Mental deterioration that occurs with aging may put women at
risk for increased bone loss, according to a report in the
October issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics
Society. Compared with women whose bone mineral density
(BMD), a measure of bone strength, was in the normal range,
those with spine fractures had lower scores on standardized
tests of mental abilities and greater overall deterioration
in mental status.
The female hormone estrogen, which declines with age, may be
a major factor in this equation. Estrogen replacement
therapy (ERT) and blood levels of estrogens are associated
with bone density and some recen studies have suggested that
ERT may protect against mental decline and reduce the risk
of dementia. The researchers say the findings add further
support for the importance of maintaining adequate estrogen
status and bone strength as women age.
“Could estrogen prevent both bone loss and cognitive
function loss?”
—————————————————
“Certainly this makes one wonder about the role of
estrogen,” says lead researcher Kristine Yaffe, MD.
Yaffe is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry
at the University of California in San Francisco. “Could
estrogen prevent both bone loss and cognitive function
loss?” Cognitive function refers to complex thought
processes involved in learning and memory.
Approximately 10% of women over age 65 have cognitive
function loss, or loss of some aspects of mental
functioning, which puts them at risk for death and
disability as well as greater likelihood of
hospitalization and doctor visits. At least 30% of
women in this age group have low bone density. Together,
cognitive loss and low bone density are two of the
most common conditions affecting older women.
The study population consisted of 8,333 women age 65 or
older who were not taking estrogen replacement therapy
and were not demented. Bone density was measured at the
start of the study and again four to six years later.
Mental abilities were measured by three standardized
tests used to score various aspects of memory,
orientation, and visual-spacial skills.
Women with decreased bone strength had poorer scores on the
mental tests
————————————————-
Women with the lowest levels of bone density were found to
be older and thinner and had more symptoms of depression.
In addition, these women were older when they had their
first menstrual cycle and younger when they went through
menopause, compared to women with higher bone density.
Also compared to women with higher levels of bone density,
women with decreased bone strength had poorer scores on
the mental tests. Women with spine fractures had the lowest
mental test scores and greatest odds of mental deterioration.
Woman with the lowest bone density levels were more likely
to have been diagnosed with dementia.
————————————-
Performance on the mental tests worsened over time. At the
four- to six-year follow-up, women with the greatest
decreases in bone density had the greatest reduction in
mental scores on all three tests. Compared with women with
higher bone density, those with the lowest bone density
levels were more likely to have been diagnosed with
dementia.
According to Yaffe and colleagues, it is unlikely that bone
density affects mental abilities directly, but poorer
thinking may diminish physical activity and in turn lead
to accelerated bone loss, or to weight loss that decreases
bone strength and increases the risk of bone fractures.
Although estrogen deficiency is one probable link in the
association between bone loss and loss of some mental
abilities, other possibilities include depression and
stroke, which have been shown to be associated with both
low bone density and mental decline. Still another
possibility, Yaffe says, is something called the
“terminal drop” hypothesis, which states that as people
age, multiple organ systems of the body fail
simultaneously. While the study only included women,
Yaffe says that the findings may be applicable to men as
well.
Source: WebMD
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About The Author
—————-
Michael Lewis has been collecting articles and information
on Weight Loss and HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and related
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The Kids have all left the nest (or just about?), the house is
empty and you’re wondering what you’re going to do with your
time now.
Seems like it just “happened” all of a sudden for some while
others knew the time was near and dreaded when the last child
(maybe even the first or perhaps only?) left the nest to head
off to college or whatever other plans they may have made.
So many Moms (and yes, Dads too!) have a difficult time
adjusting to this time even though you know that this is all
part of ‘the plan’ from the time they are born. After all we did
the same thing didn’t we? Went off to college, got a job and
moved out (eventually), or married and started our own life. And
yet, it draws near and you find yourself almost in a panic
wondering what you are going to do with the rest of your life!
You spend so much of your time ‘doing’ for the kids from the
time they are born; you find your life pretty much revolves
around theirs. Even for a lot of the Moms that have worked
outside the home for several years, it’s pretty much the same.
Get up in the morning, get kids up make breakfast, make sure
they’re ready for school, go to work only to try and make sure
you get off in time to make a ball game or other school
activities, (not to mention the times they are home sick from
school!) your life is still pretty much revolving around the
kids!
And even though, as mentioned, you know this time is coming,
it’s kind of hard to just shut all of this down and go on with
what amounts to a “new life”.
But, it’s here and now you have to adjust and deal with it! Much
easier said then done for some.
First off do give yourself a BIG pat on the back; you deserve
it. You have raised a child with the confidence to go out and
face that ‘big wide world’ and now you need to give yourself
some adjusting time. After all it’s almost like a time of
“mourning” for some, you feel like you have lost a part of
yourself, which, of course, is NOT true. Now is the time to find
that “Old You” or create a “New You”!
So many think their time as “Mom” is over with, which is also
not true. It just revolves into a different phase. You’ll always
be their Mom, even though it might feel at times that they are
shutting you out. Remember, they are going through their
adjusting period too! They settle down after a while, you start
adjusting to their being out of the house, then that more
“adult” relationship begins which can be very rewarding when you
start seeing your ‘child’ becoming an adult.
