Edward’s Story Ever since he retired, Edward dreads going to bed at night. He’s afraid that when he turns off his light, he will just lie there with his eyes open and his mind racing. “How can I break this cycle?” he asks. “I’m so tired—I need to get some sleep.” Just like Edward, you […]
Health and Wellness
What Is the MIND Diet?
In 2004, a team of researchers at Rush University Medical Center enlisted a group of older adults who were participating in the ongoing Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP) for a spin-off study. MAP began in 1997 with the goal of pinpointing the factors associated with memory loss in older adults, with an emphasis on Alzheimer’s […]
What Stress Does to the Body After 50
A 6-year-old feels stress on the first day of kindergarten. A 12-year-old feels stress at a soccer playoff game. And so it continues on into young adulthood, middle age and life’s further reaches. The triggers of stress may change over the years, but the phenomenon of a stressful moment — that sudden eruption of strong […]
High Blood Pressure and Older Adults
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major health problem that is common in older adults. Your body’s network of blood vessels, known as the vascular system, changes with age. Arteries get stiffer, causing blood pressure to go up. This can be true even for people who have heart-healthy habits and feel just fine. High […]
Tingling Hands? Painful Feet? 7 Warning Signs of Neuropathy You Should Never Ignore
It’s not unusual for neurologist Eva Feldman, M.D., to see patients who are experiencing pain or strange sensations in their feet. “They say, ‘My feet hurt, and they hurt worse at night when the sheets are on them.’ ” Another common complaint she hears: “It feels like bugs are biting the bottom of my feet,” says Feldman, […]
Diabetes in Older People
Diabetes is a serious disease, and it affects many older adults. People get diabetes when their blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. The good news is that you can take steps to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes, which is the most common form of the disease to develop in older adults. If you already […]