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Jewish World Review Jan. 26, 2004 /3 Shevat, 5764

Jan L. Warner & Jan Collins

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Consumer Reports


Where can seniors get the best health info?


http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | Q: I am a 72 and healthy, except for a touch of arthritis and the usual age-related aches. My 70-year-old wife suffers from diabetes and high cholesterol. We each had a parent who suffered from dementia in their later years, and are naturally concerned. We read a lot about the condition to stay informed.


But all these studies and counter-studies from various medical schools are confusing. For example, I read about a U.S. study concluding that drinking multiple cups of coffee each day did not increase the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis — a totally opposite conclusion from a European study I had just read. Then recently, a friend told us he heard that a new study concluded that cancer can cause Alzheimer's disease. How do we know what studies to believe, and where can we get the best information on health issues that affect seniors like us?


A: First off, there appears to be no truth to your friend's rumor that cancer can cause Alzheimer's disease. In fact, a thorough Internet search using MEDLINE (www.medlineplus.gov, click on "other resources"), an excellent service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), didn't turn up a hint of any such study. If it existed, it would have been broadcast around the world.


We agree that "facts and figures" used in press releases touting studies that deal with dementia and other illnesses are confusing and sometimes contradictory because of, among other factors, the length of the study and the number of people who participated.


For example, for nearly 80 years after Dr. Alzheimer discovered the disease in 1906 in a 47-year-old woman, it was thought that this disease occurred only in younger people. Yet today, despite the fact that the vast majority of Alzheimer's patients in the United States seem to develop the disease after age 60, most of the research focuses on the less common, early-onset form of Alzheimer's that strikes middle-aged individuals.


We found that MEDLINE contains a wealth of information about thousands of health issues in the National Library of Medicine's database of references to more than 11 million articles published in 4,600 biomedical journals. Here, you can find answers to most of your health questions, with references to articles about specific health topics, information about clinical research studies, a directory of health organizations, and links to databases on toxicology, environmental health and hazardous chemicals

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This site links to "NIHSeniorHealth" — a talking Web site designed to make aging-related health information easily accessible to senior citizens, their families and friends. NIH claims it "extensively tested NIHSeniorHealth with adults age 60 to 88 to ensure that it is easy for them to see, understand and navigate."


This is obvious from its senior-friendly features including large print, short and easy-to-read segments of information, and simple navigation. A "talking" function reads the text aloud, and special buttons to enlarge the text or turn on high contrast make the text more readable. Some of the topics covered on this site include Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, balance problems, breast cancer, caring for someone with Alzheimer's, colorectal cancer, exercise for older adults, hearing loss, lung cancer and prostate cancer.


The MEDLINE site also links to MEDLINEplus, which gives visitors news from the past 30 days about health issues from The New York Times Syndicate, Reuters Health Information, and others. While a scan of MEDLINEplus was negative regarding a cancer/Alzheimer's link, there were articles about studies (1) linking a risk of developing Alzheimer's to those who have had a previous stroke; (2) postulating that a midlife breakdown of brain circuitry is a possible cause of Alzheimer's; (3) showing that a substance in red wine may protect the brain from Alzheimer's (and, of course, seems to have protective qualities for the heart); (4) concluding that Vioxx, a popular arthritis drug, does not prevent Alzheimer's and, in fact, might actually increase the risk of developing the mind-robbing disease.


People of all ages who want to stay current on the latest health studies should become friendly with MEDLINE. If you don't have a computer at home, your local library has terminals that you can use.

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JAN L. WARNER received his A.B. and J.D. degrees from the University of South Carolina and earned a Master of Legal Letters (L.L.M.) in Taxation from the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a frequent lecturer at legal education and public information programs throughout the United States. His articles have been published in national and state legal publications. Jan Collins began co-authoring Flying SoloŽ in 1989. She has more than 27 years of experience as a journalist, writer, and editor. To comment or ask a question, please click here.

Up



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Mom remarried and spent my inheritance; doesn't want daughter-in-law to receive anything from estate
Can we stop our brother from swindling us?
What Gifting Will Disqualify You From Medicaid
The 'magic' language for a power of attorney agreement
Is care insurance a healthy choice?
Is there protection against Medicaid costs?
Long-term care insurance comes up short
HIPAA -- too much privacy?; nursing home doc could care less
Private pay nursing home residents pay more
Separated families should use care managers
What Makes Up a Caregiving Team?
Who is the client, parents or children?:

© 2003, Jan Warner