Feel Young Again this Summer

Just because you are aging, does not mean you can’t be young at heart. With a willing spirit, there are an unlimited number of ways a person can feel young again. Here are ten great ways for you to feel young again.

1. Volunteer in Your Community
What better way to feel good than by volunteering in your community? Offering your time and talents help uplift your spirits. It's actually been shown that by focusing on others, your own challenges seem smaller. Not to mention, you’ll learn new skills and meet new people.

2. Join a Club
Join a club so you can socialize with people who have similar interests. As times goes on, we don’t always keep up with old friends. So joining a club of a particular interest or new interest puts us right in the center of a crowd. You’ll be socializing like a butterfly in no time.

3. Take a Class
You’re never too old to learn something new. Go back to college and get your business degree, take a social media course offering at the library, or stay at home to learn a new language right on your PC via Youtube.com. If you have a wealth of knowledge on a particular subject, become an instructor! There are many ways to teach, be it at a local college/university, community center, or online learning environment.

4. Start a New Hobby
If you’ve already mastered sculpting or restoring cars, challenge yourself by taking it up a notch. Are you tired of your son going to the golf course every morning? Ask if you can tag along and learn to play. If your daughters are going to play tennis before your afternoon tea, pick up a tennis racket and start practicing. Just try it! You never know what you'll grow to truly enjoy.

5. Pamper Yourself
You can feel young again by pampering yourself in any way. You don’t necessarily need to take yourself to the spa or get your hair done. Do something for yourself that you enjoy. Sleep in on a Monday, take yourself out for ice-cream, order yourself some flowers, or buy a new outfit. Sometimes it only takes something new or tasty to put an extra spring in your step.

6. Start an Exercise Program
Exercising is very rejuvenating and will help you look and feel young. Exercise helps reduce stress, so you can look forward to fewer lines and wrinkles. Your circulation will improve, and blood pressure will regulate. You don’t even need to hit the gym 5 days a week. Most specialists will suggest a light routine of exercising 3 days a week. Short walks, water aerobics, and bicycling are all excellent light exercise routines several times during the day or all at once. The more active you become, the younger you’ll feel.

7. Enjoy Your Grandchildren
There is no better way to feel younger again than spending time with the younger crowd. Make time for your grandchildren whenever possible. Younger kids usually want to go to the park and play on the swings and jungle gyms or play video games or boardgames. If you peek their interest, they may also be up for a nature walk or fishing. These are ways to create great memories and be a cool grandparent.

8. Go Travel
You’ve worked hard all your life, now it’s time to enjoy the world. If you’re not keen on being away too far from home, start off local for a "stay-cation". There are plenty of beautiful and intriguing historical landmarks in your state, many of which offer bed and breakfast stays. This can make for an exciting or relaxing weekend away that you and your loved ones need. Make sure to use your AARP or other senior discount option for an economical trip. If you don’t have friends and family to travel with, consider joining up with a senior travel tour group. They have local and overseas destinations already planned and waiting for you to join.

9. Add a Touch of Romance to Your Life
Do you remember that glow you had while dating in high school or the jitters you felt before asking a girl out on a date? Relive those moments again and ask that special someone out. Romance keeps us young no matter if it’s new, seasoned, or a rekindled flame.

A few ways you can add a touch of romance to your life include:

• Write your loved one a love letter
• Have a candlelight dinner
• Visit your first-kiss location again
• Attend a drive-in movie or movie in-the-park
• Give a handmade gift or custom handmade gift on Etsy.com
• Slow dance to your song

10. Have Fun
Finally, don’t take everything in life too seriously. Laughter is the best medicine, after all. Get silly and do things you normally wouldn’t engage in. Have a snowball fight, resolve disputes via rock-paper-scissors, play hide-and-seek, or beat the grandkids in their favorite video game.

There are so many ways to make yourself feel young again. Most of them require little effort on your part. Doing one or two a week will certainly show off the new and improved you!

Aging: What's Your "Age of Potential"?

