health-letter
A study published online Nov. 4, 2019, by JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that adding mind-body therapies to prescription painkiller regimens may improve pain reduction and may even enable people to slightly reduce the amount of painkillers they take.
It’s hard for older adults to maintain good oral health. That may be because of declines in other abilities, age-related physical changes in the mouth, or chronic health conditions. The result is that older adults have an increased risk for tooth decay and gum disease. Steps that can help ward off those problems include brushing the teeth twice a day, flossing, using an interdental brush to remove debris in the teeth, using a prescription fluoride toothpaste or mouth rinse, and getting regular teeth cleanings.
While a recent study claimed that people shouldn't worry about how much red and processed meat they eat, its credibility is questionable, and it is still prudent to eat these foods sparingly.
As reported online Oct. 2, 2019, by Molecular Cell, a Harvard team was able to use the gene editing tool CRISPR to kill certain viruses, including the influenza virus, in a laboratory dish.
When trying to avoid surgery for knee osteoarthritis, one must be wary of certain treatments to relieve pain. Some treatments are ineffective or potentially dangerous, such as prolotherapy or ozone injections, stem cell treatments, and implanted shock absorbers. Other treatments—such as acupuncture or platelet-rich plasma injections—might work, but the evidence is mixed. Steroid or hyaluronic injections can provide pain relief. But the safest and most proven approaches for treating knee osteoarthritis are weight loss and muscle strengthening.
Medical imaging can reveal unexpected anomalies. An incidental finding might be a nodule or tumor (abnormal growths that may be benign or malignant) or a cyst (a fluid-filled or debris-filled sac). For example, the doctor may order a chest x-ray in a person with a bad cough to look for pneumonia, but the radiologist finds nodules instead. Such incidental findings can lead to more testing, more medical bills, and a great deal of anxiety.
Many medications have the potential for dangerous side effects. For example, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors may cause an allergic-type reaction called angioedema; large daily doses of the over-the-counter painkiller acetaminophen can damage the liver and lead to liver failure; and NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and naproxen even when taken as directed can still cause ulcers, stomach bleeding and kidney damage. When taking any medication, be sure to watch for side effects and report new symptoms to the doctor.
A study published in September 2019 found that people with mild cognitive impairment who drink heavily (more than 14 drinks per week) have a 72% higher risk for dementia than people who drink less than one drink per week.