Alzheimer’s is something everyone fears as they grow older. About 1% of all Alzheimer’s cases are directly caused by a gene mutation. This mutation causes early-onset Alzheimer’s which is also known as familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD). There is another genetic link to the development of Alzheimer’s. While this mutation doesn’t directly cause Alzheimer’s like that
In the last 15 years, suicide in the United States has increased by more than 30% and the use of antidepressants has increased by 65%. Some recent studies have shown that there was a spike in suicide rates, especially among teens and young adults starting around 2006 which also happens to be the year that
Most of us hate having to take prescription drugs or have any kind of medical procedure done, including surgery. The greatest reason is that we hate being cut open with the pain and discomfort that follows and the cost of both surgery and medications used during surgery plus just normal meds our doctors prescribe for
These days, regardless of what age you are, many hospitals require that you have a living will before any surgery is done on you. Sometimes, they’ll hand you a living will form that you fill out, check the appropriate boxes, sign your name and then hand it in to the hospital before you undergo your
If you asked 100 medical experts if there is an advantage to being obese, they would adamantly say NO, without the slightest hesitation. Obesity has been directly linked to increased risk of developing heart disease, strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure and some cancers. There is a ton of evidence to support these claims, so how
Next time you go out someplace in public where there are a number of people ranging in age from 40 and older, take a quick look at overall body types? I generally classify people 40 or older into three different body types – slender, normal and heavy. I’ve noticed that where you go will determine
Is there any one word in the English language that is more feared than ‘cancer’? How many of you have heard that word? And how many of you that have heard that word first thought it was a death sentence? According to the National Cancer Institute: In 2018, an estimated 1,735,350 new cases of cancer
Some common complaints among many seniors is that they are lonely, and they no longer feel useful or productive or they just don’t have a purpose. This often leads to depression and losing the will to live. They simply give up and wither away. The feelings of loneliness or uselessness can also result in stress,
Over the past year and half, I’ve written a number of posts about dementia and Alzheimer’s and, I confess, am guilty of using the two interchangeably and I hope to rectify this confusion here and now. Don’t they both describe the same conditions? In many ways yes, but there is one distinct difference, as this
Everywhere you turn to, health and nutrition experts are telling us to eat more fruit and vegetables. That’s great, but in today’s fast paced world, it’s not always easy to indulge in the healthier choices. Among the fruits that are recommended by many nutritionists are melons – watermelon, cantaloupes, honeydew, casaba and other types of
