Senior woman lifting weights

Moderate to Vigorous Exercise

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, News, Studies

I know what you are thinking, but I’m not going to harp on you to run a marathon, I’m truly not, HOWEVER…..did you know that approximately 110,000 deaths per year in the United States could be prevented if adults aged 40 to 85 years or older increased their moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) by about 10 minutes per day? …

Loneliness and Mental Health

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Studies

Okay already, we have all been bombarded with research on how loneliness impacts overall health. We have all lived through “lockdowns” in our centers where we watched our residents on a slippery slope of decline, obviously related to being separated from their families. Isn’t what we have learned and lived been enough? Nope, another research study published in Neurology is …

Chronic Low Back Pain

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

You know what I’m talking about, right? You know, that dull, achy feeling you have in your lower back when you try to do more than you should! Or, how about the chronic back pain you blame on your mattress? Whatever the cause, chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a pain and a recent study concluded that many of the …

Another Reason to Quit Smoking

Angie SzumlinskiStudies

A recent age-adjusted analysis published in medrxiv.org, found that the only risk factors of lower Ab titres, (the titres that help protect from the COVID-19 virus) were being male and smoking cigarettes. The study also found that titres were significantly lower in current smokers than in ex-smokers. Now that over 60% of the population has been fully vaccinated, it might …

man with chronic pain

Osteoarthritis and You!

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

I don’t know about you but as I age, I am feeling the effects of the “Ritis Brothers,” yep arthritis! I was having a conversation with a friend the other day and commented that if I’m sitting on a flat surface like the floor, my hips just don’t work as well when I try to get up. Very sad indeed …

DASH Diet

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

Post-pandemic, everyone is dieting; we hear things like “I caught the 19,” meaning pounds not the virus! Yes, as we hunkered down and tried to stay sane, many of us turned to comfort foods, good wine, pizza, and anything that could be delivered to our doorsteps. Now we face the challenge of reintroducing healthy eating to our lifestyles. You may …

Alzheimer’s Drug Aduhelm Meeting Resistance

Angie SzumlinskiStudies

Alzheimer’s is a horrible, debilitating disease that brings heartbreak and loss to way too many families. It is no wonder that drug manufacturers are working diligently to find a treatment. Sadly, many of the drug trials we have heard about have not been successful so imagine the excitement when Biogen announced they had a treatment option!

COVID-19 and Increased Medication Use

Angie SzumlinskiHealth, Medication

The pandemic has had a huge impact on all of us, but even more so for residents living in post-acute centers. We have all witnessed the loneliness, isolation, physical and mental declines and if that isn’t troubling enough, a recent study found a significant increase in residents receiving antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, trazodone hydrochloride, anticonvulsants, and opioids. If you think about …

Senior woman lifting weights

You Don’t Use it You Lose It

Angie SzumlinskiStudies

We have all heard the old adage, maybe from your parents or grandparents, You Don’t Use it You Lose it, right? Well in an interesting article published in Medical Xpress, they found that although physical activity does positively impact people with depression, treatment with antidepressants is more effective long-term! Does that mean we should sit home and take medications instead …

Older Happy Americans

Cognitive Activity and Dementia

Angie SzumlinskiHealth

You know the old adage, an active body stays active? Well, what about an active mind? Will doing crossword puzzles, playing solitaire, being socially engaged, reading the newspaper, and engaging in activities that require you to “think” keep your mind healthy? According to some researchers, yes! They found that a cognitively active lifestyle in older age may delay the onset …