Q. My 85-year-old mother has been depressed since my father died. She’s also diabetic. What problems should I be looking out for and how can I help her?
Here’s an interesting fact from a recent study: About 20 to 25 percent of patients with diabetes also have depression – nearly twice as many as those without diabetes.
What’s more, older women suffering with diabetes and depression have a significantly increased risk of death from heart disease, as well as an increased death risk from all causes, over a six-year period, according to a report in a recent issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
A study of 78,282 older women in the Nurses Health Study – aged 54 to 79 – was conducted in 2000 by An Pan, Ph.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and her colleagues.
The women were classified as having depression if they reported being diagnosed with the condition, were treated with antidepressant medications or scored high on an index measuring depressive symptoms. Reports of type 2 diabetes were confirmed using a supplementary questionnaire.
During six years of follow-up, 4,654 of the women died, including 979 who died from cardiovascular disease.
Compared with women who did not have either condition, the results were:
● those with depression had a 44 percent increased risk of death,
● those with diabetes had a 35 percent increased risk of death and
● those with both conditions had approximately twice the risk of death.
When considering only deaths from cardiovascular disease,
● women with diabetes had a 67 percent increased risk,
● women with depression had a 37 percent increased risk and
● women with both had a 2.7-fold increased risk.
Be sure your mother is under a doctor’s care. If she lives alone and you can’t be with her all the time, consider hiring a caregiver companion to assist her. A companion could remind her to take her medications, help her around the house and generally brighten her day. CAREGivers from the local Home Instead Senior Care® office are bonded and insured to do just that. Many are seniors themselves.
For more information about Home Instead Senior Care of Frederick County, go to www.homeinstead.com/627. To learn more about the study, visit http://pubs.ama-assn.org/homepage/media/2011a/0103.dtl#5.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Heart Association Lowers Sodium Intake Guidelines
Q. My 82-year-old mother’s doctor is constantly harping on her to lower her salt intake. I’m never sure of how much is too much sodium and salt.
The American Heart Association (AHA) has recently weighed in on this important matter, issuing a call to action for the public, health professionals, the food industry and the government to intensify efforts to reduce the amount of sodium (salt) Americans consume daily to 1,500 milligrams.
This was already the level recommended by most health groups for senior citizens – those most in danger of high blood pressure.
The AHA noted that elevated blood pressure (hypertension) is a major public health problem – approximately 90 percent of all Americans will develop hypertension over their lifetime.
In the advisory, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, the association sets out the science behind the American Heart Association’s recommendation for the general population, which is to consume no more than 1,500 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day because of the harmful effects of sodium – elevated blood pressure and increased risk of stroke, heart attacks and kidney disease.
Sodium consumption is currently more than two times higher than the recommended upper limit of 1,500 mg daily, with 77 percent of that consumption coming from packaged, processed and restaurant foods.
"Even a modest decline in intake – say 400 mg per day – would produce benefits that are substantial and warrant implementation,” say the advisory authors.
According to the advisory:
• As sodium intake rises, so does blood pressure and the risk of negative health outcomes.
• Independent of its effects on blood pressure, excess sodium intake adversely affects the heart, kidneys and blood vessels.
• The potential public health benefits of sodium reduction are enormous and extend to all Americans.
• Scientific evidence on the adverse effects of excess sodium is strong and compelling.
It’s important to check the sodium level in packaging, particularly of processed foods, to ensure that you are staying within the recommended daily allowance. Consult with your doctor or a nutritionist if your mother has questions.
Perhaps your mom could benefit from help at home? A CAREGiver from the local Home Instead Senior Care® office could assist her with meal planning and preparations, along with errands and shopping. Why not call today.
For more information about Home Instead Senior Care of Frederick County, visit www.homeinstead.com/627. For more about the study, go to http://www.newsroom.heart.org/index.php?s=43&item=1237.
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Older-Adults-and-Social-Media.aspx
The American Heart Association (AHA) has recently weighed in on this important matter, issuing a call to action for the public, health professionals, the food industry and the government to intensify efforts to reduce the amount of sodium (salt) Americans consume daily to 1,500 milligrams.
This was already the level recommended by most health groups for senior citizens – those most in danger of high blood pressure.
The AHA noted that elevated blood pressure (hypertension) is a major public health problem – approximately 90 percent of all Americans will develop hypertension over their lifetime.
In the advisory, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, the association sets out the science behind the American Heart Association’s recommendation for the general population, which is to consume no more than 1,500 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day because of the harmful effects of sodium – elevated blood pressure and increased risk of stroke, heart attacks and kidney disease.
Sodium consumption is currently more than two times higher than the recommended upper limit of 1,500 mg daily, with 77 percent of that consumption coming from packaged, processed and restaurant foods.
