MONDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) — Gender-specific regulation of cholesterol levels may help prevent depression in the elderly, suggests a new study.

 

French researchers followed a large group of men and women aged 65 and older for seven years. They found that depression in women was associated with low levels of "good" high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), which puts them at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, including stroke.

 

Previous research has shown that certain types of stroke increase the risk of depression.

 

In contrast, depression in men was linked with low levels of "bad" low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). This association was strongest in men with a genetic vulnerability to depression related to a serotonin transporter gene.

 

The study appears in the July 15 issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry.

 

"Our results suggest that clinical management of abnormal lipid levels may reduce depression in the elderly, but different treatment will be required according to sex," corresponding author Dr. Marie-Laure Ancelin, of INSERM, Montpellier, France, said in a journal news release.

 

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MONDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) — The snoring and breathing disturbances of sleep apnea may be more than just a nuisance, with a new study linking the condition to higher risks for heart failure and heart disease in middle-aged and older men.

 

However, the study found no correlation between sleep apnea and coronary heart disease in women, or in men older than 70.

 

"The key here is that there is a lot of undiagnosed sleep apnea, and that, at least in men, it is associated with the development of coronary heart disease and heart failure. Only about 10 percent of sleep apnea cases are diagnosed, " said Dr. Daniel Gottlieb, associate professor of medicine, Boston University School of Medicine.

 

Gottlieb noted that while the jump in heart risk was noteworthy, it was not as large as that seen in previous clinic-based studies of sleep apnea because the participants were drawn from a broad community-based population.

 

According to background information in the study, sleep apnea sufferers awaken suddenly during the night struggling to breathe, often experiencing a shot of blood pressure- raising adrenaline. Most often, they go right back to sleep, unaware of what happened. But the awakenings are repeated, sometimes up to 30 times an hour, depriving the sufferer of vital oxygen and sound sleep.

 

The research is published online July 12 in Circulation.

 

In the study, almost 2,000 men and about 2,500 women — all free of heart problems at the beginning of the research — were recorded as they slept using polysomnograms, which measured the presence and severity of sleep apnea as calibrated on the Apnea-Hypopnea Index.

 

About half had no symptoms of sleep apnea, the team found, while half had mild, moderate or severe symptoms.

 

Participants were then contacted at various times from 1998 to the final follow-up in April 2006. During that time, 473 cardiac events occurred, including 185 heart attacks, 212 heart bypass operations, and 76 deaths. There were also 308 cases of heart failure; of these 144 people also had a heart attack.

 

The study found that men between 40 and 70 years of age who had severe sleep apnea were 68 percent more likely to develop heart disease, and 58 percent more likely to develop heart failure, than those without the condition. Increasing severity of sleep apnea was also associated with obesity, high blood pressure, hypertension and diabetes, all of which are known contributors to heart disease.

 

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, approximately 14 million Americans suffer from coronary heart disease, the most common cause of death in the United States.

 

Dr. Jordan S. Josephson, a sinus, snoring and sleep apnea specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said the study is important because "it brings a greater awareness to the public about sleep apnea." He believes that sleep apnea, linked to heart disease through this and other studies, may be an indirect factor in many heart deaths.

 

Experts estimate that the condition affects 24 percent of men and 9 percent of women, but Josephson believes the numbers are actually higher because people don’t know they have a problem unless a partner or spouse tells them they snore.

 

"Sleep apnea is [also] the number one medical cause for divorce and the ending of partnerships," added Josephson, because many couples end up sleeping apart, not sleeping well, and not functioning well during the day.

 

Dr. Stuart Fun Quan, another of the study’s authors, agreed that the under-diagnosis of sleep apnea is "unfortunate."

 

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Most of the caregiver “solutions” that I have found in the Alzheimer’s world are temporary if they aren’t easily adaptable. My mother’s rapid decline has me on my toes trying to be creative enough to come up with new solutions on what seems like a weekly basis now. Repetitive questions about the day of the week, time of day and meals were constant throughout the day.

A large wall calendar worked for a while. I crossed off the days as they passed and moved a sticky note with “Today” written on it to the current day. In time, neither the calendar in general nor the note “Today” made sense to mom. She only cares to know the day of the week now.

The large faced digital clock with AM/PM helped for a while but it eventually stopped making sense, too. In addition, Daylight Savings has wreaked havoc on the household since it’s light both early and late in the day; consequently, the repeated questions about whether it’s time for breakfast or dinner began.

