How Dangerous is Avian Flu?

From the website of Dr. Andrew Weil:

There is cause for great concern. Avian flu is an infectious disease that affects birds, but it is caused by the same strain of the influenza virus responsible for most types of human flu. The strain now spreading in Asia, H5N1, is very dangerous – it kills nearly 100 percent of the birds infected and has been very damaging to poultry farms. It also can infect humans, causing severe disease and even death. To become infected, you probably would have to eat raw, infected poultry or have had prolonged exposure to the virus. So far, at least 60 people in Asia have died after contracting H5N1. Most of these cases resulted from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces, although health officials believe that, in some instances, the flu spread from person-to-person contact.

read the rest here


Barbara C.Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™

Tips for Successful Aging and Vibrant Living

Have you seen this booklet yet? Well, what are you waiting for?

You can read more about all it's uses, as well as all the wonderful things women are saying about it on the webpage. For the moment, let me tell you just a bit of what you fill find in this amazing booklet.

In this amazing little book, you will...

• Learn about your "Aging Attitude" - Tip #1
• Find out which vitamins will "brighten you" - Tip #12
• Discover your "Unique Self Position" - Tip #21
• Learn why water balloons and mud pies are still important - Tip #39
• Understand the importance of protecting your heart - Tip #49
• Discover the good in Menopause - Tip #55
• Learn how you can give life - Tip #85
• and much, much more.

In other words, you will learn WHAT to do, and WHY to do it. They will put you on your own path, for your own Extraordinary Aging Experience!

This little gem will make a great gift for your friends, clients and business associates. And best of all - you can have it your way...print or digital!

The OlderWiserWomen's Guide - Tips for Successful Aging and Vibrant Living
(c) 2005 Barbara C. Phillips, NP
all rights reserved worldwide

Extra Nerve Fibers May Heighten Female Pain Perception - CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today

New study out today about women and pain. Now...this information is just that...new, so futher studies will need to be done to check for validity...and to see if this is true in other parts of the body.

Always view new studies in the same light...with caution.

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Oct. 27 - Women appear to have a greater density of nerve receptors than men, suggesting that they are constitutionally more sensitive to pain, researchers here reported.

Women averaged double the number of receptors compared with men in a certain area of facial skin, according to a study conducted by Bradon J. Wilhelmi, M.D., and colleagues at the Plastic Surgery Institute of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

If the results of this study are confirmed, it could represent a physiological explanation for previous reports that women have higher pain perception and lower pain tolerance compared with men, the researchers reported in the October issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

The basis of this phenomenon has not been understood, said the authors. Some have suggested the reason could be psychosocial, while others have offered biological explanations including differences in receptor action potentials, integration of central nervous system signals, and biochemical signaling properties.

You can read the rest here.

Help With Knee Osteoarthritis

October 28, 2005

Moderate Exercise Helps With Knee Osteoarthritis
FRIDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Moderate exercise may help strengthen knee cartilage and improve joint symptoms and function in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA), says a Swedish study in the November issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

The study included 29 men and 16 women, aged 35 to 50, who'd had meniscus repair within the previous three to five years. The study volunteers were randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a control group.

Those in the exercise group took part in a supervised program of aerobic and weight-bearing exercise for one hour, three times a week for four months. At the start of the study, both groups had MRI scans to evaluate their knee cartilage. They also answered questions about their knee pain and stiffness, and their general level of activity.

At the end of the study, many people in the exercise group reported gains in physical activity and functional performance, which were confirmed using aerobic capacity and stamina tests. MRI scans revealed positive changes in the strength and elasticity of their knee cartilage.

"This study shows compositional changes in adult joint cartilage as a result of increased exercise, which confirms the observations made in prior animal studies but has not been previously shown in humans," researcher Dr. Leif Dahlberg said in a prepared statement.

"The changes imply that human cartilage responds to physiologic loading in a way similar to that exhibited by muscle and bone, and that previously established positive symptomatic effects of exercise in patients with OA may occur in parallel or even be caused by improved cartilage properties," Dahlberg said.

He and his co-author concluded: "Exercise may have important implications for disease prevention in patients at risk of developing knee OA."

More information

The American Medical Association has more about knee OA.


-- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: John Wiley & Sons Inc., news release, Oct. 28, 2005
Copyright © 2005 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.
This is a story from HealthDay, a service of ScoutNews, LLC.

Protect your Heart!*

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in women over the age of 50 and is largely preventable. Modifiable risk factors include smoking, obesity, abnormal cholesterol profile, elevated glucose, hypertension, and lack of exercise.

What can you do? Reverse the above risk factors, and see your provider on a regular basis for appropriate testing. Eat a healthy diet, get exercise daily and consider medications that may be appropriate.

If you have non-modifiable risk factors such as belonging to a race or ethnic group that is at higher risk for heart disease (African American, Mexican American, Native American and native Hawaiians), and if you have a family (mother, fathers, sister, brother) history, then it is essential for you to follow the above recommendations to maximize your health and minimize your risk.

(c)2005 Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™

(*excerpt from "Protecting Your Health" by Barbara C. Phillips, NP)

Finally....Healthy Aging!

I have to give a plug for Andrew Weil's new book Healthy Aging. I’m very impressed from what I’ve read…he agrees with me completely! It’s nice to know everything I’ve been saying all these years is now in print.

Enjoy,

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™

Influenza - Cause for Concern?

No doubt you are seeing all sorts of news about influenza.

• Vaccinations - do they work or not and is there enough this year?
• Avian Flu - is it spreading?
  
• The Pandemic of 1918 and will it happen again?
• Tamiflu
• Dogs, birds and monkeys

Does all this make you fearful? Are you tried of hearing about it? Think it has nothing to do with you?

A big part of aging successfully is staying healthy. One way to do that is to educate yourself and a good way to do that is to read about these issues in a credible location without a lot of hype.

My recommendation is to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and read their flu page. You will find easy to understand information about what the flu looks like (it is not the gastrointestinal bug that some of you think), how you can protect yourself, and what to do if you get the flu. (Big hint: antibiotics are not the answer.)

Main CDC Flu Page
CDC Flu - Key Facts
CDC - Avian Flu

Oh, and about those vaccinations, as far as I am concerned they work. Believe me, having influenza is no fun . I've been "flu-free" since I started getting a shot every year, so if you ask me...get one.

Stay healthy this season!

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™

Fish-eaters stay sharper with age

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Eating fish at least once a week is good for the brain, slowing age-related mental decline by the equivalent of three to four years, a study suggests.

The research adds to the growing evidence that a fish-rich diet helps keep the mind sharp. Previous studies found that people who ate fish lowered their risk of Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Fish such as salmon and tuna that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids also have been shown to prevent heart disease.

For the new study, researchers measured how well 3,718 people did on simple tests, such as recalling details of a story. The participants, all Chicago residents 65 and older, took the tests three times over six years. They also filled out a questionnaire about what they ate that included 139 foods.

To read the complete article, click here.

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™

Smoking-Breast Cancer Link Appears Stronger

Older women who smoke cigarettes or have smoked for long periods of time may be up to 40% more likely to develop breast cancer than women who never smoked, according to a new study.

The results also suggest that use of combination estrogen plus progestin hormone therapy among older women who smoke could as much as double their risk of developing cancer.

Researchers say the results add to growing evidence that breast cancer may be yet another health risk associated with cigarette smoking.

Continue reading....

Will all this information help women quit smoking? I wish it were so easy.

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
www.OlderWiserWomen.com