved ones.
Dangers of Common Painkillers – Home Care Services in Sterling Heights, MI
There’s mounting evidence that regular use is risky for older people
Most of us don’t think twice about taking a nonprescription pain reliever to ease a headache or soreness that might follow a game of tennis, but there is growing evidence that commonly used painkillers such as Advil can trigger heart attacks or strokes in some people.
These nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), a diverse group that also includes Motrin and prescription varieties like Celebrex and Voltaren, have been used for decades.
Common NSAIDs
Brand name / Generic
* In the recent Danish study, naproxen (Aleve) was found to be safer than the others.
Now there is strong evidence that many of them raise risks of heart problems, says Elliott Antman, M.D., a cardiologist and professor at Harvard Medical School.
Several new studies underscore a growing awareness of the problem.
In Denmark, a team led by Anne-Marie Schjerning Olsen, M.D., a research cardiologist at Copenhagen University Hospital, reviewed medical records for nearly 84,000 heart attack survivors, 42 percent of whom reported using NSAIDs.
According to a paper published last May in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, the team found more cases of second heart attacks and strokes among the NSAID users — except for those taking naproxen (Aleve) after as little as a week. Researchers reported last year that NSAIDs raised the general risk for heart attacks even in apparently healthy people. The painkillers have also been linked with stomach bleeding and kidney failure.
Although many doctors endorse the short-term use of the common painkillers when there are no other pain-relief alternatives, the study authors decided there is no safe amount of time to take NSAIDs, according to Olsen.
In July, American and other Danish researchers reported in the British Medical Journal that new NSAID users faced an increased risk of a dangerous heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation. The risk was higher among older patients, those usingcelecoxib (Celebrex) and people with chronic kidney problems.
At the University of Florida College of Medicine, doctors who studied the records of older patients enrolled in a trial of competing blood pressure drugs found that longtime regular NSAID users faced a nearly 50 percent higher chance of death, heart attack or stroke.
Source: AARP.org
Contact Pure Home Care Services at (586) 293-2457 today! If you live in Macomb County or the surrounding area, we can help you care for your loved ones.
Coffee Linked to Reduced Risk of Common Skin Cancer – Macomb, MI
People who drank the most coffee had the lowest risk
Are you pondering that third cup of joe? Go ahead!
According to a new study, coffee has been linked to a decreased risk of developing basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer.
The study was conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
According to a Los Angeles Times article, researchers compiled data from two different studies: the Nurses’ Health Study, which followed nearly 73,000 people between 1984 and 2008; and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which followed nearly 40,000 people between 1986 and 2008. The results of both studies were surprising.
Women who drank more than three cups of caffeinated coffee per day had a 20 percent lower risk of developing the skin cancer than those who drank less than a cup per month. Men who drank the same amount had a 9 percent lower risk.
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a non-melanoma form of skin cancer. Seventy-five percent of all skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas, according to the America Cancer Society.
“Given the nearly one million new cases of BCC diagnosed each year in the United States, daily dietary factors with even small protective effects may have great public health impact,” said researcher Fengju Song, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of dermatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “Our study indicates that coffee consumption may be an important option to help prevent BCC.”
Source: AARP.org
Contact Pure Home Care Services at (586) 293-2457 today! If you live in Macomb County or the surrounding area, we can help you care for your loved ones.
Combat Heat-related Illnesses in Older Adults – Grosse Pointe, MI
NIH tips for older adults to combat heat-related illnesses
Risk of heat-related problems increases with age
Older people can face risks related to hot weather. As people age, their bodies lose some ability to adapt to heat. They may have medical conditions that are worsened by heat. And their medications could reduce their ability to respond to heat.
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, has some advice for helping older people avoid heat-related illnesses, known collectively as hyperthermia.
Hyperthermia occurs when the body overheats. Conditions involving hyperthermia have different names, including heat stroke, heat fatigue, heat syncope (lightheadedness or fainting in the heat), heat cramps and heat exhaustion.
Health-related factors that may increase the risk of hyperthermia include:
- Pre-existing diseases such as congestive heart failure, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Decreased ability to move around
- Dementia or cognitive impairment
- Certain medications that may cause dehydration or that may affect the responses to heat by the heart, blood vessels or sweat glands.
