Tuesday, June 17th, 2008

Did you know that 80% of all strokes are preventable?The National Stroke Association’s stroke prevention guidelines help you learn how you may be able to lower your risk for a first stroke.The Stroke Prevention Guidelines were established by National Stroke Association’s Stroke Prevention Advisory Board, which includes an elite group of the nation’s leading experts on stroke prevention.

National Stroke Association suggests you ask your doctor for advice on how to best use the following guidelines.

Stroke Prevention Guidelines:

1.  Know your blood pressure.Have your blood pressure checked at least annually. If it is elevated, work with your doctor to keep it under control.High blood pressure (hypertension) is a leading cause of stroke.You can check your blood pressure at your doctor’s office, at health fairs, at home with an automatic blood pressure machine, or at your local pharmacy or supermarket.

2. Find out if you have atrial fibrillation.Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an irregular heartbeat that changes how your heart works and allows blood to collect in the chambers of your heart.This blood, which is not moving through your body, tends to clot.The beating of your heart can move one of these blood clots into your blood stream, and can cause a stroke.Your doctor can diagnose AF by carefully taking your pulse.AF can be confirmed or ruled out with an electrocardiogram (ECG) (a recording of the electrical activity of the heart) which can probably be done in your doctor’s office.

3. If you smoke, stop. Smoking doubles the risk for stroke.If you stop smoking today, your risk for stroke will immediately drop.Quitting smoking can significantly reduce your risk of stroke from this factor.

4. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.Studies now show that drinking up to two alcoholic drinks per day can reduce your risk for stroke by about half.  More alcohol than this each day can increase your risk for stroke by as much as three times and can also lead to liver disease, accidents and more.

5. Find out if you have high cholesterol (a soft, waxy fat (lipid) in the bloodstream and in all body cells).Know your cholesterol number.If your total cholesterol level (LDL and HDL) is over 200, talk to your doctor.  You may be at increased risk for stroke.LDL, known as the “bad” cholesterol, is the form that builds up and causes plaque which may narrow arteries and limit or stop blood flow.  LDL can be inherited from your family members or be a result of your body chemistry.  It can also be the result of a diet high in saturated fats, lack of exercise, or diabetes.HDL is the “good” cholesterol that sweeps the blood and removes plaque.Lowering your cholesterol may reduce your risk for stroke.

6. If you are diabetic… Follow your doctor’s advice carefully to control your diabetes.Often, diabetes may be controlled through careful attention to what you eat.Work with your doctor and your dietitian (a health care professional who helps promote good health through proper eating) to develop a healthy eating program that fits your lifestyle.Your doctor can prescribe lifestyle changes and medicine that can help control your diabetes.Having diabetes puts you at an increased risk for stroke; by controlling your diabetes, you may lower your risk for stroke.

7. Exercise.Include exercise in your daily activities.A brisk walk for as little as 30 minutes a day can improve your health in many ways, and may reduce your risk for stroke.Try walking with a friend; this will make it more likely that you’ll make it a habit.If you don’t enjoy walking, choose another exercise or activity that you do enjoy, such as biking, swimming, golf, tennis, dance, or aerobics.Make time each day to take care of yourself by exercise.

8. Enjoy a lower sodium (salt), lower fat diet. By cutting down on sodium and fat in your diet, you may be able to lower your blood pressure and, most importantly, lower your risk for stroke.

9. Circulation (movement of the blood through the heart and blood vessels) problems.  Ask your doctor if you have circulation problems which increase your risk for stroke.
Strokes can be caused by problems with your heart (pump), arteries and veins (tubes), or the blood which flows through them. Together, they are your circulation. Your doctor can check to see if you have problems in the circulation supplying blood to your brain.

10. Symptoms.If you have any stroke symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.Read our article to learn more about stroke symptoms.

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

What are the symptoms of a stroke?

The symptoms of stroke are distinct because they happen quickly.Because stroke injures the brain, you may not realize that you are having a stroke and to a bystander, someone having a stroke may just look confused.

Symptoms of a Stroke May Include:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body)
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden severe headache with no known cause
If you believe someone is having a stroke call 911 immediately.

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

More than 100 million Americans should be monitoring their blood pressure at home, according to three major health organizations that are issuing at home blood pressuremonitoring.Hypertension is a blood pressure reading greater than 140 over 90. Pre-hypertension is a reading higher than 120/80, the desired level, but just below 140/90.

