Brain fitness games are not the only option for improving your mental functioning. Do you think that learning a new software program at age 74 or learning how to use a smart phone at age at age 68 might fit the category of pushing your brain to its limit? Read the rest of this entry

In case you are not aware there is a relatively new movement, an industry if you will, in brain fitness.

Brain fitness is your brain’s ability to strengthen connections between neurons and even to promote new neurons in certain parts of the brain so you can maintain important brain functions. What is not new is the neuropsychological and neuroscientific research that demonstrates regular and vigorous mental activity can improve your brain fitness, which means you’ll have a better memory, be able to focus, and process information quickly. It is the old use it or lose it theory.

The debate is not that regular brain exercise improves cognitive function, but rather on whether exercising the brain can delay or prevent the beginning of dementia. That brings on the questions about what types of brain exercise are most effective.

I for one am not going to worry about the onset of dementia, at least not too much. I will engage in whatever brain exercise I need to if it improves how I function today and tomorrow. Not getting dementia would be a bonus. Even insurance companies are promoting computerized cognitive training these days for better safety among older adults.

What have grown is the number and the range of brain fitness products during the last few years. For instance, brain fitness activities are becoming very common place in facilities and centers catering to the elderly. The market experts tell us that the industry will grow from grossing $265 million in 2008 to $5 in 2015. That is substantial!

Today they have products that you can do at home most of which come with online support. Even Nintendo and other gaming companies now offer games designed specifically of However, the industry is unregulated and few of the programs showed improved performance for the users. For instance, one program may train you to memorize a list of words but that’s not going to be much help when you cannot remember where you left your car keys. Right now we read anecdotal reports and testimonials from satisfied customers, which is not all bad.

Are you playing any computer games specifically to improve your brain?I’m told that playing bridge on line may be counted as a brain fitness program. Tell us what you are doing and what you know about brain fitness.

To your healthy aging success.

Ruthan Brodsky

I remember my mother telling me not to eat candy because it was bad for my teeth. She was right! Read the rest of this entry

The official word is out by the American Heart Association that we need to cut down on how much sugar we eat. Read the rest of this entry

This post is in response to questions about the information in my last 2 posts on why you should have or should not have a heart scan. Read the rest of this entry

Heart scans are still controversial. First they are not for everyone. Secondly, it is a consumer beware for walk-in medical facilities that advertise you can get a quick check of your coronary arteries. The American Heart Association recommends that you speak with your physician before you are tested by a walk in.  Besides, it may not be covered by your insurance.

What’s more, it is still unclear whether heart scans should be used widely. Routine use of heart scans on people who do not have any symptoms of heart disease is also not recommended by the American Heart Association or the American College of Cardiology.

They report that a heart scan is not useful if you have a low heart attack risk. For example, if you are younger than 55 years old, have normal cholesterol and blood pressure levels and don’t smoke, your heart attack risk is less than 10 percent and a heart scan isn’t going to tell your doctor something he doesn’t already know.  On the other hand if you are at high risk because you are over 65, your cholesterol is high and so is your blood pressure, the heart scan may not do you much good either because you and your doctor already know you are at high risk.

If on the other hand, you fall somewhere between the two and have borderline high cholesterol or high blood pressure you may find having a heart scan will give you valuable information. You will be able to tell more precisely what your risk of CAD is.

Common sense in medicine!

Love to hear your experiences with a heart scan. Were you surprised at the results? Was your physician surprised?

To your healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

We have heard the stories. Your buddy visits his doctor and gets a clean bill of health. Two days later he dies of a massive heart attack. You do not understand how or why this happened. Read the rest of this entry

Americans are sleeping less than ever before according to the Sleep in America Poll. Interestingly, almost half are willingly to reduce the amount of their sleep so they can do other activities which are considered more important.

The problem is that as you get older deep sleep or slow wave sleep decreases around 2 percent a decade from early adulthood to about age 60. People aged 60 and older generally show decreases in sleep efficiency or the actual sleep period divided by the time in bed.  They also show an advancement of their circadian rhythms which means they tend to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. That is not to say that changes in the environment and behavior also contribute to changes in circadian patterns. And, of course, there are always people who are exceptions to the rule.

