New Study Finds Risky Drinking May Hurt Seniors More Than Teens

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Much attention is paid to the public health problem of teen drinking. We know that alcohol affects the developing teenage brain differently than the brains of adults, causing problems with memory, learning and impulse control. However, Baylor University researchers recently suggested that people on the other end of the age spectrum may be at an even greater risk of alcohol-related health problems. “Health implications such as falls, accidents and poor medicine-taking are pretty easy to conclude,” said study author Douglas B. Matthews, Ph.D.

The researchers are also looking at the relationship between alcohol abuse and memory loss, other cognitive impairment and physical coordination. Says Matthews, “We know a lot of neurobiological changes occur during aging, which underlie age-related cognitive and behavioral deficits. It’s reasonable to suspect a significant interaction exists between age-related and alcohol-induced effects in the brain.” At present, around ten percent of people over 65 engage in risky drinking behavior. The researchers point out that with the aging of the baby boomers, this may become an increasingly common and costly problem.

Copyright © AgeWise, 2013 reporting on study from Baylor University

The Color of Pills May Cause Medication Errors for Seniors

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Most seniors take medications to help manage their health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and heart disease. But it’s so important to take medications correctly. If drugs aren’t taken at the right time, or at the recommended dose, or in the right way, they may be ineffective against the condition they were prescribed for.

Taking too much of a medication can result in serious, even life-threatening side effects. Overmedication, a major concern with many seniors, can occur if a person fails to stop using a drug when directed by the prescriber; uses another person’s medications; takes a medication in excess of recommended dosage; or uses a number of different medications which have a similar effect. Some drugs can also interact seriously with certain other drugs.

Why is taking medications safely such a challenge for many older adults? A big reason is that they take many medications. According to the American Medical Association, up to 40 percent of people over age 65 take five or more prescriptions. Confusion and memory loss are also factors. And recently, an Ohio State University College of Pharmacy researcher reported that visual changes mean that seniors may have trouble telling pills apart by color.

As we grow older, color vision diminishes. We are less able to tell pills apart by color alone. Researcher Lindsay Skomrock hopes drug companies will take this research into account, and suggests that physicians consider the color of pills when prescribing drugs for seniors. Family caregivers can help seniors keep medications straight by using pill dispensers or containers with compartments. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more suggestions.

Copyright © AgeWise, 2013

This Independence Day, Declare Your Freedom From Nicotine Addiction

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This Independence Day, Declare Your Freedom From Nicotine Addiction

Cigarettes are designed for addiction. The design and contents of tobacco products make them addictive. They deliver more nicotine and deliver it quicker than ever before. Nicotine is the highly addictive drug in cigarettes that keeps people smoking, even when they want to quit. Like heroin or cocaine, nicotine changes the way the brain works and causes smokers to crave more and more nicotine. Filtered and low-tar cigarettes are every bit as addictive and are no safer than other cigarettes. Many teens who try cigarettes don’t know how easy it is to become addicted. In fact, most smokers became addicted as teenagers.

Smokers can beat nicotine addiction. Breaking nicotine dependence is harder for some people than others, and quitting can take several tries. But smokers can and do quit. Actually, more than half of all adults who ever smoked have succeeded in quitting. Smoking cessation can improve health: cessation lowers the risk for lung and other types of cancer; reduces the risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease; reduces respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath; and reduces the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), one of the leading causes of death in the United States.

Resources are available to help smokers quit. Different treatments work for different people. The most important thing is for smokers to try, try, and try again until they succeed. Smokers can find an effective way to quit.

Some ways to quit have been found to increase the chances of success. Quitting “cold turkey” is still the most common way people quit. Those who have trouble or want to increase their chances of success may want to get help from other ways that include:

  • brief clinical interventions, when a doctor takes 10 minutes or so to talk to smokers and give advice about quitting
  • counseling in individual, group, or telephone settings
  • nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine gum, inhalers, nasal sprays, lozenges, or patches
  • non-nicotine prescription medications such as bupropion SR (Zyban®) or varenicline tartrate (Chantix®).

A combination of medication and counseling has been found to be more effective for smoking cessation than either medication or counseling alone.

