June 2010
Aunt Ann's Home Care Newsletter
In This Issue

Cardiovascular Disease: a Major Risk Factor for Dementia
Fracture Risk Underestimated for Osteoporotic Patients
The Slippery Secret to Good Health
This Is Your Brain
Essentials for Medicare and Medicaid
Recipe of the Month

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Greetings,

Understanding the risk factors of diseases associated with aging and learning ways to help prevent those same diseases may be half the battle. Despite the wealth of available information, studies continue to show that many are not armed with the disease fighting tips they need. With the articles in this month's newsletter, our goal is to shed some new light and perhaps point those in our community towards the path for better health. We hope you will find the included news informative and beneficial.

Thank you,
Vicki Paul

oneCardiovascular Disease: a Major Risk Factor for Dementia

A recent study reports that the presence of atrial fibrillation, independent of everything else, increases the likelihood of developing dementia. However, it is possible that both atrial fibrillation and dementia may arise from the same risk factors, such as hypertension. This study is just another reinforcement that a heart-healthy diet and exercise are really the best ways to prevent dementia.

An estimated 2.2 million Americans have atrial fibrillation, while an estimated 5.5 million suffer from Alzheimer's.

Access the article abstract in the HeartRhythm Journal here.

For more information on atrial fibrillation click here.

Read the full article.


twoFracture Risk Underestimated for Osteoporotic Patients

Apparently many of the 8 million women (80% of cases occur in women) in the United States who have osteoporosis have not been educated about the disease nor how to recognize their increased fracture risk. A new study finds that 43% of women diagnosed with osteoporosis perceived their fracture risk to be no higher than that of other women their age.

Some risk factors for osteoporosis include: being postmenopausal, being female, being small-framed or thin, having a parent who has had a hip fracture, breaking a bone after age 45 (the biggest single risk factor), having a sedentary lifestyle, smoking cigarettes, abusing alcohol or taking steroids or certain other medications. Two to three times more women get hip fractures, compared to men; but men are twice as likely to die within a year of fracturing a hip.

The journal Osteoporosis International requires a paid subscription. Information is available here.

National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF).

Read the full article here.


threeThe Slippery Secret to Good Health
 
It turns out that olive oil is the key to why the Mediterranean diet works so well to reduce heart problems, the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and even depression. The Mediterranean diet includes plenty of olive oil, fish, fruits and vegetables, as well as small amounts of red meat and dairy, and has been linked to good health for a long time. It is the olive oil component, however, that seems to be the best at repressing several genes which trigger inflammation in the body. Inflammation can trigger conditions such as atherosclerosis. It is the relationship between inflammation and diet that suggests olive oil can actually switch the activity of immune system cells to a less harmful profile.

Read the findings in this abstract from the journal BMC Genomics.

Read the full article here.


sixThis Is Your Brain

100 billion nerve cells, 100 trillion synapses, dozens of neurotransmitters - these numbers represent your brain's raw material. Take the "brain tour" to learn more about the brain and Alzheimer's disease.

Read more here.


sixEssentials for Medicare and Medicaid

View introductions and frequently asked questions for these programs in this free downloadable PDF (published by the MetLife Mature Market Institute).






eightRecipe of the Month: Egg Casserole

Thanks to Jo Anne Montoya for sharing your Mom's delicious brunch recipe this month. She has prepared it with us and it is delicious.

Ingredients
:
Bread (6 slices buttered)
Shredded cheese: Jack (2 cups) and Cheddar (2 cups)
Diced green chilies (1-7 oz. can)
Eggs (6)
Milk (2 cups)
Salt & pepper (1 tsp.)

 
Place slices of bread, buttered side down, in a 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle cheese and chilies over bread slices evenly. In a mixing bowl beat eggs, milk, and salt and pepper together. Pour mixture over the bread, cheese and chilies. Cover and chill overnight.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Top should be light brown.

Let stand before serving.