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.

Those who keep themselves fit and healthy are still interested in sex in their eighth decade, a study has found.

But their unfit counterparts give up on lovemaking up to 20 years earlier. And good health means people are almost twice as likely to be interested in sex as those who are ill or in poor health.

The U.S. study, which examined the sex lives of more than 6,000 people, found that those who are healthy are also likely to have regular sex — once or more a week — and report better quality lovemaking.

Researchers Stacy Tessler Lindau and Natalia Gavrilova, from the University of Chicago, looked at data from one group of men and women aged 25 to 74 and another group aged 57 to 85.

Volunteers were interviewed and filled in questionnaires on their marital status and sex lives. They also rated their health on a scale between poor and excellent.

Overall, it seems men are more interested in sex and report a good sex life than women.

The difference between the genders was most noticeable among the 75 to 85 age group, where 39 percent of men compared with 17 percent of women were sexually active.

Seventy-one percent of men who were sexually active at this age reported a good sex life compared with 51 percent of women.

Forty-one percent of men were interested in sex compared with 11 per cent of women.

The study, published online in the British Medical Journal, also revealed how many years of active sex people have left at different ages.

Aged 30 men can expect a sexually active life for an average of another 35 years while women can expect 31 more years of sex.

Being married or having a partner makes this gender difference less obvious, the research found. The findings are published in March on the same day researchers from Exeter and East Anglia Universities in Great Britain reveal that those who live near a green space are more likely to be healthier than those who don’t — because they take more exercise.

So people with homes near parks could find they enjoy an active sex life, even in their twilight years.

Seniors Wait Longer for Kidney Transplants

One-third of people over the age of 65 wait longer than necessary for lifesaving new kidneys because their doctors fail to put them in a queue for organs unsuitable to transplant in younger patients but well-suited to seniors, research from Johns Hopkins suggests. Results of a study reported in March online in the American Journal of Transplantation show that older patients could be receiving kidneys from older donors (called extended-criteria donors, or ECDs), but instead are unnecessarily waiting longer for kidneys from younger donors.

While older kidneys once were discarded in the belief that they conferred too little benefit, studies over the past decade, including the current one by Johns Hopkins researchers, show they have been widely and successfully transplanted.

Aging Skin: Are Those Spots Normal?

Over time, skin suffers from wear and tear, and wrinkles, spots and growths begin to appear.

A recent issue of The Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers some of these normal changes and possible treatment options.

Harmless growths include:

• Age or liver spots — These flat, brown areas, also called solar lentigos, typically occur on the hands, back and face. Using a topical retinoid — often in conjunction with bleaching cream and a mild topical steroid — may gradually fade an age spot.

• Skin tags — These flesh-colored growths protrude from the skin, often on a stalk. They’re often found on the neck or in the armpits. A doctor can remove them with surgical scissors, an electrical device or liquid nitrogen.

• Cherry angiomas — These small, smooth, cherry red spots are commonly found on the torso. They range from pinhead size to ¼ inch across. They can be removed with a laser, liquid nitrogen or an electrical device.

• Seborrheic keratoses — These brown, black or pale growths look waxy, as if they were dripped on the skin by a candle. They usually appear on the face, chest, shoulders and back, often in multiples. Their size ranges from ¼ inch to 1 inch across. They can be removed with a simple surgical procedure or with liquid nitrogen.
The cost of removing any of these harmless spots — considered cosmetic procedures — may not be covered by insurance.

Not all skin spots are harmless. Skin cancer can look similar to a harmless spot or growth. Any spots that bleed and don’t heal should be examined by a physician. Other concerning symptoms are itchiness, pain or a changing outline, color or appearance.

Wii Games May Help Combat Depression in Older Adults

Research at the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests a novel route to improving the symptoms of subsyndromal depression (SSD) in seniors through the regular use of “exergames” – entertaining video games that combine game play with exercise. In a pilot study, the researchers found that use of exergames significantly improved mood and mental health-related quality of life in older adults with SSD.

SSD is much more common than major depression in seniors, and is associated with substantial suffering, functional disability, and increased use of costly medical services. Physical activity can improve depression; however, fewer than 5 percent of older adults meet physical activity recommendations.

The study, led by Dilip V. Jeste, a professor at UCSD School of Medicine, appears in the March issue of The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. “The study suggests encouraging results from the use of the exergames,” Jeste said. “More than one-third of the participants had a 50-percent or greater reduction of depressive symptoms. Many had a significant improvement in their mental health-related quality of life and increased cognitive stimulation.”

Medical breakthroughs and technological advances — in combination with healthy lifestyles — will help improve the lives of older Americans during 2010, according to the Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging (MLIA) based in Evanston, Ill.

“Our older adult population continues to expand as each year passes, so more focus is being placed on ways to live a longer, healthier life,” said Linda Hollinger Smith, the group’s vice president. “Progress on extending human life, either through genetic research or living a healthier lifestyle, will be one of the top trends older Americans will witness next year.”

Among the top 2010 trends identified by MLIA are:
1.  Scientific breakthroughs will demonstrate that healthy lifestyles can actually repair DNA by boosting a key enzyme, telomerase, that is vital for improving the body’s immune response and may even increase longevity.
2.  The movement to more homelike environments for older adults living in long-term care communities will grow. Programs will provide care, support, individuality and promote safety in a residential environment.
3.  Improvements in health care will lead to ever slowing rates of aging, increasing the number of adults who will reach the age of 100.
4.  There will be an increased focus on positivity and its impact on happiness, health and longevity for older adults.
5.  The use of technology among older adults will grow exponentially — whether this means surfing the Internet, joining social networks such as Facebook, or using technologic devices in the home to monitor their health as well as promote independence and safety.
6.  Progress on extending human life will be a growing focus of researchers, as we learn more about how substances in our foods – such as resveratrol, found in the skin of red grapes and in several other plants  – may protect us from some life-shortening diseases such as diabetes.
7.  Older adults will play an increasingly important role in “helping the Earth age well”, by working in green jobs, volunteering, gardening, and teaching others about how to help the environment.
8.  Significant advances in treatments for diseases including cancer will occur through genetic research efforts that are preventing DNA mutations.
9.  Greater numbers of older adults will use the Internet to learn about their health. Health professionals will need to incorporate Beb-based health resources into their patients’ visits to assure that accurate websites are being sought out.
10.  Senior living residences will also make “healthy living” a priority as future prospects will be looking towards a variety of programs and amenities that support wellness lifestyles.
11.  “The ability to live a longer, healthier life will depend on the right combination of lifestyle choices, technology, advances and medical breakthroughs,” concluded Holliger-Smith.  “It’s something we call Aging Well, and the chances of that happening will continue to expand in 2010 and beyond.”

Better Than Viagra, Cialis, Levitra

New erection drug believed to be faster, safer

A still experimental erectile dysfunction drug — avanafil — promises erections in just 30 minutes or less, according to study results announced by the drug’s manufacturer.

The phase 3 study, not yet published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, included 646 men with erectile dysfunction (ED). At the highest dose tested (200 milligrams), nearly 80 percent of sexual attempts resulted in erections good enough for intercourse.

Study investigator LeRoy Jones, associate professor of urology at the University of Texas Health Science Center, said the new drug will offer a new alternative to men seeking “an improved experience” with current erectile dysfunction drugs.

“These data suggesting that avanafil achieves a full effect in 30 minutes or less, with a window of opportunity extending beyond six hours, would be a welcome option for ED treatment,” Jones said in a news release from Vivus Inc., which has licensed the drug from Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp.

In the study, men received either an inactive placebo or avanafil at a dose of 50 milligrams, 100 milligrams, or 200 milligrams. Successful intercourse was reported by:
• 27 percent of men taking placebo (up from 13 percent at the start of the study)
• 41 percent of men taking avanafil 50 milligrams (up from 13 percent at the start of the study)
• 57 percent of men taking avanafil 100 milligrams (up from 14 percent at the start of the study)
• 57 percent of men taking avanafil 200 milligrams (up from 12 percent at the start of the study)

Avanafil’s most frequent side effect was headache, reported by 7 percent of men receiving the drug and by 1.2 percent of men taking placebo. Other common side effects included flushing (4.6 percent of men on avanafil vs. none on placebo) and nasal congestion (2.3 percent of men on avanafil vs. 1.2 percent on placebo).

Avanafil works the same way as the three other ED drugs currently on the market: Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. All these drugs target an enzyme called PDE5; avanafil appears to inhibit this enzyme more selectively than the other.

A Vivus news release suggests that in addition to working faster than Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra, the new drug may have fewer side effects.

The current study, dubbed REVIVE, is the first of four phase 3 trials of avanafil. Two of the other studies will look at how well the drug helps erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes and in men who have had prostate surgery. A third study, enrolling 600 men at 40 U.S. medical centers, began in March 2009 and will continue for one year.

Vivus expects to submit avanafil for FDA approval in late 2010 or early 2011.

Study: More Older Americans Abusing Drugs

A new government study indicates a rise in substance abuse in older Americans that is likely to lead to an increased need for mental health treatment in the next 10 years.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said in a report in January that the need for substance abuse treatment among Americans over 50 is projected to double.

The agency said in a statement that substance abuse is dangerous at any age, but physiological and social changes make older adults more vulnerable to the harmful effects of illicit drugs.

The report suggests that an estimated 4.3 million Americans over the age of 50 used illicit drugs in the past year. The agency said 8.5 percent of men aged 50 to 54 used marijuana, as opposed to about 4 percent of women.

In adults over 65 who abuse drugs, nonmedical use of prescription drugs was more common than smoking marijuana.

Volunteering May Prevent the Elderly from Becoming Frail

Frailty is a geriatric condition marked by weight loss, low energy and strength, and low physical activity. UCLA researchers followed 1,072 healthy adults aged 70 to 79 between 1988 and 1991 to determine if productive activities — specifically volunteering, paid work and child care — prevent the onset of frailty.
At the beginning of the study, 28 percent of participants volunteered, 25 percent performed child care duties and 19 percent worked for pay. After three years, participants in all three activities were found to be less likely to become frail. After accounting for levels of physical and cognitive function, however, only volunteering was associated with lower rates of frailty.

The study suggests that participating in volunteer activities may prevent frailty in older adults. A randomized trial is needed to determine whether volunteering itself prevents the onset of frailty, or if there is something about the types of people who volunteer regularly that keeps them from becoming frail.

The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. It appears in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences.

Active older adults find haven at North Area YMCA

Although the “golden years” are typically a time to slow down and take it easy, you won’t normally see Baby Boomers doing that at the North Area YMCA in Syracuse.

Active older adults are active indeed. Men and women alike come to the Y for fun, friendship and fitness.

A typical day might begin with a fitness class such as Zumba, Tai Chi or Yoga, a walk on the treadmill or perhaps some water aerobics. Once their exercise is complete, the front lobby is bustling with activity. Five days a week, they exercise together and then sit and enjoy a cup of coffee, an occasional homemade baked treat and good company.

Conversation can get lively with the sound of laughter often heard in the far reaches of the YMCA.
The active older adult population also gets involved in many other YMCA activities.

Once a month, they enjoy their book club. They take turns choosing books and engage in discussion. Book selections range from non-fiction to light romance and historical fiction.

Another monthly activity is the knitting and crocheting club. On the third Wednesday of every month, along with their workout clothes, they tote in bags filled with yarn and their latest project.

While the formal group was initiated by a staff member, the seniors had been showcasing their talents for years and had been giving informal knitting lessons to anyone who was interested.

The most recent activity established at the Y has been dominoes. What began as a small group quickly expanded—one person taught another and then another.

It is such a popular activity that the Y is now featuring a dominoes tournament.

While it may sound like active older adults sit around at their Y all day, quite the opposite is true. In order to encourage seniors to participate, activities and classes are scheduled early in the morning.

When they are not volunteering, they are out seeking other opportunities—such as taking computer classes so they can use the Internet or learning to use a digital camera so they can capture all of their adventures.

“We have a member who lost her husband several years ago. She was alone, isolated and very lonely,” a North Area YMCA spokesperson said. “Finally, she joined the Y and it changed her life. She has a reason to get out of bed in the morning and she knows she will be missed if she doesn’t show up.”

• Submitted by the North Area YMCA in Syracuse.

This happy news was true of most everyone except a small minority — only 2 percent — who had experienced “ideal” conditions in their working life, anyway.

“The results really say three things: That work puts an extra burden on the health of older workers, that the effects of this extra burden are largely relieved by retirement and, finally, that both the extra burden and the relief are larger when working conditions are poor,” said Hugo Westerlund, lead author of a study published online Nov. 9 in The Lancet. “This indicates that there is a need to provide opportunities for older workers to decrease the demands in their work out of concern for their health and well-being.”

But of course, added Westerlund, who is head of epidemiology at the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University in Sweden, “not all older workers suffer from poor perceived health. Many are indeed eminently healthy and fit for work. But sooner or later, everyone has to slow down because of old age catching up.”
This study looked at what the same 15,000 French workers, most of them men, had to say about their own health up to seven years pre-retirement and up to seven years post-retirement.

As participants got closer to retirement age, their perception of their own health declined, but went up again during the first year of retirement.

Those who reported being in poorer health declined from 19.2 percent in the year prior to retirement to 14.3 percent by the end of the first year after retiring. According to the researchers, that means post-retirement levels of poor health fell to levels last seen eight years previously.

The changes were seen in both men and women, across different occupations, and lasted through the first seven years of not punching the clock.

Workers who felt worse before retirement and had lower working conditions reported greater improvements as soon as they retired, the team found.

“Those who had low job satisfaction — a lot of burden for little satisfaction — those were the ones complaining of their health,” said Dr. Gary Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. “People with more authority or better education, a better sense of control over what they were doing and less demand were much less likely to complain,” he added.

“That’s not really surprising,” he said. “An old study of English civil-service workers in Britain found that those who felt they had a lot of responsibility but little control over their workplace were more likely to develop heart disease,” he added. “You can work hard but if you feel like you’re not at the mercy of a job, you still have the illusion of control. That’s an important illusion to maintain.”

A major question is whether these European findings apply to conditions in the United States.

“It’s a little bit difficult to apply directly to our workforce but … we can draw some conclusions about keeping a strong and healthy workforce through the life span,” said Angie Hochhalter, assistant professor of internal medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine and research scientist in geriatrics at Scott & White in Temple, Texas.

“We know that we need strong health care but also mental services because, in [the study], those people with depression really saw a dramatic change after retirement,” she explained.
Source: HealthDay News

When Wrinkles Appear: Tips for the Beauty of Self-Acceptance

In a culture that values super-model-Barbie-doll-celebrity-of-the-moment ideals, how does a woman cope when dealing with a round belly, gray hair and flabby arms?

A recent issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource looks at American cultural pressure on youthful appearance and offers ways to accept the changes of aging — wrinkles and all.

At any age, those bad moments in front of the mirror can seep into a woman’s psyche, leading to low self-esteem, emotional distress, anxiety, depression and eating disorders. The inevitable changes of aging lead to a whole new set of challenges. The changes, from wrinkles to weight gain, are normal and natural. But in the United States, they often are seen as disastrous.

Accepting the changes that come with an aging body creates a solid foundation for self-esteem and contentment. Consider these ways to develop the beauty of self-acceptance:

• Remember that self-worth is more than appearance: Seeing oneself as a whole person, rather than a collection of parts that need improvement, can boost self-worth. Consider the people you admire most. Are their bodies perfect? Does it matter?

• Emphasize good health: Regular exercise and healthy eating promote physical and emotional well-being.

• Say yes to a sex life: Anxiety about appearance may cause women to withdraw from intimacy. But sexual intimacy reduces stress, improves sleep and supports connectedness.

• Appreciate the body as it is: A body that runs, walks, dances, works, laughs or dreams is to be admired — no matter what shape it is.

• Think positively: Renaming body parts can help change negative self perceptions. Consider “soft belly” instead of “fat stomach.” Spend time with others who accept their body size and appearance.

• Spend time and energy on affirming activities: Affirmation may come from a session of stretching or yoga, or cooking a meal for an older relative.

Many women find that aging brings a newfound sense of self-acceptance and freedom from the need to conform to social standards. When women feel good about themselves, they carry a sense of confidence and openness that makes them beautiful inside and out.

Study: Lack Of Insurance Killing Many Veterans

Harvard Medical School researchers estimated in a new report that more than 2,000 U.S. military veterans under 65 died last year because they didn’t have health benefits.

The researchers said in a statement that that number is more than 14 times the number of U.S. troops that died in Afghanistan in 2008, and more than twice as many as have died since the war began in 2001.
The group, Physicians for a National Health Program, said neither health care reform bill pending in Congress would change the situation for most veterans.

One of the authors, Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, said in a statement that most uninsured veterans are too poor to afford health coverage, but not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid or VA care.

The researchers came up with their numbers by using a recent report published in the American Journal of Public Health that claimed being uninsured raised a person’s risk of dying by 40 percent. That report claimed lack of health coverage caused 44,798 deaths a year in the United States.

But in women, doctors and bystanders should be paying attention to something else, says Lynda Lisabeth, researcher in the department of neurology at the University of Michigan Health System.

“What we’re finding is that women experience what is considered non-traditional symptoms,” said Lisabeth, who presented research findings on acute stroke symptoms at the 2009 International Stroke Conference this spring. “The non-traditional symptom that stood out was altered mental status, meaning confusion, disorientation or a loss of consciousness.”

Symptoms such as sudden numbness of the face, arm or leg are a warning sign of what’s happening in the body during a stroke, which is a loss of blood supply to the brain because of a blocked or ruptured artery.
While larger scale studies focusing on stroke in women are warranted, the gender differences U-M researchers identified may contribute to delay in treatment for women and could signal a need to change public health campaigns, Lisabeth says.

The U-M study examined ischemic strokes, the kind experienced by 80 percent of stroke victims, and transient ischemic attack, called mini-strokes because symptoms go away quickly. Researchers examined the cases of 461 men and women and classified their symptoms as either traditional or non-traditional.
Altered mental status was the most common non-traditional symptom and it was more likely to be reported in women, the study showed. Researchers do not know why women’s symptoms were different.

But the differences in symptoms may have consequences if slow recognition of stroke signs cause a delay in treatment, the researcher says.

“The only treatment that is currently FDA approved in the United States for stroke is tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), or what we call a clot-busting drug,” Lisabeth says. “To administer tPA, people with stroke have to get to the hospital within three hours of symptom onset. So any delay on the part of actually getting to the hospital or delays once at the hospital could literally mean the difference between getting the therapy, or not getting the therapy.”

Each year 800,000 Americans experience a stroke. Hispanic Americans and African Americans have a greater risk having a stroke, and to die from it. Intensive rehabilitation can help some overcome loss of function, but stroke remains a leading cause of disability. It is the third leading cause of death.
Men have an increased risk of stroke across most age groups. But in the oldest age groups, women’s risk is higher, and since women live longer than men, women actually have an increased lifetime risk for stroke.

With 76 million baby boomers on the retirement horizon, “we need to develop a new paradigm where instead of seeing aging as loss, we see aging as something that involves gain,” said John Krout, professor of gerontology and director of the Gerontology Institute at Ithaca College.

He explains that a growing body of research shows the aging brain is not all a story of decline “It’s not ‘use it or lose it’ — it’s use it and improve it,” he added.

Under Krout’s leadership the Gerontology Institute recently launched a Center for Creativity and Aging — The Linden Center. “The Linden Center responds to a public imperative, on the local and national level, to explore and understand how older people can continue to flourish creatively and remain engaged,” said Krout. The center will provide grants to faculty and students funding research, model programs, internships and public education on creativity in the later stages of life. Additionally, the center will develop community-linked programs involving elders exploring creative arts for the first time, as well as engaging college students with elders.

Research shows, among other things, that staying engaged in creative activities gives people a sense of mastery, significantly improves overall health, and improves scores on the Geriatric depression scale and the loneliness scale. Numerous artists continue to produce new works into their 80s; Martha Graham danced until 75 and choreographed until age 96. “Dr. Seuss” continued publishing into his 80s. Furthermore, studies show that many people of lesser talents continue to practice and take much gratification from their creative endeavors into old age.

In rebutting the response of “they are the exception rather than the rule,’ Krout points to numerous Ithaca area artists, who are active and creative after 80, 85 years of age.

“We need to think of our aging population as a rich resource and I think boomers are the leading edge of a potential revolution in old age. They will change how our institutions relate to older adults and how we define old age for our family and ourselves. They [boomers] are astute politically and will demand solutions to their problems and the issues they care about, particularly about their quality of life; they will not retire to the front porch,” said Krout. “Boomers present new and exciting opportunities for greater creativity in all walks of life.”

For more information about John Krout, visit www.ithaca.edu/news/experts2.php?experts_info_id=68.

Age can exact a toll on the body as muscles weaken and bones become more brittle. But a well-rounded fitness program with five components — aerobics, strength training, core stability, balance and flexibility — can help counter the effects of aging.

Regular aerobic activity improves the body’s use of oxygen and is important for cardiovascular health.

Walking, biking, dancing and other activities can be aerobic exercise, depending on the intensity. A good starter goal is 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity at least three days a week, working up to five days a week.

Strength training uses free weights, body weight, resistance bands or weight-resistance machines to increase muscle strength and endurance. Strength training two to three times a week for 20 to 30 minutes is sufficient for most people. Improvements should be noticeable within weeks.

Core stability training, part of strength training, focuses on the areas around the trunk. A strong core increases balance and combats poor posture and back pain. Pilates workouts, a low-impact fitness technique, or balanced sitting on a large fitness ball are examples of ways to increase core stability. Technique is important; to get started, working with a trainer may be beneficial.

Almost any activity that requires movement can help balance. And, balance exercise can be incorporated into strength training by adding variations such as standing on one leg or using a weight in only one hand. Poor balance is a major cause of falls that result in fractures and disability.

Flexibility can be maintained or improved with regular stretching. It’s a good idea to stretch for five to 10 minutes before and after workouts. A trainer, doctor or physical therapist can suggest exercises to maintain and increase flexibility.

Other highlights of the report, which covers the benefits of exercise and how to get started and stick with a program, include:
• Regular physical activity, for example, gardening or walking the dog, is beneficial. But a planned structured exercise program, such as swimming laps, taking brisk walks or lifting weights, yields greater rewards.
• While small amounts of exercise — as little as 10 minutes at a time — can be beneficial, more is needed to achieve greater health improvements. The federal government’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week for basic health benefits.
• The payoffs can be plentiful. Exercise helps prevent cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, obesity, diabetes and some cancers. Exercise boosts the immune system, increases energy and improves sleep. It also increases life expectancy and helps people maintain independence as they age.

“We were interested in teasing out red wine’s effects on breast-cancer risk. There is reason to suspect that red wine might have beneficial effects based on previous studies of heart disease and prostate cancer,” said lead author Polly Newcomb, Ph.D., M.P.H., head of the Cancer Prevention Program at the Hutchinson Center. “The general evidence is that alcohol consumption overall increases breast-cancer risk, but the other studies made us wonder whether red wine might in fact have some positive value.”

Instead, Newcomb and colleagues found no compelling reason to choose Chianti over Chardonnay.

“We found no difference between red or white wine in relation to breast-cancer risk. Neither appears to have any benefits,” Newcomb said. “If a woman drinks, she should do so in moderation — no more than one drink a day. And if a woman chooses red wine, she should do so because she likes the taste, not because she thinks it may reduce her risk of breast cancer,” she said.

The researchers found that women who consumed 14 or more drinks per week, regardless of the type (wine, liquor or beer), faced a 24 percent increase in breast cancer compared with non-drinkers.