There have been many revaluations over the last century, however none as significant as the Longevity Revolution. This past week was my birthday, which got me reflecting on that thing called, life.

In America, we are living on average 38 years longer than our great grandfathers*. That’s an entire second adult lifetime, added on to our lifespan. Yet, our culture has not yet come to let go of stereotypical slangs like, “blue hair”, “geezer” or “BOOF”. We’re still living with the old perspective of age as an arch; you’re born, you peak at midlife, then you decline into decrepitation.  This view stems from the notion that age is merely pathology.

The Longevity Revolution however, has shed light on these last three added decades, some calling it the “third act of life”. Slowly scientists, doctors, and researchers are coming to the realization that this is actually a developmental stage of life with its own significance. As different as midlife is to adolescence, and adolescence to childhood. So what about the average person? What about you?

We should all be asking, how do we make good use of three more decades of life?  How do we live the third act successfully?

As you may know one of the fundamental laws of the world is the second Law of Thermodynamics; entropy. Entropy means that everything in the world is in a constant state of decline and decay. There’s only exception to this universal law and that is the human spirit. Take instances of joy: the fall of the Berlin wall, Armstrong walking on the moon, Jackie Robinson joining the major leagues. Now take instances of sorrow: Nine-eleven, fall solders from the invasion of Iraq, the Vietnam War. Both bear stories of heroism, growth, and unity.   

Likewise, your spirit can continue to evolve with age into wholeness, authenticity, and wisdom.

So I propose a slight twist in the way we view age. Instead of thinking, “I’ve lived so many years”, look at how many years you have left to make a difference, learn a new skill, or contribute to your community. A 75-years-old female now has 16 more years to do great things. A 60-year-old male now has 24 more years to do great things. Age then turns from pathology, into potential.

What is your "Age of Potential"? You may just have an entire lifetime ahead of you to do and be great.

*Average life expectancy according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC):

In 2013: 86 female, 84 males

In 1900: 46 female, 48 males

God Grant Me...A Hole in my Bucket

It was a cold, gray, Friday morning and I was in that fuzzy space between asleep and alert. When my mind at last came into focus, I was staring at the same perfect perfume bottles on my dresser top that greeted me each morning, poised and ready to spritz. For some reason this morning, I was arrived at the glaring realization, that time was a-wasting' and it had been a long time since I had checked anything off from that ongoing “Bucket List” that so many of us have rolling around in our heads.

Now, I know I've been blessed to have been able to do many things that others may still have on their list, such as living in Hawaii, climbing to the top of the Tower of Pisa as well as to the top of the Statue of Liberty, 6 months pregnant even, (later part of that one, not on my list!). I've attended a concert at The Prince's Palace in Monte Carlo, and even got to shake hands with Rosa Parks long enough to express my heartfelt appreciation for her courage on behalf of the whole human race, but what had I really done lately? The sad answer that frigid Friday hit me like a cold shower, nada, zero, nothing.

Where had my plans derailed? When did I fall off the track? All I was doing was living my life and skating through each stage as it came along, daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother, teacher, etc., but what happened to that list I put together all those years, -back in the day, ago? When will I ever be able to walk down that runway to “Here She Comes, Miss. America” if things keep going in this direction?! Which of course they must, or my name is Benjamin Buttons!!! It was then that the answer came to me in the words of a song that I loved & sang as a child, what if there was “a hole in my bucket, Dear Liza?”

Just imagine, Miss America falls out and is replaced by the joy of taking an out-of-work friend shopping at a resale shop, and paying for her interview outfit. Scaling Mount Olympus (as my globetrotter son has done) along with being on T.V. show aired around the world, (like my famous daughter) both fall out, and in goes giving a child the gift of music by patiently running flashcards of notes with her at lesson every week until she knows them cold, so she can now play her favorite song, The Can-Can. Now that's a real good one! At this realization, I feel true exhilaration, I haven't been slacking off after all! With the new hole in my bucket, I have the freedom to let go of some the things from my list that I no longer desire and replace them with those that I do, and can realistically accomplish at this stage in my life. A funny thing is, when I was younger, most things on my list had to do with what I wanted for myself or what others could do for me. Now, it seems it's more about what I want for others and what I can do for them.

