December 17, 2017

Caffeine May Help Kidney Disease Patients Live Longer

Caffeine consumption may prolong the lives in patients with chronic kidney disease, according to a study presented at ASN Kidney Week 2017. Coffee consumption has been linked to a longer life in the general population. To see if this holds true for individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), Miguel Bigotte Vieira, MD, of Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, in Portugal, and his colleagues examined the association of caffeine consumption with mortality among 2,328 patients with CKD in a prospective US cohort, using the continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999– 2010. The team found a dose-dependent inverse association between caffeine and all-cause mortality. […]
December 17, 2017

MIND Diet Could Help Prevent Dementia

Dementia is one of the most dangerous and distressing conditions anyone can face in their lives. It is a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes, caused by brain disease or injury, and marked by memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning. According to a previous report, almost 47 million people are living with dementia around the world with 4.1 million of them living in India. There are more than 9.9 million new cases of dementia diagnosed each year worldwide, implying one new case every 3.2 seconds. People are twice as afraid of losing their cognitive skills as they […]
December 12, 2017

Can Heartburn Medications Harm Your Kidneys?

Extended use of acid-reflux medications such as Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid is linked to an increased risk of kidney disease, according to a new study led by a resident doctor at Bassett Medical Center. These heartburn pills, known as protein pump inhibitors, are among the most widely prescribed medications in the world, and several are available over the counter. They work by reducing stomach acid production so the esophagus can heal, and are intended for short-term use. “I think the awareness has not been made public so patients will know,” said Dr. Raquel Rosen, head of nephrology at Bassett Medical Center. “When you’re […]
December 5, 2017

The Cancer-Diet Link Is Getting Clearer

In August 2016, the New England Journal of Medicine published a striking report on cancer and body fat: Thirteen separate cancers can now be linked to being overweight or obese, among them a number of the most common and deadly cancers of all — colon, thyroid, ovarian, uterine, pancreatic and (in postmenopausal women) breast cancer. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added more detail: Approximately 631,000 Americans were diagnosed with a body fat-related cancer in 2014, accounting for 40 percent of all cancers diagnosed that year. Increasingly, it seems not only that we are losing the war on cancer, but […]
November 20, 2017

Smart To Be Taking Vitamins Before Pregnancy?

Women of childbearing age need more education about the benefits of taking certain vitamins — even before they become pregnant — to prevent birth defects, according to a survey released last month by the March of Dimes. While 97 percent of women surveyed who have been or are currently pregnant reported taking prenatal vitamins or multivitamins during their current or last pregnancy, only 34 percent say they started taking the prenatal vitamin or multivitamin before they knew they were pregnant, the survey shows. That number drops to 27 percent for Hispanic women and to 10 percent for black women. The […]
November 20, 2017

Most Elderly Hip Fractures Occur Indoors

The American Society of Anesthesiologists issued the following news release: Think the shorter winter days, ice and snow put your older loved one at greater risk for a fall and broken hip? Think again. A preliminary study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY(R) 2017 annual meeting shows that the majority of falls occur during warm months, and a greater number of the falls happen indoors rather than out. “Falls are one of the most common health concerns facing the elderly today,” said Jason Guercio, M.D., M.B.A., study author, North American Partners in Anesthesiology at The Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain. “And this population is the fastest growing […]
November 20, 2017

Tart Cherry Juice Drinkers Could Gain An Hour of Sleep

A double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study reported recently in the American Journal of Therapeutics found that drinking Montmorency tart cherry juice extended sleep time by an average of 84 minutes in older patients with insomnia. “Insomnia is quite common among older adults and it can lead to a range of health issues if left untreated,” observed lead researcher Jack Losso, who is a professor in the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge. “However, many people are hesitant to resort to medications to help them sleep. That’s why natural sleep remedies are increasingly of interest and […]
November 14, 2017

Tips to Keep Eating Healthy at 50 And Beyond

A balanced diet is an integral element of a healthy lifestyle for men, women and children alike. According to the National Institute on Aging, simply counting calories without regard for the foods being consumed is not enough for men and women 50 and older to maintain their long-term health. Rather, the NIA emphasizes the importance of choosing low-calorie foods that have a lot of the nutrients the body needs. But counting calories can be an effective and simple way to maintain a healthy weight, provided those calories are coming from nutrient-rich foods. When choosing foods to eat, the NIA recommends eating […]