Health Extra!
Wellness news from the world over
Enjoying life is the best medicine
A happy marriage is good for the heart, suggests the Heart and Stroke Foundation. A three-year study followed 118 men and women with mild hypertension (high blood pressure). In the group whose marriages were strained, heart wall thickness increased by roughly 8 percent (thicker heart walls often translate to higher blood pressure). Heart wall thickness decreased 5 percent in those who defined themselves as happily married. Overall, the unhappily married group showed higher blood pressures during the entire study. The conclusion? Feeling good about yourself and your relationships may be good medicine.
Anger management
It doesn’t take much to tick someone off nowadays. You could simply be trying to merge your car into the next lane or trying to grab some oatmeal across the grocery store aisle. Some people can get angry easily, with men more apt to blow their fuse than women.
Why the difference between men and women when it comes to controlling anger? Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine suggest that men’s and women’s brains are fundamentally different. Because the part of the brain that controls aggression is smaller in men than it is in women, men tend to be more combative. Both genders have the same ability to produce emotions, but when it comes to keeping those feelings in check, women may be better equipped neurologically to step on the brakes.
Pain in the neck
It’s 3:15 p.m. and your teenager has been complaining about a headache since the moment he came home from school. A likely excuse to avoid the inevitable piles of homework? Maybe. But it’s also possible he’s telling the truth. A recent report by Swedish researchers found that as many as 50 percent to 70 percent of adolescents say they have headaches—citing noisy classrooms, tough academic subjects and insecure relations with classmates as the main reasons.
Kids’ headaches are not that much different from adults’ and are often triggered by skipping a meal, playing too long in the hot sun or being nervous about an upcoming test. Strong odors and eating too much junk food are other culprits. You can treat most simple headaches at home with rest; a cool, moist cloth across the forehead; and acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Virus warning for cancer patients
Many cancer patients highly underestimate their risk for developing respiratory viruses—with deadly consequences. Cancer reports that viruses like influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and parainfluenza can progress rapidly in cancer patients because of their compromised immune systems. In a study of cancer patients undergoing treatment in three cancer centers in the U.S. and Europe, up to half the patients contracted one of these respiratory bugs. What’s more, the death rate was as high as 75 percent. The researchers report that getting a flu shot, washing your hands often and staying away from sick people are the best ways to remain healthy. And don’t hesitate to notify your doctor at the first sign of sickness.
Stress tied to strokes
How stressed are you? If your answer is “very,” you could be among those with a 50 percent higher risk of having a stroke than those who report being stress-free. So suggests a study by the American Heart Association. Researchers say the link may be due to cardiovascular risk factors. Highly stressed individuals tend to smoke, be less physically active, drink more alcohol and have high blood pressure. While these findings are not conclusive—it’s often hard to separate stress from other risk factors—it’s always helpful to try to reduce the anxieties and pressures in your life.
Babies make stronger bones
What steps can women take now to prevent breaking a hip later in life? Exercising, eating well, taking supplements—and giving birth. According to the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, childbirth might be one of your best bets for keeping your hips strong in old age. Out of 9,700 older women surveyed over a 10-year period, those who had never given birth were 44 percent more likely to fracture a hip after age 65. On the other hand, not only were women who had children in less danger, but their risk of hip fractures further decreased with each child they had. Researchers believe that changes in hip alignment caused during pregnancy and childbirth may be a factor.
Using medication caution
Seniors often fail to take medications correctly—sometimes with fatal results, according to researchers at LaSalle University. A survey of more than 27,000 Medicare patients uncovered 1,523 errors involving prescriptions, dosages or adherence to treatment instructions. What’s more, nearly 28 percent of those errors could have been prevented. So how can you avoid making mistakes with your medications? The key is communication. Learn all you can about your prescriptions and talk to your doctor about what medications you’re taking, how you should take them and when you should stop taking them.
