Sample Articles: October-December 2003

Great American Smokeout

The American Cancer Society

On November 20, 2003, the American Cancer Society marks the 27th annual Great American Smokeout, nationally recognized as a platform to educate the public on the dangers associated with tobacco use and to encourage smokers to quit for a lifetime by starting with just one day. Many Americans now understand the dangers associated with tobacco use. More and more are successfully quitting, but lung cancer remains the number one cancer killer among men and women.

This year alone, approximately 171,900 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in the US, and an estimated 157,200 people will die from the disease. Research has also brought to light other tobacco-related cancers, including cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, pancreas, uterine cervix, kidney, and bladder. Statistics illustrate what battles still must be fought, but we have won many important victories.

In 1977, Berkeley, CA became the first community to limit smoking in restaurants and other public places. A federal smoking ban on all interstate buses and domestic flights of six hours or less was passed in 1990. In 1999, the Department of Justice filed suit against cigarette manufacturers, charging the industry with defrauding the public by lying about the risks of smoking. Although there has been great progress, there is much more to accomplish in order to significantly reduce tobacco-related cancer diagnoses and deaths.

Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society, yet an estimated 47 million adults in the US currently smoke. And youth smoking seems to be on the rise. Statistics show that between 1991 and 1999, cigarette smoking among high school students rose substantially from 28 to 35%.

Through the Great American Smokeout and other year-round tobacco cessation programs and services, the American Cancer Society continues to inform people about the dangers of smoking and tobacco use, and to save lives by providing the tools to help users quit.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem, by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. For more information about how to get involved in the Great American Smokeout and to learn about tobacco cessation strategies, or to find out other ways you can help in the fight against cancer, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Infections Linked to Mental Decline in Elderly

American Heart Association

Infection by several common viruses can significantly increase the risk of dementia in the elderly with cardiovascular disease, according to a report in today’s “Rapid Access issue of Stroke”.

Finnish researchers tested 383 cardiovascular disease patients for antibodies to the viruses herpes simplex type 1 (HSV1), herpes simplex type 2 (HSV2), and cytomegalovirus (CMV). Antibodies in the blood indicate a current or previous infection by the viruses. People with antibodies to two of the viruses had a 1.8 times greater risk of dementia than those infected by none or one of the viruses. Those infected by all three viruses had a 2.3 times higher risk. The researchers selected the three viruses because several studies have suggested a link between each of them and dementia.

“Inflammation has been implicated in dementia, and viral infections could be a triggering factor,” says lead author Timo E. Strandberg, M.D., Ph.D. If these viruses are involved, there are existing therapies such as vaccination and antiviral drugs that could be used to prevent or treat dementia.” HSV1 causes cold sores and HSV2 is a sexually transmitted disease. CMV infects between 50 percent and 85 percent of U.S. adults by age 40, but it causes few symptoms and no long term health consequences in most healthy persons if they acquire it after birth.

All participants had atherosclerosis and lived at home when they began the study. Their average age was 80; 65 percent were female; 82 percent had coronary artery disease; and 37 percent had suffered at least one stroke. As part of the DEBATE study, researchers assessed patients’ cognitive abilities each year using two well established tests; the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR). Cognitive impairment is associated with dementia in old age. The maximum score on the MMSE is 30, and a score below 24 points usually indicates clinically significant cognitive impairment, says Strandberg, a senior lecturer at the University of Helsinki and a senior researcher at the Academy of Finland.

“ We found a significant association between cognitive status and the viral burden at baseline,” Strandberg says. At baseline, participants with exposure to all three viruses were 2.5 times more likely to have cognitive impairment than those with antibodies to fewer than three. In addition, abnormal clinical dementia rating scores were found in 4.9 percent of participants with exposure to zero or one virus, in 16.2 percent of those exposed to two viruses, and in 26.9 percent of participants exposed to all three. At one year, the risk for cognitive impairment was 2.3 times higher for people with antibodies to all three viruses and 1.8 times higher for those with antibodies to two compared to those with one or no antibodies. Researchers also tested patients for infection by the two bacteria:

Chlamydia pneumoniae (which causes respiratory diseases) and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (which causes “walking pneumonia).” The microorganisms have been associated with atherosclerosis and late onset dementia, including Alzheimer’s, which is increasingly considered a vascular disease, Strandberg says. Co-authors are Kaisu H. Pitkala, M.D., Ph.D.; Kimmo H. Linnavuori, M.D., Ph.D.; and Reijo S. Tilvis, M.D., Ph.D. For more information on stroke, visit the American Stroke Association Web site: www.strokeassociation.org.