One last thought, about those same perfect perfume bottles, it's now on my list to use them daily. My new mantra; Making the world a sweeter place for everyone I meet, one spritz at a time.

By: Carol Hengel 

Carol is the proud mother of Leah Korkis. Carol received her undergraduate from Western Michigan University in Music Therapy and Music Education and later her Masters Degree in Special Education. Carol continues to enjoy her teaching career as a Private Music and Special Education Teacher. In her free time, she loves playing her cello in a variety of groups including local theater productions, as well as traveling, book club, cooking, playing tennis hiking and biking. 

New Years Resolutions: Live well, Eat well, and Love well

Why make a New Years resolutions unless it will have a positive impact, right? 

So this New Year, make a realist resolution within the three Healthy Now and Later wellness categories:

Live well
If you have a dream that you've given up on due to time, past failure, or discouragement, pick it up again. If there is a skill or sport that you always wanted to be better at, out it into your schedule. There is no time like the present to go after your aspirations and goals. You never know where it will lead you. Likewise, try something new that may increase your health or happiness. 

Eat well
It's easier than ever to find healthy recipes or purchase healthy alternatives. Pick one day of the week to indulge in your favorite junk food, but research the majority of the week to eating healthy. As they say, "you are what you eat". 

Love well
Quality time with close friends and special family members is priceless. Cut out negative relationships and avoid unnecessary drama that only results in stress. Seek out people and relationships that bring out the best you. 

Make 2014 the year of wellness. As you live well, eat well, and love well, you will notice that ultimately you are prolonging your years of healthy and happy living. 


Join me on Monday, December 30th at 7pmET for a Tweetchat at #Nurseup to share your New Years Resolutions to Live well, Eat well, and Love well. I'll be sharing mine as well! My name is Leah Korkis and I am a nurse and caregiver. I'm founder of Healthy Now and Later, a site and forum devoting to health living for caregivers and those 55+. Hope to see you then! 

New Norms: A Short Story

It was a quiet night. The full moon cast mysterious shadows across the empty streets.

A woman lay next to her husband, her eyes gazing into the swirling darkness above her. Slowly she pulled the covers back, put on her robe, wondered into the hallway and followed the stair railing down into the kitchen. With a long sigh, the woman light a few candles and took out several bowls, flour, eggs, and butter.  

The husband upstair slept soundly and loudly. He took a deep breath in of cinnamon and opened his eyes. He quickly pulled the covers back, put on his robe, and followed the smell down to the kitchen. The wife poured him a couple fingers of scotch to help him go back to sleep as they sat in the candlelight.

Instead of getting him tired, it only brought to memory the dream he had that night. He remembered that he was in the wings on a theatre being dressed and made up to go on stage, though he had no idea what play this was. He kept asking and the lady of his dream would only say, 'you'll be ok, you'll be ok'. She then gave him a little push and just as he walked out on stage he woke up to the smell of the exact same cookies his mother used to make. He went on to tell about how his mother would make these cookies year after year and he couldn't recall a time when he had ever thanked her. He thought back, back, and he couldn't remember a single time when he had.

They sat down in the kitchen while the second batch of cookies baked. The wife said she had similar dreams to this. She was supposed to go out and sing in Church but had no idea what song. She was walking down the isles of the Church, perspiring, though people around her said, 'it'll be ok, it'll be ok'. Just as someone said, 'it will come to you', she woke up.

The husband and wife became to wonder if these dreams of terror and uncertainty had a meaning. They wondered together about their children who had all moved away, if they were just fine. As empty nesters in the 50s, they were now living just the two of them. No, they thought, their children were ok. All happy, healthy, and successful in their own endeavors. Though, as new parents they were recall being terrified of not knowing what to do with the small infant, or the teenager, or the college bound young adult. In fact, sometime now they even wonder what to do as empty nesters.

