Be Happy Live Longer
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According to a recent article in USA Today, happy people have a 35% reduced risk of dying compared with those who reported feeling least happy.
A British study of 3,853 participants ages 52-79 had people rate their feelings at different times on one particular day. Five years later, researchers recorded the number who died and controlled for a variety of factors, including age, gender, health, wealth, education and marital status.æ
Andrew Steptoe, a psychology professor at University College in London, who co-authored the study said it is not just the fact that some people are just naturally happier than others. He told USA Today it is also “what they are doing, who they are with, and other features of that point in time. Both are important.”
What is not clear is whether happy feelings are the key to longevity or if it’s something else that causes extended life.æ Others who have done research in this area think this study is significant.
Could some people just have been having a bad day? Certainly. But researchers believe that the sample population was so large that having odd days didn’t really matter very much.æ
Laura Kubzansky, an associate professor in the Department of Society, Human Development and Health, at Harvard’s School of Public Health in Boston, says “I think people sort of undervalue emotional life anyway. This highlights the idea that if you are going through a period where you’re consistently distressed, it’s probably worth paying attention to how you feel äóî it matters for both psychological and physical health.”
The area of happiness is an emerging trend. Heck even Zappos changed their vision to Creating Happiness. Certainly you cannot will someone to be happy but I believe that the positive affects of being happy show up in a healthier, less stressed body.
So…you know it’s coming…don’t worry…..
Cataract Surgery Improves Mood, Cognition, Sleep in Alzheimer’s Patients
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People with mild forms of Alzheimer’s disease experienced improvement in sleep patterns, cognitive functioning and mood after undergoing vision-correcting cataract surgery.
Researchers at Tenon Hospital in Paris studied 38 patients with mild Alzheimer’s and debilitating cataract in at least one eye before and after participants underwent cataract surgery.æ
- They found that 25% of these patients exhibited improvement in cognitive status, the ability to perceive, understand and respond appropriately to one’s surroundings.
æ - Several of the patients became less depressed.
The findings were presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Annual Meeting.
Chances are your ophthalmologist is unaware of this study. Ask him/her about it.
Who Gets Custody of Grandma After the Divorce?
Who from my family will step up and care for me as I grow older? That is a question a lot of baby boomers are asking themselves. Because the prospects are scary.
In a study reported in Long-Term Care Magazine, divorce and remarriage is changing the role of adult children in caring for aging parents and the quality of family relationships is often trumping genetic ties argues a researcher from the University of Missouri.
Lawrence Ganong, a professor and co-chair at the universityäó»s Department of Human Development and Family Studies, found that relationship quality, a history of mutual help and resource availability influence decisions about who cares for parents and stepparents.
Ganong said: äóìHow close family members are to each other, how much they have been helped by them in the past and what hardships caregiving might place on family members are important factors when people consider caring for older kin.äó
Ganong and his research team presented study participants with hypothetical caregiving scenarios involving an aging parent or stepparent and a child or stepchild. Participants then responded to questions about their perceptions of who should provide care.
The majority of participants said biological factors are relevant in caregiving decisions, but they do not automatically require adult children to help older relatives.
äóìBased on what happens before, during and after marital transitions, family members may change what they think their responsibilities are regarding helping and providing care to kin,äó Ganong said. äóìAs a society that relies on families to provide much of the care for older adults, we need to better understand the effects of changes in families due to divorce and remarriage.äó
Ganong recommended that middle-aged adults have honest conversations with parents and stepparents about expectations for caregiving and other types of assistance before needs arise.
Ganong’s study, äóìWho Gets Custody of Grandma After the Divorce? How Marital Transitions Affect Family Caregiving Responsibilities,äó was funded by the National Institute on Aging.
So now I am praying that my stepson, whose mom I am divorced from, will stay married to my lovely daughter-in-law!
Physical and Mental Benefits of Yoga
The following is a guest post from Liz Davies.
Studies show that yoga can decrease symptoms associated with cancer and its sometimes harsh treatments such as chemotherapy and radiations. Studies have shown that nausea, headaches, and fatigue are greatly reduced by yoga. Yoga can also be helpful for mental or emotional issues such as anxiety and depression related to the stress of having to live with such a burden. A study published in 2009 showed that 100 cancer patients who practiced yoga before undergoing surgery were much more likely to tolerate side effects of the procedure such as pain and post-surgical nausea. Researchers have also found that the overall quality of life in cancer patients who do yoga is drastically higher than in those who do not.
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There are a lot of types of yoga, with each branch of the practice differing widely as to what organ systems are helped. For instance, Hatha yoga is a wonderful way of reducing muscle pain and to relax, thus reducing stress. In comparison, Kundalini yoga may be better for the patient who is suffering from fatigues and wishes to increase energy levels.
Staying motivated to exercise while suffering from cancer can seem like a daunting task. Changing the types of yoga done can help add some variety and excitement, thus increasing the chances that the patient will keep yoga in his her life. Asking a friend of family member to do yoga can is helpful, and writing down what he or she wants to achieve while practicing it can also add incentive.
Because of the widely varying levels of yoga, there is almost certainly a type which is suitable for any level of activity. This makes the practice relatively safe for the cancer patient. This type of activity is good for any type of cancer patient including liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and even rare forms like epithelial mesothelioma. It should not, however, be used as a primary treatment for cancer as it is not known to prevent or stop cancer growth. Any patient thinking of implementing yoga into their cancer management program should ask their oncologist whether or not it is a suitable option.
Editor’s Note: Consult your physician for embarking on any program. Also note that while this post specifically has dealt with cancer patients, yoga has been shown to benefit people of all ages and health.æ
Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in peopleäó»s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April.
Helpful Links from Liz:
Hatha yoga
Kundalini yogaæ
Liver Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Epithelial Mesothelioma