-------------------------------------------------------------

When the Torch Is Passed and the Child Cares for the Parent

Paula Goblet, RN, BSBA

Many of us can already relate to the moment of recognition when we realize that our beloved parents have begun to struggle with the tasks of everyday living. Mom is forgetting to take her medicine. Dad isn’t able to manage the choirs he always enjoyed. Or perhaps, an event even more frightening--- like a kitchen fire because a pot was left unattended. Between 1990 and 2000, Arizona’s population expanded by forty-percent, with the number of people over the age of 85 increasing by more than eighty-percent.

When the leading edge of the 77 million Baby Boomers will reach age 65 in 2010, there will be more elders than teenagers in the United States and the challenges of managing the late life needs of parents everywhere will face every family. The needs of today will be completely overwhelmed by those of tomorrow.

It seems that with every passing day, the number of phone calls increase; the calls of panic, frustration, or despair. “Please help me. I’ve never done this before, and I don’t know what to do, or where to go. Can you help me?” These pleas are from adult children (the “Sandwich Generation”) trying to figure out how to help their Mom, Dad, or both. “They are totally unrealistic! They need so much help and they want to stay in their own home.” Busy lives, somehow balancing the ever-growing demands of children, career, marriage, friendships, and now the extraordinary needs of parents facing loss of independence and autonomy. Solutions rarely come with ease.

That parents are meant to nurture and provide for their children is assumed. Mom always knew just what to say to make tears go away. Daddy’s hugs never failed to make us beam. Where in the book of life do we learn how to care for the people who always had all of the answers? The universal desire is the means by which we can live in the home of our choice, for the entirety of our life. When normative effects of aging, chronic conditions, or a catastrophic illness challenge our autonomy, the dream of independent living is threatened. The best approach to provide the most reasonable response can come from the assistance of a Home Care Agency, an organization dedicated to helping families and individuals help themselves.

At Care By Design, we pride ourselves on becoming a member of your family, devoted to providing the answers you need, and the support you deserve. You may contact us to learn how we can help you manage to provide for the quality of life we all desire and require. Let us help you or your loved ones stay in the home of your choice. For more information about this article or Care By Design (There’s no place like home), call (602) 285-1800, The Foundation For Senior Living, serving the Valley since 1974.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Savvy Senior

My husband, who is 58 years old, has a hearing problem particularly when we are in public places where there are a lot of people and background noise. I keep telling him to go get it checked out and see what he can do to help, but he refuses.

He says hearing aids are ugly and that he's too young to start wearing one. Can you please provide me some facts about basic hearing loss and some different hearing aid options for vain senior citizens? I want to do something for him before it gets any worse.

Thank you.
Can't hear and won't admit it.

Dear Can't Hear, WHAT DID YOU SAY???
A savvy fact about hearing loss is that it affects over 28 million Americans of all ages and is especially prevalent in seniors 60 and above. Furthermore, only about 20 percent of Americans who need a hearing aid actually wear one, largely because the devices are perceived as totally unsavvy.

Because hearing loss can develop over several years, most people are not aware of the extent of their loss until family or friends bring it to their attention. Even then they might deny that they have difficulty hearing. Hearing Loss symptoms include:
· Difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds, such as women's and children's voices, or birds singing.
·Difficulty hearing at public gatherings: concert halls, theaters, and houses of worship - where sound sources are far from the listener.
·Difficulty understanding conversations within a group of people, or on the telephone.

Three general types of hearing loss:
1. Sensorineural hearing loss (most common) is characterized by deterioration of the cochlea. Causes are the result of the aging process, exposure to loud noise, or a congenital problem.
2. Conductive hearing loss occurs when the eardrum, bones and membranes don't properly transmit vibrations to the cochlea. Causes include traumatic head injury or birth defects.
3. Mixed hearing loss involves a combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

A savvy note: No two people have the same type of hearing loss. What are the options, you ask? There are many varied hearing aid styles and advanced technologies available out there, depending on individual need and budget.

You should contact your Hearing Health Care Professional for more specific information. As far as hearing aid vanity goes, did you know that President Bill Clinton wore a completely-in-the-canal model hearing aid for most of the last four years of his presidency.

Who Knew??? For more information on hearing loss and hearing aid styles and technology, computer savvy seniors should check out the World Wide Web for unlimited information. Here are a few savvy sites to start with:

· For a free hearing test log on to http://www.freehearingtest.org/

·National Campaign for Hearing Health ~ http://www.hearinghealth.net/

·American Speech-Language-Hearing Association ~ http://www.asha.org/

·Sight & Hearing Info. ~ http://www.sightandhearing.org/

· Government Health Finder ~ http://www.healthfinder.gov/

·Better Hearing ~ http://www.betterhearing.org/