They realized then, all the new norms they had overcome over the years: moving, job hopping, children, etc. Along the way they worried about the next steps, and yet somehow they made it through ok.

Population Aging Research Redefined

Fairly often I hear people say, "You're as old as you feel" or "45 is the new 35".

Turns out, they might actually be true. 

In a groundbreaking study published in the journal Population and Development Review in 2013 population researchers Warren Sanderson and Sergei Scherbov redefines the way demographers study population aging. 

Previously, studies on aging highlighted one characteristic: chronological age. However with the rising average age of athletes, new mothers, and ultimately end of life, Sanderson and Scherbov sought to go beyond the number. 

“Your true age is not just the number of years you have lived,” said researcher Sergei Scherbov, Ph.D., of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. It also includes characteristics such as health, cognitive function, and disability rates.

The new study provides a framework for measuring aging based on characteristics of people that change with age, including life expectancy, health, cognitive function and other measures. These measures can be used by demographers to better understanding aging societies.

Demographers have traditionally not used such measures in studies of population and society, leading to strangely different research findings by country for each age group.

However, as lifespans get longer the same age no longer correlates with the same level of health and other such characteristics. The same is true in countries and cultures around the world.

“We used to consider people old at age 65,” said Scherbov. “Today, someone who is 65 may be more like someone who was 55, forty-fifty years ago in terms of many important aspects of their lives.”

Sherbov points out that, "aging is multidimentional", therefore by incorporate how people actually function, the study seeks to provide the foundation of a much richer and more realistic view of population aging.

This holistic approach may bring to light diets, lifestyles, and/or environments ideal for healthy aging, maintaining high quality of life, and perhaps longer lifespans. 

Reference: 

Sanderson, W. C., Scherbov, S. (2013). The characteristics approach to the measurement of population aging. Population and Development Review. 39: 673–685. doi: 10.1111/j.1728-4457.2013.00633.x

Can't sleep?

Instead of counting sheep, here are four common causes of sleep disturbances. 

Sleep is a biological imperative, famously described as “of the brain, by the brain and for the brain.” However, according to the National Sleep Foundation, more than half of men and women over the age of 65 complain of at least one sleep problem. 

Several factors may contribute to the inability to sleep well as we get older. Some common causes include:

Irregular sleep habits: Irregular sleeping schedules can affect an individual's internal clock, or "circadian rhythm". Instead of making your way to bed when it's convenient, set a goal on what time to hit the pillow. Get into a routine of tasks right before bed may help as well; for example, without any thought, before I go to bed I be sure to brush my teeth, use the toilet, wash my face, and apply lotion to my feet. It's just become habit. Even if I don't feel tired before I start my routine, by the time I'm on to the last step I find that I'm yawning. 

Medications: Some drugs may impair a person's ability to fall asleep or may even wake you up during the night. Be sure to check with your doctor to make sure that you are taking your medication during the recommended time of day.

Psychological distress or psychiatric disorders: With age comes change and although some of this change is welcome, others aren't as much. In some people these changes may lead to psychological problems or psychiatric disorders that will affect the quality and quantity of sleep.

Sleep disorders: In some cases, sleep disorders may be the reason behind interrupted sleep. This includes sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome. In either case, these are easily diagnosed and managed.

Interview with McDermott Footcare

I'm please to announce and introduce our partnership with McDermott Footcare. Founder Terry McDermott is a Certificate in Advanced Nursing Foot Care and Diabetic Foot Care. Her blog is saturated with expert advice and knowledge about padding for bunions, reducing corns and callouses,  footwear assessment, diabetic foot care, and more. 

On October 13th, 2014, McDermott Footcare interviewed Leah Korkis, RN, the nurse-entrepreneur owner of Healthy Now and Later. You can find this interview on the McDermott Footcare Blog. 

Click the first link below to find out how Healthy Now and Later got started, how Leah Korkis views optimal heath, and what her future plans are for the site. 

