Alzheimer's Expert Carol Bradley Bursack shares Alzheimer's management news and commentary at OurAlzheimers.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62 http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62 http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/43966/intolerance-aware Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:43:00 -0000 Carol Bradley Bursack A reader of mine opened my eyes wide. I have a son who is lactose intolerant. So is my sister. There are entire ethnic groups who have a large percentage of their population with this food intolerance.   Lactose, described in the dictionary as, "A white crystalline substance obtained from whey and used in infant foods, bakery products, confections, and pharmaceuticals ... also called milk sugar," is in dairy products. Milk, cream and ice... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/43966/intolerance-aware http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/43503/alzheimer-benefits Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:15:00 -0000 Carol Bradley Bursack It wasn't the sight of today's movie stars trotting off to yoga classes taught by gurus, that got me into yoga. Most of those folks weren't even born when I began my yoga journey back in the mid-70s.   I suffered from severe migraines. As a person who'd been born limber, I hadn't considered it necessary to do much to stay that way, but I did think some poses in a book I received from a book club could possibly help my migraines. The moves... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/43503/alzheimer-benefits http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/42973/combination-people Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:00:00 -0000 Carol Bradley Bursack A press release announcing the results of a study on Alzheimer's drugs, used in combination sounds promising. Titled, "Study confirms benefit of combination therapy for Alzheimer's disease: First long-term study finds that treatment slows symptom progression, benefits last for years," the release can be found on massgeneral.org.   One of the difficulties researchers face in studying how long Alzheimer's drugs are effective is that... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/42973/combination-people http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/42544/elders-digital-tv Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:50:00 -0000 Carol Bradley Bursack This isn't just about elders, of course. However, it's more likely that older people are still using an antenna for their TV reception, than younger people into dish and cable.   I'm writing this to give readers information, but I'm most concerned about elders getting scammed. Older people are still more vulnerable to giving out private information over the phone or even in a store, thinking that this nice young woman who is asking must... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/42544/elders-digital-tv http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/42218/affect-process Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:21:00 -0000 Carol Bradley Bursack I've learned many valuable lessons as I've attended the deaths of loved ones. It's hard to place a value on any of them. However, one that I'll keep close to my heart is the value of the spoken word, even as a person in a coma nears death.   As my mother's body was shutting down, her limbs looked as though they were rotting, but her heart kept beating. My sister, Beth, and I were at Mom's side, expecting that at any moment her heart would... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/42218/affect-process http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/41626/caregiving-site Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:16:00 -0000 Carol Bradley Bursack Medicare is out to help us. Acting Administrator Kerry Weems had some extra incentive to figure out how to better help caregivers navigate the murky waters of the Medicare system, because he and his wife have been caregivers. Since taking over as head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS), he's been working on this new initiative.   Last Thursday, I attended, via the Web, the launching of the new site titled Ask Medicare. The... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/41626/caregiving-site http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/41257/alzheimer-global Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:15:00 -0000 Carol Bradley Bursack This Sunday, September 21, is World Alzheimer's Day. There are many U.S. Alzheimer's agencies that are sponsoring walks, strolls, food sales and seminars as fundraising and awareness events. Our Alzheimer's has been focusing on the Alzheimer's Quilt project and of course, Alzheimer's and dementia are a year around focus for us here on OurAlzheimers.com.   It's always amazing to me how the Internet contributes to these efforts. Because of... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/41257/alzheimer-global http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/40768/shows-deficiencies Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:34:00 -0000 Carol Bradley Bursack A Newswise article titled, "B-Vitamin Deficiency May Cause Vascular Cognitive Impairment," caught my eye, as I'm always looking for ways that we can help prevent dementia and other health problems through nutritional or other safe and readily available means. This particular article is about a Tufts University study that "...used an experimental model to examine the metabolic, cognitive, and microvascular effects of dietary B-vitamin... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/40768/shows-deficiencies http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/40340/flu-controversial Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:03:00 -0000 Carol Bradley Bursack   Every fall my parents would get their flu shots. At the time, it was considered necessary for people over 65 and those with certain illnesses, plus their caregivers, to be vaccinated against the coming winter's strain of influenza. I not only was a caregiver for elders, I had a son with asthma, which is one risk category, so I always got my shot.   Every once in awhile, the scientists whose job it is to figure out what to put in... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/40340/flu-controversial http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/39936/meaning-caregivers Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:45:00 -0000 Carol Bradley Bursack   BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!   The old soldiers from our local American Legion Honor Guard fired their rifles into the brittle blue sky over my father's grave. It was December in North Dakota, and the cemetery was knee deep in snow. These men were not much younger than the man they helped bury. Earlier, I had marveled at their dedication to a fellow soldier as I watched them march on aging, unsteady feet, through the snow that lead to the... http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/62/39936/meaning-caregivers