labyrinthworld.com Blog

Recent studies show that exercise helps delay aging. In long term studies that compare those who exercise to those who do not, researchers found as much as a 9 year biological difference between the two groups.  That is at the cellular level the exercisers are about 9 years younger than the non exercisers.  

To derive maximum benefit from exercise, you must engage in activities that get the heart pumping, like biking, aerobics, swimming, etc.  You don’t have to do a full hour or more at a time, but can break it up in 15 minute chunks.  Ideally, you want to spend at least 3 hours a week exercising.

Recent reports link long ago lead exposure to mental decline.  According to to Dr. Brian Schwarty from John Hopkins University, exposure to lead from a decade or more ago may cause your brain to work as if it’s five years older than it is.  And it’s not just exposure to lead that is worrisome.   Other studies suggests that it is possible that pollutants like mercury and pesticides may be linked to Parkinson’s disease.

Modern society is a lonely society.  The fast paced hectic nature of it means that it’s hard to form and sustain relationships, especially as we grow older.  For many of us this means an increasingly lonely existence.  There are things we can do to escape this situation, but it may mean moving outside of our comfort zone. 

To get you going, I have put together a list of activities that you can do that can lead to a richer and more satisfying life. Pick the one or two things on the list that appeals to you most, then go out and do them.

1. Volunteer.  There are many organizations that can use good volunteers.  The public library, local schools, the Red Cross, your church, just to name a few.  One of the advantages in doing volunteer work is that in addition to providing you with an opportunity to interact with others, it can also add extra meaning to your life.
2. Join a book club.  If there is not one near you, start your own.  Advertise your book club on local bulletin boards at the grocery store, or library. Place a small ad in the local newspaper.  These are generally free and are placed under the heading of community activities.  Advertise on a computer bulletin board like Craig’s List.
3. Go to church.  Churches are wonderful places to meet people, and the leadership is always interested in people becoming active participants.  Join one of the auxiliaries.  Go to church get-togethers.  Attend bible study.
4. Join or start an exercise group.  Arrange for your group to meet Saturday or Sunday mornings for long walks at popular hiking trails, or have everyone chip in to hire a trainer, then arrange for free or cheap space to exercise in at a local recreation center, or in your church basement.
5. Take up a hobby.  Try quilting or photography or some other activity you are interested in and fine like minded individuals.  If you search the local newspapers or computer bulletin boards, you may find someone has already started a group that shares your interest.  Quilting and sewing hobbyist can find likeminded individuals at fabric stores.  Generally these stores have group lessons or provide other opportunities for hobbyists’ to get together.
6. Take a class at a local community college.  This is a wonderful opportunity to keep your mind sharp, while providing you with opportunities to meet other people.  The majority of the individuals attending community colleges may be young, but there is no rule that says all your interactions have to be with people your age.
7. Teach a class.  If you have a special skill, try sharing it with others.  Look into the possibility of teaching GED, or other classes at an adult education facility.
8. If you are a senior citizen, go to the senior citizen center in your community.  I have a sister who does and she is always busy with brunches, trips and other activities. Another benefit is that she has found friends that she socialize with outside of the center. 
9. Form a theater group, or a music group, or a movie group.  Refer to  suggestion #2 to learn how to advertise and recruit members for your group.

Although this title seems to contradict the “Cold weather can be deadly” posting, it really doesn’t. Cold weather can present challenges not found in hot weather. Exercising is not one of those challenges.

It turns out more people are injured exercising in the heat than in exercising in the cold. The problem with exercising in the cold is that people may overdress or stop moving. If you are planning to exercise in the cold, it is better if you feel the cold. That means that contrary to popular opinion, you should not overdress. Just as bad in extreme cold is to stop moving. Other myths that people believe are:

• Lungs are damaged by the cold. That’s an old myth. By the time the air gets to the lungs, it has warmed up to body temperature.

• Cold induces asthma. Because cold air holds less moisture than warm air, people who experience respiratory symptoms in the cold may be simply experiencing the effects of dry air. They will have the same response in a hot, dry climate.

• You can adapt to the cold. Although people can adapt to the heat, and their performance can improve with adaptation, that’s not true for the cold. The body’s response to the cold does not improve over time, and there is no evidence that the physically fit do better in the cold than do the non fit.

Non myths. In extreme cold people are subject to suffering from frostbite and hypothermia. Hypothermia comes from the combination of cold and wet. This is because water transfers heat away from the body 70 times more efficiently than air. The key to avoiding hypothermia is to keep moving. As long as you keep moving you won’t die because you generate too much heat. As for frostbite, the body is subject to getting frostbite when the temperature reaches 27 degrees. The trick to avoiding it is to make sure your body parts are properly covered.

I can’t help but wonder why the Federal Drug Administration is so anxious to approve a drug whose risks outweighs its benefits. Is it because of the influence of special interest groups? The target audience for the new drug is middle aged women. The disease is fibromyalgia, although whether or not it is a disease is still being debated. The symptoms of fibromyalgia are chronic, widespread pain. The origin of the pain is unknown. Advocates and doctors who treat fibromyalgia estimate that between 2 and 4 percent of American adults suffer from it.

There are many, including the person who first discovered fibromyalgia, who do not believe there is such a disease. They argue that vague complaints do not make a disease. There are no biological tests to diagnose fibromyalgia and it can’t be linked to environmental or biological factors. They point to the fact the symptoms worsen once patients get under a physician’s care which seems to indicate a psychological component. They believe that the symptoms are likely a response to stress or depression.

To complicate matters, those who are advocating drug treatment for the disease receive funding from the pharmaceutical companies. However, the American College of Rheumatology, the Federal Drug Administration and insurers all recognize it as a disease.

The FDA reviewers initially declined to classify it as a disease but were overruled by senior officlals. Side effects from the drug approved to treat fibromyalgia are weight gains, dizziness and sleepiness. Improvements from drugs are not that great and not that well maintained.

The Federal Drugs Administration has approved cloned meat for consumption. Like most Americans, I find the idea of eating cloned meat, or drinking milk from cloned animals repulsive. I am not convinced by the FDA’s reassurance that these products pose no risk. The FDA is notorious for putting the interests of a few – in this case, the producers of cloned products, over the many – the rest of us who don’t want to eat cloned meats. To make matters worse, we can eat cloned meat without knowing that we are doing so. This is because the FDA does not require cloned meat to be identified. They’ve done the same thing with genetically modified foods. Do you know that it is illegal for anyone to make it possible for us to be able to tell the difference between it and non modified food.

Older folks often have problems with balance.  Since balance problems often result in falls that end up causing hospitalization or lack of independence, it’s worth while for older folks to regularly engage in balance exercises.  Following are 7 exercises recommended by the National Institute on Aging.

Safety tips:

Hold onto a table or chair for balance with only one hand. As you progress, try holding on with only one fingertip.

Next, try the following exercises without holding on at all. Ask someone to watch you the first few times in case you lose your balance.

If you are very steady on your feet, move on to doing the exercises using no hands, with your eyes closed. Have someone stand close by if you are unsteady.

1. Stand straight, directly behind table or chair, feet slightly apart.
2. Hold table or chair for balance.
3. Slowly lift one leg to side, 6 to 12 inches out to the side. Keep your back and both legs straight. Don’t point your toes downward — keep them facing forward. Hold position.Slowly lower leg. Repeat with other leg.
4. Keep back and knees straight throughout exercise.
5. Alternate legs until you repeat exercise 8 to 15 times with each leg.
6. Rest. Do another set of 8 to 15 alternating repetitions.
7. Add modifications as you progress.

Although deaths from hot weather receive more coverage, it seems that more Americans die from extreme cold.  Reports from experts show that over 27,000 Americans die each year from the cold.  This is because extreme cold creates cardiovascular stress as our bodies attempt to adjust to the cold.  Whereas heat waves kill those who are already weakened and who would have died anyway, extreme cold brings about the conditions that lead to death.

Alzheimer’s was first recognized as a disease 101 year ago.  As of now the government has spent more than $8 billion on Alzheimer research.  Private industries have spent billions more.  Even so, progress on this disease has been slow.

The drug industry’s heavy investment in Alzheimer’s research has to do with huge potential profits.  With the aging of the large baby boomer population, and longer life expectancy, demand for products that offer a cure is expected to be enormous.

Things have not panned out the way the drug industry and other researchers expected.  New drug candidates are failing trails, and old drugs are the subject of lawsuits as consumers charge the drug industry with caring more about profits and not enough about patient safety.  To make matters worse for the drug companies, patents on old drugs are expiring. 

Much of recent research has been directed  at understanding the normal process by which brain cells break down.  So far this has been the biggest obstacle.  That is because there are many events involved in brain function, and breakdown can happen at any point in the process.  Every point represents a possible point of intervention, but each intervention can cause a cascade of unintended changes. Although some researchers are optimistic that a cure will be found, others like Eric Karran, chief scientific officer at Eli Lilly are less optimistic.   

For any quantity that is growing exponentially, the larger the quantity, the faster the growth. A quantity is growing exponentially if it increases by the same percent in each year or other unit of time. Comparing it to the linear model will make it clearer.

Linear model: Let’s pretend that the number of people afflicted with Alzheimer’s is 10,000. If we assume that the number of afflicted increases by 500 each year, we’ll end up with the following:

After the 1st year, the number will be 10,000

After the 2nd year, the number will be 11,000

After the 3rd year, the number will be 11,500

Exponential model:  We’ll use the same 10,000, but  we will assume the number of afflicted will increase by 5 percent a year: 

Since 5 percent of 10,000 is 500, we’ll still end up with 10,500 after the 1st year.

After the 2nd year, the increase will be 5 percent of 10,500, which is 525.  That means we’ll end up with 11,025.

After the 3rd year, the increase will be 5 percent of 11,025 which is 551.  That means we’ll end up with 11,576.

If we continue with this example, we’ll see the following: 

                Linear      v.     Exponential growth rate

30 years    20,000            40,000

40 years    30,000            80,000  

The true number of individuals afflicted with Alzheimer’s is 5 million. Because growth is faster with larger quantities, and the number of afflicted is expected to grow exponentially, it  is estimated that by 2010 Alzheimer’s related care will cost Medicare about $160 billion per year and by by 2050 the cost to Medicare will be $1 trillion dollars per year.