Friday post 1/31/2014

Happy Friday everyone,
Hard to believe the month is gone. If you haven't contacted you legislators, please do so. Based on what I am reading about the upcoming meetings, it may be an up hill fight. We really need them to understand the financial benefit of teaching individuals to live at home.

Our Woodland Heights dates and times are confirmed. We will meet February 10 and 17 at 3. Thanks to Ms. Charlene for setting this up.

I am posting this early as I have a big day tomorrow. I will off Saturday and Sunday to squeeze the grandbabies! So you will be reading canned news. I will try to post an update from Nashville.
Take care,
Dr. Janet

Interesting article for bus riders

Subject: Article from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Arkansas 2014 01 30

Grants to fund smart traffic lights, bus app By Noel E. Oman Instead of installing more traffic lights to handle congestion, Metroplan wants to install better ones. And instead of people wondering when a bus will arrive at a stop, the long range transportation planning agency for central Arkansas wants an app riders can use to show the bus's location in real time. The agency's board of directors Wednesday awarded five grants totaling about $4.5 million that will use technology to optimize the transportation systems already in place. Four of the grants that the board approved will use adaptive traffic-signal systems that will enable the lights to automatically synchronize themselves after assessing traffic in real time and communicating with other traffic signals to keep traffic flowing more efficiently. This is important, Metroplan officials said, in an era of uncertain federal transportation funding that will make building standard congestion-relief projects, such as additional traffic lanes, more difficult to fund. After all, the total amount in the g rants awarded Wednesday - $4.7 million, according to the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department - is less than the cost of widening 1 mile of an urban road from two lanes to five lanes. The adaptive traffic-signal technology has been used locally on a limited basis. But with the grants awarded Wednesday, motorists soon will see them on thoroughfares in Conway, Bryant, Benton and Little Rock - all of which are part of Metroplan's regional arterial network. The network consists of major, noninterstate highways across central Arkansas. Little Rock's $1.1 million grant award will install the technology along North and South University avenues - parts of which also carry Arkansas 70B and U.S. 67 - from Cantrell Road to Interstate 30. It is a stretch of more than 8 miles that has nearly 20 intersections controlled with traffic signals.On some sections, the stretch accommodates up to 41,000 vehicles a day. Benton received $595,040 to install a similar system on Military Road between Carpenter Street and Landers Road. Conway received $385,805 to put an adaptive traffic-signal system on Dave Ward Drive from Hogan Lane to Amity Road. Earlier, a joint application submitted by Maumelle and North Little Rock and Pulaski County received a $450,000 grant to install the system on Maumelle Boulevard, which stretches into all three jurisdictions. It's an exciting development in this area, said Casey Covington, the director of the Central Arkansas Regional Transportation Study, which is Metroplan's ongoing cooperative effort to implement a long-range transportation plan for the region. The Central Arkansas Transit Authority, which provides daily bus service mainly in Little Rock and North Little Rock, was awarded a $600,000 grant that will allow the system to provide real-time information on bus arrivals for riders who have cellphones. The system also will provide enhanced Web resources for more efficient online customer-trip planning. Passengers will have the capability to view exact bus locations, as well as enroll in a subscription-based service-alert system to keep passengers informed about their selected routes. The project will include WiFi access for passengers aboard CATA buses and hardware at the downtown Travel Center to display bus route arrival and location information. Jarod Varner, the authority's executive director, hopes the system not only will have an impact on current ridership but will attract a new generation of riders. We are excited about the opportunity to implement a real-time passenger information system that will provide passengers with next bus arrival information through the use of a mobile application, SMS text or the Web, he said. This technology will significantly impact how central Arkansans perceive and utilize the transit system. With the system, We will eliminate the apprehension some passengers feel when waiting for a bus not knowing exactly when it will arrive, and providing wireless Internet will allow our passengers to be more productive as they commute, he said. The total cost of the project is estimated at $750,000. Under the terms of the grant, CATA will provide the 20 percent local match. The money will not only cover the cost of the hardware and software but five years of maintenance. Motorists likely won't begin to see the adaptive traffic-signal systems until the end of the year. Six months will be needed to conduct a system engineering analysis and develop specifications before contracts can be awarded and construction begins, Covington said. Metroplan received fewer grant applications than anticipated, which was disappointing, said Jim McKenzie, the agency's executive director. A total of about $10 million was available. The agency hopes to accept another round of applications beginning next month, he said.

Thursday, January 30

Good morning friends,
It is warmer! I can't believe it is exciting to temperatures in the 20s. Here is a great article about dust mites. In The South, this is always problematic because of our humidity. Best advice, replace your pillows periodically!

Have a great day! Do a good deed and enjoy the article!

Subject: Article from Fox News Health 2014 01 29

All over your home, and especially in your pillows and duvets, lie creatures you can neither see nor hear. They are house dust mites, and they are everywhere. These strange, prehistoric-looking insects live where humans live, thrive on the tiny flakes of skin that constantly shed off of our bodies and can cause serious health problems, including allergies and debilitating asthma. Due to their tiny size, house dust mites are almost invisible to the human eye. Males live an average of 10 to 19 days and females live up to 70 days, busily producing as many as 100 eggs. Thus, mites reproduce rapidly. In the same class as spiders (arachnida), house dust mites have translucent exoskeletons and a somewhat crab-like appearance. House dust mites favor moisture and fabrics and are found in the greatest concentrations in pillows, duvets, mattresses and carpets. Polyester-filled pillows make better homes for dust mites than feather pillows, but both can attract mites and their feces over time. On average, polyester-filled pillows accumulate more than double the quantity of mite allergens compared to feather-filled pillows. One 1996 study published in the British Medical Journal concluded that asthma sufferers face a greater risk of reactions to mites with synthetic-filled pillows. Mites produce potent digestive enzymes that are allergenic to humans. These enzymes, especially those which break down proteins, produce allergies so common that they have been extensively studied worldwide. As many as fifteen different dust mite allergens have been identified by researchers. Itching, sneezing, red and inflamed skin, wheezing, sinus congestion and asthma can all be caused by the presence of dust mites, and by residual mite feces, which also contains the allergenic enzymes produced in the guts of these creatures. A common myth concerning house dust mites is that the accumulation of their feces can add pounds of weight to pillows. There does not seem to be scientific consensus on this, as studies both support and refute this claim. However, the presence of mites and their feces in bedding is a well-documented cause of allergic disorders, especially among children. Many dust mite therapies have sprung up to combat these allergies, and various drugs are currently in development to address the problem. Currently, anti-histamines and steroid drugs are administered to relieve mite allergies. However, both classes of drugs carry the risk of some negative side-effects and cannot be relied on as long-term solutions. To help reduce mite allergies, vacuum carpets and couches regularly, especially under and behind pillows. Wash all bedding on a regular basis, including pillows and duvets. Use hot water and some bleach to eradicate the mites. Drying on high heat will also kill mites, thereby ending their reproductive cycle. Additionally, home HEPA (high efficiency particulate absorption) air filtration units can remove house dust mites and micro-particles of their feces from the air, creating a safer breathing environment. Some vacuum cleaners also contain micro-particle filters, and can help to reduce mite populations and mite-related particles in the home. Using these types of vacuums on mattresses can also help to reduce mite concentration. Homes with wall-to wall carpeting are especially excellent breeding grounds for house dust mites, whereas hard, wooden floors provide a poor environment for mites to flourish. In cases of severe mite allergies in the home, carpeting may need to be removed entirely. Sublingual immunotherapy, involving the administration of minute doses of specially-prepared allergens under the tongue, has shown great promise in those suffering from mite allergies and mite-induced asthma. Though common in Europe, Asia, South America and Australia, sublingual immunotherapy remains uncommon in the US, largely due to poor profitability. Nonetheless, of all known therapies employed at this time, sublingual immunotherapy appears to be the most effective. Though mites are practically invisible, their impact on human health is significant. In warmer weather, maintaining a good flow of outside air in a home or office environment with open windows and doors can reduce the density of mite allergens in the air. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America also offers advice that can help control mite allergens in your home. Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter who researches natural remedies all over the world, from the Amazon to Siberia. He teaches ethnobotany at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he is Explorer In Residence. Chris advises herbal, cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies and is a regular guest on radio and TV programs worldwide. His field research is largely sponsored by Naturex of Avignon, France. Read more at MedicineHunter.com . 

Hump day 1/29/14

Happy hump day,
I saw in yesterday's paper there is a new vending stand in the Arnold Federal Bldg. Congrats to the vending stand program!

The flu virus is still running through our community. Take care, watch those hands!

It is just too cold for brilliant thoughts this morning, so have a great, warm and productive day!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

That's it! My brain is full.....

The Older Mind May Just Be a Fuller Mind
By BENEDICT CAREY


People of a certain age (and we know who we are) don’t spend much leisure time reviewing the research into cognitive performance and aging. The story is grim, for one thing: Memory’s speed and accuracy begin to slip around age 25 and keep on slipping.

The story is familiar, too, for anyone who is over 50 and, having finally learned to live fully in the moment, discovers it’s a senior moment. The finding that the brain slows with age is one of the strongest in all of psychology.

Over the years, some scientists have questioned this dotage curve. But these challenges have had an ornery-old-person slant: that the tests were biased toward the young, for example. Or that older people have learned not to care about clearly trivial things, like memory tests. Or that an older mind must organize information differently from one attached to some 22-year-old who records his every Ultimate Frisbee move on Instagram.

Now comes a new kind of challenge to the evidence of a cognitive decline, from a decidedly digital quarter: data mining, based on theories of information processing. In a paper published in Topics in Cognitive Science, a team of linguistic researchers from the University of Tübingen in Germany used advanced learning models to search enormous databases of words and phrases.

Since educated older people generally know more words than younger people, simply by virtue of having been around longer, the experiment simulates what an older brain has to do to retrieve a word. And when the researchers incorporated that difference into the models, the aging “deficits” largely disappeared.


“What shocked me, to be honest, is that for the first half of the time we were doing this project, I totally bought into the idea of age-related cognitive decline in healthy adults,” the lead author, Michael Ramscar, said by email. But the simulations, he added, “fit so well to human data that it slowly forced me to entertain this idea that I didn’t need to invoke decline at all.”

Can it be? Digital tools have confounded predigital generations; now here they are, coming to the rescue. Or is it that younger scientists are simply pretesting excuses they can use in the future to cover their own golden-years lapses?

In fact, the new study is not likely to overturn 100 years of research, cognitive scientists say. Neuroscientists have some reason to believe that neural processing speed, like many reflexes, slows over the years; anatomical studies suggest that the brain also undergoes subtle structural changes that could affect memory.

Still, the new report will very likely add to a growing skepticism about how steep age-related decline really is. It goes without saying that many people remain disarmingly razor-witted well into their 90s; yet doubts about the average extent of the decline are rooted not in individual differences but in study methodology. Many studies comparing older and younger people, for instance, did not take into account the effects of pre-symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease, said Laura Carstensen, a psychologist at Stanford University.

Dr. Carstensen and others have found, too, that with age people become biased in their memory toward words and associations that have a positive connotation — the “age-related positivity effect,” as it’s known. This bias very likely applies when older people perform so-called paired-associate tests, a common measure that involves memorizing random word pairs, like ostrich and house.

“Given that most cognitive research asks participants to engage with neutral (and in emotion studies, negative) stimuli, the traditional research paradigm may put older people at a disadvantage,” Dr. Carstensen said by email.

The new data-mining analysis also raises questions about many of the measures scientists use. Dr. Ramscar and his colleagues applied leading learning models to an estimated pool of words and phrases that an educated 70-year-old would have seen, and another pool suitable for an educated 20-year-old. Their model accounted for more than 75 percent of the difference in scores between older and younger adults on items in a paired-associate test, he said.

That is to say, the larger the library you have in your head, the longer it usually takes to find a particular word (or pair).

Scientists who study thinking and memory often make a broad distinction between “fluid” and “crystallized” intelligence. The former includes short-term memory, like holding a phone number in mind, analytical reasoning, and the ability to tune out distractions, like ambient conversation. The latter is accumulated knowledge, vocabulary and expertise.

“In essence, what Ramscar’s group is arguing is that an increase in crystallized intelligence can account for a decrease in fluid intelligence,” said Zach Hambrick, a psychologist at Michigan State University. In a variety of experiments, Dr. Hambrick and Timothy A. Salthouse of the University of Virginia have shown that crystallized knowledge (as measured by New York Times crosswords, for example) climbs sharply between ages 20 and 50 and then plateaus, even as the fluid kind (like analytical reasoning) is dropping steadily — by more than 50 percent between ages 20 and 70 in some studies. “To know for sure whether the one affects the other, ideally we’d need to see it in human studies over time,” Dr. Hambrick said.

Dr. Ramscar’s report was a simulation and included no tested subjects, though he said he does have several memory studies with normal subjects on the way.

For the time being, this new digital-era challenge to “cognitive decline” can serve as a ready-made explanation for blank moments, whether senior or otherwise.

It’s not that you’re slow. It’s that you know so much.

Tuesday, January 28

Good morning everyone,
It is a cold blustery morning. If you can, just stay in and stay warm. Another reminder to contact those legislators! This is our last week and we want to blast them with our message.

Upcoming dates:
February 8 - iPad 2 folks will meet at the Center at 9 for a road trip
If you do not have a library card, bring ID and utility bill or something with your address. This can be a bill addressed to you such as credit card, insurance form, etc.

February 15 - heart Healthy at the center 9-11. Call Krystal to be on the attending list and let her know if you need transportation

February 22 - technology try out In Hot Springs Village

March 25 - Northeast Arkansas technology group will meet at the Paragould library

Woodland Heights - date to be determined by arrival of equipment

Mr. Roy and Mr. John -- private lessons because they are special!

Hope to see each of you soon!

Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Diabetes diagnosis is available earlier than previously thought

An estimated 25.8 million Americans have diabetes. Another 79 million are thought to have "prediabetes," meaning they are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Now, Nataly Lerner of Tel Aviv Univ.'s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and her colleagues have discovered that a simple blood test reveals an individual's risk of developing type 2 diabetes before they develop either condition — far earlier than previously believed. The findings, published in the European Journal of General Practice, could help doctors provide earlier diagnosis and treatment. Michal Shani and Prof. Shlomo Vinker of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Clalit Health Services collaborated on the study.

"Our study supports the idea that the A1c test, used to diagnose type 2 diabetes, can also be used at a much earlier stage to screen for the disease in the high risk population, like overweight patients," says Lerner.

Testing the test

In healthy people, glucose is absorbed from the blood for use by various tissues. But the cells of people with type 2 diabetes are resistant to insulin, which is produced by the pancreas and is central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. These individuals have higher-than-normal blood glucose levels. People with prediabetes have blood glucose levels somewhere between normal and diabetic.

Blood glucose can be directly tested in several ways, but these tests only provide a snapshot. To get a picture of blood glucose levels over time, doctors test for levels of glycated hemoglobin, or A1c, in the blood. When blood glucose levels are high, more A1c is formed. So A1c serves as a biomarker, indicating average blood glucose levels over a two- to three-month period.

The A1c test has long been used to monitor type 2 diabetes. And in the past few years, the American Diabetes Association and World Health Organization have added the test to their guidelines as a criterion for diagnosing type 2 diabetes. According to the ADA, having an A1c level of 6.5 percent or more is an indicator of the disease and an A1c level of between 5.7 and 6.4 percent is an indicator of prediabetes. As a bonus, the test is simpler to administer than the most common blood glucose tests, requiring neither fasting nor consuming anything.

To evaluate the A1c test's ability to screen for diabetes in high-risk patients, the researchers analyzed the medical history of 10,201 patients who were given the test in central Israel between 2002 and 2005. They found that overall, 22.5 percent of the patients developed diabetes within five to eight years. Patients with A1c levels as low as 5.5 percent — below the official threshold for diagnosing diabetes were significantly more likely to develop diabetes than patients with A1c levels below 5.5 percent. Every 0.5 percent increase in A1c levels up to 7 percent doubled the patients' risk of developing diabetes. Obesity also doubled patients' risk of developing diabetes, the researchers found.

Risk management

"We were actually able to quantify how risk increases with A1c levels," says Lerner. "This could allow doctors to make more informed decisions regarding diabetes prevention."

The study, one of the most comprehensive of its kind, provides compelling new evidence that the A1c test can accurately gauge risk at an earlier stage than is currently recognized. In combination with blood glucose tests and the identification of risk factors — like family history, poor diet, lack of exercise, and obesity — the test could help doctors provide earlier treatment. In some cases, lifestyle changes or medication could head off the disease, which is difficult or impossible to cure once developed.

Monday, January 27

We are hearing more and more that some people can't handle social apps. Here is an article about the situation.

Subject: Article from Fox News Health 2014 01 25

Imagine you're trying to stick to a reasonable budget to take a big trip this summer. You hear friends are going out for a pricey dinner, but you're totally exhausted from a long week, and your Mint money-tracking app shows you're already over your spending plan. A few hours ago, you were happy to get cozy and relax at home; now you find yourself facing FOMO (fear of missing out). If you decide to stay home, you know you'll feel like a loser as soon as you check Instagram and find the rest of your friends posting fun photos. You are not alone. When you log on to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, you're privy to tons of information about what you may be missing at any moment. And FOMO - worries about missing social opportunities - seems to leave many of us with a sense of uncertainty, loss and loneliness. Focusing on what your 491 "friends" are doing is a recipe for missing out on the enjoyment you can derive from what you are doing, even if you're just relaxing at home with a great book. A night at home can feel satisfying; going out because you're afraid to miss something surely won't lead to long-term happiness. 3 Steps to Fix FOMO 1. Consider: There is usually no best or worst way to spend your time. Most decisions have pros and cons. Also, no event or emotion lasts forever---we tend to forget that when we're worrying or rushing around trying to keep up with others. 2. Realize: People truly in the middle of the #bestnightever probably wouldn't be preoc'cup'ied with constantly updating their social media status. And pictures are so deceiving--- especially with all the brilliant ways technology lets us enhance them. 3. Keep your head where your feet are: Stop checking what everyone else is doing. If you realize social networking apps are preventing you from living in the moment and feeling happy where you are, think about removing them from your phone for a couple weeks. When you worry about missing out, you miss out on what matters most: your life. Jennifer Taitz is a licensed clinical psychologist based in New York City. She is the author of End Emotional Eating: Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills to Cope with Difficult Emotions and Develop Healthy Relationship to Food . Visit her website drjennytaitz.com or find her on Facebook and Twitter to learn more

Sunday, January 26

Hello everyone,
As I requested previously, it is imperative that we contact our Representatives and senators this week regarding funding for our Older blind Program. Here is the information to find your legislators. If you prefer, email or text me your address and I will send you the name. It is not a user friendly site but we have to do this.

Senator:  www.arkansas.gov/senate; select: ”Search for MY Senator”, then insert your street address and zip code in the boxes.

Representative:  www.arkansashouse.org; select:  “Find My Representative”, then insert your street address and zip code in the boxes. 

Talking points which you may want to include:

1. Tell them how the program has helped YOU

2. Explain our objective is: HEALTH AND SAFETY THROUGH SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTION AND DEVICES

3.    Funding for the $300,000 would come from cost savings accruing from the reduction in nursing home placements related to vision loss.

4.    Currently, there are 603 Older Blind individuals waiting for service

5.    The waiting list exists because the current state and federal funding cannot meet the needs.

Thanks for the help! Many people are depending on us to get money and help them.

Until tomorrow,

Dr. Janet

Paragould update

Good evening,
We are back from a great day in Paragould! I must say, 3:30 comes early but it is always worth it when someone says "thank you". Johnny and I discovered a common love of music, Ed is such fun to visit with, and Ms. Lois kept us in stitches-she is one feisty gal! She announced she was returning to Little Rock with us! Gail and Moe are really catching on to the electronic wave. Ms. Shirley was a trooper as I struggled to work with her Andriod device. As always, we really appreciate Ms. Bonnie arranging for us to use the church. It is a wonderful location, excellent wi-fi and our favorite road trip. Margaret does a great job with her troops there in Paragould. Her low vision group is one of the most active.

Our next meeting in Northeast Arkansas will be March 25 at 10. We will meet at the library in Paragould for OverDrive training.

Thanks to everyone who attended.
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Happy Friday

Good cold morning everyone!
Wow! It is cold this morning. If you must get out, be sure your skin is covered. We are not used to this cold and wind chills. Yesterday I posted clarifications on upcoming events. Please scroll down and read that post.

Have a great day and start to your weekend. I will be traveling to Paragould tomorrow which means a very early start to the day. The Saturday post will appear after I am back.

Stay warm!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Important clarifications!

You all know I am zany! So to clarify my gibberish..... Here is the upcoming schedule and explanations

Saturday, January 25 --Paragould for technology training   Greene, Mississippi and Craighead County residents (part 3 of training)

Saturday, February 1 -- off playing MeMe to my adorable twins

Week of February 3 -- visits with John and Suzanne, Roy and Barbara if Roy is feeling better

Saturday, February 8 -- advanced iPad students who live in Pulaski Co. Meet at the Center at 9.
We will then go to the library for downloads and out to lunch

Week of February 10 -- technology training at Woodland Heights /2 afternoons 3:00-4:45

Saturday, February 15 -- Heart Healthy Habits (crockpots/social skills) at the Center 11-1. Everyone is invited but you need to let Krystal know for the count

Saturday, February 22 -- Hot Springs area (waiting on location confirmation) Garland and Hot springs county residents only

Call or email Krystal if you need transportation: kkinsey@wsblind.org
Call or email me if you have questions

Dr. Janet

Are you worried about Alzheimer's?

Consuming fish oil may have a protective effect on the brain's cells - potentially shielding people from Alzheimer's disease. New research from the University of South Dakota has revealed that individuals with higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids - found in fish and fish oil - may have larger brain volumes in old age. This could have significant implications for the elderly population, since a shrinking brain volume is often associated with dementia and Alzheimer's. Omega-3s consist of three types of fats - ALA, found in plant oils, and EPA and DHA, found in marine oils. According to the study's author, health experts have long suspected omega-3s may slow brain cell death, as the human brain is rich in DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids. "It's there for one reason or another," lead author Dr. Bill Harris, professor of medicine at Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota, toldFoxNews.com. "And then other studies have led people to think that...fish is brain food. People have seen that populations that eat more fish have less dementia ...so it seemed like a natural thing to look at. To better study the association between omega-3s and brain volume, Harris and fellow researcher James Pottala, of the University of South Dakota, analyzed red blood cell samples taken from 1,111 post-menopausal women as part of the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study. Eight years after the blood samples were taken, the women - who were then an average of 78 years old - underwent MRI scans in order to measure their brain volumes. The researchers specifically measured the levels of omega-3 fatty acids EPA+DHA in the red blood cell samples, which had been frozen and preserved for many years. "The red blood cell is a good representative of the other tissues in the body," Harris noted. "Its levels of omega-3s are more reflective of the whole body. Harris and Pottala found that the women with higher levels of omega-3s had larger total brain volumes eight years later. Furthermore, the MRIs also indicated that higher levels of omega-3s were associated with increased volume in a specific brain region - the hippocampus. "The hippocampus is known to be related to the progression of dementia," Harris said. "As it shrinks, dementia becomes more of a problem. So we did find that people with higher omega-3s had higher volumes in the hippocampus - located right in the middle of the head, right at the top of the brain stem. While health experts still don't fully understand how omega-3s interact inside the body, Harris said it's possible that EPA and DHA act as anti-inflammatory agents. "A lot is known and a lot remains to be known," Harris said. "We think probably what they do is they help [with] generalized reduction in inflammation. That has benefits all over the body - with the brain, blood vessels, joints, everywhere...They also may change cell membrane structure and kind of give them a tune up. Harris said that people can eat more fish or take fish oil supplements in order to reap the potential health benefits of omega-3s. But he added that the best benefits will come only from EPA and DHA - not ALA, which is found in flaxseeds, black walnuts and canola oil. "[With ALA], in order for it to become effective, it has to be converted in the body after you eat it to these fish oil omega-3s," Harris said. "That conversion process is very inefficient in most people, so you don't really raise your omega-3 index by eating plant-based omega-3s. While Harris and other health experts are fairly certain omega-3s hold brain-preserving benefits, he noted that his study only shows an association between the fatty acids and larger brain volume - not a causal relationship. But since omega-3s have not been shown to produce adverse health effects, Harris gives them a strong recommendation. "They're completely safe to eat; they're in fish and supplements," Harris said. "So even having a possibility of being a benefit for slowing the rate of dementia gives them a good edge. The research was published in the online issue of Neurology , the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. 

Thursday, January 23

If you want to cut heart failure risk, don't just sit there By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY Both sitting too much -- sometimes called sitting disease -- and exercising too little may increase the chance of heart failure, a new study suggests. The risk of heart failure was more than double for men who sat for at least five hours a day outside of work and didn't exercise very much compared with men who were physically active and sat for less than two hours a day, says the study's lead author, Deborah Rohm Young, a senior scientist at Kaiser Permanente in Pasadena, Calif. Heart failure is when the heart muscle isn't pumping blood adequately, but it doesn't mean the heart stops. The risk was lowest for men who exercised the most and sat for fewer than two hours a day, she says. "This adds to the evidence that too much sitting is bad for you. Research has linked too much sitting to increased risk of type 2 diabetes and death from cancer, heart disease and stroke. It may affect mood and creativity. One study showed that if most people spent fewer than three hours a day sitting, it would add two years to the average life expectancy in this country. Government statistics show almost half of people report sitting more than six hours a day, and 65% say they spend more than two hours a day watching TV. "If you've been sitting for an hour, you've been sitting too long," says James Levine, co-director of Obesity Solutions at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix and Arizona State University. He did some of the first research on sitting disease but was not involved in this study. "My gut feeling is you should be up for 10 minutes of every hour. For the latest study, researchers with Kaiser Permanente followed more than 82,000 men, ages 45 to 69, for up to 10 years. Findings in the American Heart Association's journal, Circulation: Heart Failure: Men who sat five or more hours a day, outside of work, were 34% more likely to develop heart failure than men who spent two hours or less sitting. This was true no matter how much they exercised. Men who were the least physically active were 52% more likely to develop heart failure than men who were the most active, regardless of how much time they spent sitting. Even men with hypertension and coronary artery disease who exercised regularly and sat less had lower levels of heart failure, Young says. "We only studied men, but the findings could probably be generalized to women," she says. About 1 in 5 Americans older than 40 will eventually develop heart failure, says Clyde Yancy, a spokesman for the American Heart Association and chief of cardiology at Northwestern. Many people spend nine or more hours a day in their seats, especially those who work long hours at a desk job, travel frequently or watch a lot of TV. Data show that getting up intermittently throughout the day might reduce the ill effects of prolonged sitting, Levine says. "You have to break up sitting time, because we were designed to move," he says

Wednesday, January 22

Good morning everyone,
January is zooming by! Hopefully the cold weather will zoom on through our state as well. I am noticing the days are getting longer as I made it home before it was dark yesterday.

Please continue to check on friends and family during these cold snaps. Folks can get into distress very quickly. The viruses are attacking Arkansans and folks can become very ill in a short period of time. Look out for each other!

Remember, PRagould on Saturday at 9 a.m.  Hope to see you there!
Do a good deed!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Be happy!

Be happy, and you may hold the key to a longer, more active life.

A new study of older adults, published Jan. 20 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, shows that people who said they enjoyed their lives were better able to keep up with daily physical activities and walked faster than those who weren't as satisfied.

"The study shows that older people who are happier and enjoy life more show slower declines in physical function as they age," Dr. Andrew Steptoe, a British Heart Foundation professor of psychology at the University College London, said in a press release. "They are less likely to develop impairments in activities of daily living such as dressing or getting in or out of bed, and their walking speed declines at a slower rate than those who enjoy life less."

The study looked at nearly 3,200 men and women over the aged 60 and older. They were broken up into three age groups -- 60 to 69; 70 to 79; 80 and up -- and were tracked for more than eight years.

The participants were asked to rate how fulfilled they felt with their lives using a four-point scale. Prompts included: "I enjoy the things that I do," "I enjoy being in the company of others," "On balance, I look back on my life with a sense of happiness" and "I feel full of energy these days."  

Researchers also conducted personal interviews to determine how much mobility the subjects had when completing routine tasks. They judged their walking speed using a gait test.

People who were the happiest were three times more likely not to have problems performing daily activities compared to those who were unhappiest. The people who were most joyful walked the fastest and were more likely to survive over the study period.

The youngest participants, those with higher socioeconomic status, those with higher education levels, those who were married and those who were employed had the highest happiness levels. People with chronic illnesses like heart disease, arthritis, stroke and depression were among the unhappiest people.

"Our results provide further evidence that enjoyment of life is relevant to the future disability and mobility of older people," Steptoe and the authors wrote. "Efforts to enhance well-being at older ages may have benefits to society and health care systems."

Happiness has been linked to other later-in-life benefits before. People who were happy in their adolescence were more likely to be wealthier adults in one study. Other research showed that happier people were 35 percent less likely to die an early death.

Tuesday Things

Good morning everyone,
Why does Tuesday feel like Monday? I sure wanted to stay under the covers. If you haven't done so, please read Sundays post about the request for additional funding, I hope you will respond by calling or emailing legislators on the list. Remember, their job is to please people!

Also, mark your calendars for upcoming dates:
January 28 is technology training in Paragould
February 8 is iPad training 2 (advanced) at the Center - we will meet there and go to the library
February 15 is crockpot day at the Center
February 22 is technology tryout in Hot Springs

Have a great day.  Do a good deed!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Great arthritis article

Slow the 'train to more pain' of arthritis By Nanci Hellmich, @nancihellmich, USA TODAY

When it comes to arthritis, patients often are quick to describe their pain -- everything from a constant dull ache to sharp pain in their knees, hips, fingers or back. Some people are in such pain they can't sleep at night and have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, says C. Thomas Vangsness, a professor of orthopedic surgery and chief of sports medicine at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine. Others suffer less. Still, many people with arthritis are "on a slow train to more pain," but there are ways to reduce it, says Vangsness, author of The New Science of Overcoming Arthritis, written with Greg Ptacek. Almost 54 million adults in the USA report having doctor-diagnosed arthritis now, and by 2030, an estimated 67 million Americans will have it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Arthritis includes more than 100 different rheumatic diseases and conditions, but the most common is osteoarthritis. Other forms of arthritis that occur often are rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia and gout, the CDC says. Arthritis is the most common cause of disability among adults, the government says. "Osteoarthritis is a huge public health problem that's going to grow considerably in the next 20 years because of obesity, lack of physical activity, the aging population and injuries," says rheumatologist Patience White, a spokeswoman for the Arthritis Foundation. It is a chronic condition characterized by a breakdown of the joint's cartilage, she says. Cartilage is the part of the joint that cushions the ends of the bones and allows easy movement. The breakdown of cartilage causes the bones to rub against one another, causing stiffness, pain and loss of movement in the joint, the foundation says. The causes of osteoarthritis are not completely understood, but many factors play a role including age, obesity, injury or overuse, genetics and heredity and muscle weakness, the group says. For instance, increased body weight, which adds stress to lower-body joints, is a well-established factor in the development of osteoarthritis. Your knees, which carry the brunt of your weight, are particularly at risk. For every pound you gain, you add 4 pounds of pressure on your knees and six times the pressure on your hips. "There's a lot data that show that weight loss and physical activity improve pain and slow the progression of osteoarthritis," White says. Vangsness adds: "For many of my patients, if they lose 10 to 20 pounds, the pain from arthritis decreases. Exercise makes your muscles stronger, so they can absorb some of the force on joints in your hips and knees. The muscles act like shock absorbers. He recommends swimming or riding a stationary bike or a recumbent stationary bike, because those exercises put less force on the joints. He also suggests that patients join a health club where they'll have access to weight-training equipment and professional advice on how to get stronger and healthier. Walking is a great exercise for many patients, White says. A range of over-the-counter and prescription drugs is available to relieve the pain and inflammation associated with cartilage degeneration, Vangsness says. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a good one. It offers the advantage of pain relief while being gentle on the stomach, but it doesn't do anything for inflammation, he says. Medications such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), aspirin (Bayer, Bufferin) and COX-2 inhibitors (Celebrex) offer the advantage of relieving both pain and inflammation. They are great medications, but they can cause side effects such as stomach pain, Vangsness says. When it comes to surgery, getting the right diagnosis for your condition is imperative, because it will determine not only which procedure is best but whether surgery is even necessary, he says

Please read and help our program

World Services for the Blind needs your help and this time it isn’t with your money. It is with your voice. You can help by simply sending an email or making a phone call.

 

World Services for the Blind currently operates the Older Individuals who are Blind (OIB) program for the Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind. Through this program, WSB works with Arkansans over the age of 55 who are blind or visually impaired to help them learn adaptive skills and techniques that will allow them to remain independent in their own homes and maintain a high quality of life. The services provided by the program help avoid long-term care, which is cost-effective for these individuals and the state.  However, there are still well over 600 people on the waiting list.  WSB stands ready to help as many as possible.  However, funding is an issue. 

 

During the upcoming legislative session, the joint budget committee will address Governor Mike Beebe’s proposed budget, and that includes additional funding for the OIB program.

 

Approval of this funding is critical to the successful expansion of the program and to the health and well-being of older Arkansans and generations to come. Calling your senator or state representative and asking them to approve additional funding for the OIB program is an opportunity for us all to assist.  A list of committee members and their contact information can be found here.

Please call or email and ask your friends and family members to do the same. Remember we are a small group so every phone call helps!

Call me if you any questions,
Dr. Janet

Sunday, January 19

Good morning world!
I am hoping for a glorious restful day! The sun is shining and I heard birds early this morning! Maybe the worst of winter is over. I know it is only January, but I can always wish!

Enjoy the day and do a good deed!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Training update

Greetings!
We had a great time at the Center today. A total of 26 people participated in iPad I training! As usual we laughed till it hurt, had lots of frustrations, success, and new friends. Welcome to Mr. Phil, Ms. Charlene, Ms. Nancy and Ms. Bobbie! Ms. Bobbie's daughter even came. We hope Bab's will join us again soon. Ms. Rowena is always so much fun-she keeps us all in stitches! Glenn, Toni, Sharon, David and John all had personal attention and assistance with voice over from Bob and Johnye. Erma held court in the back with Phyllis, Curtis and Pam. I think Mr. Earl was trying to keep up with that crew....

Dr. John reported he had been hospitalized from a cat bite! Ouch....that is why I have a dog. Mr.
Roy has a vicious round of shingles....sounds like he has had a terrible time! He probably doesn't want my suggestion that shingles are best left outside on the roof!

Keep all of those fighting illness in your thoughts and prayers.

Next weekend our traveling road show will be in Paragould for a 9-12 session at 7th and Meuller. Margaret, please rally your group and let us know how many to expect
February 1 -- no sessions. My twins will be one and I need some hug time!
February 8 -- meet at the center for iPad 2 training (we will be going to the library)
February 15 -- Crockpot training at the center
February 22 -- Technology tryout in Hot Springs Village

Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Thoughts to ponder

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

And always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away.

George Carlin

Friday diet and health tips

Subject: Article from Fox News Health 2014 01 16

Here's welcome news: You may have inherited your mom's slow-mo metabolism, but you're not stuck with it. New research shows you can trick your body into burning calories more efficiently, especially if you hit the gym. By strength-training just a couple of times a week, for example, you'll reverse 50 percent of the seemingly inevitable metabolism slow-down that comes with age, said Gary Hunter, professor of human studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. So take control of your metabolism by making these boosters part of your routine-and (finally) stop sweating every cookie.Health.com: 16 Ways to Lose Weight Fast Kick it up a notch The next time you run, swim, or even walk, ramp up the intensity for 30-second intervals, returning to your normal speed afterward. Using this strategy will help you consume more oxygen and make your cell powerhouses, the mitochondria, work harder to burn energy, explains Mark Hyman, MD, an integrative and functional medicine specialist in private practice in Lenox, Massachusetts, and author of Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss . "You increase the number of mitochondria and how efficiently they burn throughout the day," he explains.This way, you can exercise for less time than it takes to plod along at the same pace and still get great results. Here's how to do it: Exercise for 5 minutes at 3.5 mph. Increase your speed to 4 mph for 60 seconds. Then go back down to 3.5 mph for 90 seconds. Repeat the entire sequence 5 times, twice a week. (To get a more challenging workout, increase the incline or your pace.) Make some muscle Not only does muscle weigh more than fat, but it uses more energy, too. The average woman in her 30s who strength-trains 30 to 40 minutes twice a week for four months will increase her resting metabolism by 100 calories a day. That means you're resetting your thermostat to keep running at that rate even on the days when you don't make it to the gym, Hunter explains. Health.com: 11 Exercises That Build Muscle Without Bulk Get your omega-3's Why does eating lots of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, herring, and tuna) help amp up metabolism? Omega-3s balance blood sugar and reduce inflammation, helping to regulate metabolism. They may also reduce resistance to the hormone leptin, which researchers have linked to how fast fat is burned. A study in Obesity Research found rats that ingested large doses of fish oil while exercising lost weight. Take omega-3 fatty acid supplements; Hyman recommends 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams per day. Hate the fishy after-burp? Try flaxseed oil, walnuts, or eggs fortified with omega-3s. Or check out supplements (by brands such as Nordic Naturals) that have no fishy taste. Turn to (green) tea Green tea has long been heralded for its antioxidant polyphenols. But new evidence shows the active ingredient, catechin, may crank up metabolism. Researchers conducted a series of studies in dieters and found that those who went green lost more weight than those who didn't, suggesting that catechins may improve fat oxidation and thermogenesis, your body's production of energy, or heat, from digestion. But how much do you have to drink? According to one study, if you drink five eight-ounce 'cup's of green tea a day, you can increase your energy expenditure by 90 calories a day. Sounds like a lot of tea, but it's not hard to do if you also drink it iced. Don't slash those calories It's one of the most frustrating realities of dieting-if you cut out too many calories, your metabolism thinks times are lean and puts the breaks on fat-burning to conserve energy, Hunter explains. Here's the trick to keeping your metabolism revved up while dieting: Eat enough calories to at least match your resting metabolic rate (what you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day). That's about 1,330 calories for a 5-feet-4-inch, 150-pound, 40-year-old woman. Health.com: How to Drop 2 Pounds This Week Enjoy the afterburn Exercise is a gift to yourself that keeps on giving. In a phenomenon known as excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), your body can take hours to recover from a robust workout (one intense enough that you can't hold a conversation) and return to its previous resting metabolic rate. The windfall: Your body is actually burning more calories than it normally would-even after you've finished exercising. There's a catch, though. The better shape you're in, the less benefit you'll get, because your fit body replenishes its energy stores efficiently. You can improve your burn by increasing how often or how hard you work out (think intervals), suggests Walt Thompson, professor of kinesiology and health and nutrition at Georgia State University

Thursday, January 16

Good morning everyone,
Looks like we will be having a nice weekend for iPad training. If you are planning to attend, please let us know. You may call Krystal at 501-664-7100 or email me at: jford@wsblind.org

Also, if you are in the iPad 2 group, please email me which library is close to your house. Our next session will focus on Overdrive.

Important: Katy Morris, DSB director is presenting a request to the legislature to increase our OIB funding. As you all know, we have a waiting list of several hundred people! If you are willing to call legislators and lobby on behalf of additional funding, please email me.

Do a good deed!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Wednesday, January 15

Good morning everyone,
I think I am returning to life. I have been under the weather for a few days and Johnye has been carrying the load! It's back to work today...wish me luck!

Don't forget we will be having iPad one at the Center on Saturday. If you need transportation, call Krystal. We are trying to get all that lined up by tomorrow afternoon.

Stay healthy!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Medication identification assistance is available

Labeling items has always been a challenge for the blind, since the printed labels affixed to objects give us little in the way of usable information if we can't read them. Of all the items we label, none poses more of a challenge than medication. Sometimes labeling is easy if the number of medications one takes is small. But, when the number grows and the instructions are more complex, the rubber band, Braille label, or dot of glue doesn't provide enough information. To provide blind people with all the information that appears on a drug label, several competing systems have emerged. In this issue we will discuss two systems, and we will print the articles in the order they were received. One article has been edited by Mike Freeman, the president of the Diabetes Action Network, the other by our former affiliate president in Oklahoma, Les Fitzpatrick. Les works as an employee of AccessaMed. Our request of Envision America and of AccessaMed was that they make what they wrote both interesting and informative and that they be more than simple advertisements for their products. I believe each has made a genuine effort to comply with our request. Of course both companies need and want to publicize what they have, and each needs to capture market share, so in these two articles you will find some general information and some straightforward advertising. We hope this is helpful to all concerned. "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning. Ah, if only it were that easy! For most of us, though, managing our prescription medication regimens presents numerous issues and roadblocks. Trying to decipher pill shapes, bottle sizes, and multiple instructions can be more than just frustrating. It can also be hazardous to your health. I'm sure we have all heard stories about medication errors. Not being able to easily read the label data can lead to a myriad of issues: taking the wrong medication or the wrong dosage, taking expired medication, taking medication differently than prescribed, mixing up medications, not knowing warnings or interaction notices, or having generic drugs changed without notice. Isolated incidents? Think again. Prescription medication errors are more common than you might think and more frightening than you might imagine. It's not just the medication name and dosage to which we need access. More information appears on the label that is vital to our safety and health. If you take only one prescription and the dosage never changes, you are probably doing okay on your own without accessible accommodations. However, many of us regularly take multiple medications. The more we take, the harder it is to remember information and to keep everything controlled and organized, and the easier it is to get things mixed up. In the past the only option was relying on systems such as rubber band reminders, keeping medications in a specific order on the counter, refilling old specially labeled bottles with new medicine, or having to ask another person to read the label for us. While these are still useful systems, many may find them inadequate. Much has been said in the news lately about the technological advances in helping blind and visually impaired people manage prescription medications. Legislative and regulatory advances have been made as well, resulting in updated laws and requirements for pharmacies in providing access to prescription label information. This mountain of information can be confusing and overwhelming, enough to bring on a migraine, for which you might need to take a prescription, which means you need to access the label information . . . well, you get the idea. When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was amended in 2010, it included more detail and clarified instructions on how public accommodations-specifically citing pharmacies-must provide auxiliary aids and services to blind or low-vision customers in order to provide effective communication. The new language goes on specifically to list large-print materials, Braille materials, and accessible electronic and information technology as recommended solutions. While the original rules and regulations have been in effect for more than twenty years and the updates for three, many pharmacies are still refusing to provide needed public accommodations that would make it possible for the blind and visually impaired to access prescription label information safely and privately. Whether this is due to ignorance of the law and available technology or claiming financial burden, such excuses have worn out their welcome. It is time for the pharmacies to be educated and time for them to implement solutions. To answer the excuse of ignorance, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act was passed in 2012. As part of this act the US Access Board was authorized to assemble a working group, with representation from members of both pharmacies and consumer advocates representing the blind, deaf-blind, visually impaired, and more. Their task was to develop a list of best practices or recommendations for pharmacies to implement and follow. This would ensure that their blind and visually impaired patients would have safe, private, independent, reliable, and consistent access to prescription label information. After multiple meetings members of this working group devised a list of best practices in providing accessible prescription labels. They included detailed advisory criteria for producing large print, audible, and Braille labels. They were clear that a one-size-fits-all package would not work. This reflects the updated language of the ADA, which now obligates the pharmacy to consult with the individual and find out what aid is needed to ensure the effective communication of critical information. One item of note that seems to confuse many is the statement that the best practices established by the working group "are not mandatory. It reads, "They [best practices] are not to be construed as accessibility guidelines or standards of the Access Board, nor do they confer any rights or impose any obligations on working group participants or other persons. The law makes it clear that nothing...is to be construed to limit or condition any right, obligation, or remedy available under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990...requiring effective communication, barrier removal, or nondiscrimination on the basis of disability. Wait! What does that mean? The best practices have no influence? The pharmacies don't have to implement anything? The ADA doesn't have to be enforced? Actually, it means just the opposite. The FDA Safety and Innovation Act was intended to nullify any excuses that remained for pharmacies in denying access to label information. By outlining and detailing how to provide multiple solutions for effective communication to their blind customers, pharmacies would no longer have the defense of not knowing how to help or what services were available. The Safety and Innovation Act is a study guide to the ADA. ADA outlines what pharmacies are required to provide for their patients, and the Safety and Innovation Act outlines how they can do it. It gives support to the individual to say, "These are my rights. Here are your options. This is what I need. Now please do it. As stated in the ADA, "In order to be effective, auxiliary aids and services must be provided in accessible formats, in a timely manner, and in such a way as to protect the privacy and independence of the individual with a disability. So what is the next step? It's clear that we must raise our voices loudly and insist that pharmacies provide the services granted to us under the ADA. It is important that we speak up, both as individuals and as communities and advocacy groups. We need to make sure that the pharmacies understand that we know our rights and that we will not take no for an answer. Because of a "negotiated legal settlement," one major pharmacy chain is beginning to offer accessible prescription labels. Over the last year or two Walmart has been providing the ScripTalk™ Talking Labels to patients at about three dozen pharmacies across the country, as well as through its mail order facility. That's great, and it's totally free. In conformance with the requirements of the ADA, pharmacies can't charge for accessibility. The ScripTalk Station patient reader is free to the individual by calling the company at (800) 890-1180. So, if you don't happen to have a local Walmart that is supplying ScripTalk labels, it is imperative that you ask your Walmart pharmacist for the service. Tell him or her that you want it. Demand that Walmart provide it. In addition to Walmart, CVS is also providing the talking labels through its mail order service. There are another hundred or so pharmacies across the country that are currently offering ScripTalk to their customers. Many of these pharmacies offer large print and Braille labels too. For those pharmacies that continue to deny accessibility, we can't lose hope. Again, we must speak up and speak out, and keep doing so until we get what we need. Ask to talk with your pharmacy's district supervisor, or call its national customer service line. Request to speak with an ADA compliance specialist, explain the situation, and state your rights and requests. Let him or her know that an ADA lawsuit is not out of the question. The point here is that the squeaky wheel gets oiled. Let's not play Russian roulette with our medications anymore. We live in a time in which technology is continually advancing. We just need to make sure that the laws and their enforcement are advancing as well. Not only can we make our own lives safer and more independent, we can make a change and a difference for everyone if we take action and continue to push this forward. The ADA is in place. The US Access Board's best practices for prescription labels are in place. The technology is in place. Accessibility is within reach. Let's grab it!

Fantastic news for ARMD clients!

Subject: Article from Fox News Health 2014 01 12

It sounds like science fiction: Tiny telescopes being implanted into the eyes of humans to restore sight in those with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). But it's actually happening in operating rooms across the country. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the United States, affecting 10 million Americans over age 60. It's a condition where the central part of the retina wears out, causing vision loss. Everyone is at risk for macular degeneration as they age, but people who have a family history or who smoke are more likely to develop it. Although there is no cure for AMD, there is a procedure which helps end-stage disease sufferers by implanting a microscopic telescope into the eye. "This is a telescopic implant - a very tiny telescope that is implanted in the eye when the lens is removed. This takes the place of the individual's own lens and remains in the eye permanently," Dr. Sid Mandelbaum, an ophthalmologist at East Side Eye Surgeons in New York City, told Fox News. The procedure takes a little more than an hour, and once the patient has the implant, the telescope magnifies the images a patient sees and projects them. After surgery, patients undergo oc'cup'ational therapy to help them get used to their new vision. "The eye is kind of like the video camera that sends the image to the brain," said Mandelbaum. "The brain is the central processor that integrates everything, and so we are retraining our brain to learn to use this vision that's a little bit different than the vision that we have used all of our lives up until this point. The procedure does not restore patients' sight to the level it was before they developed AMD. The eye telescope is designed to improve functional capabilities like recognizing facial detail, reading signs and allowing patients to see where they are going. However, experts warn it's not the kind of vision that would allow a patient suffering with AMD to drive again. To qualify for the procedure, patients need to be at least 75 years old, have end-stage macular degeneration in both eyes, and have at least one eye that has not undergone cataract surgery. For Patricia Gajewski, who received the telescope implant in early 2013, the results have been life changing. "It's not 100 percent, but it is better - I can tell," Gajewski told Fox News. "I can walk into a room and recognize some faces; I am not afraid to be social. I was afraid to go out by myself. I was afraid to cross the street and everything like that, but now I can cross the street. I can go shopping by myself. "[My mother] can maintain herself in her house, by doing her everyday things that we take for granted, like cooking, like sewing, like cutting the grass," said Gajewski's daughter, Linda Tesesco. "You know, the doorbell rings and she now can see and identify who's at the door. The telescope implant is FDA approved and is available nationwide. For more information, visit the company's website atCentraSight.com .