Fortunately people who voluntarily lose sleep can often resolve their lack of sleep without treatment. That does not include, however, about 60 million Americans who are suffering from sleep related problems or clinical sleep disorders. While 75 percent of Americans say they have at least one symptom of a sleep problem a few nights per week, the same survey indicates that 76 percent of Americans do not believe they have a sleep problem and less than half report any problem to their doctor.

I have no idea what category you may be in but I do know that untreated sleep disorders are not good for your health. For instance if you have sleep apnea, a broadly labeled sleep disorder breathing, it is likely you have an obstructive sleep apnea. Many who suffer from sleep apnea do not get an examination because the nature of the diagnosis and treatment is so cumbersome so the condition is undiagnosed. The danger is this could lead to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes or having an accident caused by excessive daytime sleepiness.

The good news is that more research on other, less obstructive techniques for diagnosis and treatment are in the works.

Do any of these signs describe you? If so then you are not getting enough sleep.
1.    You depend on the alarm clock to wake you up.
2.    You and the coffee are inseparable.
3.    You are cranky and irritable especially in the afternoon.
4.    You make more mistakes because you cannot concentrate when you are tired.

Do you have cues that tell you when you’re not getting enough sleep? Share them with our readers and we’ll build a list to share with all.

To your successful healthy aging.

Ruthan

How much sleep you got the night before is often a topic of conversation if you and your friends are over 50 and, of course, if you are much younger and there is an infant living with you. You are not alone. The National Sleep Foundation reports that one half of older adults have at least one symptom of insomnia. Whether you are up because you have to go to the bathroom, which happens more frequently as you age, or something is bothering you about your adult children or at the office, interrupted sleep decreases your sleep quality and increases daytime sleepiness.

Interestingly, sleep has only come into its own as an active process necessary for good health since well into the twentieth century. That is when the key discoveries about the neurological and physiological activity associated with sleep debunked this long held perspective that sleep is passive.  Once science and medicine realized that sleep was not passive it opened a new era in sleep research.

Sleep is now characterized as a dynamic state controlled by specific and complex mechanisms. Even with all these advancements there is still no clear consensus about why sleep is necessary. One theory is that sleep allows the body time to repair itself on the cellular level. Other theories focus on what happens when people are sleep deprived. The fact is sleep loss affects how we think, our mood, hormone balance, and our immune system.

Here are a couple of changes you can make to improve your sleep.

• First use your bed and bedroom only for sleep and sex.

• Take relaxation training classes to help reduce tension and give you techniques for relaxing your muscles.

• Avoid caffeine at least 3 or 4 hours before bed.

• Avoid alcohol late in the evening because it increases waking later in the night.

Share your suggestions for good sleep.  We’ll make a list and pass them on.

To your healthy aging.

Ruthan

It would be nice to think that every doctor, nurse, pharmacist, hospital and other provider gives high quality health care. Living in a real world, however, we know that’s not what happens. Quality often depends on where you live, who your doctor is, or what kind of health insurance you have.

To get the kind of quality care I’m talking about requires a team effort in which everyone  is  involved including the government, doctors, hospitals, insurance providers and you the patient. I personally don’t think any of us can count on this kind of team effort taking place in the near future.  It certainly is a realistic goal and could be obtained, but the political climate and the health industry isn’t geared for this.  All of which explains my reasoning for emphasizing your participation in your own health care, especially if you want some semblance of quality.

One of the approaches you can use to measure your health care are clinical measures. These are the general standards for a broad population that may or may not apply to you. For instance, if you have diabetes you should receive the following tests and exams:
Regular blood glucose testing
Regular cholesterol testing
Annual retinal eye exam.
Annual foot exam.
Annual flu shot.

There are also clinical standards for heart disease and cancer.

Today you can find a great deal of information about health care quality on line and in print.  For example, the US Department of Health and Human Services has a quality tool that helps you compare the quality of hospitals in your area.  The tool is available at www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov

Accreditation is another good measure of quality.  That is like giving the seal of approval by a private, independent group.  Organizations that award accreditation are in addition to  the national standards.  This will give you a good place to start. Then the rest of the hunt for quality care is up to you: your preferences and your relationship with your medical team.

Take an active part in your search for the quality care of your health program.  It will be worth the time and effort.

To your successful aging,

Ruthan