TAKE ME TO THE INTERVIEW

TAKE ME TO MCDERMOTT'S FOOTCARE

How to keep-your-brain well into the golden years

Contrary to popular belief, recent studies have found that there are probably ways to regenerate brain matter.

Animal studies conducted at the National Institute on Aging Gerontology Research Center and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, for example, have shown that both calorie restriction and intermittent fasting along with vitamin and mineral intake, increase resistance to disease, extend lifespan, and stimulate production of neurons from stem cells.

In addition, fasting has been shown to enhance synaptic elasticity, possibly increasing the ability for successful re-wiring following brain injury. These benefits appear to result from a cellular stress response, similar to that of the muscular regeneration that results from the stress from exercise.

Additional research suggests that increasing time intervals between meals might be a better choice than chronic calorie restriction.

But if your not keen on starving yourself, there are other options. Another recent finding, stemming from the Burnham Institute for Medical Research and Iwate University in Japan, reports that the herb rosemary contains an ingredient that fights off free radical damage in the brain. The active ingredient, known as carnosic acid (CA), can protect the brain from stroke and degeneration of the neurons such as in Alzheimer’s disease.

Although researchers are patenting more potent forms of isolated compounds in this herb, unlike most new drugs, simply using the rosemary in its natural state may be the most safe and clinically tolerated because it is known to get into the brain and has been consumed by people for thousands of years. 

Another brain booster that Bruce N. Ames, Ph.D., a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of California, Berkeley, swears by his daily 800 mg of alpha-lipoic acid and 2,000 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine. These chemicals are said to boost the energy output of our cells. In a study of elderly rats, those on these supplements had more energy and ran mazes better.

Omega-3s fatty acids found in walnuts and fatty fish (such as salmon, sardines, and lake trout) are thought to help ward off Alzheimer's disease. In addition, they likely help prevent depression and have been shown to help prevent sudden death from heart attack--all good news.

Turmeric, typically found in curry, contains curcumin, a chemical with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In India, it is even used as a salve to help heal wounds. East Asians also eat it, which might explain their lower rates (in comparison to the United States) of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and various cancers. If curry isn’t part of your favorite cuisines, there are curcumin supplement of 500 to 1,000 mg.

Physical exercise may also have beneficial effects on neuron regeneration by stimulating regeneration of brain and muscle cells via activation of stress proteins and the production of growth factors. However, some research suggests that not all exercise is equal. Interestingly, some researchers found that exercise that was considered a drudgery to the participant was not beneficial in neuronal regeneration. On the other hand, physical activity that was "fun", even if equal time was spent and equal calories were burned, resulted in neuronal regeneration.

Exercise can also help reduce stress, but any stress-reducing activity, such as meditation and lifestyle changes, can help the brain. There is some evidence that chronic stress shrinks the parts of the brain involved in learning, memory, and mood. 

It should go without saying that short-term cognitive and physical performance is not boosted by fasting, due to metabolic changes including decrease in body temperature, decreased heart rate and blood pressure and decreased glucose and insulin levels, so don't bother planning a marathon or a demanding work session during a fasting period.

As part of a healthy lifestyle moderate food intake, exercising, and eating anti-oxidant rich foods, has long been known to boost longevity, but it’s good to know that we can bring our brains along with us as we make it into those golden years.

References:
Anson, R. M., Guo, Z, de Cabo, R., Iyun, T., Rios, M., Hagepanos, A., Ingram, D. K., Lane, M. A.  & Mattson, M. P. (2003, April 30). Intermittent fasting dissociates beneficial effects of dietary restriction on glucose metabolism and neuronal resistance to injury from calorie intake. National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition.

Duan, W., Guo, Z., Jaing, H., Ware, M., Li, X-J., & Mattson, M. P. (2003). Dietary Restriction Normalizes Glucose Metabolism and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels, Slows Disease Progression and Increases Survival in Huntington Mutant Mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition.

Jaret, P., & Martin, A. (2003). Miss a meal, add years to your life. Health, 17(9), 41-44.