Monday, January 13

Good morning everyone,
Don't forget to call Krystal if you need transportation for Saturday. It will be iPad one training for those who are still struggling to access Internet, email and magnification. We will also have new folks coming in for assessments.

Have a great day! Do a good deed!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Sunday, January 12

Everyone,
I am under the weather today! Thanks so much Johnye for helping out

Subject: Article from Fox News Opinion 2014 01 11

Who doesn't love to snack? But is snacking beneficial or detrimental when you are trying to lose weight? Smart snacking can help you to eat less overall and keep your energy levels up between meals. To get the best benefit from your snack, follow these tips for smart snacking from my new book Schedule Me Skinny: Plan to Lose Weight and Keep it Off in Just 30 Minutes a Week . If you are working out intensely for an hour or more , you may want to have your daily snack after your workout. This will help your body refuel and help your muscles rebuild, provided your snack contains the recommended combination of carbohydrates and protein. Any time you have a gap between meals that lasts four hours or more , you should have your snack time during that gap. This will help prevent overeating and keep your energy levels up. Make sure to always keep a healthy snack in your car or purse just in case you end up having a longer gap between meals than you were planning on (see the "Top 10 Emergency Snacks" breakout box for ideas). If you eat an early dinner and stay up late, or if you have trouble sleeping at night , you may want to have your snack before bed. No matter what you may have heard, there is no "curfew" on when you should stop eating to promote weight loss. However, what you choose to snack on (and the amount of it) at night is super important. Try a piece of fruit or some air-popped popcorn. One snack time you might want to skip is mid-morning . A 2011 study from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that dieters who noshed between breakfast and lunch tended to snack later in the day too. This seemed to be an obstacle to their weight loss, as morning snackers lost 4% less weight in a year than did those who didn't snack between breakfast and lunch. If you follow your meal pattern to consume a balanced breakfast and eat lunch within four hours after breakfast, skipping a mid-morning snack shouldn't be a problem. And let's be real-you won't always be in your kitchen with access to fresh fruit and veggies when the munchies hit. If you find yourself ravenous between meals when you're out and about, you need to have a plan. Otherwise, you will get so hungry that you'll eat anything you can get your hands on, even that calorie-bomb candy bar or those salt-laden chips from the convenience store or the office vending machine. Keep an emergency snack stash in your car or purse, with healthy eats that don't require refrigeration. These snacks should still fit into my Schedule Me Skinny snack guidelines of 200 calories and be a combination of carbs or fruit or veggies plus a healthy fat or protein. If you need some ideas for getting your stash started, check out the ideas below (and the book) for even more suggestions! Emergency Snacks Stash: Nutty popcorn trail mix: In a baggie, combine 2 tablespoons almonds + 2 tablespoons dried cranberries + 2 'cup's air-popped popcorn 1 small banana with 1 tablespoon almond or peanut butter (look for single-serving packets) 4-ounce unsweetened applesauce 'cup' with ¼ 'cup' sunflower seeds Lean beef jerky (single-serving pack) and 1 small apple Snack bars: Choose bars with a combination of carbohydrates and protein, with less than 200 calories and at least 3 grams of fiber, such as Luna bars*. I always keep one of these in my gym bag and my purse. *Full disclosure: I have acted as a consultant for CLIF/Luna Sarah-Jane Bedwell, RD, LDN, is a registered dietician and author of " Schedule Me Skinny: Plan to Lose Weight and Keep it Off in Just 30 Minutes a Week .

The Saturday post a tad early

I will be traveling on Saturday so here's a little good new early

Blood test may be able to predict heart attack
By Amanda Stewart, 1/10/2014

Scientists at the Scripps Research Center in California have developed a simple blood test that could detect a heart attack before it happens.

According to Healthline, the test identifies particular cells in the bloodstream that are found after heart attacks. These cells circulate due to build up of plaque in the arteries.

The test only requires a millimeter of blood. Then a doctor would place identifiers in the blood to mark the cells that will predict a heart attack.

The new test was given to 79 people and 25 people who are well and seven that live with a vascular disease. Heart attack patients had a higher number of these cells in their bloodstream, according to the Science World Report.

Identifying the risk by finding these cells in the bloodstream could make it possible for doctors to administer the right medication to avoid a heart attack right away. It can also do the opposite, in which someone with chest pain is given the test and the doctor can avoid hospitalization if the person shows no signs of a heart attack.

This test could potentially save many lives and many people unneeded hours in the emergency room.

The study was published in the Physical Biology journal.

It is Friday!

Happy Friday everyone,
It has been a long, cold, bad weather, miserable week in my world! The weather appears to be warming up. I am hoping for sunshine soon. Are you ready for spring? Personally, I do better with sunshine! Dreary weather makes me tired and cranky.

Don't forget we are having iPad training next Saturday at the Center. Call Krystal! I need to know how many to expect. Mr. Earl will be making multiple trips due to increasing numbers. Get your ride request in early to get a seat!

I have a very busy weekend planned. I really need the weather to improve! Lots of clients and driving....

Take care,
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Interesting concept for a timepiece

Using Universal Design to Create A Time Piece for Everyone

I have always been one of those people who needs to know what time it is. I had many watches throughout my childhood, and when I was no longer able to read a watch, I knew that a talking watch was not for me. I got my first braille watch in college, and when it died, I made sure to get another braille watch. Even though I love my braille watch, I can understand that it's not the best option for everyone. Unfortunately, the braille watch used to be the only option if you wanted to check the time without everyone knowing. This is where the Bradley time piece comes in. This project, inspired by a Paralympian that lost his sight in Afghanistan, has resulted in a time piece that will appeal to both the sighted and non-sighted. One of the inherent drawbacks to the braille watch is that it can be easy to move the hands. If you're checking the time, you don't want the hands to move because then it's no longer accurate. This was just one of the challenges that the team at Eone Time Pieces had to solve. Their solution was to eliminate the hands all together. The Bradley has two ball bearings that move around the face of the watch. The inner ball bearing tells the minute, and the outer ball bearing tells the hour. It even has a built in fail safe so that if you move the ball bearing while checking the time or if you're sleeve bumps it, you only have to shake your wrist to get it to go back to where it belongs. In July of last year, the Eone Time Pieces team had a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the production of The Bradley. Their goal was to raise just $40,000, but the project was so popular that they ended up raising almost 600 thousand dollars. Far surpassing their need, the company has now started accepting pre-orders for the watch. If you choose to pre-order The Bradley, you can get it for $50 less then what it will normally cost. I recently chatted with a friend who was one of the backers of the campaign and who just received his Bradley. He is very pleased so far with how easy it is to tell the time and how easy it was to set up. He was also impressed with the fact that there are braille instructions for how to use the Bradley included in his box. To learn more about the Bradley and how to pre-order your own, visit the Eone Time Pieces website: http://www.eone-time.com. 

Thursday' January 9

Good slippery morning,
It appears the weathermen are getting better at predicting the messy stuff. Sure enough, there is quite a bit of ice in my area. Sounds like Margaret may have the brunt of the bad stuff but it is enough here to delay schools. If you have to step outside, please be careful. We are at the 30-33 degree range statewide and you can't tell wet from ice!

If you are a cane user, be very careful. This type of weather is the worst! Steps, driveways and sidewalks are treacherous and dangerous for all of use. Be sure you put that cane down with force!

Johnye has found a great article which I will post.
Stay in, stay warm and check on each other!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Happy hump day!

Good morning world,
It is slightly warmer today but...the weatherman assures us it will get worse! Maybe as early as this afternoon. If you need to run errands, stock up on food, etc you probably should dash to the store this morning. Sounds like we all want to be home and snuggled in by dark with rain for the next several days.

Johnye has been finding great articles for the blog this week. I am posting them as I find a few minutes so be sure you scroll down to read them. These are really helpful for those of you who don't subscribe to a news feed. I probably should do a class on news feeds if only I could add a few hours to each day!

Make all those pit stops today and stay warms!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

For those with more money than most of us.......

