Living to 100 – Our Latest Appearance on The Charlotte Today Show

General Posted by anthony Date December 17, 2014

Depression Can Independently Impact Dementia

General Posted by anthony Date December 15, 2014

Depression Can Independently Impact Dementia How Is Depression Related to Dementia? A new study published in the online issue of Neurologyå¨, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology gives insight into the relationship between depression and dementia. ÛÏStudies have shown that people with symptoms of depression are more likely to develop dementia, but we havenÛªt known how the relationship works,Û said study author Robert S. Wilson, PhD, with Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. ÛÏIs the depression a consequence of the dementia? Do both problems develop from the same underlying problems in the brain? Or does the relationship of depression with dementia have nothing to do with dementia-related pathology?Û The current study indicates that the association of depression with dementia is independent of dementia-related brain changes. ÛÏThese findings are exciting because they suggest depression truly is a risk factor for dementia, and if we can target and prevent or treat depression and causes of stress we may have the potential to help people maintain their thinking and memory abilities into old age,Û Wilson said. The study involved 1,764 people from the Religious Orders Study and the Rush Memory and Aging Project with an average age of 77 who had no thinking or memory problems at the start of the study. Participants were screened every year for symptoms of depression, such as loneliness and lack of appetite, and took tests on their thinking and memory skills for an average of eight years. A total of 680 people died during the study, and autopsies were performed on 582 of them to look for the plaques and tangles in the brain that are the signs of dementia and other signs of damage in the brain. During the study, 922 people, or 52 percent of the participants, developed mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or mild problems with memory and thinking abilities that is often a precursor to AlzheimerÛªs disease. A total of 315 people, or 18 percent, developed dementia. The researchers found no relationship between how much damage was found in the brain and the level of depression symptoms people had or in the change in depression symptoms over time. People who developed mild cognitive impairment were more likely to have a higher level of symptoms of depression before they were diagnosed, but they were no more likely to have any change in symptoms of depression after the diagnosis than people without MCI. People with dementia were also more likely to have a higher level of depression symptoms before the dementia started, but they had a more rapid decrease in depression symptoms after dementia developed. Having a higher level of depression symptoms was associated with more rapid decline in thinking and memory skills, accounting for 4.4 percent of the difference in decline that could not be attributed to the level of damage in the brain.

Dance Therapy Reduces Hip and Knee Pain and Falling Risk

General Posted by anthony Date December 12, 2014

Dance Therapy Reduces Hip and Knee Pain and Falling Risk

Jean Krampe, Ph.D.

Dancing eases hip or knee pain and helps older adults move better, according to a small Saint Louis University study.

“After dancing, over several months they reported less pain and were able to walk faster,” said Jean Krampe, Ph.D., assistant professor of nursing at Saint Louis University and lead author of the article. The findings are significant because older adults who walk too slowly are more likely to fall, become hospitalized or require care from others, Krampe said. “Doctors and nurses recognize gait speed as the sixth vital sign that can help us predict adverse outcomes for older adults,” Krampe said. “Walking just a little more rapidly can make enough of a difference for a person to get across the street more quickly or get to the bathroom faster, which keeps them functional and independent. In our study, those who danced didn’t walk dramatically faster, but they had a meaningful change in their walking speed.” In addition study participants who danced reported that they reduced their consumption of pain medicine by 39 percent and those who didn’t dance said they took 21 percent more pain medicine. Krampe and her colleagues from SLU’s School of Nursing and SLU’s department of physical therapy conducted the 12-week study with 34 residents of a senior citizen apartment complex, who were mostly women and an average age of 80. All said they had pain or stiffness in their knees or hips, in most cases caused by arthritis. Researchers divided the study participant into two groups. Nineteen volunteers were in the group that danced for 45 minutes up to two times a week and 15 did not receive dance therapy. They otherwise engaged in similar physical activities. Overall, the average participant in the dance group attended 21 out of 24 sessions. “Those in the dance group talked about how much they loved it. It’s exercise, but it’s fun,” Krampe said. “This is not surprising because those in our study are from a generation that loved dancing.” The specific kind of dance therapy in the study, Healthy-Steps, is a low impact aerobic activity that is slow and rhythmic and can be done sitting or standing. Developed by a dancer and used to improve strength and flexibility during physical and occupational therapy sessions, SLU researchers customized Healthy-Steps for study participants who have arthritis and pain their lower extremities. “Dance-based therapy for older adults needs to be gentle, slow and include options so it can be performed standing or sitting because their fatigue or pain level can change day to day,” Krampe said. The research was published in Geriatric Nursing. It was funded by the University of Iowa Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence Grant, Saint Louis University School of Nursing and the Sigma Theta Tau International Delta Lamda Ann Perry New Investigator Award.

Arthritis Drug May Slow Alzheimer’s

General Posted by anthony Date December 10, 2014

Arthritis Drug May Slow Alzheimer’s A drug that is commonly used for arthritis has been shown to slow the progression of AlzheimerÛªs. A small randomised control study at the University of Southampton tested the drug Etanercept on patients with mild to moderate AlzheimerÛªs. Forty-one participants were either given the drug or a placebo every week for six months. They were then assessed for memory function, efficiency of day-to-day activities and behavior. Results showed that patients who were given Etanercept did not get any worse during the six month follow up compared to those on the placebo, who did decline. Professor Clive Holmes, who led the study, comments: ÛÏOur results are better than we expected. We have shown that using Etanercept in patients who have AlzheimerÛªs disease would be safe and has positive outcomes after six months. However this is a small study and should now be tested in a larger clinical trial.Û Etanercept works by blocking the effects of a protein in the blood called TNFë± which is released by blood cells as part on the bodyÛªs inflammatory response. Etanercept acts to markedly reduce the active levels of TNFë±. Dr Eric Karran, Director of Research at AlzheimerÛªs Research UK, the UKÛªs leading dementia research charity, says: ÛÏAfter many years of research into the role of the immune system in AlzheimerÛªs, led by the team in Southampton, itÛªs promising to see a compound targeting this process showing encouraging early results in people. While we still await the full report of the findings, Etanercept, a drug already recommended for use in arthritis, appeared to be well tolerated by the AlzheimerÛªs patients enrolled into the trial. As always check with your physician. Chances are they will be hearing this first from you!

Guest Authors Wanted

General Posted by anthony Date December 9, 2014

Many of you know I am the about.com expert in assisted living. What started out as a B2B site is now morphing into a B2B and B2C site. Our new value proposition is simple: Provide information for consumers for choosing care. Provide information for businesses to seize opportunities in an aging marketplace. We have done a good job with the latter; the former is where we are expanding and growing. Here is what we are looking for in terms of 750 word articles. Aging in Place