Smokers can receive free resources and assistance, if needed, by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or by visiting www.smokefree.gov.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Sleep On It: How Snoozing Strengthens Memories

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Information from National Institutes of Health studies shows that memories are formed and retained during sleep; poor sleep contributes to poor memory.

When you learn something new, the best way to remember it is to sleep on it. That’s because sleeping helps strengthen memories you’ve formed throughout the day. It also helps to link new memories to earlier ones. You might even come up with creative new ideas while you slumber.

What happens to memories in your brain while you sleep? And how does lack of sleep affect your ability to learn and remember? National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded scientists have been gathering clues about the complex relationship between sleep and memory. Their findings might eventually lead to new approaches to help students learn or help older people hold onto memories as they age.

“We’ve learned that sleep before learning helps prepare your brain for initial formation of memories,” says Dr. Matthew Walker, a sleep scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. “And then, sleep after learning is essential to help save and cement that new information into the architecture of the brain, meaning that you’re less likely to forget it.”

While you snooze, your brain cycles through different phases of sleep, including light sleep, deep sleep, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when dreaming often occurs. The cycles repeat about every 90 minutes.

The non-REM stages of sleep seem to prime the brain for good learning the next day. If you haven’t slept, your ability to learn new things could drop by up to 40%. “You can’t pull an all-nighter and still learn effectively,” Walker says. Lack of sleep affects a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is key for making new memories.

You accumulate many memories, moment by moment, while you’re awake. Most will be forgotten during the day. “When we first form memories, they’re in a very raw and fragile form,” says sleep expert Dr. Robert Stickgold of Harvard Medical School.

But when you doze off, “sleep seems to be a privileged time when the brain goes back through recent memories and decides both what to keep and what not to keep,” Stickgold explains. “During a night of sleep, some memories are strengthened.” Research has shown that memories of certain procedures, like playing a melody on a piano, can actually improve while you sleep.

Memories seem to become more stable in the brain during the deep stages of sleep. After that, REM—the most active stage of sleep—seems to play a role in linking together related memories, sometimes in unexpected ways. That’s why a full night of sleep may help with problem-solving. REM sleep also helps you process emotional memories, which can reduce the intensity of emotions.

It’s well known that sleep patterns tend to change as we age. Unfortunately, the deep memory-strengthening stages of sleep start to decline in our late 30s. A study by Walker and colleagues found that adults older than 60 had a 70% loss of deep sleep compared to young adults ages 18 to 25. Older adults had a harder time remembering things the next day, and memory impairment was linked to reductions in deep sleep. The researchers are now exploring options for enhancing deep stages of sleep in this older age group.

“While we have limited medical treatments for memory impairment in aging, sleep actually is a potentially treatable target,” Walker says. “By restoring sleep, it might be possible to improve memory in older people.”

Source: National Institutes of Health

Foot Care; Diabetes Care – Take Good Care of Your Feet

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What Makes Feet Hurt?

Most of us start life with trouble-free feet. What goes wrong? Of hundreds of known foot ailments, most can be traced to:

  • heredity
  • improper foot care
  • injury (often caused by shoes and socks or stockings that don’t fit well)
  • the effects of aging.

Women have about four times as many foot problems as men. As you might guess, high-heeled, narrow shoes are often the culprit.

Even a small problem with the feet can make walking difficult and painful. So taking care of your feet pays off in a big way.

Constant weight-bearing over the years may cause feet to spread and flatten, especially across the front part of the foot. You may find that you need a wider and longer shoe as you age. Be sure the shoe fits before you wear it!

Common Foot Problems

Corns and calluses

Corns and calluses are caused by repeated friction and pressure from shoes. If the first signs of soreness are ignored, corns and calluses rise up as nature’s way of protecting sensitive areas.

Neither calluses nor corns have roots under the skin; they are simply thick layers of dead skin cells. However, the pressure of this hard mass on sensitive nerves in the skin can be painful.

Many people develop calluses under the ball (the front part) of the foot. Your doctor can arrange padding to prevent worsening of this problem.

At the first sign of tenderness, pads placed on the skin around the calluses will help protect the area. (Pads over the callus will increase the pressure.)

