Healthy Aging: Body, Mind & Spirit

Reliable information on OTC menopause products

I just discovered a very useful and apparently trustworthy website if you need to research over the counter products that may help with some of those bothersome menopause symptoms.   You know like feeling an uncontrollable urge to kill somebody…I’m just saying!    The Wellesley Center for Women’s Health tests the latest over-the-counter products and tells you what they have found.   Their video is worth watching too!

If you just need a great menopause-related laugh, read this:

A study conducted by UCLA’s Department of Psychiatry has revealed that the kind of face a woman finds attractive on a man can differ depending on where she is in her menstrual cycle.

For example: If she is ovulating, she is attracted to men with rugged and masculine features.   However, if she is menstruating, or menopausal, she tends to be more attracted to a man with duct tape over his mouth and a spear lodged in his chest while he is on fire.   No further studies are expected.

Hot Flashes and Heart Attacks…

ABC News: A new study suggests that women who experience hot flashes early on in their menopause, also seem to have a lower risk of heart attack.

“The timing of hot flashes may make a big difference in terms of what they signify in terms of heart health,” said Dr. Ellen Seely, of Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the senior author of the study.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, and the risk increases dramatically after menopause.   This study found a woman’s risk of heart attack rises depending on when hot flashes begin in menopause.   Analyzing data from more than 60,000 women over an average of almost 10 years, women were asked to recall their symptoms — like hot flashes and night sweats — in questionnaires about their health.   The women were in their early 60s on average, about 14 years after the start of menopause.

Dr. Sharonne Hayes, from the Mayo Clinic’s department of cardiovascular diseases, said the results of the study add to the growing understanding of the complicated relationship between symptoms of menopause and heart attacks later in life.   “What it does tell us is that the interplay between hot flashes and night sweats and future cardiovascular risk and menopause is much more complex than we thought it was before,” but cautioned more research is needed.

The finding contradicts previous studies which suggested that hot flashes and night sweats are associated with increased heart attacks and stroke.   While cardiologists are intrigued, they warn it’s too early to fully understand the link.   This study should “reassure women who may have been concerned by older studies” about the relationship between menopause symptoms and the increased risk of heart disease, Hayes said.

Spinal fluid reveals differences between CFS and Lyme Disease

Proteins found in the spinal fluid may serve as biomarkers to help doctors cut through the clutter of symptoms that show up in two groups of patients — those with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and others with lingering effects from Lyme disease.

Different sets of proteins discovered in the two groups indicate these are distinct and distinguishable disorders and that both involve the central nervous system, researchers report in the February PLoS One.

Read more about it here.

The physiological effects of breaking up

Come to find out there have actually been scientific studies of exactly how devastating rejection is to the human mind and body.   Check out this new article in the Huffington Post: The reasons why break ups are devastating…

Alcohol use and heart disease

An alcoholic drink a day can help keep heart disease at bay, according to a review of 30 years of research.

The work, published in the British Medical Journal, showed a 14% to 25% reduction in heart disease in moderate drinkers compared with people who had never drunk alcohol.

Read more about it here.

Cell phones and your brain

New research by the National Institutes of Health suggests that mobile phones do have an effect on the brain.   It suggests that brain activity is affected, but cannot draw any conclusions about possible health implications.   Read more about it here.

I’ll be the control subject in the study ten or twenty years from now, because I have never used a cell phone!

Myths of Longevity

I just read an article in Parade magazine that made me think.   It’s a summary of findings from the new book: The Longevity Project.

Here’s a few findings that surprised me:

Marriage guarantees a longer life. Actually this is most true for men with good marriages.   Women who divorced and never remarried usually lived long lives.

Taking it easy makes you live longer. Ambition, perseverance, impulse control, and high motivation contribute to a resilient work life, which does lead to more years overall.

You can worry yourself to death. The best predictors of longevity are conscientiousness, being well-organized, thrifty, persistent, detail-oriented and responsible.

More education means longer lives. Much more relevant than years of education is productivity and persistence in facing life’s challenges.

Outgoing, friendly people thrive better than quiet, shy types. Highly social people do not live longer lives than those who are more introverted.

Being a jock when you’re young leads to a healthier life. Actually being active in your middle years is more important to overall health.   Find activities that suit you and stick to them over the long haul.   Walking, hiking, gardening, skiing are some good examples.

And, of course, the will to live is key in all of this!

Is your mind still growing?

Learn more about neuroplasticity, memory and aging here.

The Myth of Multitasking

Hey, are you checking your email and tweeting and instant messaging while you’re reading this?   Maybe talking on the phone and playing with your kids too?   Well, you’d better not.

Sure, you think you can do two, three, four things at once, but brain researchers say otherwise.   You’re probably just doing two or three things badly.

Stop what you’re doing and find out more here.

New research on CFS treatment options

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also known as ME, can be treated with a form of behavioural therapy or exercise, say British scientists.

Here’s the latest from a Lancet study.

This study did not look at changes in diet, supplements, etc.

Professor Michael Sharpe, co-author of the Lancet study said: “One of the difficulties in this field is ambiguity, what is the cause and most importantly, what is the treatment?”