Measure your blood pressure right

Sit at a table with your arm resting comfortably on it and your feet flat on the floor.

2 Secure the blood pressure cuff firmly but not tightly around your bare upper arm.

3 Rest your arm on the table in a relaxed posture, with the cuff at about the same level as your heart.

4 Relax for a minute or two and then take the first reading.

5 Wait for at least two minutes and take another reading. Do this in the morning and evening for three or four days, and average the upper (systolic) and lower (diastolic) readings separately. Make sure to take the cuff to your next medical appointment to compare its accuracy to the office equipment. It may be somewhat lower or higher than the in-office measurement

Weight Loss Surgery Can Harm You

Like any major operation, weight loss surgery has its risks:

1. About one in a 100 individuals who undergo weight loss surgery die within a month or so of the operation.

2. Advanced age and other health problems increase the risk of dying.

3. Long-term complications of weight loss surgery include nutritional deficiencies, blockage in the stomach or intestines, leaking or contraction around the site of the operation, hernia and also depression.

Anorexia in Older Adults

Anorexia nervosa, a psychological disorder characterized by extreme aversion to food, fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image and selfstarvation, is usually associated with younger people. But research suggests that it may be more common than previously thought among older people too.

The authors of the review, which was published in the issue of the journal ‘International Psycho geriatrics’, reported that 21% of individuals studied died from their disorders or complications relating to their disorders, and urged greater awareness of ‘eating disorders’ as a cause of unexplained weight loss in the elderly. Social factors such as poverty, loneliness or grief can all lead to a loss of motivation to eat.

Women, Treat Heart Attack Symptoms Seriously

1 Your symptoms may be ‘different’.

The symptoms of heart attack in women are often different from those in men. This leads some women to dismiss their symptoms and some physicians to attribute them to a less-serious condition.

2 Tests may not do the trick.

Recent studies reveal the inadequacy of standard diagnostic tests for heart disease in women. Some older women cannot walk far enough on a treadmill to complete an exercise stress test.

3 Are you asking the right doctor?

Most women rely on their gynaecologists for primary care, who are not trained to manage the risk factors for heart disease or diagnose it. These issues are best discussed with an internist or cardiologist.

4 Heal thyself!

To minimize the risk of a heart attack, take care of yourself. Get screened for heart disease; keep your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar under control; exercise daily and don’t smoke

Wakeful Resting Boosts Memory

Research suggests that slowing down our fastpaced lifestyles and taking time for reflection and relaxation may help our brains perform better

Researchers asked 16 adult volunteers to view pairs of images (e.g. an object and a face, or an object and a scene) without informing the study participants that they would be asked to remember the images later. Following the image-viewing, volunteers were instructed to rest for a time without falling asleep and think about whatever they liked.

After the rest period, the participants underwent testing to determine how well they remembered the image pairs. Brain scans revealed that while participants were viewing the images and then resting, they showed an increase in the activity between the hippocampus (a key memory region of the brain) and the neocortex, where the processing of images occur

There was a significant correlation between brain activity during image-viewing and resting, suggesting that brain activity in the resting phase was related to memory association.

Hearing loss tied to memory loss

Hearing loss may accelerate the decline of brain function, says a new report by Johns Hopkins researchers. Older adults with even mild to moderate hearing loss may experience cognitive decline of up to 41% – or about three years – faster than folks with normal hearing.

The study, involving 1,984 men and women in the age group of 75-84 years, couldn’t establish a direct link between hearing loss and cognitive impairment, but suggests why there may be a connection, including the lack of socialization among people with poor hearing.

Social isolation and loneliness are also associated with cognitive decline. Using a hearing aid seemed to reduce the risk but not significantly. The researchers recommended doctors to be more proactive in discussing hearing problems with patients and taking steps to address any decline.

Heartburn, belly fat and cigarettes: A recipe for cancer ?

One of the hazards of chronic heartburn is that it ups the risk for a precancerous condition called ‘Barrett’s Esophagus’, where the stomach acid damages the cells that line the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach. People with Barrett’s Esophagus are at an increased risk for esophageal cancer.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, US, have identified some other factors associated with a heightened risk of developing Barrett’s-related cancer: Aging, a past history of cigarette smoking and abdominal obesity or belly fat.

If you’re self-treating acid reflux, make an appointment with your doctor. As continuing to use over-thecounter products on your own could mask gastrointestinal problems like Barrett’s Esophagus, which in most cases should be regularly monitored to detect precancerous changes.

Seconddhand Smoke May Harm Mental Health

Exposure to secondhand smoke may affect mental health, according to a report published in the ‘Archives of General Psychiatry’.

Researchers collected information on more than 5,500 non-smokers with no history of mental illness and measured levels of a chemical in their saliva that indicated exposure to tobacco smoke.

Over a six-year follow-up period, those who were exposed to high levels of secondhand smoke were 50% more likely to suffer from psychological problems than people who had no exposure, and three times as likely to be admitted to psychiatric hospitals for delirium, depression, schizophrenia and other mental problems

Treat Peripheral Artery Disease

Most people with PAD can halt, or even show improvement in the progression of PAD symptoms, by following the tips given below :

❘❚ Quit smoking.

❘❚ Maintain healthy weight.

❘❚ Eat a healthy diet of mostly plant-based foods that are minimally processed, like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes and nuts.

❘❚ Follow a supervised walking programme – this involves walking till you feel pain or discomfort, resting, then walking again, and repeating this pattern. This helps condition your muscles to use oxygen more efficiently and can help in the development of collateral blood vessels