These days, it seems just about every imaginable thing is "connected. There's connected thermostats , locks, refrigerators, forks , and so many more. And now, add toothbrushes to the list. Today at CES, Kolibree unveiled what it calls the world's first connected electric toothbrush. Whether anyone actually needs such a device is very much up in the air, but the startup believes that it can help people brush smarter -- and as a result, have healthier teeth. The concept is simple. Users download Kolibree's mobile app on their smartphone and then connect to the toothbrush via Bluetooth. Then, every time they brush their teeth, the brush will record a set of relevant data, which can later be viewed and analyzed via the mobile app. Essentially, the brush records how someone cleans their teeth. It keeps track of how long the brushing lasted, and how rigorous it was in terms of reaching each and every tooth, and the gums. There's a bit of gameplay built in, which challenges users to do better next time, and the company has created an API, hoping that third-party developers will come up with additional apps that will inspire users to brush more, and more effectively. Kolibree is planning on releasing several different models of its toothbrush, ranging from $100 to $200, in the third quarter of 2014, with a Kickstarter campaign starting things off. The app can record data from multiple brushes, meaning every member of a family can see how everyone else is doing. The data can also be easily shared with friends, and even the dentist. On the surface, it's hard to imagine a lot of people deciding they need something like a connected toothbrush. But with individual health getting more attention than ever, it's certainly possible people will see the benefit of something that keeps a close eye on how well they're treating their teeth, and which challenges them to do better.

Healthy habits for the new year!

Subject: Article from Fox News Health 2014 01 07

It's a brand new year, and we all want to get a jump on eating healthy. But sometimes we focus too much on counting grams of fiber or protein, or we focus in on specific nutrients. An easier (and definitely more fun) approach is to simply add more color to your meals and snacks. In Eating in Color: Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Your and Your Family , I share recipes and tips for bringing more color to your table in a fun, stress-free way. The book highlights the entire spectrum and inspires you to add health-boosting fruits, veggies and whole grains to your diet by adding as many colors to your plate as possible. Fruits and vegetables contain compounds that reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, some cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and obesity. Most of us don't get enough fruits, veggies or whole grains, so adding a couple of extra servings a day will go a long way to making us all healthier. Here's a guide to "Eating in Color" and the benefits that each color family provides. Reds This bold and beautiful family of fruits and vegetables is certainly physically attractive, but it also boasts a wide range of heart-healthy nutrients. Many members of the red family contain high levels of the antioxidant vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Vitamin C helps fight damage caused by free radicals throughout the body. Potassium is essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and keeps your heart beating regularly. And soluble fiber, found in many red fruits, helps lower "bad" LDL cholesterol. Foods to try: pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, radishes, tomatoes, beets, red peppers, radicchio, rhubarb, cherries, cranberries, red apples, red onions Oranges The orange family ranges from delicate apricots to sturdy winter squash, but one thing they all have in common is a very special nutrient: beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body and is needed for skin and eye cell growth. It's also vital for a healthy immune and reproductive system. Foods to try: pumpkins, orange peppers, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, mangos, oranges, apricots, peaches, cantaloupe, carrots Yellows The yellow family ranges from fragrant Meyer lemons to earthy yellow beets and is a little tough to categorize. This sunny group finds common ground in its wealth of antioxidant-rich compounds, which help fight chronic diseases including cancer and heart disease. Foods to try: yellow beets, star fruit, yellow figs, lemons, yellow bell peppers Greens Green is Mother Nature's favorite color. She uses it to color everything from leafy herbs to creamy avocados to refreshing cucumber. Most members of the green family are super slimming, with less than 50 calories per 'cup', so it makes sense to load up your plate with them. They also offer up antioxidants for longevity-boosting benefits. And many greens are a great vegetarian and vegan source of iron, as well as the B-vitamin folate, which is essential for a healthy pregnancy. Foods to try: arugula, kiwi fruit, avocado, broccoli, spinach, cucumbers, zucchini, kale, fennel, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, edamame, mustard greens, sugar snap peas, herbs, lime, watercress Blues, Indigos and Violets It's good to have the blues. This family of foods delivers high amounts of anthocyanins - a type of antioxidant that fights inflammation and may help reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. And certain members of this gorgeous crew may also help keep your memory sharp and boost brainpower. Foods to try: purple cabbage, blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, plums, prunes, figs, eggplant, purple potatoes, grapes, purple carrots Blacks and Tans This group may not be colorful in the traditional sense, but they still bring a lot to the table. Rich in fiber and antioxidants, these whole grains, legumes, fruits, fungi and seeds add big flavor and texture to meals and reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Also, it includes everyone's favorite - chocolate. Foods to try: coconut, mushrooms, olives, chocolate, chia seeds, hemp seeds, barley, flax seeds, quinoa, black rice, freekeh, black beans Frances Largeman-Roth is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and a nationally recognized health expert. In addition to Eating in Color, she is the best selling co-author of The CarbLovers Diet and Feed the Belly: The Pregnant Mom's Healthy Eating Guide. For tips and healthy recipes, you can follow her on Twitter @FrancesLRothRD and visitwww.franceslargemanroth.com . 

Tuesday, January 7

Brrrrrr, good cold morning,
It is still very cold out! The weather folks are optimistic it will warm up - probably about April! Please take care if you must get out before it warms up. Only a few minutes of exposure in the extreme cold can be damaging, especially to those of us in the AARP membership category. It looks like it will warm up late today but be wet the next couple of days. It is January, be prepared for more cold and bad weather. You may want to add a few extra groceries to cabinet for the next few weeks.

If you live in Pulaski county, it is possible to get assistance for your utility bills. Call your provider for more information. Do not skimp on heat! If you know someone in our group who is struggling, please let me know.

Take care, stay warm and check on each other.
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Monday, January 6

A very chilly good morning to you,
The thermometer in my yard is on 14! That is cold for Saline County. I just saw on TV where the high in Little Rock may only be 18! Please stay in and stay warm. Remember, if you are using portable heaters, electric or kerosene heaters to supplement your normal heat be careful. Check your unit carefully. Disconnect if you notice any odor. If you are using kerosene you must have ventilation! Do not use those units in a small place-the risk is definite. The gas smell is very dangerous!

Protect your pipes by leaving cabinet doors open. That simple act will provide enough warmth the keep your interior pipes from freezing. Do not go out and turn on the exterior pipes! Water in those pipes is sure to freeze and can do a tremendous amount of damage. Hopefully, you heeded the advice to cover the outside faucets. Just leave them covered until spring.

Please continue to check on each other and let me know of anyone in need.

Remember iPad One at the center on January 18! Start calling Krystal if you will need transportation.
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Sunday morning - waiting on the weather change

Good morning everyone,
The weatherman was very convincing that a massive cold front and artic blast will be arriving. I decided to cut the baby hugging short and head for my nice warm house. Nothing is more miserable than driving in snow or ice!

It really won't  hurt my feelings if we get an extra snow day but then I will complain about going to school in June! I think I am just hard to please.

I spoke with Toni yesterday and she had an update on Donna who remains in Baptist. A very special thanks to all of you who check on each other and let us know how things are going!

Ms. Virginia reports her daughter from California visited her over the holidays! She was so happy.

It is always great fun to have a few days to devote to home visits and catch up on the personal lives of our clients.

I hope each of you has a great day! Please continue to check on each other, especially when the weather is bad!

Take care and stay warm. Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Cold weather chill? Stay warm!

Subject: Article from Fox News Health 2014 01 03

A drop in temperature may not just chill you to the bone this winter - for some people, it can actually trigger pain. We recently got this question from a viewer: Dear Dr. Manny, I get pain in my jaw when it's really cold out. Why does this happen? Thanks, Meghan The first thing you should do is get your teeth checked to rule out cavities as a cause for your pain. But the weather can have an effect on your body in ways you may not expect. Studies have shown that changes in barometric pressure that often accompany a drop in temperature can trigger pain by causing air pockets throughout your body to expand and/or shrink, putting pressure on the nerves. Temporomandibular joint disorders, or TMJ, are also common in adult women. Symptoms can include: Earaches Headaches Chewing pain Difficulty opening your mouth Clicking or grating sounds in the joint Shivering in cold weather can cause the muscles in your jaw to constrict or spasm, which can also result in pain. Always talk to your doctor to determine the best treatment based on your condition.