The New York Times reports a recent study published in the journal, Lancet, is casting doubt on the common theory that high levels of HDL can lower a person's risk of heart disease. The study used genetic information to determine that raising a person's HDL level may not make a difference, and that people who were born with naturally higher HDL levels throughout life were no less likely to have heart disease than people with lower levels of the good cholesterol.

According to the news provider, researchers are concerned that this will negate the previous recommendations of health providers, who urged patients to get their HDL levels up by exercising, dieting or taking a medication that could help.

"The current study tells us that when it comes to HDL we should seriously consider going back to the drawing board, in this case meaning back to the laboratory," Dr. Michael Lauer, director of the division of cardiovascular sciences at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, told the news provider. "We need to encourage basic laboratory scientists to figure out where HDL fits in the puzzle – just what exactly is it a marker for."

The study's authors were quick to point out that they were not trying to discredit previously found benefits of HDL, but noted that the relationship "may not be causative," according to the news provider.

There are already a number of risk factors for heart disease that home care providers should be aware of. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports there are risk factors for heart disease that cannot be prevented, including gender, age, genetic makeup and race. However, people providing diabetes care should also be extremely cautious about their patient's risk of heart disease, as the NIH reports that the condition is a strong risk factor for heart disease. Other maladies that could lead to an increased risk of heart disease include high blood pressure, kidney disease and substance abuse.

Residential Home Health is a leading provider of in-home nursing and therapy care throughout Michigan and Illinois. In addition to home health care, Residential's continuum of care includes Residential Hospice and Healthy Living Medical Supply. If you are interested in learning more about the home care services Residential provides, please call 866-902-4000 or visit www.residentialhomehealth.com.

The NCOA reports that hearing loss currently affects more than 9 million seniors in America, and is one of the most common health problems in the country. Alarmingly, it is also one of the most undertreated conditions, as some seniors may not even be aware they're suffering.

"One out of every four older Americans has undetected or untreated hearing loss, and NCOA's research has shown that most older adults with hearing loss do not realize how much the quality of their lives has been affected," said Jim Firman, president and CEO of NCOA.

It's not just up to the seniors to get these exams. Companion care aids who notice a difference in their patients' response time may want to encourage them to get a hearing test as well.

Residential Home Health is a leading provider of in-home nursing and therapy care throughout Michigan and Illinois. In addition to home health care, Residential’s continuum of care includes Residential Hospice and Healthy Living Medical Supply. If you are interested in learning more about the home care services Residential provides, please call 866-902-4000 or visit www.residentialhomehealth.com.

The study, published in the journal Hypertension, observed more than 6,000 patients who had a parent with high blood pressure but got a lot of exercise. The researchers found these individuals had a 34 percent lower chance of developing the condition themselves.

"The results of this study send a very practical message, which is that even a very realistic, moderate amount of exercise – which we define as brisk walking for 150 minutes per week – can provide a huge health benefit, particularly to people predisposed to hypertension because of their family history," said Dr. Robin P. Shook, the study's lead author.

Of course, some seniors are not able to be as physically agile as they once were, which is why they or their loved one may want to consider looking into home therapy to train with a private care attendant.

Residential Home Health is a leading provider of in-home nursing and therapy care throughout Michigan and Illinois. In addition to home health care, Residential’s continuum of care includes Residential Hospice and Healthy Living Medical Supply. If you are interested in learning more about the home care services Residential provides, please call 866-902-4000 or visit www.residentialhomehealth.com.

Research presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2012 revealed the differences in regional hospital readmission rates is closely tied to the availability of care to people, as well as their socioeconomic status.

Previous studies have suggested it's the quality of care in the hospitals that leads to readmission, but that is not always the case. Lead author of the study Dr. Karen E. Joynt said it has to be a team effort in order to combat hospital readmissions for patients, particularly the elderly.

"To really address the readmissions issue, we need to think about this in terms of community and population health," Joynt said. "Focusing on community-level factors – such as the supply and mix of physicians and targeting efforts towards poor and minority communities – may be more fruitful approaches to reducing readmissions We need to think outside the walls of the hospital."

Residential Home Health is a leading provider of in-home nursing and therapy care throughout Michigan and Illinois. In addition to home health care, Residential’s continuum of care includes Residential Hospice and Healthy Living Medical Supply. If you are interested in learning more about the home care services Residential provides, please call 866-902-4000 or visit www.residentialhomehealth.com.

Research presented at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology suggests physicians need to be on close watch for co-morbidities – or other conditions that could come with cancer – in elderly patients, as science has not yet adapted to the demographic change.

Dr. Charlotte Rotbøl Bøje, from the Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark, said that it is critical for doctors treating elderly cancer patients to make the proper assessment of co-morbidities, as it could result in complications.

"Our analysis has shown how important it is to take a multidisciplinary approach to cancer in the elderly, particularly when recruiting them into trials," Dr. Rotbøl Bøje. "They will often have other medical conditions that need to be treated, and the design of trials needs to take this into account. We need trials that focus on both fit and frail elderly patients.

Home health care workers should also be aware of such conditions if they are caring for a patient with cancer. Informing physicians about any condition the patient may have is crucial for elderly care.

Residential Home Health is a leading provider of in-home nursing and therapy care throughout Michigan and Illinois. In addition to home health care, Residential’s continuum of care includes Residential Hospice and Healthy Living Medical Supply. If you are interested in learning more about the home care services Residential provides, please call 866-902-4000 or visit www.residentialhomehealth.com.

Research out of the University of California, San Francisco, was conducted on the use of alendronate, part of the bisphosphonate family, which is a class of drugs that prevent loss of bone mass. The study's authors argue that even if people have therapy, they are still at risk for additional spinal fractures. However, if people continue taking alendronate, their chances of spinal fractures could decrease.