Von Bubnoff, A., & Lloyd, J. (2006). Prevention's anti-aging guide: How to take off 10 years or more. Prevention, 58(9), 166-213.

Old age is no place for sissies.

Here is a list of the 5 most common problems I hear about as a nurse from those 55 and better, and how you can prevent, overcome, or manage them. 

1. Memory Loss 

"Senior moments" can happen to anyone. As one women I know in her sixties said, "People lose their keys when they are my age and they think it's their age. Even though, plenty of teenagers lose their keys, and when they do, they just say they lost their keys." Until recently, scientist thought this was due to information overload, however now they have started to truly pull apart the differences between the start of dementia verses just regular, well, forgetfulness. The adult brain actually may function better in some ways, because it knows how to ignore what it deems as unimportant. Did you catch that? What IT deems as unimportant. So when you're on your way to the kitchen and--you get there with a blank stare completely forgetting what you went there for. Don't fret. Your brain just ranked "it" lower on the importance scale. This particularly applies to the 50 and 60-something's. The best thing to do to keep your neurons in gear is the following: Stop smoking if you do, exercise if you don't already, and keep your mind active with things including playing puzzles like crosswords or sudoku, learning new things, and reading.


2. Depression
The good news is that the majority of older adults aren't depressed. The bad news is, it's on the rise. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "major depression in older people living in the community range from less than 1% to about 5% but rise to 13.5% in those who require home healthcare and to 11.5% in older hospital patients." Depression can especially come to those who have multiple multiple illnesses (like heart disease, diabetes, kidney failure, ect.) or those who have lost multiple loved ones. There are means of getting help if you see yourself or someone else going in this direction. There are medications available (prescription and non-prescription). Studies have also shows that simply increasing physical activity, increasing the amount of time spent doing enjoyable activities, and spending time with others (whether volunteering or simply spending more time with friends/family) may also improve mood.  Read more from the CDC by clicking here. 


3. Visual impairment
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 65 % of all people who are visually impaired are aged 50 and up. The biggest culprit: Macular degeneration.  Macular degeneration results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field (the macular) due to damage to the light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye (the retina). As a result, the center of your vision is lost making it difficult to read or recognize faces. The peripheral vision remains however. (See image to the right; top image is normal vision, bottom image is what would be seen with macular degeneration.)  To help prevent macular degeneration, wear sunglasses when in direct sunlight, manage high blood pressure, and do not smoke.


4. Joint pain
First, the bad news. With age, joints do become stiffer and less flexible. The fluid-filled sacs that once served as soft cushions between cartilage or bone may have less fluid in them or non at all. This causes cartilage to rub together and erode. Minerals may deposit in and around some joints ( referred to as calcification). This is especially common in the joints of the shoulders. Hip and knee joints may begin to lose joint cartilage due to degenerative changes. However some joints, such as the ankle, typically change very little with aging. The good news is that exercise will actually help maintain bone mass. Also, a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D (which helps absorb calcium) will also do you good. Likewise, there are prescription and non-prescription means of preventing bone loss and maintaining joint health. 


5. Hearing problems
Hearing loss can be difficult for the individual affected, as well as their loved ones. Doctors do not know why age-related hearing loss happens, but it seems to run in families. Another reason for hearing loss may be exposure to too much loud noise. Less commonly it can occur due to a virus or bacteria, heart conditions or stroke, head injuries, tumors, and certain medicines. Here is a link to an infographic that outline the degrees of sound that effect our ears: Via facebook or Blog. The best thing to do if you start to notice hearing loss is to speak with your doctor about what is causing the loss. From there, they will help you find the best route of management.   

As Grandpa said, "What was once wet is now dry, and what was dry now leaks"

Although this may seem like an uncanny expression of the decline of the human body, there is a silver lining. Between ears that don't hear as well, nose sensors that seem blunted, and aches that just don't want to move to their next victim, I am happy to report one thing baby boomers may find they do as well as well as ever: urination. 

In fact, not only are they still doing it, they might be doing it more often than ever. 
A lot more actually.

