Social engagement and relationships Archive

Research we're watching

Mental stress can cause arteries throughout the body to constrict. In people with heart disease, this effect can reduce blood supply to the heart muscle, a phenomenon known as mental stress–induced ischemia. New research suggests that this problem may affect women differently from men.

For the study, 678 adults (average age 63) delivered a speech while researchers measured their blood pressure and heart rate, took imaging pictures of their hearts, and measured the constriction of tiny arteries in their fingers. In women, mental stress–induced ischemia mostly resulted from constriction of tiny arteries. The resulting greater resistance requires the heart to use more force in pumping blood. In contrast, the ischemia seen in men was mostly due to a rise in blood pressure and heart rate. The findings are yet another reminder for people to find ways to avoid and manage mental stress. But they also hint that women's hearts may be more vulnerable to this problem. The study was published online Dec. 21, 2017, by the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.

Men may be less able to perform daily activities as they age, but there are ways to reverse these changes.

Most men would prefer to maintain strength and robustness as they age. There are many ways to maintain a high level of health and energy through the years, but disease, surgery, and Father Time sometimes gang up and make men feel as if their best years are behind them.

Still, you don't have to take frailty lying down. "It's never too late to treat frailty and recoup what you may have lost," says Dr. Marian T. Hannan, co-director of the Musculoskeletal Research Center at the Institute for Aging Research at Harvard-affiliated Hebrew SeniorLife.

On call

Q. I have read that vitamin K supplements can help prevent heart disease. Should I take them?

A. Vitamin K — which is found in high levels in green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and romaine lettuce — plays a role in helping the body make blood clotting proteins. Although some observational studies have suggested a heart benefit from diets high in vitamin K, studies of supplements have not shown a protective effect.

In the journals

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Cardio is often regarded as the exercise of choice for weight loss, but older adults can benefit from adding weight lifting too, as it helps preserve muscle mass more than aerobic workouts.

A study published online Oct. 30, 2017, by the journal Obesity divided 249 overweight or obese adults in their 60s into three groups. One followed a restrictive diet of 1,200 to 1,800 daily calories. Another followed the diet and also did weight-machine workouts (four 45-minute sessions per week, targeting the major muscle groups). The third group followed the diet plus a cardio program of walking (45 minutes, four days a week, at a moderate-intensity level).

In the journals

Older adults who develop hearing loss are more likely to experience greater cognitive decline and develop dementia than their counterparts without hearing problems, according to a meta-analysis published online Dec. 7, 2017, by JAMA Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. Researchers examined data from 36 studies including more than 20,000 people who underwent both cognitive evaluations and hearing tests. Those with age-related hearing loss were more likely to have cognitive impairment or a diagnosis of dementia.

The study found a small but statistically meaningful association between hearing loss and a variety of specific cognitive abilities, including executive function, memory, processing speed, and visuospatial ability (how you recognize shapes and sizes and estimate the distance between two objects). The association between hearing loss and weaker cognitive skills was still strong even after accounting for risk factors like high blood pressure and smoking.

If you are noticing problems in yourself or a loved one, here's where to turn for help and support.

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You're talking with a friend about a movie you saw recently, but can't remember the actor's name. Last week you found yourself upstairs, but couldn't remember what you came up to look for. Your keys are always missing. You worry: are these normal memory lapses or early signs of Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia?

"Because there has been so much attention paid lately to the aging baby boomer population, I think Alzheimer's disease is getting a lot of attention, which is leading a lot of people to believe they may have the condition," says Dr. Suzanne Salamon, associate chief of the gerontology division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Ask the doctors

Q. I feel like I'm tired all the time. Is this just a normal part of aging?

A. The short answer to your question is, no. Getting older may mean you have less endurance than you used to and you may feel tired sometimes, just like anyone else, but if you are experiencing long-lasting daily fatigue, there could be an underlying medical cause.

Research we're watching

Some new research shows good reason to focus on reducing the number of indoor allergens in your home. A new study published in the Nov. 30, 2017, issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that more than 90% of nearly 7,000 homes studied had three or more detectable allergens, from a list of eight common allergens. In addition, some 73% of homes had one allergen found at levels researchers defined as "elevated." The researchers used data from the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The eight allergens were cat, dog, cockroach, mouse, rat, mold, and two types of dust mites. Factors that led to higher levels of indoor allergens included pets and pests. Certain types of homes were also more likely to have higher allergen levels, including older homes, rental homes, mobile homes, and homes in rural areas.

Research we're watching

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If you have an egg allergy, you may have been told not to get a flu shot. That's because the vaccine is grown in eggs and may contain a small amount of egg protein, which — it was feared — could trigger an allergic reaction. But a new guideline from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) dispenses with that old advice and says even people with an egg allergy should roll up their sleeves and get the shot to protect themselves from the flu.

"When people get flu shots, health care providers often ask if they are allergic to eggs," allergist Dr. Matthew Greenhawt, chair of the ACAAI Food Allergy Committee and lead author of the practice parameter, said in a written release. "We want health care providers and people with egg allergy to know there is no need to ask this question anymore, and no need to take any special precautions. The overwhelming evidence since 2011 has shown that a flu shot poses no greater risk to those with egg allergy than those without." Numerous studies have found that patients with egg allergy — even those with life-threatening allergies to egg — have gotten the shot and did not suffer any ill effects. This suggests there isn't enough egg protein in the vaccine to cause a reaction.