health

Instead of letting go, some seniors get going

Daily Hampshire Gazette — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0500

By Judith Graham Chicago Tribune

He's an 84-year-old diabetic with one lung that doesn't work.

She's his 84-year-old wife, a survivor of a nearly fatal aortic aneurysm.

About a dozen years ago, they stared old age in the face and made a decision. Instead of letting themselves go, they would get themselves going.

Wearing a pedometer can be a big step toward fitness

Daily Hampshire Gazette — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0500

By Lenny Bernstein The Washington Post

What if there was a small, inexpensive device that was proven to boost your fitness, help you lose weight and lower your blood pressure? Would you use it, especially if doing so was nearly effortless?

Kettlebell training rings true

Daily Hampshire Gazette — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0500

What's round and has a flat bottom? You? If that's the case, grab a similarly shaped kettlebell and work hard as this old standby helps transform you into a lean, mean exercise machine.

Kettlebells resemble cannon balls with handles, and they can be used to do a wide variety of exercises that hit the entire body and work the cardiovascular system.

In pain? Look at some photos of your loved ones

Daily Hampshire Gazette — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0500

Are you facing a painful medical procedure? If you're looking for a way to help deaden the pain, you might think about taking along a photo of your husband or wife, according to new research.

A study involving 25 women found that those who looked at photos of loved ones while they were subjected to heat on their arms were able to tolerate more pain.

FDA reviews update to Pfizer vaccine for kids

AP Wire — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON - Federal health officials on Monday questioned whether to approve an updated version of Pfizer's best-selling anti-infection vaccine for children, despite company studies that failed to meet certain goals.

Surgical solution? Weight-loss operations dramatically affect diabetes

Daily Hampshire Gazette — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0500

The discovery came about by accident more than a decade ago: Weight-loss surgery often led to dramatic improvement in the control of Type 2 diabetes, often before patients left the hospital. Today, evidence of the connection is so solid that some doctors say surgery should be considered as a treatment for diabetes, regardless of a person's weight.

H1N1: Questions, answers

Daily Hampshire Gazette — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0500

Medical offices around the country have been barraged by calls about the H1N1 vaccine. So it's a good time to share some of our patients' questions about H1N1 and vaccination.