The 25th Conference of Alzheimer’s Disease
International opened this past week in Greece. The conference brings together
medical authorities from around the world to discuss the latest research on the
disease. Alzheimer’s disease affects 5.3 million people in the United
States alone and 26 million people worldwide. It is an irreversible and
debilitating illness that deteriorates people’s memory and weakens their physical
and mental abilities.

According to findings presented at the conference,
although there is still no cure, non-drug treatments are the most effective at
managing the disease. These treatments have been used for years but only
recently have they achieved the status of being “evidence-based
research”.  Non-drug therapies are not only more effective but they are
also far less expensive than drug treatments and have been proven to delay
entry into nursing homes.

The two most common treatments are cognitive stimulation
and reminiscence therapy. In cognitive simulation, patients meet in small
groups a few times a week and partake in activities that are meant to be
mentally stimulating and enjoyable.  Activities include anything from
baking to word games. Studies have found that patients participating in
cognitive stimulation groups score higher on memory, language and thinking
tests than they did before they started the therapy.

With reminiscence therapy, groups focus on activities that
involve personal events and experiences.  For instance, old pictures,
objects and music are used as a tool to bring back memories from the past. Both
therapies have proven to be effective in improving the mood, behavior and
quality of life of those with Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease is incurable but it can be
managed. If you are someone you know is suffering from the disease, you may
want to consider trying the non-drug treatments discussed in this article.
Being aware of your options and the latest research is an easy and effective
way to get the best treatment possible. 

Every
18 seconds, an older adult is brought to the emergency room because of a
fall.  Not a disease, or a condition, but a fall that may have been
preventable. As a result, 23,000 of these falls will result in death. These
fatalities are most often due to head injury or hip fractures which lead to
long hospitalizations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) over a third of people age 65 and older fall each year. 
In 2006, CDC figures showed that falls contributed to 1.8 million emergency
room visits by Americans age 65 older.  This number had climbed to 2.1
million visits by 2008.

Recent
studies have uncovered new causes that also contribute to the incidence of
falls. It has been found that those in severe pain were seventy-seven percent
more likely to experience a fall. Pain can lead to falls because the body
naturally alters its’ stance and movement in order to adapt to the pain. It
therefore is important to work with your doctor to manage your pain the pain
and address any underlying medical conditions that cause it. 

Researches
also found that inner-ear disorders, such as vestibular dysfunction, exacerbate
your chance of falling. These types of conditions can make you feel dizzy and
affect your balance.  If you have these symptoms, have your doctor test
you for these disorders. In addition, twenty-two different studies have shown
that sedatives and antidepressants may dramatically increase your likelihood of
falling.

Being
aware of the dangers of falling and taking preventative measures decreases your
chances of taking a potentially fatal fall. If you have a medical condition or
lifestyle that maybe hazardous, talking to your physician is the first and most
important step in protecting yourself.   

Women have historically
been treated differently than men when it comes to heart because their risk has
been considered to be lower. However, in the mid-nineties, The National
Institutes of Health mandated that women be included in all clinical studies
including those involving heart disease. Since that time, studies have shown
that women are also at risk and more women die every year in the United States
from heart disease than men.

A recent study in the
journal Circulation revealed startling findings on how preconceptions of female heart
disease affect women’s treatment. Doctors are “much less likely” to identify
women who are at high-risk than men of who share the same risk profiles. As a
result, women are not getting the preventative care they need to battle their
disease. Women are also less likely to be referred for helpful procedures such
as balloon angioplasty, stents and imaging tests.

Heart disease can present
itself in many different ways. Women, more often than men, experience something
other than the classic squeezing and crushing chest pain normally associated
with a heart attack. Women’s symptoms are often fatigue, nausea, back pain, and
dizziness which they confuse for heartburn or acid reflux. In the United
States, sixty-four percent of women who die of heart disease have had previous
symptoms.

It is important to know the risk factors for heart disease
and work to reduce the ones you have control over. Obesity, high cholesterol,
hypertension, tobacco use, diabetes, family history, and age can all contribute
to your heart health. However, certain factors pose a higher risk for women.
Diabetes, for instance, raises heart disease risk twice as much for woman than
as it does for men. Tobacco also poses a great danger to women.  Data has
shown that a woman smoking a similar amount as a man is more likely to develop
heart disease.