Research: Upbeat Attitude Spells Great Heart Health

According to at least one study, older people with a positive, upbeat attitude also typically have significantly better cardiovascular health. And, as the positive attitude scores climbed, so did the health scores in this study that included seniors up to age 85. Those with most optimism were twice as likely to enjoy a healthy heart.

“Individuals with the highest levels of optimism have twice the odds of being in ideal cardiovascular health compared to their more pessimistic counterparts,” said lead author Rosalba Hernandez, a professor of social work at the University of Illinois.

“This association remains significant, even after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and poor mental health.” Participants' cardiovascular health was assessed using the seven metrics that the American Heart Association uses to define heart health: blood pressure, body mass index,fasting plasma glucose and serum 

cholesterol levels, dietary intake, physical activity and tabacco use.

 To learn more about this study, visit http://news.illinois.edu/news/15/0108optimism_RosalbaHernandez.html.  

Seniors Fare Better When They Stick Together, Study Says

A study of couples over 50 finds both men and women are more likely to quit smoking, become physically active and lose weight if their partner joins them in the new healthy behavior. Evidence has suggested people tend to exhibit the health behaviors of people around them and that partners can influence each other’s behavior, according to the study recently published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

Sarah E. Jackson, Ph.D., of University College London, England, and coauthors examined the influence of a partner’s behavior on making positive health behavior changes. Smoking cessation, increased physical activity and a 5 percent or greater weight loss were measured.

The authors used data from 3,722 senior married couples – ages 50 and older – and those living together who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging. The authors found that when one partner changed to a healthier behavior the other partner was more likely to make a positive behavior change than if their partner remained unhealthy.

The changes measured:

Stopping smoking:

     ● Men, 48 percent vs. 8 percent;
     ● Women, 50 percent vs. 8 percent

Increasing physical activity:

     ●Men, 67 percent vs. 26 percent;
     ●Women, 66 percent vs. 24 percent and

Losing weight:
     ●Men, 26 percent vs. 10 percent;
     ●Women, 36 percent vs. 15 percent.

For more about the study, visit http://media.jamanetwork.com/news-item/partners-can-help-each-other-make-positive-health-behavior-changes/.

Video Series Could Help Seniors Strengthen Balance

Falls are certainly a legitimate concern. Despite increased cautions to seniors about these dangers the number of people age 65 and older who are falling is increasing.

Study results show that among all adults 65 years or older, the prevalence of self-reported falls increased from 28.2 percent in 1998 to 36.3 percent in 2010, according to a recent research letter published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

“Contrary to our hypothesis, we observed an increase in fall prevalence among older adults that exceeds what would be expected owing to the increasing age of the population,” said lead author Christine Cigolle, M.D., M.P.H. from the University of Michigan, who is a research scientist at the Ann Arbor Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Centers (GRECC), a VA Medical Center.

But there is good news and some indication that all of the warnings extended to seniors may be helping them to reap some rewards despite these falls. The researchers did not find an increase in injuries from falling.

A new video series offered by the Home Instead Senior Care^® network, Prevent Senior Falls: Balance and Assessment Exercises, could help you assess your older loved one’s potential risk of falls. The series also offers balancing and strengthening exercises that could help your older loved one to decrease this potential risk.

Most experts agree that falls should be avoided since they typically put seniors in the hospital. To check out these videos and learn more suggestions for keeping seniors safe, go to PreventSeniorHospitalizations.com.

 
For more information about the research, visit http://media.jamanetwork.com/news-item/prevalence-of-self-reported-falls-increases-since-1998-in-adults-over-65/