Stress Archive

The 21st Century Cures Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in December, provides or extends funding for a variety of health initiatives, including support for people with mental health and substance use issues. It builds on important innovations introduced in the Mental Health Parity and Addictions Equity Act and the Affordable Care Act.

Mind-bending puzzles aren't the only route to improving memory and reason. Activities that engage your emotions and senses may be even better.

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In the midst of promotions for commercial brain training programs to ward off age-related cognitive decline, a few studies are beginning to indicate that simple pleasures may be even more productive. You may find that doing one of the following is an easier and more rewarding way to boost your brain than doing computer-based exercises.

1. Care for a dog

3.Play with a child

Vascular dementia is a less prevalent type of memory loss that nonetheless affects many older men.

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While Alzheimer's disease continues to be the most recognized type of dementia, older men should also be mindful about the second most common: vascular dementia.

In vascular dementia, memory problems result from damage to large and small blood vessels in the brain. It develops when cholesterol-clogged blood vessels can't deliver enough oxygen to the brain. Small blockages deprive some brain cells of oxygen, which causes a series of small strokes that kill brain cells. This can lead to episodes of confusion, slurred speech, and problems thinking or remembering.

Older adults who report feeling lonely had a greater risk of testing positive for high amyloid levels in the brain, a marker of Alzheimer’s disease, according to research from the Harvard Aging Brain Study.

A large international study of people around the world suggests that extreme physical exertion or emotional upset may be triggers for a heart attack. 

Anger or emotional upset may double the risk of having a heart attack. Heavy physical exertion appears to have the same effect. And people who do intense exercise while they’re upset or mad may face three times the risk of heart attack. 

Massage therapy can help relieve pain, speed recovery from injury or surgery, and reduce stress.

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Men may think of massage as an occasional treat or a vacation indulgence, but this type of therapy could be a natural way to stay healthy and pain-free.

One of the most common health issues for older men is chronic pain, defined as pain that lasts more than 12 weeks. This includes back pain, headache, cancer pain, and arthritis pain. Then there are the everyday aches from daily living. All of these act as barriers to a healthy lifestyle.

Stopping exercise for 10 days can reduce brain blood flow by 20% to 30% in eight brain regions, including the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory and is one of the first brain regions to shrink in Alzheimer’s disease.

You may be able to save time and money—and spare yourself frustration—by adopting a more minimal approach to preventing disease.

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As the Shaker lyrics go, "'Tis the gift to be simple," and simplicity is a gift you might want to grant yourself in the new year. If so, you'll have some help from health experts. In the past few years, complicated advice for diet and exercise has given way to simpler, more sustainable guidelines, and the FDA has come down in favor of simple soap and water over antimicrobial cleaners to prevent infectious diseases.

If you've vowed to make positive changes in your lifestyle this year, you're likely to be more successful if you don't take on complex new regimens. "People can achieve remarkable changes in their lives one small step at a time," says Dr. Edward M. Phillips, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School and medical editor of the Harvard Special Health Report Simple Changes, Big Rewards (www.health.harvard.edu/change).