Stress Archive

These strategies keep you healthy and safe through your 60s, 70, and 80s.

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After age 60, men tend to get thrown together — the so-called 60-and-older group — even though most are quite different in terms of their health.

"While many men are still very fit well into their 60s, 70s, and 80s, others face health challenges and chronic diseases that make daily living difficult," says Dr. Howard LeWine, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Subjective cognitive decline often appears before memory loss and other symptoms.

Recent research suggests that the brain changes leading to Alzheimer's disease begin many years before the onset of symptoms.

Most often the disease is not diagnosed until it exists in full force, so finding earlier changes in thinking or behavior may help scientists better understand this process.

Art therapy can be an effective way to help manage pain.

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If you deal with pain from an injury, surgery, or just daily life, you may want to make some art.

Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that taps into parts of the brain involved in the creative process. And this can help modify your response to emotional and physical concerns.

In the journals

Many people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) also deal with ongoing depression and anxiety related to their pain and disability. While drugs used to treat the disease help alleviate the joint pain and stiffness, a recent study suggests they may not extend to improving patients' mental health.

The findings, published online June 6, 2018, by Arthritis & Rheumatology, reviewed more than 70 clinical trials and found only a small association between various drugs used for RA, such as adalimumab (Humira), rituximab (Rituxan), abatacept (Orencia), and tocilizumab (Actemra), and mental health outcomes in patients.

Asking for help from friends and family and then engaging with your new community will get you through the transition.

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Downsizing from a large home to a smaller one is a fact of life for many older adults. The reason may be finances, health issues, or a desire to simplify your lifestyle. But making the transition can bring a host of emotions: sadness, grief, stress, or anxiety.

Understanding the triggers for these feelings and using strategies to navigate them may not change how you feel, but it may help the downsizing process go more smoothly so you can focus on your next chapter.

Research we're watching

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A new study published online June 21 by the journal Neuron links two common viruses to Alzheimer's disease. Based on data from three brain banks, researchers found that the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease had up to twice the levels of two viruses — herpesviruses 6A and 7 — compared with the brains of people who did not have dementia. The virus genes also appeared to have interacted with the human DNA in cells in the brain in ways that might have affected Alzheimer's disease risk.

Infection with these herpesviruses is very common. Up to 90% of people may be exposed to these viruses in childhood. They cause, among other things, a mild infection known as roseola, which produces a rash and a fever.

News briefs

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An observational study published online May 30, 2018, by JAMA Psychiatry found that engaging in intellectually stimulating activities, even later in life, may lower the odds of dementia. Researchers followed over 15,000 Chinese men and women in their 70s for seven years with annual assessments of health and lifestyle habits, including a variety of leisure activities. The odds of being diagnosed with dementia during the study period were 29% lower in people who challenged their brains daily with such activities as playing board games, reading, and even betting on horse racing. In contrast, less mentally demanding recreational activities (like watching TV or shopping) or social activities (like going to tea with friends) did not appear to be associated with a lower risk of dementia. Other studies have found similar evidence, but this one made a special effort to adjust for factors like better overall health that might otherwise account for the association between brain exercise and dementia.