Monthly Meetings at North Medical Address
Health Issues
Panel discusses women’s health, sleep problems, other health issues affecting Baby Boomers
The Women’s Place, a part of the North Medical, P.C. (NMPC) family of practices, held a public health and wellness seminar to address women’s health—especially during and after menopause. The seminar, free and open to the public, focused on the aging process and how women’s health evolves differently than men.
The panel of experts, including Dr. Michael Cummings from The Women’s Place, Jessica DeRosier, YMCA fitness expert, and an anti-aging specialist, discussed how to maintain good health at every stage of life—especially during menopause. Participants had the opportunity to seek advice and guidance for their health needs.
NMPC’s Health & Wellness Seminars are held monthly in The Atrium at 5100 W. Taft Road. The next seminar, June 15 at 7 p.m., will focus on sleep disorders. Attendees may register at the door or register in advance or by e-mailing messagecenter@northmedicalpc.com.
For more information, contact Betsy Bedigian at (315) 452-2000 x4006 or e-mail bbedigian@northmedicalpc.com.
Feeling Lonely Increases Blood Pressure for People
50 and Older
Chronic feelings of loneliness take a toll on blood pressure over time, causing a marked increase after four years, according to a new study at the University of Chicago.
A new study shows, for the first time, a direct relation between loneliness and larger increases in blood pressure four years later—a link that is independent of age and other factors that could cause blood pressure to rise, including body-mass index, smoking, alcohol use and demographic differences such as race and income.
“Loneliness behaved as though it is a unique health-risk factor in its own right,” wrote researcher Louise Hawkley in an article, “Loneliness Predicts Increased Blood Pressure,” published in the current issue of the journal Psychology and Aging.
Even people with modest levels of loneliness were impacted. Among all the people in the sample, the loneliest people saw their blood pressure go up by 14.4 mm more than the blood pressure of their most socially contented counterparts over the four-year study period.
Lonely people’s apprehension about social connections may underlie the blood pressure increase.
“Loneliness is characterized by a motivational impulse to connect with others but also a fear of negative evaluation, rejection and disappointment,” Hawkley said. “We hypothesize that threats to one’s sense of safety and security with others are toxic components of loneliness, and that hypervigilance for social threat may contribute to alterations in physiological functioning, including elevated blood pressure.”
Avoiding ‘Boomeritis’
The Achilles’ heel of a fit generation
Orthopedic surgeons are seeing a wave of exercise-related injuries among baby boomers — a phenomenon dubbed “boomeritis.”
Baby boomers, now in their 50s and 60s, are fitter and more athletic longer into their lives, compared with their parents’ generation, according to a recent issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource, which covers what’s behind boomeritis.
Boomers are running marathons, hitting the slopes, playing hockey, cycling the country, and more. While staying active promotes health, at age 55 and older the body is less forgiving. Injuries can occur when people push beyond the body’s capability. Typical problems include tendinitis, bursitis, stress fractures and tendon tears (such as rotator cuff injuries).
The newsletter offers these tips to help avoid boomeritis:
• Doctor approval: A doctor can offer advice when a person is considering a new sport or activity. In general, it’s wise to start slowly and increase gradually.
• Warm-ups: A warm-up prepares a body for activity by getting the blood flowing, raising muscle temperature and increasing the heart rate. Moderate activities, such as walking on a treadmill or cycling in a low gear, are good warm-ups. Cold muscles are more prone to injury.
• Stretching: Past age 40, joints, tissues and muscles may not be as flexible as they once were. Stretching after exercise, when muscles are warm, can help prevent injury and may improve performance.
• Cross-training: Alternating different types of activities works various muscle groups, which helps muscles adapt to new activities. A balanced fitness program should include cardio work, strength training and flexibility exercises, such as yoga, and exercises such as Pilates that target the core muscles.
• Consistency: Compressing hours of heavy activity into the weekend sets the stage for injury. A better approach is aiming for 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.
• Listening to the body: Boomers may not be able to tolerate the same sports or participate as long or as intensely as they could when they were younger. Significant stiffness or strain indicates too much intensity.
• Avoiding overdoing: A rest period or a rest day after an intense workout can help avoid injury. A good rule is to increase activity by no more than 10 percent each week, for example, adding one mile a week to reach a 10-mile-per-week walking regimen.
