Sarasota Edition

By Arietta Living Older adults living at home or in a senior living community often face health challenges. Memory loss from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, depression and physical ailments can make it hard to enjoy the gifts of music. Let’s look at how music can enrich your loved one’s mind, body and overall well-being. Music for the mind …

When you’re dealing with chronic pain, it’s difficult to focus on anything other than your discomfort. The agonizing and sometimes debilitating pain can cause us to lose out on the important things, like spending time with our families, being productive at work, and even the simplest daily activities can require monumental strength to muster through them. In the U.S. over …

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recently published Clinical Cancer Advances 2019: ASCO’s Annual Report on Progress Against Cancer. The report highlights the most important clinical research advances over the past year and makes recommendations for areas of focused research in the future. Advances Continue in Immunotherapy Research As you might expect, immunotherapy continues to be a leading area …

Maintaining proper circulation can prevent what we often see as normal signs of aging, including memory loss, dizziness, and chronic fatigue. By Dr. Ken McLeod, Professor at the State University of New York at Binghamton Most people are well aware of the health complications associated with high blood pressure. As we enter middle-age, our blood pressure tends to rise, and …

The issue of Elder Abuse is highlighted frequently in the media, however it is rarely reported that the most pervasive form of elder abuse remains the least and latest reported. In discussions of elder abuse, the literature typically fails to explore the most common form: self-neglect. When included statistically, self-neglect represents the highest percentage of elder abuse cases. The Public …

Diagnostic imaging can save lives, it’s used and marketed heavily as a screening tool for early diagnosis, and it’s touted for its ability to detect even the tiniest malformations, but is all of that really true? Is it the right choice in every situation? There are numerous issues with diagnostic testing; one major concern is radiation. For example, a single chest …

Bone loss or weakening is a common problem associated with aging. The bone minerals can begin to degenerate over time. DXA scans can measure precisely how much bone mineral density you have via a T score. T-scores of -1.0 or above are normal; anything ranging between -1.0 and -2.5 is considered low bone density or osteopenia. T-scores ranging from -2.5 or …

When it comes to treating cancer, the earlier the cancer can be found, the better. The development of improved screening tests for various types of cancer means that physicians can now identify and diagnose cancer at an earlier stage, many times before any symptoms are present. With all types of cancer, early detection and diagnosis can make a big difference …

By Cynthia Beth Gamble, ARNP-C, AACC On April 4, 2019, Caroline Lackey celebrated her 90th birthday with a cardiac checkup. Forty-five days earlier, the motorcycling great-grandmother had received a heart implant to help prevent a stroke and eliminate her need for blood- thinners. After taking the medication for a dozen years, the redheaded spitfire suffered from anemia and severe bruising. …

Helping Patients Live with Parkinson’s Each year, doctors diagnose 60,000 new cases of Parkinson’s disease (PD). With advances in pharmacology and surgery giving PD patients longer lives and increased motor function, interventions to prepare family caregivers, empower patients in their daily lives, and improve patient peace of mind become more involved. While many patients live more than 20 years after the …