- Being substantially overweight
- Drinking alcoholic beverages
- Being dehydrated
- Age-related changes in the skin, such as decreased functioning of small blood vessels and sweat glands
Lifestyle factors that can also increase the risk of hyperthermia include hot living quarters, lack of transportation, overdressing, visiting overcrowded places, and not understanding how to respond to weather conditions. Older people, particularly those at special risk, should pay attention to any air pollution alert in effect. People without fans or air conditioners should go to shopping malls, movie theaters, libraries or other places with air conditioning. In addition, they can visit cooling centers which are often provided by government agencies, religious groups and social service organizations in many communities.
Heat stroke is an advanced form of hyperthermia. It occurs when the body is overwhelmed by heat and unable to control its temperature. In heat stroke, the body temperature is at least 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Someone with heat stroke may have a strong rapid pulse, lack of sweating, dry flushed skin, faintness, staggering and mental status changes such as confusion, combativeness, disorientation or even coma. Seek immediate medical attention for a person with any of these symptoms, especially an older adult.
If you suspect that someone is suffering from a heat-related illness:
- Move them into an air conditioned or other cool place
- Urge them to lie down and rest
- Remove or loosen tight-fitting or heavy clothing
- Encourage them to drink water or juices if they are able to drink without choking, but avoid alcohol and caffeine
- Apply cold water, ice packs or cold wet cloths to the skin.
- Get medical assistance as soon as possible.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) within the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services helps eligible households pay for home cooling and heating costs.
Source: NIH.gov
Contact Pure Home Care Services at (586) 293-2457 today! If you live in Macomb County or the surrounding area, we can help you care for your loved ones.
Eight Reasons to Be Socially Engaged – Shelby Township, MI
Over the last few decades, researchers have been fine-tuning a definitive “prescription” for healthy aging, defining the building blocks that combine to help us maintain the highest possible level of function and quality of life in our later years.
Immune System
A 2007 UCLA study demonstrated that loneliness decreases the efficiency of the immune system. The study’s author, Dr. Steven Cole, says, “The biological impact of social isolation reaches down into some of our most basic internal processes—the activity of our genes.” Several other studies also confirm that people with strong social connections exhibit stronger immunity against disease.
Blood Pressure
University of Chicago researchers released a study in 2006 showing that loneliness is linked to high blood pressure. Stress seems to be a key element of this connection. Author John Cacioppo points out that lonely individuals are less likely to approach stressful situations with “active coping and attempting to problem solve,” which leads to a hypertension-promoting passive reaction. For humans, discussing one’s problems with someone else is an instant stress buster.
Brain Health and Memory
People who are socially active may be less likely to develop cognitive impairment. In a University of Chicago study, MRI scans confirmed the negative impact of loneliness on brain health. It is important to note that in these studies, the researchers were careful to rule out “reverse causation”—the possibility that study participants were less social because they had memory loss, and not the opposite.
Physical Activity
Physical activity is frequently called the number one ingredient for healthy aging, and numerous studies demonstrate that social connections lead to increased exercise. For instance, it is more fun to walk with someone. If it’s more fun, you are more likely to stick with it.
Depression
Depression is a common challenge of growing older. One of the most important and powerful ways to fight depression is to interact and engage with others. Untreated, depression can cause a senior to withdraw from social engagement, but spending more time with others can help “jump start” recovery.
Pain
Chronic pain can have a major negative impact on quality of life. Maintaining social connection with others can be an important tool in decreasing the impact of pain. And people who are coping with chronic pain also report the positive effects of participating in support groups with others who are dealing with the same challenges.
Nutrition
Gerontologists have long known that social isolation is a big risk factor for malnutrition. Seniors who live alone often say that it is “just too much trouble” to fix a nutritious meal for one, and they may skip meals or get in the habit of snacking on junk food. This can lead to a serious weight loss—or in some cases, to obesity, when a lonely person turns to food for companionship.
Relationships
It may seem paradoxical, but socialization with a large number of people has been shown to have a positive impact on our primary relationships. Married couples who become too insular tend to expect their partner to meet all their emotional needs. In the same way, too much reliance on the parent/child bond can also be stressful for both, even when parents and children are the kinds who describe each other as “best friends.” Studies show that seniors who socialize not only with family members but also with their peers have better emotional, intellectual and physical health.
Contact Pure Home Care today…we’re here to assist Shelby Township and the surrounding area with all your home caregiving needs. Our number is (586) 293-2457.
Source: Caringnews.com
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