The American Geriatrics Society says home safety tips can help prevent falls. About 1 out of 3 Americans over 65 suffers a fall each year. About one-third of those falls need a doctor’s treatment. Almost 16,000 older U.S. adults died from falls in 2005. HealthDay News wrote about the topic July 19.
The typical U.S. diet increases women’s risk of death, a study suggests. The study included 72,113 healthy women in the Nurses’ Health Study. They answered questions about eating habits every two to four years for 18 years. Deaths from heart and artery disease were 22% higher in women who ate a “Western” diet. This included red and processed meats, refined grains, fries and sweets. The death risk was 21% higher for any cause and 16% higher for cancer. Women following a “prudent” diet lived longer. They ate lots of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish and poultry. Their death risk was 28% lower for heart and artery disease. It was 17% lower for all causes combined. The study appeared June 24 in the journal Circulation.
By age 15, fewer than one-third of U.S. teens get the exercise they need, a study has found. U.S. officials say kids should spend at least an hour a day in moderate to vigorous exercise. The study showed a sharp dropoff as kids got older. At age 9, about 9 out of 10 were active at least 2 hours a day. At age 12, the average was about an hour a day. Girls at all ages were less active than boys. The study tracked about 1,000 children from 2000 to 2006. They wore a gadget that recorded their activity. The Associated Press wrote about the study July 16. It appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Kids exposed to a lot of smoking in movies are more likely to become smokers, new research finds. The study surveyed more than 1,700 kids on their movie-watching habits. The kids were 10 to 14 years old at the time and did not smoke. Seven years later, they were surveyed about smoking. Those who had the highest exposure to smoking in movies were also more likely to have smoked more than 100 cigarettes. The study appeared in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics.
People with two healthy kidneys are said to have 100% of their kidney function. A drop in how the kidneys function can increase a person’s risk of heart and artery problems, two new studies suggest. One study kept track of 4,378 elderly people for 8 years. About one-quarter of them had a decline in kidney function. They were more likely to have a heart attack or develop heart failure than people without kidney problems. They also were more likely to develop peripheral artery disease. The other study included 13,029 people. All were age 45 to 64 when the study began. Researchers kept track of them for 9 years. Some people’s kidney function dropped by more than 5.6% per year. People in this group had a higher risk of developing heart disease. They also were more likely to die early than people with stable kidney function.
More than 1 in 3 adults has balance problems, a study has found. These problems can lead to dangerous falls. Adults with diabetes are even more likely to have problems with balance. Balance is controlled by a system in the inner ear. It is called the vestibular system. When it doesn’t work right, a person feels dizzy. The study looked at 5,086 adults, ages 40 and older. They found that about 35 of every 100 people had some balance problems. Among people with diabetes, about 60 of every 100 had some balance problems. The study was published May 25 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
Weight-loss surgery done by experts is no more dangerous than other major surgery, a study concludes. These procedures are known as bariatric surgery. The study looked at data on two types, gastric bands and gastric bypass. The bands are wrapped around the stomach to make it smaller. The bypass makes the stomach smaller and also bypasses part of the intestines. Researchers looked at two years of data from 10 hospitals that specialize in this type of surgery. For every 1,000 people, 3 died during surgery or within the next month. Another 43 had a major problem, such as a blood clot. A few years ago, death rates were about 20 per 1,000. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Associated Press wrote about it July 30.
A disturbingly large number of black men and women develop heart failure before the age of 50, according to new findings from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. People in the study were ages 18 to 30 when the study began. Researchers observed them for 20 years. One in 100 blacks in the age group studied developed heart failure. This rate is 20 times higher than whites. Heart failure in black study participants was often preceded by risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, and chronic kidney disease. The Associated Press wrote about it March 19.
Soccer is growing in popularity for kids. Unfortunately, soccer injuries also are becoming more common. The American Academy of Pediatrics released a report that lists tips to help prevent soccer injuries. There were about 186,500 soccer injuries in 2006, and more than half were to the ankle or knee. Concussions in soccer are as common as they are in football or ice hockey. The AAP provides tips for parents, coaches, and pediatricians. MedPage Today wrote about it January 25.
Being fat in middle age can reduce women’s chances of being healthy at age 70, a study has found. The study included 17,000 female nurses. Researchers kept track of their weight and health from 1976 to 2000. A normal body mass index (BMI) is 19 to 24.9. A BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight. Researchers tracked women’s BMI increase after age 18. For every 1-point increase, they had a 12% lower chance of being healthy at age 70. Good health included being free of major disease. It also included being able to perform daily tasks such as vacuuming and climbing stairs. Risk was highest for women who were overweight at age 18 and later gained more than 20 pounds. Their chance of good health at age 70 was 80% lower than for normal-weight women. The study appeared in the journal BMJ. The Associated Press wrote about it September 30.