Aging well, and with attitude
Look good for a longer period of time. Find out what you need to know and what products, attitude and social circle make your wiser years even better.
5:26 PM PDT, September 9, 2011
Older athletes push the limits
For the last 20 years, Bob Unger has cycled or run religiously three or four times a week. As a gift to himself for his 65th birthday in November, he decided to begin working out every day, or nearly. "I feel so much better," says Unger, a Boulder, Colo., psychologist and an avid bike racer. "It helps everything,"
September 1, 2011
Exercise counteracts aging effects
As we age, our bodies change in ways that challenge athletic ability. But exercise also can slow down — and in some cases even prevent — some of the physiological ravages of time. "A lot of things that we thought were just inherent to the aging process and were going to happen no matter what don't really have to happen if you maintain an appropriate lifestyle," says Jim Hagberg, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Maryland in College Park.
5:28 PM PDT, September 9, 2011
Confronting the wrinkles and gray hair
From hair-color treatments to Botox to surgical "mommy makeovers," it seems there is no limit to the ways women can try to hold on to their fading youth. But are these healthy self-improvements or simply vain attempts to look younger?
11:18 AM PDT, August 31, 2011
The midlife review
Ladies, it's never too late to benefit from a little talk therapy
By midlife, you've probably spent years thinking of yourself as a certain kind of person — outgoing or introverted, high-strung or easygoing, optimistic or pessimistic. You may have become accustomed to certain roles and styles of communication in your relationships and certain ways of coping with stress. Even if you're dissatisfied with those roles and your patterns of coping aren't working so well anymore, you may think it's too late or too bothersome to question your perceptions or seek changes in important relationships.
August 31, 2011
Too few with arthritis are exercising, study finds
Though research has shown that exercise can reduce pain, ease stiff joints, fight depression and help with a host of other health problems, a study published this month by researchers at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine found that even fewer people with arthritis than previously thought are getting enough exercise.
1:00 PM PDT, August 24, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Older people may learn better through trial and error
If at first you don't succeed, try again--and you may get a brain boost. A study released today in the journal Psychology and Aging found that older people benefited from trial-and-error learning. The research paper encompassed two small studies in which older and younger adults were given a series of memory tests using trial-and-error learning or errorless learning.
6:40 PM PDT, August 23, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: ODDITIES, MUSINGS AND NEWS FROM THE HEALTH WORLD
Marriage helps the heart: The stress connection
A new study found that people who'd had coronary bypass surgery were more than three times more likely to be alive 15 years later if they were happily married than if they were not married.
9:22 AM PDT, August 23, 2011
Men, boomers fuel growth in spa industry
In the United States, men wanting to look younger to compete in a tough job market are heading to spas. "Twenty five years ago hardly any man would go to a spa. Now in some spas half of their clientele are men," said Ellis.
12:46 PM PDT, August 19, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Moderate alcohol use may reduce dementia, cognitive damage: study
About to uncork that bottle of merlot? A study finds that moderate drinking may decrease the risk of dementia and cognitive decline in older people.
2:11 PM PDT, August 18, 2011
How healthy behaviors improve your mortality risk
After countless studies on the positive effects of not smoking, eating healthful foods, exercising a bit and limiting how much alcohol you drink, a new study finally tells Americans how much they could gain from those behaviors.
1:34 PM PDT, August 10, 2011
It's time to make a useful journal of your health
A written record of your health history can help prevent many medical errors, doctors say. "If you record details when they're fresh in your mind, you won't forget to tell your doctor something important," says associate professor Dr. Michael Weaver.
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Animal assisted activity programs popular at senior communities
As any dog lover knows, canines have special powers. Dogs can engage us in ways humans can't. This is especially true with seniors. There is a growing body of medical research that shows how interacting with dogs (and other pets) improve seniors' emotional and physical well-being.
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Put your time, experience and passion to good use
If you are someone who wants to put your time and talent to good use — or learn new skills as you reap personal benefits, volunteerism is one step away from achieving those goals.
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Advocates navigate the health care hurricane
Our health care system is not exactly user-friendly for anyone, let alone seniors.
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Semi-retired pastor finds solace in familiarity
The Reverend Lee Iseley and his wife Jerrianne have called a lot of places home throughout the South and the Midwest. So as they get as close as they likely ever will to retirement, it was only fitting the senior living community they chose is called Monarch Landing.
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A procrastinators' guide to retirement savings
Everyone knows it pays to start saving early for retirement. But for some older adults, that didn't happen. Food, clothing, mortgages, vacations, college educations and other costs conspired to keep them from socking funds away for retirement.