Bunions

A bunion is a deformity at the big toe joint. It occurs when the big toe slants outward at an angle and becomes swollen or tender. Bunions can be inherited, or caused by wearing shoes that are too narrow in the forefoot. Sometimes bunions are a sign of developing arthritis in older people.

Athlete’s foot

Athlete’s foot is caused by a fungus. Painful itching between toes, cracked or scaly skin, small blisters and red, irritated skin patches are usually signs of athlete’s foot or other fungal or bacterial conditions.

The best way to help prevent athlete’s foot infection is to keep feet clean and dry with a daily washing. Be especially careful to dry between toes. Use a foot powder to help feet stay drier through the day.

Ingrown toenails

Ingrown toenails have corners which have been crowded by the skin. To prevent ingrown toenails, trim nails straight across with toenail clippers. Do not round off corners. The nail should be kept trimmed to protect it from pressure and irritation. After clipping, smooth nails with a file.

To ease the pain of an ingrown toenail, wear open-toed sandals and soak feet in warm water once or twice a day.

Hammertoe

Hammertoe is a hooked or claw-like deformity that affects millions. The most common forms are acquired, and shoes or stockings that cramp the toes may be a factor. Toe joints contract, and over a period of time, a bulge forms at the top of the joint. Hammertoes can affect overall balance and comfort.

Blisters

Blisters are caused by poor-fitting shoes and socks. If blisters occur, don’t pop them—you may cause infection. If a blister breaks on its own, carefully wash the area, apply antiseptic, cover with a sterile bandage during the day, and uncover at night to let the skin breathe.

Poor blood circulation

Your feet are the “outer reaches” of your circulatory system. So cold temperatures, pressure, inactivity or smoking can restrict the circulation of blood to them. The signs are persistent, unusual feelings of cold, numbness, tingling, burning or fatigue in feet and legs. Other symptoms may include discoloration, dry skin, absence of hair on feet or legs, or cramping or tightness in leg muscles when walking. Keep warm, exercise moderately, and have periodic medical exams.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, which is usually caused by the wear and tear of the joints that comes with age, often affects the feet and inhibits movement. Proper foot care and proper padding to cushion feet are especially important for people with this condition.

Special Care for Diabetics

Diabetes can affect blood circulation. It can also lessen feeling in the feet. So diabetics are especially vulnerable to foot problems. People with diabetes should be sure to keep the feet warm, to wear non-restrictive shoes, and to always wear shoes in order to protect the feet. Checking daily for redness, cuts and cracks can prevent them from developing into more a more serious problem. If you have diabetes, see your physician about even the most simple foot problems. Avoid cutting corns or calluses and using any remedy containing salicylic acid (an ingredient listed on labels of certain corn remedies). Trim toenails carefully to avoid breaking the skin or producing an ingrown toenail.

Learn More

April is Foot Health Awareness Month. The American Podiatric Medical Association website offers consumer information on foot care (www.apma.org/learn/index.cfm).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated their recommendations for diabetic foot care (www.cdc.gov/Features/DiabetesFootHealth)

Copyright © IlluminAge AgeWise, 2013

How Much Do You Know About Seniors and Nutrition?

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March is National Nutrition Month! This is a great time to pay attention to the foods that we choose. While the basic guidelines for a healthy diet are pretty much the same for people of every age, older adults have special needs and concerns. Nutrition affects the all-around health of seniors, is a factor in a senior’s ability to properly absorb medications, and can have an impact on various health conditions that are common as we get older. If a senior loved one’s nutrition habits aren’t supporting good health, it might be time to sit down over a good meal and bring up the topic. And if you’ve never given much thought to nutrition, now might be the time to take a look at your own dietary choices!

Try your hand at this trivia quiz to see how much you know about the nutritional concerns of older adults.

1. The average person gains 10 to 20 pounds from age 45 to 65. This is…

A.    Normal and desirable. We need body fat to keep us warm.
B.    To be avoided. A person’s recommended weight remains the same throughout adulthood.
C.    Unusual. Few people gain weight as they grow older.
D.    Caused only by growing older, and not by inactivity or overeating.

Answer: B. Avoiding excess weight gain as we grow older helps us remain active and independent.  While recent studies suggest that a few extra pounds won’t hurt us, maintaining a healthy weight is important for preventing or managing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.