Some of the specific recommendations include:

Patients should purchase a blood pressure monitor with cuffs that fit on the upper arm.Wrist monitors are not recommended.
Two or three readings should be taken at a time, one minute apart, while resting in a seated position. The arm should be supported, with the upper arm at heart level and feet on the floor.Readings should be taken at the same time every day, as recommended by a health-care provider.The target goal is a reading under 135/85, or less than 130/80 in high-risk individuals.The home monitoring recommendations open the door to a totally new way of controlling blood pressure, Oparil said.
Source: usnews.com

Thursday, May 15th, 2008

According to a recent study, having high cholesterol levels in your 40s may raise the chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life.
The study involved 9,752 people in northern California found that those with high cholesterol levels between ages 40 and 45 were 50 percent more likely than those with low cholesterol levels to develop Alzheimer’s disease later in life.The findings were presented this past week at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Chicago.

Read the entire article at reuters.com

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008

Results from a recent large government experiment are lowering the hopes that two common painkillers can prevent Alzheimer’s disease or slow mental decline in older people.The study will be ending early due to not enough data to prove how the drugs act on thinking and memory.

The study showed that the arthritis drug Celebrex and the over-the-counter painkiller Aleve showed no benefit on thinking skills. Earlier results from the same research showed the two drugs didn’t prevent Alzheimer’s, at least in the short term.

The experiment was halted several years early in 2004 when heart risks turned up in a separate study on Celebrex. Researchers also had noticed more heart attacks and strokes in the people taking Aleve in the Alzheimer’s prevention study.

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Government researchers claim that Senior Citizen’s have more money and are expected to live far longer than prior generations.They said the average net worth of older Americans( 65 years of age and older) has increased almost 80 percent over the past 20 years. They also found that those who reach the age of 65 are now expected to live an average of 19 more years, or seven years longer than people who had reached age 65 in the year 1900.

The findings are part a report released on Thursday called Older Americans 2008.The report forecasts that by 2030, the number of Americans over the age of 65 will nearly double to 71.5 million, or 20 percent of the U.S. population, up from 12 percent, or 37 million people, in 2006.

It also found that senior citizens in the United States are far better educated than prior generations. In 2007, 76 percent of those over 65 had high school diplomas, and at least 19 percent had a bachelor’s degree, up from 24 percent with high school diplomas in 1965 and just 5 percent with bachelor’s degrees.

Senior Citizens like many other groups, are getting fatter, the researchers said. In the 2005-2006 study period, 37 percent of women aged 65 to 74 were obese, and 24 percent of women age 75 and over were obese. This is up from the 1988-1994 study period, when 27 percent of women age 65 to 74 and 19 percent of women age 75 and over were obese.

Source: reuters.com

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

According to a recent research study, the happiest Americans are our senior citizens, and that seniors are more socially active than the stereotype of the lonely senior suggests.

The study showed that the odds of being happy increased 5 percent with every 10 years of age.Overall, about 33 percent of Americans reported being very happy at age 88, versus about 24 percent of those age 18 to their early 20s. And throughout the study years, most Americans reported being very happy or pretty happy; less than 20 percent said they were not too happy.

The the artilce at : msnbc.com

Monday, April 28th, 2008

Medicare health insurer, Humana Inc. reported a 12.5 percent rise in its first-quarter profit. The growth in its Medicare Advantage and commercial businesses more than offset an expected decline in its stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plans.The results beat Wall Street expectations, and the company raised full-year earnings-per-share projections.

The Louisville-based company earned $80.17 million, or 47 cents per share, in the three months ended March 31 compared to $71.2 million, or 42 cents a share, in the year-ago period.Revenue rose 12 percent to $6.96 billion from $6.2 billion.

The Medicare Advantage plans offer comprehensive health coverage.

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008

 As many as 5.2 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s right now.

• It is projected that 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer’s in their lifetime.

• Every 71 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s.

• Alzheimer’s Disease is the seventh-leading cause of death.
The direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementias to Medicare, Medicaid and businesses amount to more than $148 billion each year.
These are just a few of the facts in our new report, 2008 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. The report can be found at www.alz.org and it includes a comprehensive statistical abstract of U.S. data on Alzheimer’s disease that includes: prevalence, mortality, the costs of Alzheimer care, family caregiving and the lifetime risks of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Thursday, March 20th, 2008

Before you send your tax returns to the IRS, make sure you get the tax-savings you deserve as a caregiver. As a caregiver for a loved one, you may qualify for tax deductions and credits.

Tax deductions

Deductible caregiving costs may include:

Medical care, including nursing care
Transportation essential to medical care
In-home care, such as physical therapy
Personal care items, such as disposable briefs and special foods
Nursing home care
Assisted living or other residential care
Home modifications such as grab bars or wheel chair ramps
A caregiver can take federal income tax deductions only if the person with dementia has been certified as chronically ill. This certification must have been made by a licensed health care practitioner within the last 12 months.

Long-term care services must be given under a prescribed plan of care. Be sure to keep records of all your payment for services, and save certifications on the plans of care.

For more details on deducting caregiving costs, see IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses.