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Can You Prevent Alzheimer's Disease?
Posted by Simeon Margolis, M.D., Ph.D.
on Thu, Jan 25, 2007, 5:54 pm PST
An estimated 3.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, and the number keeps growing every year. Is there anything you can do to lower the likelihood that you will develop this devastating disorder?
As of now, there is no certain way to avoid getting Alzheimer's disease. But available research suggests a number of measures you can take to reduce your risk:
Exercise your brain. Keeping your mental skills sharp by playing chess and computer and card games, doing crossword puzzles, and maintaining an active social life, have long been recommended as ways to combat Alzheimer's.
Exercise your body. Recent studies suggest that physical exercise can also help to slow brain deterioration.
Eat your vegetables. While nutritionists emphasize the importance of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, recent studies suggest that vegetables, but not fruits, may help prevent Alzheimer's. One study showed that people 65 years or older who ate 2.8 servings of vegetables a day had a 40 percent lower rate of developing Alzheimer's disease over a 6-year period than those who ate less than 1 daily serving of vegetables. Intake of fruit had no impact on the development of Alzheimer's in this study, but fruit is still important because it provides other helpful nutrients to maintain overall health.
Go Mediterranean. A report from Columbia University found a lower incidence of Alzheimer's in people who adopted a Mediterranean diet-a style of eating in which small amounts of red meat are used as a garnish while increased amounts of vegetables, fruits, olive oil, and fish make up most of the meal.
Get your Omega-3s. According to a recent finding of the long-standing Framingham Heart Study, people with the highest levels of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had a 40 to 50 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's or any type of dementia. And a study from Sweden noted that dietary supplements of fish oils and their omega-3 fatty acids slowed the progression of Alzheimer's in people with a mild form of the disease.
Other actions that you can take to prevent Alzheimer's are less clear. Some research suggests that the benefit of eating vegetables to prevent Alzheimer's is due to the vitamin E contained in the vegetables themselves or in the oils added in salads. But studies of vitamin E supplements have shown mixed results on the prevention or progress of Alzheimer's. For this reason, some researchers advise eating foods rich in vitamin E (found in vegetable oils, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals) rather than taking supplements of the vitamin. One reason for this advice is the evidence for possible adverse effects of taking the common dose of 400 IU of vitamin E supplements.
Other studies have focused on the effects on Alzheimer's of taking statin drugs. But the findings here are mixed as well. Some small studies show slight benefits, while reviews of multiple studies suggest statins do not provide significant protection against Alzheimer's.
Where does all of this leave us? Even if there's no guarantee you will never develop Alzheimer's disease, exercising regularly and eating more fish and vegetables are certainly sensible prescriptions for maintaining general health. And keeping the brain sharp with mental exercises sounds like lots of fun, whatever its effects on Alzheimer's or dementia in general. However, I would wait for more definitive evidence before trying to prevent Alzheimer's disease by taking statin drugs or supplements of vitamin E or fish-oil.
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Smart Ways to Save Money on Gas
by Laura Rowley
Friday, July 21, 2006
With gas prices continuing to spike and with all of the problems in the Middle East, we are all experiencing crazy prices at the pump.
According to a new survey conducted by Yahoo! 57 percent of consumers have already changed their driving habits as a result of high gas prices and many more are considering changing their driving habits.
The best part of all of this is that perhaps more people will become more conscious of how they drive and what it will take to change their driving habits so they can save money every time they fill their tank with gas.
Use the Internet to Find the Best Prices on Gas
The best way to find the best price on gas is to use the Internet. Take a look at sites likes GasPriceWatch.com and GasBuddy.com, and MSN Autos asks you to enter your ZIP code on their site in order to see what local gas stations are charging. That way, you can locate the cheapest gas price in your immediate area. By using this technique, you can save as much as $4.00 per tank on a regular car and $6-7.00 on a van or SUV.
Stay clear of more affluent areas where gas prices are notoriously higher. You can often find much better prices just a few blocks away if you look in the less affluent areas. Also, gas stations near major parkways are always a lot higher in their prices because they have more of a captive audience when someone on the highway has to get gas and they don't know where they are.and need gas.
You can also find better gas deals at warehouse clubs like BJ's Wholesale Club, Costo and others which list gas stations all around the country. Their prices usually are better than regular gas stations. But those better prices only are accurate if you're already a member. Otherwise, the extra cost of becoming a member just to buy the gas at a better price wouldn't make sense. They also often have longer lines waiting for gas.
Another consideration is to use the lowest octane gas in your car. You can do this as long as your car continues to run evenly without any knocks or pinging. If you do get that type of reaction, you can have your engine "de-tuned" so that it won't knock any longer. Always check with your car operating manual to make sure you can use regular octane gas in your car before doing it.
Drive to Conserve
Edmunds.com, recently demonstrated that you can improve your gas mileage by 37 percent just by simply changing some of your driving habits and keeping up with basic auto maintenance.
Most importantly, don't put the peddle to the metal every time the light turns green, only to slam on the brakes once you get to the next light. Accelerate and brake gradually and you'll save a lot of gas. In fact, if you take it easy and don't drive aggressively, you can expect to save as much as 33% on the highway and 5% around town. The same goes for staying at or around the speed limit. If you drive the speed limit, you'll find that you can literally save as much as 20 cents per gallon over what it will cost you if you drive just 5 miles per hour over the limit.
If you avoid excessive idling you can also save a lot of gas. Edmunds.com recently conducted a test over a 10-mile route, in which drivers stopped 10 times for two minutes each. They then repeated the test, without the stops and saved up to 19 percent on their gas mileage. so, whenever you are going to be idling for more than a minute, shut your engine off.
Also, maintain regular engine tune-ups and make sure your tires are inflated to the recommended pressure. Those measures will almost certainly save you mileage. And make sure you eliminate all excess weight in your car. The Department of Energy recently noted that eliminating an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle can reduce your mileage by up to 2 percent.
Plan Before You Go
There are other ways to reduce your gas usage. Write out a schedule for the week for yourself so that you can coordinate your errands. Make less trips to the grocery store, bank, cleaners and everywhere else in order to eliminate extra trips. Otherwise, each trip costs extra money for gas.
Plan your evening meals for a full week in advance so that you can buy all of your food for the week ahead of time in one trip. Keep a list in your kitchen of what you need and take it with you to the store so you don't forget anything and have to go back later in the week. Every trip costs money.
Of course, the best way to save on gas is to trade in your gas guzzler for a hybrid like the Toyota Prius or the Honda Civic or others. You'll be amazed when you get up to 50 miles to a gallon of gas after you've been only getting 10-15 miles to a gallon in that behemoth you've been driving around in up till now. It may not seem as macho to be in a small car, but it certainly changes the money you have left after filling up each time.
You can also make use of public transportation like trains, buses, subways or carpools to get to work. Recently Yahoo! Conducted a poll and found that 18 percent of drivers said they would use public transportation or carpools to offset driving costs if gas prices continue to climb as they have been recently. In the western part of the country the number was as high as 27 percent.
You can find a carpooler through your job's bulletin board, or at web sites like carpoolconnect.com. Or you can try using google.com to find one.
Say Goodbye to Your Car
If you live in a major city, consider giving up your car altogether and joining an auto sharing service. Firms like AutoShare and Zipcar offer the use of a vehicle for an hourly fee. The cars are usually parked in various locations around a city, and can be booked on the web in minutes.
The pay-as-you-go method may make you think twice about driving for short trips, and will save on ownership costs. One reader in Toronto told me he pays about $2,000 a year using AutoShare, which is 30 percent less than the cost of owning a small Honda Civic (plus, he gets to drive newer cars).
This is obviously not the best option for someone who drives to work every day, but it's a good alternative for leisure drivers and people who occasionally need a second car.
Make Money at the Pump
Finally, you might actually save money consider a credit card that offers cash back on fuel purchases. The web site PumpAndSave.com lists some of the best gas cash-back credit cards as chosen by gas consumers and car owners.
With gas prices so high, getting 5 percent back on pump purchases can add up to real money. But make sure you're disciplined enough to pay the balance on time and in full every month, because that 5 percent rebate will be eaten up immediately in late fees and interest payments if you don't.
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NEW TECHNIQUE HELPS AVOID HEART DAMAGE
BY DIFFUSING ANGER WITHIN MARITAL ARGUMENTS
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB)
Researchers report that hostile marital disputes do more than cause stress, they nearly double the risk of atherosclerosis, or coronary artery calcification. Meanwhile, nearly half of all new marriages in the United States end in divorce. Fortunately, arguing spouses can improve their health and change their fighting habits with a simple do-it-yourself acupressure technique called EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques).
"There is a direct connection between emotions and physical health," says best-selling author Dr. Joseph Mercola, "so it's not surprising that marital discord can trigger all sorts of heart-damaging problems. But people don't have to keep hurting themselves and each other. I've found EFT to be very effective in reducing stress and helping people lead happier, healthier lives."
In EFT, the goal is to clear energy blocks from the body's meridians, the same energy pathways charted thousands of years ago by Chinese acupuncturists. The technique combines gentle fingertip tapping of key acupuncture points along with focused thought.
According to Gary Craig, the Stanford-trained engineer who developed EFT, "Conventional coping strategies tend to be ineffective because they fail to balance these vital pathways. No matter how angry someone might be, as soon as tapping balances the body's energy, the anger literally disappears."
EFT practitioners around the world report a 50- to 80-percent success rate in treating physical symptoms, such as high blood pressure, as well as emotional symptoms like anger.
This is excellent news for those in unhappy marriages and at risk of heart disease. According to organizations like divorceforum.org, there are more than 10 million divorces in the U.S. each year, and their fallout costs taxpayers $30 billion annually. Heart disease remains the number one cause of death in the U.S., and its estimated annual cost exceeds $350 billion in health care and lost productivity. From every perspective, marital discord and heart disease are an expensive and damaging combination.
Personal coaches Layne and Paul Cutright use EFT in their relationship training because, as they say, "EFT is the fastest, easiest, and most readily accessible of all our tools. It can be used over the telephone and is easily taught to anyone willing to learn."
Gary Craig and other EFT practitioners have documented thousands of cases in which physical and emotional stress symptoms disappeared in a few minutes or a few sessions.
"When their energy meridians are balanced," Craig explains, "even people in an unhappy marriage can resume their discussion without experiencing the same habitual stress responses. EFT has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce heart palpitations, and help people think and speak calmly and rationally. It's a highly effective technique for marriage counselors, psychologists, and health care practitioners."
Over 225,000 have downloaded Craig's free training manual and another 10,000 download it each month. The official EFT Manual has been translated by volunteer practitioners into nine languages. The EFT website is the sixth most actively visited natural health site in the world.
The EFT Manual explains the basics so that anyone can begin applying EFT right away. It can be freely downloaded at http://www.emofree.com/downloadeftmanual.asp
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RAPID RELIEF FOR A TORN ROTATOR CUFF
By Ron Ball
Ron Ball's wife injured her shoulder and a local doctor thought she had a torn rotator cuff that might require surgery. Some simple rounds of EFT brought rapid relief and, the next day, the problem was nowhere to be found.
EFT can be a surprisingly good healing tool regarding accidents. Recently, my wife went grocery shopping. She used a smaller, different cart than she normally does. On her way to the car with her groceries, she tripped over the cart and fell. She was scuffed up, in pain and had limited motion in her left arm.
When she got home, she spoke to my neighbor about it. A talented and compassionate doctor, he said that most likely she had a torn rotator cuff and that it might require surgery. Since I recommend trying EFT on everything, that afternoon we did a few rounds of EFT.
Here are some of the setup phrases we used:
"Even though I felt awkward when I tripped over the grocery cart, I deeply and completely accept myself."
"Even though it surprised and really scared me, I deeply and completely accept myself."
"Even though I took a bad fall, I deeply and completely accept myself."
We were open to the idea that EFT might or might not help. After all, we were dealing with a "physical problem." It was pretty amazing. After doing a few rounds of EFT, the pain diminished and the range of motion in her arm increased dramatically. What's even more interesting is that the next day, it was as if she'd forgotten there was ever an issue with her arm. There has been no problem since.
In my opinion, what many doctors and healthcare professionals miss is there's more than a physical issue involved. They also need to address the stress, emotional trauma, and shock to the system when a person trips over a cart, falls off a ladder or gets hurt in a minor accident. In addition to real physical issues, there could be embarrassment, shame or any number of emotional factors. What might have happened with my wife's arm if she hadn't been open the idea of trying EFT on everything?
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LONG-TERM MOBILE PHONE USE RAISES BRAIN TUMOR RISK
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The use of mobile phones over a long period of time can raise the risk for brain tumors, a new Swedish study said on Friday, contradicting the conclusions of other researchers.
The Dutch Health Council, in an overview of research from around the world, last year found no evidence radiation from mobile phones and TV towers was harmful. A four-year British survey released in January showed no link between regular, long-term use of cell phones and the most common type of tumor.
However, researchers at the Swedish National Institute for Working Life said they looked at the mobile phone use of 905 people between the age of 20 and 80 who had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and found a link.
"A total 85 of these 905 cases were so-called high users of mobile phones, that is they began early to use mobile and, or wireless telephones and used them a lot," the study said.
"The study also shows that the rise in risk is noticeable for tumors on the side of the head where the phone was said to be used," it added.
Kjell Mild, who led the study, said the figures meant that heavy users of mobile phones, for instance of who make mobile phone calls for 2,000 hours or more in their life, had a 240 percent increased risk for a malignant tumor on the side of the head the phone is used.
"The way to get the risk down is to use handsfree," he told Reuters.
He said his study was the biggest yet to look at long-term users of the wireless phone, which has been around in Sweden in a portable form since 1984, longer than in many other countries.
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DOCS OPERATE ON PATIENT UNDER HYPNOSIS
TIMES NEWS NETWORK, April 13, 2006
Kounteya Sinha
NEW DELHI: A two-member medical team, consisting of a British surgeon and a hypnotist has successfully performed the first operation using hypnosis as the anaesthetic.
The entire process was live on television, also a first. Tom Hennigan, a consultant surgeon at the Princess Royal Hospital in Farnborough, Kent, repaired a hernia, making an incision in the groin.
World renowned hypnotist, John Butler, induced a state of deep relaxation in the patient for the 45-minute surgery to dull the pain.
The surgery was broadcast live on More 4, the Channel 4 digital channel on the night of April 11.
Speaking to TOI, Butler, who himself recently underwent a groin hernia operation under hypnosis said, "I have used hypnosis as an anaesthetic on a couple of surgeries in the past two months. However, many still feel skeptical about the efficacy of hypnosis. This live surgery was conducted for those who were skeptical and wondered if we secretly give our patients sedation or local anaesthetic before conducting surgeries."
According to Butler, it is just a matter of time before hypnosis is more widely accepted by people unsuited to, too weak for, or afraid of conventional anaesthetics.
He said clinical studies had shown that hypnotherapy results in a faster recovery, less post-operative pain and a shorter hospital stay.
That is because the patient, when under hypnosis is happy and relaxed as against tensed when normal anaesthesia is administered.
"Contrary to popular opinion, a person under hypnosis is never in a coma or asleep. They are in a state of deep relaxation and as they go deeper they become more suggestible. Its just that hypnosis helps the patient's subconscious mind to open up."
Talking about the live surgery, he added: "I didn't use any swinging pendulums. Instead, I relied solely on words. Preparation for the surgery began 10 minutes before the operation.
I gave the patient a lot of suggestions that his sensations were disappearing, they were relaxing and they were losing their feelings.
Then I reassured him that he would recover well and feel comfortable. When the operation was over I gave him a count of five and he came back to being fully alert."
Now, in an effort to popularize hypnosis, Butler is planning to undertake clinical trials with Indian doctors to show how local anaesthetic combined with hypnotherapy can prove effective.
"Hypnotherapy will not replace anaesthesia for surgery but it may be an additional useful tool. India gave the world meditation. So people and doctors there are interested in the science of hypnosis. I will soon
undertake a clinical trial with Indian doctors in India to prove the power of hypnosis."
Butler is an approved hypnotherapy instructor with the British Society of Hypnotherapists and American Council of Hypnotist Examiners.
He has over 25 years of proven experience as a highly successful clinical practitioner and over 15 years as a teacher of hypnotherapy. In 1992, he tutored the first official training in hypnotherapy in the NHS, in London.
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