2. Being significantly underweight…

A.    Is a “red flag” for possible health problems.
B.    Is great—the thinner the better!
C.    Can lead to fatigue, mental confusion and depression.
D.    A and C

Answer: D. Recent studies confirm that a slight weight “reserve” is beneficial for elders. When we lose too much weight, we are at greater risk for osteoporosis and other health problems. Report unexplained weight loss to the healthcare provider right away.

3. Poor diet in older adults can lead to…

A.    Osteoporosis
B.    Mental confusion
C.    Increased risk of falls
D.    All of the above

Answer: D. During our senior years, it’s as important as ever to consume the nutrients our bodies need for good health. Sometimes without anyone noticing right away, seniors can be caught up in a cycle of poor nutrition and health problems. It’s important to address the problems that lead to appetite loss.

4. Loss of appetite can be caused by…

A.    Depression and loneliness
B.    Medications
C.    Tooth or denture problems
D.    All of the above

Answer: D. Mood disorders, some medications taken for conditions such as heart disease and pain control, and tooth problems or poorly fitted dentures are all common causes of appetite loss in seniors. The first step is to address these problems. The healthcare provider may also recommend nutritional supplements if weight loss continues to be a problem.

5. If a person has Parkinson’s, had a stroke, arthritis or another condition that makes eating difficult, he or she…

A.    Will never be able to relearn independent eating.
B.    Should not rely on adaptive devices like long-handled spoons.
C.    Can get help from a rehabilitation therapist.
D.    Should be discouraged from trying to feed him- or herself.

Answer: C. Physical limitations are another major cause of poor nutrition. If eating is difficult or discouraging, an occupational therapist can offer innovative ways to eat as independently as possible. Speech-language therapists provide help for swallowing disorders.

6. People with heart disease should limit the intake of…

A.    Cholesterol and saturated fat
B.    Fish
C.    Whole grains
D.    Nuts

Answer: A. Limiting cholesterol intake is important for preventing and managing heart disease. High fat and cholesterol diets are also linked with increased risk of stroke, cancer and other disorders. Choices B, C and D on the list are all foods that promote heart health.

7. Which of these foods does not contain cholesterol?

A.    Avocado
B.    Beef
C.    Cheese
D.    Eggs

Answer: A. Avocadoes, while higher in calories than most fruits and vegetables, contain a healthy type of fat. Cholesterol is only found in meat and dairy products.

8. Which statement about vitamins and supplements is true?

A. It is possible to take a harmful overdose of supplements.
B.  All seniors can get the nutrients they need from food alone.
C. Supplements are regulated by the FDA.
D. The recommended daily amount of vitamins and minerals is the same for people of every age.

Answer: A. While eating well is the best path to good nutrition, vitamins and other supplements may be recommended for older adults. But be sure to follow the doctor’s advice on which and how much to take. The bodies of older adults process toxic substances less efficiently, and it is possible to take a harmful amount of substances such as vitamins A and D, calcium and iron.

9. Older adults are the age group most likely to…

A.    Get all the nutrients they need from food sources alone.
B.    Be targeted by sellers of fraudulent nutritional products and supplements.
C.    Be skeptical about supplements sold as “anti-aging” products.
D.    Research the value of supplements before purchasing them.

Answer: B. Seniors are often targeted by unscrupulous companies who sell useless and possibly dangerous vitamins or food supplements. These companies make attractive but impossible claims about “miracle anti-aging” products, and their numbers are growing every year. If your loved one is purchasing these products, encourage him or her to discuss this with the healthcare provider.

10. Seniors on a limited income may skimp on nutritious foods. Help may be available through…

a. Meals on Wheels
b. Congregate eating centers, like Senior Hot Lunch
c. Food stamps
d. All of the above

Answer: D. Senior nutrition programs are available in most communities. Hot meals or frozen meals can be delivered right to a senior’s home; others prefer to go to a dining center, where they can enjoy socialization along with their meal. Your local Senior Information agency will have more information about these programs.

For More Information

The USDA offers a wide variety of information and resources to help seniors meet the nutritional challenges of later life.

Copyright © IlluminAge AgeWise, 2013