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Excessive Noise #1 Cause of Hearing Loss, Not Aging

Thirty million people suffer from hearing loss in the US and 50% of them are under 65 years of age. Excessive noise is now the primary cause of hearing loss. The following link connects you to a well-done story about hearing loss presented by the Today Show on NBC. 

Source: Link forwarded by Dr. Jennifer Gagesch; NBC, Today Show August 11, 2011

Mission Unaccomplished

Clinicians discuss the importance of the health needs of female veterans.

Women are the fastest growing segment in the U.S. military, already accounting for approximately 14 percent of deployed forces. According to statistics from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 20 percent of new recruits and 17 percent of Reserve and National Guard forces are women. As the number of women continues to grow in the military, so does the need for health care specifically targeted to their unique concerns.

Historically, lower rates of female veterans have used the VA system. "Research has shown that women didn't define themselves as veterans in the past, and this is changing," said Antonette Zeiss, PhD, a clinical psychologist and acting chief for Mental Health Services at the VA Central Office in Washington, DC.

"Women are among the fastest growing segments of new VA users, with as many as 44 percent of women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan electing to use the VA compared to 11 percent in prior eras," said Sally Haskell, MD, acting director of Comprehensive Women's Health at the VA Central Office. Continue reading

Source: Advance, July 20, 2011

Brain Shrinkage: It's Only Human

Study finds chimpanzes, our closest animal kin, aren't affected by the oddity of aging; 'We are very weird animals'

Human brains shrink as people grow old, unlike even our closest animal relative, says a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that highlights what researchers call the unique character of human aging.

The human brain normally can shrink up to 15% as it ages, a change linked to dementia, poor memory and depression. Until now, researchers had assumed this gradual brain loss in later years was universal among primates.

But in the first direct comparison of humans to chimpanzees, a brain-scanning team led by George Washington University anthropologist Chet Sherwood found that chimpanzees don't experience such brain loss. From that, researchers concluded that only people are afflicted by this oddity of longevity. Continue reading

Source: The Wall Street Journal, July 26, 2011

Breaking News Today: Tylenol Maker Lowers Maximum Dose

McNeil Consumer Healthcare announced it is lowering the maximum daily dose instructions for Extra Strength Tylenol to six pills a day (3,000 mg) to reduce the risk of acetaminophen overdose. 

Source: MedPage, July 28, 2011