"Even a modest decline in intake – say 400 mg per day – would produce benefits that are substantial and warrant implementation,” say the advisory authors.
According to the advisory:
• As sodium intake rises, so does blood pressure and the risk of negative health outcomes.
• Independent of its effects on blood pressure, excess sodium intake adversely affects the heart, kidneys and blood vessels.
• The potential public health benefits of sodium reduction are enormous and extend to all Americans.
• Scientific evidence on the adverse effects of excess sodium is strong and compelling.
It’s important to check the sodium level in packaging, particularly of processed foods, to ensure that you are staying within the recommended daily allowance. Consult with your doctor or a nutritionist if your mother has questions.
Perhaps your mom could benefit from help at home? A CAREGiver from the local Home Instead Senior Care® office could assist her with meal planning and preparations, along with errands and shopping. Why not call today.
For more information about Home Instead Senior Care of Frederick County, visit www.homeinstead.com/627. For more about the study, go to http://www.newsroom.heart.org/index.php?s=43&item=1237.
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Older-Adults-and-Social-Media.aspx
Monday, February 7, 2011
Positive Attitude Often Leads to Better Health
Q. I like to think that I am a senior with a sunny outlook on life. Does this matter when it comes to overall health?
Existing research does indicate a direct correlation between attitude and feeling good. Positive emotions do, in fact, influence healthy outcomes for older people.
"We all age. It is how we age, however, that determines the quality of our lives,” said Anthony Ong of Cornell University, author of the review article in Current Directions in Psychological Science. The data he reviews suggest that positive emotions may be a powerful antidote to stress, pain and illness.
There are several pathways through which a positive attitude can protect against poor health later in life. For example, happier people might take a proactive approach to aging by regularly exercising and budgeting time for a good night’s sleep.
On the other hand, these people may avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking and risky sex. The benefits of these healthy lifestyle choices may become more important in older adults, as their bodies become more susceptible to disease.
An optimistic outlook also has been shown to combat stress, a known risk factor for a lot of disease. Studies have found that people with stronger positive emotions have lower levels of chemicals associated with inflammation related to stress. Also, by adopting a positive attitude people may even be able to undo some of the physical damage caused by stress.
Research has uncovered an interesting paradox: Despite the notable loss of physical function throughout the body, a person’s emotional capacity seemed to stay consistent with age.
So staying upbeat definitely can make a difference in your life, as can making important contributions to society. Many older adults volunteer or even continue working. One profession that attracts seniors is caregiving. That’s because older adults can often relate the best to other seniors. The local Home Instead Senior Care® office hires senior CAREGivers to assist other older adults in their homes with such tasks as companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping and shopping.
The organization has a multi-phased safety and caregiving education program for CAREGivers. Consider sharing your good attitude by serving others.
For more information about Home Instead Senior Care of Frederick County, go to www.homeinstead.com/627. For more about the study, visit http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/are-positive-emotions-good-for-your-health-in-old-age.htmlhttp://www.utmb.edu/newsroom/article6494.aspx.
Existing research does indicate a direct correlation between attitude and feeling good. Positive emotions do, in fact, influence healthy outcomes for older people.
"We all age. It is how we age, however, that determines the quality of our lives,” said Anthony Ong of Cornell University, author of the review article in Current Directions in Psychological Science. The data he reviews suggest that positive emotions may be a powerful antidote to stress, pain and illness.
There are several pathways through which a positive attitude can protect against poor health later in life. For example, happier people might take a proactive approach to aging by regularly exercising and budgeting time for a good night’s sleep.
On the other hand, these people may avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking and risky sex. The benefits of these healthy lifestyle choices may become more important in older adults, as their bodies become more susceptible to disease.
An optimistic outlook also has been shown to combat stress, a known risk factor for a lot of disease. Studies have found that people with stronger positive emotions have lower levels of chemicals associated with inflammation related to stress. Also, by adopting a positive attitude people may even be able to undo some of the physical damage caused by stress.
Research has uncovered an interesting paradox: Despite the notable loss of physical function throughout the body, a person’s emotional capacity seemed to stay consistent with age.
So staying upbeat definitely can make a difference in your life, as can making important contributions to society. Many older adults volunteer or even continue working. One profession that attracts seniors is caregiving. That’s because older adults can often relate the best to other seniors. The local Home Instead Senior Care® office hires senior CAREGivers to assist other older adults in their homes with such tasks as companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping and shopping.
The organization has a multi-phased safety and caregiving education program for CAREGivers. Consider sharing your good attitude by serving others.
For more information about Home Instead Senior Care of Frederick County, go to www.homeinstead.com/627. For more about the study, visit http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/are-positive-emotions-good-for-your-health-in-old-age.htmlhttp://www.utmb.edu/newsroom/article6494.aspx.
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