Health after 50 alerts

Kick low back pain to the curb
 Here’s the good news about acute low back pain: It usually goes away on its own, with little or no intervention. But if you’re looking for ways to ease your pain in the interim, try the following to aid in symptom relief and recovery:
Rest up—but not too much! Rest your back no longer than a day or two after your injury if pain is severe, as long periods of bed rest can weaken muscles and do more harm than good.
Get back on track. Though you may need to start slowly, returning to regular activity as soon as you’re able will keep your back conditioned and help prevent a relapse.
Walk it off. Take short walks throughout the day and wear athletic shoes while walking. Pull your stomach in slightly as you walk to support your back and limit the length of your steps to minimize tension on the back.  And choose your surface wisely:
Try to walk on asphalt instead of cement, which is harder and can stress your back.
Turn up the heat. Apply a heat wrap (which is safer than a heating pad and available in drugstores) or a heating blanket for temporary relief of muscle spasms and pain.
Opt for a pain reliever. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), can provide short-term relief when taken as directed by your doctor. Limit the use of these drugs to no longer than one or two weeks, as excessive or long-term use can cause stomach ulcers and bleeding (NSAIDs) or liver damage (acetaminophen), especially in older adults. Don’t use them at all if you’re at risk for these adverse effects.
Managing blood sugar: when injections don’t work, a pump could be the answer
About 30 percent of people with type 2 diabetes fail to achieve healthy blood glucose levels despite using multiple daily insulin injections. According to an international team of researchers, such patients might fare better by using an insulin pump.
In a study published in The Lancet, investigators randomly assigned 331 people with type 2 diabetes and poorly controlled glucose (average HbA1c, 9 percent) while on insulin therapy to use an insulin pump or to continue using multiple daily injections.
 The participants ranged in age from 30 to 75 years.
After six months, insulin pump users had lowered their HbA1c levels, on average, by 1.1 percent, compared with a reduction of just 0.4 percent for those who used multiple daily insulin injections—a significant difference.
In addition, the average total daily dose of insulin was lower among insulin pump users compared with injection users; 97 units and 122 units, respectively.
Hypoglycemia episodes occurred with equal frequency in both groups; among pump users, none was severe.
While these findings are encouraging, insulin pumps aren’t for everyone, and more research is needed.
But if your glucose remains poorly controlled in spite of multiple injections, it’s worth asking your doctor if one of these systems might be right for you.
Prostate cancer tumours more aggressive, recurrence more likely in smokers
Research has repeatedly shown the ill effects of smoking on health, and a recent study centered on men with prostate cancer further highlights the dangers of
lighting up.
Researchers publishing in the journal Cancer reviewed data from the health records of 1,450 men who had undergone radical prostatectomy. About one-third of the men (549) were smokers at the time of surgery.
The investigators found that prior to surgery, smokers tended to have more aggressive prostate cancer than nonsmokers. After surgery, smokers were more likely than nonsmokers to have a
recurrence of prostate cancer and were 2.5 times more likely to have their cancer spread to other organs. Over a period of 6.5 years, smokers were twice as likely as nonsmokers to die.
Possible explanations for the findings include:
Smoking weakens the immune system, making the body less able to fight tumors.
Toxins in tobacco may speed tumor growth.
Smokers tend to drink more alcohol and have unhealthy lifestyles.
Most likely, a combination of biological and behavioral factors is responsible for the link.
More study is needed to determine whether stopping smoking after diagnosis can limit the adverse impact it has on prostate cancer outcome. In the meantime, these sobering findings can provide an additional motivation to kick the habit. n
Source: healthafter50.com

 

 

Health after 50 alerts

Kick low back pain to the curb Heres the good news about acute low back pain: It usually goes away on its own, with little or no intervention. But if youre looking for ways to ease your pain in the interim, try the following to aid in symptom relief and recovery: Rest upbut not too much! Rest your back no longer than a day or two after your injury if pain is severe, as long periods of bed rest can weaken muscles and do more harm than good. Get back on track. Though you may need to start slowly, returning to regular activity as soon as youre able will keep your back conditioned and help prevent a relapse. Walk it off. Take short walks throughout the day and wear athletic shoes while walking. Pull your stomach in slightly as you walk to support your back and limit the length of your steps to minimize tension on the back. And choose your surface wisely: Try to walk on asphalt instead of cement, which is harder and can stress your back. Turn up the heat. Apply a heat wrap (which is safer than a heating pad and available in drugstores) or a heating blanket for temporary relief of muscle spasms and pain. Opt for a pain reliever. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), can provide short-term relief when taken as directed by your doctor. Limit the use of these drugs to no longer than one or two weeks, as excessive or long-term use can cause stomach ulcers and bleeding (NSAIDs) or liver damage (acetaminophen), especially in older adults. Dont use them at all if youre at risk for these adverse effects. Managing blood sugar: when injections dont work, a pump could be the answer About 30 percent of people with type 2 diabetes fail to achieve healthy blood glucose levels despite using multiple daily insulin injections. According to an international team of researchers, such patients might fare better by using an insulin pump. In a study published in The Lancet, investigators randomly assigned 331 people with type 2 diabetes and poorly controlled glucose (average HbA1c, 9 percent) while on insulin therapy to use an insulin pump or to continue using multiple daily injections. The participants ranged in age from 30 to 75 years. After six months, insulin pump users had lowered their HbA1c levels, on average, by 1.1 percent, compared with a reduction of just 0.4 percent for those who used multiple daily insulin injectionsa significant difference. In addition, the average total daily dose of insulin was lower among insulin pump users compared with injection users; 97 units and 122 units, respectively. Hypoglycemia episodes occurred with equal frequency in both groups; among pump users, none was severe. While these findings are encouraging, insulin pumps arent for everyone, and more research is needed. But if your glucose remains poorly controlled in spite of multiple injections, its worth asking your doctor if one of these systems might be right for you. Prostate cancer tumours more aggressive, recurrence more likely in smokers Research has repeatedly shown the ill effects of smoking on health, and a recent study centered on men with prostate cancer further highlights the dangers of lighting up. Researchers publishing in the journal Cancer reviewed data from the health records of 1,450 men who had undergone radical prostatectomy. About one-third of the men (549) were smokers at the time of surgery. The investigators found that prior to surgery, smokers tended to have more aggressive prostate cancer than nonsmokers. After surgery, smokers were more likely than nonsmokers to have a recurrence of prostate cancer and were 2.5 times more likely to have their cancer spread to other organs. Over a period of 6.5 years, smokers were twice as likely as nonsmokers to die. Possible explanations for the findings include: Smoking weakens the immune system, making the body less able to fight tumors. Toxins in tobacco may speed tumor growth. Smokers tend to drink more alcohol and have unhealthy lifestyles. Most likely, a combination of biological and behavioral factors is responsible for the link. More study is needed to determine whether stopping smoking after diagnosis can limit the adverse impact it has on prostate cancer outcome. In the meantime, these sobering findings can provide an additional motivation to kick the habit. n Source: healthafter50.com