Healthy Aging Archive

Older adults who don't get enough vitamin D, either from sun exposure, dietary sources, or supplements, face higher risks of mobility problems.

Older people still need immunizations, including vaccines against pneumonia; influenza; tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (every 10 years); and possibly shingles.

Q. I have trouble seeing things clearly at night. Should I change my glasses, or could it be a more serious eye problem?

A. Particularly as people reach age 60 and older, trouble seeing at night is a common problem. The problem could be with your glasses, or with your eyes.

If we just implemented a few simple healthy strategies into our daily lives, we could dramatically reduce the number of cancer deaths in this country, according to the American Cancer Society's annual report, Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts & Figures. An estimated 577,190 people will die from cancer in 2012, according to the report. Nearly 175,000 of those deaths—about a third—will be due to tobacco use alone. An additional one-third of cancer deaths will be caused by obesity and overweight, lack of physical activity, and poor diet, the organization says. To turn these numbers around, the American Cancer Society is focusing on several objectives over the next three years. Their goal is to get more Americans to:

• quit smoking

• do 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week

• eat at least 2 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables daily

• protect their skin from the sun by staying indoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., wearing an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen, and avoiding tanning booths

• follow American Cancer Society guidelines for breast cancer, colon cancer, and other cancer screenings.

Practicing seven healthy lifestyle habits might reduce your risk of dying from heart disease or any other cause. Unfortunately, few women are following all of these habits.

If you're over 65, you may no longer need to see your clinician for a Pap smear every year, according to new cervical cancer screening recommendations from both the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and American Cancer Society.

A new series of books is bringing readers the kind of inspirational stories that have made Chicken Soup for the Soul books international bestsellers plus with trusted health advice from Harvard Medical School. The combination of stories providing hope, inspiration, and great person-to-person advice plus straight talk and life-changing medical information from Harvard doctors will help readers live healthier, more satisfying lives. Each book focuses on a single topic. The first four will be available beginning May 22, 2012. They are Chicken Soup for the Soul: Boost Your Brain Power! by top neurologist Dr. Marie Pasinski; Chicken Soup for the Soul: Say Goodbye to Back Pain! by leading physical medicine expert Dr. Julie Silver; Chicken Soup for the Soul: Say Goodbye to Stress! by noted psychologist Dr. Jeff Brown; and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Say Hello to a Better Body! by respected internist Dr. Suzanne Koven.

Computer games are being touted as a way to keep the body fit. Can they do the same for your brain? Most experts say “Not so fast.” As described in Improving Memory: Understanding age-related memory loss, a new Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School, people who play these games might get better at the tasks they practice while playing, but the games don’t seem to improve users’ overall brain skills, such as attention, memory, use of language, and ability to navigate. To stretch and exercise your brain, choose an activity you enjoy—reading, playing cards, or doing crossword puzzles are some good examples. If you’re feeling ambitious, try learning to speak a new language or play a musical instrument. Most of these activities come at a much lower cost than brain-training programs, and you’ll probably find them to be a lot more enjoyable, too.

Choline may labor in obscurity — if you haven't heard of it, you're in the majority — but it's an essential nutrient that does important work in the body.

And now there's some research that lends some credence to claims that the nutrient may be something of a "brain food" that fends off cognitive decline in old age.

Scientists have long known that certain nutrients are essential for brain development and function. There's also evidence that good nutrition can help stave off cognitive decline in older people. But studies of single nutrients have largely been disappointing, and research on the relationship between overall diet and brain function generally relies on food frequency questionnaires, which can be misleading because of faulty memories and the inability to take account of nutrient absorption. Now researchers have conducted the first study using nutrient biomarkers and brain imaging to analyze the effect of diet on cognitive function and brain volume. Their main finding is that higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins B, C, D, and E are associated with better memory and thinking in older people. The study was published in Neurology (Jan. 24, 2012).

The study. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University measured the blood levels of 30 nutrients in 104 people (64 of them women), average age 87, who were participating in the Oregon Brain Aging Study. For the Neurology study, the scientists administered tests of mental function (including memory, learning, and spatial relations), and, for a subgroup of 42 participants, used MRI imaging to measure cerebral brain volume.