However, the Food and Drug Administration has been keeping an eye on some of the side effects that come with taking the drug for more than five years, such as atypical femur fractures. However, the study's authors say that the benefits could outweigh the risks.

"Each patient and her physician need to weigh the benefits versus the risks, but the purpose of our analysis was to try to give people a sense of what the benefits might be and in whom they would be highest," said Dr. Dennis Black, professor and division chief of UCSF’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics’ Clinical Trials and Multicenter Studies.

Residential Home Health is a leading provider of in-home nursing and therapy care throughout Michigan and Illinois. In addition to home health care, Residential’s continuum of care includes Residential Hospice and Healthy Living Medical Supply. If you are interested in learning more about the home care services Residential provides, please call 866-902-4000 or visit www.residentialhomehealth.com.

Research published in the JAMA and Archive Journals examined the use of the anticoagulant medication warfarin and how it related to stroke risk. The study's authors suggest that the therapy may not be enough for women over the age of 75, and they may be more susceptible to having a stroke.

AF is the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia, with more than 2.2 million Americans suffering from the condition. The study's authors noted that while they were able to notice a difference between the medication's effectiveness on men and women, more research needs to be done specifically on female patients.

"Our results suggest that elderly women with AF may need to be targeted for more effective stroke prevention therapy," the authors write. "Clinicians should be aware of the elevated stroke risk in older women with AF, and new strategies should be applied to effectively prevent stroke equally in men and women."

Residential Home Health is a leading provider of in-home nursing and therapy care throughout Michigan and Illinois. In addition to home health care, Residential’s continuum of care includes Residential Hospice and Healthy Living Medical Supply. If you are interested in learning more about the home care services Residential provides, please call 866-902-4000 or visit www.residentialhomehealth.com.

Now, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA in Stuttgart, Germany, are developing new technology that could mean longer-lasting hip implants.

Scientists have noted some faults in previous hip replacements, particularly with metal-on-metal models, as these have a higher instance of failing if they are not placed correctly.

The new hip implant that researchers are working on is a metal-free solution known as PEEK, a wear resistant, biocompatible polymer composite, which copies a bone's elasticity, providing optimal movement.

"The cobalt-chromium implants in use to date are very rigid, and the load transfer to the bone is non-optimal, leading to potential adverse bone adaptation. Thanks to the new combination of materials, the transmission of force through the PEEK hip socket to the pelvic bone is modeled on natural conditions. And there are no metal ions released," notes IPA engineer Jasmin Hipp.

This research could mean great things for those who have had hip replacements but still need home therapy because their implants have worn over time.

Residential Home Health is a leading provider of in-home nursing and therapy care throughout Michigan and Illinois. In addition to home health care, Residential’s continuum of care includes Residential Hospice and Healthy Living Medical Supply. If you are interested in learning more about the home care services Residential provides, please call 866-902-4000 or visit www.residentialhomehealth.com.

Research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry suggests that those who felt they had a greater purpose in life may be able to resist the harmful effects of plaques and tangles that come with Alzheimer's disease. The study's authors examined 246 participants from the Rush Memory and Aging Project who did not have dementia and underwent a brain autopsy after they died. The participants had annual evaluations for up to 10 years, and these exams included detailed cognitive testing.
"Our study showed that people who reported greater purpose in life exhibited better cognition than those with less purpose in life even as plaques and tangles accumulated in their brains," said Dr. Patricia A. Boyle. "These findings suggest that purpose in life protects against the harmful effects of plaques and tangles on memory and other thinking abilities. This is encouraging and suggests that engaging in meaningful and purposeful activities promotes cognitive health in old age."

This is not the only study to give hope to those who are facing the brain disease. New research out of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions found using a deep brain stimulation similar to what is used to treat Parkinson's and depression could slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease in people who have a mild case.

Still, the study's authors noted that while they've seen promising results, there needs to be more testing in order to determine if this stimulation would be something worth pursuing for the medical field.

"While our study was designed mainly to establish safety, involved only six people and needs to be replicated on a larger scale, we don't have another treatment for Alzheimer's disease at present that shows such promising effects on brain function," said the study's first author, Dr. Gwenn Smith.

Those with Alzheimer's disease frequently need elderly care, as loved ones cannot always be there. Patients who exhibit a need may also be able to receive aid in paying for home health care.

Residential Home Health is a leading provider of in-home nursing and therapy care throughout Michigan and Illinois. In addition to home health care, Residential’s continuum of care includes Residential Hospice and Healthy Living Medical Supply. If you are interested in learning more about the home care services Residential provides, please call 866-902-4000 or visit www.residentialhomehealth.com.

A study presented at the annual Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is giving hope to patients with AMD who did not have success with treatments that are injected directly into the eyes.

Injectable drugs known as angiogenesis inhibitors are considered a modern approach to treating AMD, but do not always work. Researchers have developed an oral nutriceutical, which is used as a last resort in many cases, could rapidly restore patients' vision.

"With our instruments we documented a more youthful appearance of retinal tissues as well as improved underlying circulation. There were also other improvements in health observed or measured outside of the eyes that were unanticipated," said Dr. Stuart Richer of the Ocular Preventative Medicine-Eye Clinic, one of the researchers.

Still, researchers say that patients should ask their physician before using this treatment along with angiogenesis inhibitors.

Residential Home Health is a leading provider of in-home nursing and therapy care throughout Michigan and Illinois. In addition to home health care, Residential’s continuum of care includes Residential Hospice and Healthy Living Medical Supply. If you are interested in learning more about the home care services Residential provides, please call 866-902-4000 or visit www.residentialhomehealth.com.