Now that the kids are grown up, it may surprise you that you are now the one asking to pull over for a pit stop. Although you have trained your kids well, this simply just means that they may have better kidneys, said Dr. Sharon A. Brangman, a professor of medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

People may urinate more as they get older for multiple reasons, including medical problems like diabetes or high blood pressure. Some medicines can be the cause as well. However, it may also be a sign of infection; “That’s often the first thing we look at when people complain of frequent urination,” said Dr. Tomas Griebling, vice chairman of urology at the University of Kansas and a spokesman for the American Urological Association. 

Getting older, Dr. Griebling pointed out, does not necessarily mean more trips to the restroom.  Although many people do notice that they have to go more often, the explanation usually lies with the normal changes of the body.

As people age, their kidneys may become less proficient at concentrating urine and therefore may draw in more water from elsewhere in the body. This means more urine is produced and sent on to the bladder which, as it happens, may be losing some of its ability to stretch. The urethra, the pathway through which the urine exits, may also be shortening and its lining thinning.

Adding to the problem is that with age our bodies produce less of a hormone called aldosterone, that help retain fluid. In women, estrogen levels may also drop, a change associated with increased urination. As for men, the prostate may become bigger making it harder to urinate.

Increased urination knows no time of day, but people seem to notice it more at night due to the inconvenience. In fact, the National Sleep Foundation surveyed people ages 55 to 84, and found that two-thirds of them lost sleep at least a few times a week because of the problem. 

On the up side, talking with your doctor about your increased pit stops may lead to finding an easy fix or get you a stamp for a normal bill of health. 

Boost Your Protection Against Alzheimer's

A yet unidentified component of coffee protects against Alzheimer’s disease. A new Alzheimer’s mouse study found that a serving of coffee a day boosts blood levels of a critical growth factor that seems to fight off the Alzheimer’s disease process.

Using mice bred to develop symptoms mimicking Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers present the first evidence that caffeinated coffee offers protection against the memory-robbing disease that is not possible with other caffeine-containing drinks or decaffeinated coffee.

Previous observational studies in humans reported that daily coffee/caffeine intake during mid-life and in older age decreases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers’ earlier studies in Alzheimer’s mice indicated that caffeine was likely the ingredient in coffee that provides this protection because it decreases brain production of the abnormal protein beta-amyloid, which is thought to cause the disease.

The new study does not diminish the importance of caffeine to protect against Alzheimer’s. Rather it shows that caffeinated coffee induces an increase in blood levels of a growth factor called GCSF (granulocyte colony stimulating factor). GCSF is a substance greatly decreased in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and demonstrated to improve memory in Alzheimer’s mice. A just-completed clinical trial at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute is investigating GCSF treatment to prevent full-blown Alzheimer’s in patients with mild cognitive impairment, a condition preceding the disease. The results of that trial are currently being evaluated and should be known soon.

“Caffeinated coffee provides a natural increase in blood GCSF levels,” said lead author Dr. Chuanhai Cao. “The exact way that this occurs is not understood. There is a synergistic interaction between caffeine and some mystery component of coffee that provides this beneficial increase in blood GCSF levels.”

The researchers would like to identify this yet unknown component so that coffee and other beverages could be enriched with it to provide long-term protection against Alzheimer’s.

In their study, the researchers compared the effects of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee to those of caffeine alone. In both Alzheimer’s mice and normal mice, treatment with caffeinated coffee greatly increased blood levels of GCSF; neither caffeine alone or decaffeinated coffee provided this effect. The researchers caution that, since they used only “drip” coffee in their studies, they do not know whether “instant” caffeinated coffee would provide the same GCSF response.

The boost in GCSF levels is important, because the researchers also reported that long-term treatment with coffee (but not decaffeinated coffee) enhances memory in Alzheimer’s mice. Higher blood GCSF levels due to coffee intake were associated with better memory. The researchers identified three ways that GCSF seems to improve memory performance in the Alzheimer’s mice. First, GCSF recruits stem cells from bone marrow to enter the brain and remove the harmful beta-amyloid protein that initiates the disease. GCSF also creates new connections between brain cells and increases the birth of new neurons in the brain.

“All three mechanisms could complement caffeine’s ability to suppress beta amyloid production in the brain” Dr. Cao said, “Together these actions appear to give coffee an amazing potential to protect against Alzheimer’s — but only if you drink moderate amounts of caffeinated coffee.”

Although the present study was performed in Alzheimer’s mice, the researchers indicated that they’ve gathered clinical evidence of caffeine/coffee’s ability to protect humans against Alzheimer’s and will soon publish those findings.

Coffee is safe for most Americans to consume in the moderate amounts (4 to 5 cups a day) that appear necessary to protect against Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers previously reported this level of coffee/caffeine intake was needed to counteract the brain pathology and memory impairment in Alzheimer’s mice. The average American drinks 1½ to 2 cups of coffee a day, considerably less than the amount the researchers believe protects against Alzheimer’s.

“No synthetic drugs have yet been developed to treat the underlying Alzheimer’s disease process” said Dr. Gary Arendash, the study’s other lead author. “We see no reason why an inherently natural product such as coffee cannot be more beneficial and safer than medications, especially to protect against a disease that takes decades to become apparent after it starts in the brain.”

The researchers believe that moderate daily coffee intake starting at least by middle age (30s – 50s) is optimal for providing protection against Alzheimer’s disease, although starting even in older age appears protective from their studies. “We are not saying that daily moderate coffee consumption will completely protect people from getting Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Cao said. “However, we do believe that moderate coffee consumption can appreciably reduce your risk of this dreaded disease or delay its onset.”

The researchers conclude that coffee is the best source of caffeine to counteract the cognitive decline of Alzheimer’s because its yet unidentified component synergizes with caffeine to increase blood GCSF levels. Other sources of caffeine, such as carbonated drinks, energy drinks, and tea, would not provide the same level of protection against Alzheimer’s as coffee, they said.

Coffee also contains many ingredients other than caffeine that potentially offer cognitive benefits against Alzheimer’s disease. “The average American gets most of their daily antioxidants intake through coffee,” Dr. Cao said. “Coffee is high in anti-inflammatory compounds that also may provide protective benefits against Alzheimer’s disease.”

An increasing body of scientific literature indicates that moderate consumption of coffee decreases the risk of several diseases of aging, including Parkinson’s disease, Type II diabetes and stroke. Just within the last few months, new studies have reported that drinking coffee in moderation may also significantly reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancers.

“Now is the time to aggressively pursue the protective benefits of coffee against Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Arendash said. “Hopefully, the coffee industry will soon become an active partner with Alzheimer’s researchers to find the protective ingredient in coffee and concentrate it in dietary sources.”

New Alzheimer’s diagnostic guidelines, now encompassing the full continuum of the disease from no overt symptoms to mild impairment to clear cognitive decline, could double the number of Americans with some form of the disease to more than 10 million. With the baby-boomer generation entering older age, these numbers will climb even more unless an effective preventive measure is identified.

“Because Alzheimer’s starts in the brain several decades before it is diagnosed, any protective therapy would obviously need to be taken for decades,” Dr. Cao said. “We believe moderate daily consumption of caffeinated coffee is the best current option for long-term protection against Alzheimer’s memory loss. Coffee is inexpensive, readily available, easily gets into the brain, appears to directly attack the disease process, and has few side-effects for most of us.”

According to the researchers, no other Alzheimer’s therapy being developed comes close to meeting all these criteria.

“Aside from coffee, two other lifestyle choices — physical and cognitive activity — appear to reduce the risk of dementia. Combining regular physical and mental exercise with moderate coffee consumption would seem to be an excellent multi-faceted approach to reducing risk or delaying Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Arendash said. “With pharmaceutical companies spending millions of dollars trying to develop drugs against Alzheimer’s disease, there may very well be an effective preventive right under our noses every morning – caffeinated coffee.”