Americans Healthier, Living Longer
Thanks to progress against major killers such as heart disease and cancer, life expectancy in the United States continues to climb. In 2000, life expectancy was 80 years for a white female; 75 years for a black female; 74.8 years for a white male, and 68 years for a black male.

Although heart disease and cancer still account for 50 percent of deaths, mortality rates for both are declining. Death rates are also down for stroke, diabetes, emphysema, cirrhosis of the liver and HIV. Deaths continue to increase, however, for Alzheimer’s disease, influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease and high blood pressure.
[SOURCE: Michael Smith, M.D., “Life Expectancy Continues To Climb, Hits New High,” WebMD, October, 16, 2001, based on report from Centers for Disease Control]

Head Injuries Increase AD Risk
Suffering a head injury at some time in life apparently increases a person’s risk of eventually developing Alzheimer’s disease. In a study based on military medical records, World War II veterans who had suffered a skull fracture or loss of as persons suffering no head injury to later develop Alzheimer’s. Those who had lost consciousness for more than 24 hours had a risk four times higher.

Another study concluded that by age 93, persons who had suffered a knockout blow had a 70 percent cumulative risk of developing AD, compared to 34 percent for those never knocked out.
[SOURCE: “General Review–Alzheimer’s Disease: Recent Progress and Prospects, Part III,” Harvard Mental Health Letter, December, 2001]

Keep on the Sunny Side
A study of brief autobiographies written by 180 Catholic nuns when they were in their early 20s found that those who wrote about happiness, love and other positive emotions had longer life spans than those who recounted stories that were neutral or negative in emotional content. Nuns whose autobiographies contained the most words referring to positive emotions lived an average of 9.5 years longer than others.
[SOURCE: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, May, 2001; Bruce Bower, “Look on the Bright Side and Survive Longer,” Science News, May 26, 2001]

Early Signs of Alzheimer’s
Losing your car keys, forgetting something you should have picked up at the store or calling a friend by the wrong name are common lapses of memory that nearly everyone experiences and can be made worse by stress, lack of sleep, age or certain medications. Early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, include more serious problems such as:

• memory losses that affect your job skills,
• difficulty with familiar, every day tasks,
• language problems,
• losing track of time and/or getting lost,
• poor or decreased judgment,
• inability to think conceptually–or being too literal,
• misplacing things,
• changes in mood, behavior or personality,
• loss of initiative.

You should seek medical advice, if you note a pattern of several of these warning signs in yourself or a loved one.
[SOURCE: Neil Osterweil, “Early Detection Best Weapon against Alzheimer’s,” WebMD Medical News, May 7, 2001; “Fading Memories: Is It Alzheimer’s?” WebMD, May 8, 2001]

Help for Wanderers
Wandering is a common symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, and 6 of 10 patients wander away from home at some time. The Alzheimer’s patient may end up far away from home–in someone’s yard, in the middle of the street, driving, walking or riding on public transportation. In nearly every case, the patient is disoriented and distracted, with virtually no chance of returning safely without help.

The Alzheimer’s Association’s Safe Return Program includes a national database where identifying information can be stored and a toll-free emergency line. For information, call 1-888-572-8566. Other tips for protecting patients:

• Get the patient involved in exercise and daily activities to reduce anxiety and restlessness.
• Offer frequent reassurance whenever the person expresses feelings of being lost, abandoned or disoriented.
• Make sure neighbors are informed of the patient’s condition and know who to contact.
• Secure the home with deadbolts on doors to the outside and make sure car keys are not accessible.

[SOURCE: Daniel DeNoon, “Alzheimer’s Wanderers Need Help Getting Home,” WebMD Medical News, October 24, 2001]

Vitamin A May Up Risk of Fractures
If you’re an older woman or man at risk of osteoporosis, you may want to think twice about taking a vitamin A supplement. Among 72,337 postmenopausal women in the Nurses’ Health Study, those who consumed 3000 micrograms or more of vitamin A had a significantly greater risk of suffering a hip fracture. Women taking a vitamin A supplement had a risk 1.40 times that of women not taking a supplement. Women getting 1000 micrograms daily of retinol through diet also had a increased risk compared to women consuming less than 400 micrograms a day.