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Devices help make it easier to stay healthy
These days, gadgets that promote health and wellness are everywhere. Here are some that use technology to keep you feeling good in clever new ways. Some are designed to make everyday activities easier and more comfortable, others help you keep track of things like blood pressure and medication.
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Primetime Views: More opportunities today to explore life after 55?
We asked several people: 'Do you think there are more opportunities today to explore life after 55 compared to past generations?'
12:22 PM PDT, August 3, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Want to live a long time? Choose your genes well
The secret to a very long life may have nothing to do with what you eat, how much exercise you get, or whether you smoke or drink. It may be because you got lucky with your gene pool, a study suggests.
1:44 PM PDT, August 2, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Age-related muscle loss may be inevitable, but an experimental drug might help
Loss of muscle mass is a fact of life starting in middle age -- we lose about 1% a year in a phenomenon called sarcopenia. Researchers say they've not only discovered the cause of that loss but may have found a drug that could help it as well.
11:10 AM PDT, July 27, 2011
How to prevent age spots
Ask any dermatologist how to prevent brownish spots as you get older and you'll likely get the answer given by Dr. Elizabeth McBurney, clinical professor of dermatology at Louisiana State University School of Medicine: "Sunscreens, sunscreens, sunscreens!"
1:32 PM PDT, July 14, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Positive thinking makes for happy old people
Older people are, well, old. They are in declining health, confronting death and may already be losing some of the people closest to them. So why do many seniors seem so happy?
July 13, 2011
Laughter is the test medicine
To an Alzheimer's patient, there's nothing funny about forgetting to turn off the oven, losing a telephone number or misplacing books from the library. But turning those mishaps into punch lines might turn out to be therapeutic.
10:00 AM PDT, July 26, 2011
Live health chat
Staying out of the nursing home
What are the most common reasons that seniors end up going to a nursing home? How can older people stave off problems, avoid giving up their independence and prepare to stay safely at home? We ask doctors who have devoted their careers to helping people live well in their communities as they age. This live health chat discussed just that.
8:41 AM PDT, June 8, 2011
BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world
Wrinkles might be linked to bone density in post-menopausal women
As if wrinkles weren’t enough to worry about: Deepening smile lines and crow’s feet just might indicate weak bones, a risk for future fractures, new research suggests.
May 30, 2011
Put your stress on vacation
Got stress? But if you answered yes, you're likely heartened by the arrival of vacation season. Just the ticket for a little stress-reduction. And that can have some big payoffs. It can lower your blood pressure, boost your immune system and help you live longer. It may even make you smarter.
May 2, 2011
Midlife
How much medical testing is too much?
Midlife brings with it a host of health concerns -- the risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis, to name a few. So as people reach middle age, they're bombarded with an overwhelming number of recommendations for screenings, tests and to-be-on-the-safe-side preventive measures.
May 2, 2011
Midlife
How to pick the right medical screenings
Step 1: Familiarize yourself with the evidence for and against certain screenings.
12:11 PM PDT, March 30, 2011
How to keep joints healthy longer
Even youngish joints can feel creaky and painful without proper care. Luckily, lifestyle changes can help you stay active longer. "With an average life expectancy of more than 70 years, it's more important than ever for us to protect our bodies," says Dr. Kevin Bonner, an orthopedic surgeon who practices at Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, Va. Some tips:
Sodium countdown
How much does one teaspoon of salt hold? More and more Americans will likely find out the hard way, now that federal officials want people to reduce their daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams, or about 1 teaspoon of salt.
1:14 PM PDT, March 16, 2011
What is Qigong?
Sometimes called Chinese yoga, Qigong ("chee gong") is a mind-body practice that melds slow, graceful movements, mental focus and deep abdominal breathing to boost and balance a person's vital energy, or qi.
March 16, 2011
Taking stress out of mammograms
The words "party" and "mammogram" aren't used in the same sentence often.
January 31, 2011
The Healthy Skeptic
Facial exercises to reduce wrinkles?
Humans can out-smile, out-smirk and out-glower every other animal on the planet, all thanks to an array of facial muscles lying just below the skin. The muscles flex and twitch throughout out the day whether we think about them or not.
September 24, 2010
How to prevent (or at least delay) cataracts
Cataracts, a clouding of the eye's lens that blocks vision, are common in people 65 and older. But although age is a major risk factor, you may be able to slow the process. Some tips:
January 26, 2011
Self-control while young can predict later health, wealth
Children who have low levels of self-control at 3 are more likely to have health and money problems and a criminal record by the age of 32, regardless of background and IQ, scientists said.
Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times
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