Meanwhile, it’s time to start thinking of you and what you want
to do with this new phase of your life.
If you find yourself just completely baffled at what you can do,
get a piece of paper and pen and start jotting down things you
like to do or things you use to like or want to do when the kids
were small but didn’t have time for. This may even be a good
time to jot down some of the “new” projects you’d like to try.
You might be surprised at how fast the paper fills up.
Do you like to sew? Cook? Go Fishing? Climb mountains? Do crafts
of any kind? Some are really getting into Scrap Booking right
now. Been thinking of getting a part time (or full time) job?
Maybe if you’ve been working you can change jobs or go for that
promotion? Possibly, you’ve been working and now want to quit?
LOL, the list could be endless. It’s all about what you want to
do now. Some Moms have even gone back to school and earned
degrees and started all new careers.
Seems like whether we like it or not, the kids grow up and we
have to move on with our lives (they certainly are!). Don’t you
think it’s what they would like to see anyway, that we are
adjusting and moving on, after all, we don’t really want to make
them feel guilty for growing up, do we? This time of our lives
can be what we make it, so let’s make the best of it!
Remember also, that a lot of us are starting to go through
Menopause at this time of our lives, which doesn’t exactly help
(alas, the trials of ‘womanhood’!). So if you are really
experiencing a lot of depression and finding it hard to work
though all of this, don’t be afraid or shy to talk to your
family doctor or minister. You may even want to consider
professional counseling. It’s certainly nothing to be ashamed
of. Think of your health and well-being. Try to make the most
out of your life and be happy and content.
For those of you who would like to communicate with other moms
going though this “Empty Nest Phase” please feel free to check
out the forum on Empty Nest Moms, “Live After the Nest Empties”.
You’ll find you really aren’t alone or “going crazy” as some of
the members have put it, plus you’ll receive lots of support
from those that know almost exactly how you are feeling!
You’ll find many topics to choose from as we have moms that are
in different phases of this Empty Nest, all ready to jump in
with support and suggestions.
Don’t forget, “you’re always going to be their Mom!”
Jeanine Herrin Empty Nest Moms www.emptynestmoms.com Be sure to
visit the new Empty Nest “On-Line” Magazine!
www.emptynestmagazine.com
How Stay-at-Home Moms can Build a Web Business
Many mothers who look after their children at home often
consider starting a part-time business. The problem is they do
not have a lot of time. And money can also be a consideration.
However, the internet has opened possibilities that were not
available a decade ago.
1) Advantages of an Online Business
A work-at-home business on the internet can solve many problems.
It can lead to extra income while being flexible enough to allow
you to take the children to school and collect them in the
afternoon. And help with homework!
You simply work the few hours during the day or grab
opportunities when they arise. For example, I have started to
write this article at the swimming pool while my children have
their weekly swimming lesson. The internet allows this kind of
flexibility.
2) What do you Need to Start a Web Business?
The initial requirement for this business is to have the
confidence that you can be successful regardless of your
experience with computers or the internet. Persistence is also
vital as many people jump about from one internet opportunity to
the next.
The right tools and the right information to guide you are
essential. Many people wonder what sort of web business should
they start.
Here I am giving you a link to several free ebooks on how to
start and grow an Internet business. Topics covered include:
a) How to be an online Service Seller. b) How to be a successful
affiliate. c) How to start an Internet Auctions business. d) How
to drop ship goods without touching them.
Click below to download these free ebooks now.
http://www.merchant-account-service.com/free_courses_online.html
3) How do you Build a Web Site?
In the recent past, the task of putting up a web site and
submitting it to the search engines and getting a merchant
account and taking online orders was quite a task. Definitely,
something for the technies.
However, now the technology has moved on and anybody who is
prepared to learn can master this in a few months. Today, we
have all-in-one packages that allow you to build a web site,
research the keywords, submit it to the search engines and build
an online store in the one package.
The advantages of these all-in-one packages are that they save
money as all the tools are in the same package. It saves a lot
of time learning how to set up your business and it is easy to
run because of the brilliance of the tools at your disposal.
Two of the best of these web site building packages are Site
Build It and Third Sphere.
To have a look at the benefits of using Site Build It go to:
http://www.merchant-account-service.com/sitebuildit.html
To have a look at Third Sphere go to:
http://www.merchant-account-service.com/thirdsphere.html
4) What Sort of Business do you run?
The usual advice is to get involved in niche areas where there
is little competition from the big companies. The big companies
don’t bother as the markets are too small for them. However,
there is still plenty of money to be made by small web sites.
The message here is simple - don’t take on WalMart!
So there you have the benefits of starting your own online
business. Few businesses have the kind of flexibility that the
internet offers. And the learning curve is not that steep.
So what are you waiting for? Download the free ebooks I listed
above and start reading.
(c) John lynch
( For a Free 6-part mini course on Internet Marketing including
free interviews with top marketers such as Jay Abraham, Joe
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ebooks by top gurus.
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