The increased risk was not found for consumption of beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A found in many yellow, orange or dark green vegetables and fruits.
[SOURCE: Diane Feskanich, et al, JAMA, January 2, 2002, reported by Reuters Health, January 1, 2002]

Keep Kids Away from Hot Oven Doors
As you childproof your home to keep toddlers safe, don’t overlook the oven door. A survey of 201 children admitted to a burn center found that seven percent had touched hot oven doors. Most of the burns were on the palm of the hand and occurred in late afternoon or early evening.
[SOURCE: Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, January, 2001, “Oven Door Dangers,” Pediatrics for Parents,” April, 2001]

Hot Seat Belts Can Burn Children
During summer months or any time in sunny climates, children are frequently burned–sometimes severely–by hot seatbelt straps and buckles. Cover the seat with a towel when you park in the sun, and test for heat with your hand before placing the child in the seat.
[SOURCE: “Preventing Burns at Home,” American Family Physician,” November 1, 2000]

Treating a Minor Burn
Small, minor burns from touching an oven rack or being exposed to steam from a boiling pot can usually be treated at home.

Thin or superficial burns are red and painful and may even swell a little but will turn white when you press on them. Soaking in cool water is usually sufficient, but you may also wish to apply aloe vera cream or an antibiotic ointment. Do not use butter, oil, ice or ice water since they may damage the skin even more.

Thicker burns that cause blistering need more extended soaking–15 minutes immediately and then cool, clean compresses for a few minutes every day plus an antibiotic ointment and a nonstick dressing. These burns may require a doctor’s care, if for no other reason than to guard against infection. Full-thickness (third degree) burns always require medical attention.
[SOURCE: “Taking Care of Burns,” American Family Physician, November 1, 2000]

Most Parents Heed Front Seat Warning
Government data show that air bags are killing fewer children than five years ago. Parents who are heeding warnings to always put children in the back seat can take credit for these results, according to safety experts.

Studies show, however, that up to 25 percent of child passengers still ride in the front seat. Having a child ride in the back seat virtually eliminates the risk of death and injury due to air bag deployment and reduces the risk of fatal injury overall by 30 percent.
[SOURCE: “Motor-Vehicle Occupant Fatalities and Restrain Use among Children Aged 4-8 Years–United States, 1994-1998,” JAMA, May 3, 2000]

Seat Belt Protects Pregnant Mom, Fetus
Some pregnant women avoid wearing seat belts because they fear the belt may harm the unborn child in the event of an accident. The opposite is true, however.

A study of 42 car accidents involving pregnant women found that those not wearing a seat belt were two to three times more likely to suffer injury to the fetus, placental abruption or uterine rupture compared with those wearing seat belts. This was true regardless of how serious the crash was or how seriously injured the mother.

Pregnant women should wear the lap portion of the seat belt as low as possible, underneath the uterus. The shoulder belt should be positioned between the breasts and to the side of the uterus.
[SOURCE: Timothy Kirn, “Seat Belt Helps Protect Fetus,” Family Practice News, January 1, 2000]

Are You Overweight?
Most people think they have a petty good idea of whether or not they’re overweight by just looking in the mirror. Scientific studies now use a more objective measure than the old height and weight charts–the body mass index (BMI). A BMI under 25 is considered healthy. From 25 to 30 is considered overweight. Above 30 is obese.

BMI is fairly simple to calculate. Start with your weight. Multiply your weight by 703. Divide this by your height in inches. Then divide by height in inches again. (A 140-pound women who is 5 foot 4 or 64 inches: 140x703=98,420/54= 1538 /64=24. Her body mass index is 24, a healthy number).

If the math is too much for you, a more informal measure is based on waist size. A waist of 35 inches or more in women and 40 inches or more in men is considered obese.
[SOURCE: Robert Rosenblatt, “Surgeon General Takes Stern Stance on Obesity,” Los Angeles Times, December 14, 2001]