Even though mom had dinner at 5PM she began asking for breakfast at 7PM thinking it was morning. I hung a large wall clock in a convenient location and she could read it but couldn’t distinguish between day and night. A hook on the wall under the clock now holds computer generated signs that I alternate — one each for Day and Night. At the moment they are helping.

 

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This will change your life. Yeah, who hasn’t heard that before about a fitness regimen? But that’s exactly what older adult participants in CrossFit claim. “I can keep up with people half my age and I like that,” exclaims Theresia Sabayan, a 59 year old grandmother from British Columbia. “I love it and plan on doing CrossFit forever. It’s always interesting, always workable. I don’t have to spend hours at the gym with very little results. It’s quick, it works.”

 

What is CrossFit? Participants don’t use StairMasters or weight machines. Instead they do brief, high-intensity workouts that mix simple gymnastics, track and field skills and bodybuilding primarily using their own body weight. The program stresses functional fitness, meaning you’ll actually be able to do more with your life. Initially, devotees were paramilitary groups such as firefighters & police officers. It’s quickly spreading to other demographics, including the “silvers”. A quick peek at a typical CF workout is intimidating, even for a 20-something. Yet, advocates are quick to point out the scalability of movements that can be performed by anyone, of any age and condition. Dan Hope, a 67 year-old from Athens, Georgia says: “One of the great things about CrossFit is that anyone can participate. It may take some of us well beyond our prime to admit we are no longer able to function at the levels we enjoyed in our youth, but scaling makes it possible to stay active.” Who knew sweat could be an intergenerational, bonding experience? “I am 64 in September and working out along side a fellow who wants to be a Navy Seal”, states Ellen Clifford of Minneapolis. “Now, how awesome is that?!”

 

Steve Shaughessy, of Charlotte, North Carolina who recently turned 60, has been practicing for 18 months. He concedes it’s hard work, “but the benefits are well worth it. I’ve lost 30 lbs., improved my strength, have way less pain in my arthritic knee, feel younger and have more energy”. Ellen, who is Steve’s sister, has also seen positive changes in her life such as weight loss, increased confidence, improved strength and energy. “I sleep better and just seem to have more enthusiasm for life in general. My balance has also improved and that’s a big thing when you get older”.

 

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(ARA) – Growing older and getting reading glasses seem to go hand in hand, just like getting gray hair or wrinkles as you age. But that doesn’t have to be the case if you take steps to care for your eyes as you age.

 

Presbyopia, a natural effect of aging, happens to just about everyone around the age of 40, even if you have had laser eye surgery. As you age, the lens in each of your eyes begins to lose its ability to change focus quickly on an object or page of text, causing blurred vision at reading distance. Chances are that you know several people who have this condition, and you may develop it yourself, now or in the future.

 

Some simple, yet often overlooked steps can help you take care of your eyesight as you age:

 

* During prolonged intervals in front of a TV, computer or other electronic device, try blinking more often than you might normally. Every so often, look away from the device and focus on a distant object.

 

* Be sure to have adequate light while reading; a simple lamp may not do the trick, causing you to strain your eyes.

 

* Maintain a healthy diet. Contrary to popular belief, carrots are not the best vegetable for your eyes: spinach and other dark, leafy greens contain high amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin, beneficial antioxidants for vision.

 

* Visit your eye care professional regularly.

 

Beyond a healthy lifestyle, there are solutions to common age-related vision problems. With presbyopia, bifocals or reading glasses (for contact lens wearers) are a common solution. However, reading glasses can be cumbersome and easily misplaced, and bifocals require you to use a magnification lens intended for reading anytime you look down, which can make mundane tasks as simple as walking down stairs unnecessarily difficult.

 

Bausch + Lomb’s Multi-Focal contact lenses are designed with All-Distance Optics, a technology that delivers sharp, clear vision wherever you choose to focus. By using a gradual power shift across the entire lens, your eyes effortlessly adjust from up-close reading to mid-range computer work to distance vision while driving. There’s no need to reach for glasses to accommodate a quick change in distance.

 

Multi-Focal contact lenses mean you don’t have to sacrifice convenience for clear, crisp vision. Ask your eye care professional about how Multi-Focal contact lenses can help you say goodbye to your readers today, or log on to www.goodbyereaders.com to learn more.

 

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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If you suspect your parent has Alzheimer’s, here are some warning signs to look for:

 

Read more at agingcare.com by Clicking Here. 

 

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For more assistance with an aging loved one in your life visit our website at www.middlesexnj.rightathome.net or www.ltcep.com/sholom.