Staying Healthy Archive

Even an hour's exercise a day won't protect you from an earlier death, if you spend most of the rest of your day sitting. That's the verdict of Canadian researchers who pored over data from 47 studies on the effects of sedentary behavior. When they combined the results of all the studies, the researchers found that regardless of their levels of physical activity otherwise, people who sat for long periods had an increased risk of developing a host of diseases. People who sat the longest had a 24% greater risk of dying, an 18% greater risk of heart disease, a 13% greater risk of cancer, and a 90% greater risk of diabetes. The results were published in the Jan. 20, 2015, issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

A study published in the Jan. 27, 2015, issue of The BMJ challenges the longstanding notion that weight gain protects against postmenopausal fractures. Data from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) indicate that weight gain, as well as weight loss, is associated with increased risk of fractures in postmenopausal women. The analysis also suggested that which bones were most likely to break depended on whether women have gained or lost weight.

WHI researchers analyzed data on over 120,000 healthy postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 at the start of the study. Each year, participants were weighed and asked to report fractures of their arms, legs, hip, pelvis, and spine.

Mobility relies on the body's two largest joints, the hips and knees. We ask a lot of both these joints: they must bear our full weight and coordinate movement over a lifetime of standing, walking, running, dancing, and sports. Not surprisingly, hip and knee pain are common complaints, and nearly everyone who lives into old age can expect some trouble with these joints. But taking care of your hips and knees and managing any pain that arises will help you avoid losing mobility as you age.

Try these self-help measures when knee or hip pain strikes:

Q. My doctor, an internist, just retired, and my health plan is asking me to designate a new primary care physician. I'm 75. Would there be advantages to choosing a geriatrician as my new doctor?

A. First, a disclaimer: I am a geriatrician. So my short answer is, "Yes, of course!" But my reasoned, unbiased answer would be, "It depends." If you are a generally healthy 75-year-old woman, a family physician or internist will be able to take excellent care of you. Geriatricians are trained to care for older adults with complex illnesses and are expert in managing the care of people who are frail. Improving your ability to function, and the quality of your life, are the guiding principles of geriatric medicine. We are expert at managing complexity and uncertainty, working with families, and caring for people with serious illnesses who are approaching the end of life. A geriatrician would be a good choice if you have physical or cognitive impairment, if you take a lot of medications, or if your friends and family are involved in your medical care. For people who have several medical problems, we emphasize the role of patient and family preference in making medical decisions, with the patient's goals as our primary focus.

Better support for your spine is key in avoiding neck ache.

Claiming to feel younger than your age isn't just whistling into the wind. It can also mean you have more years ahead than some of your former classmates. According to a report in the Dec. 15, 2014, issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, older people who felt three or more years younger than their chronological age had a lower death rate compared with those who felt their age or older.

Two researchers at University College London looked at the responses of about 6,500 men and women with an average age of 65 who answered the question, "How old do you feel you are?" About 70% reported that they felt three or more years younger than their years, while 25% felt close to their age, and 5% felt more than one year older than they were.

Using an iPad or other backlit electronic tablet in the hours before bedtime not only prevents you from falling asleep, it may also affect your alertness the next day, according to a report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dec. 22, 2014. Researchers at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital found that the light emitted by the devices reset the body's circadian clock, which synchronizes the daily rhythm of sleep to daylight. As a result, people reading e-books took longer to fall asleep and were less alert the next morning than when they read print books instead.

During the two-week study, 12 men and women read digital books on an iPad for four hours before bedtime each night for five consecutive nights. They also followed the same routine using printed books. When they read the iPad, participants were less sleepy before bedtime but were less alert the following morning, even after eight hours of sleep.

Comprehensive exams and preventive care are the keys to eye health.

Q. Do the protective effects of alcohol extend to dessert wines and liqueurs, or do those have too much sugar?

Exercise, eat a healthy diet, and manage blood pressure and cholesterol to lower your odds.