Zoomer Report

There is more evidence on the benefits of exercise, especially as we age! A study published in the Annals of internal medicine finds that Zoomers who regularly exercise are less likely to suffer a disability -- and if they do, they tend to recover faster. Researchers recruited more than 1,600 sedentary adults ages 70 to 89. They randomly assigned half of them to an exercise program, while the othe...

Have you checked the expiry dates on your medications and other products lately? Most people do it infrequently, but it’s a good idea to clean out your medicine cabinet twice a year. After the expiry date, medications start to lose their effectiveness, and so do products like sunscreen - so if you keep taking them you may not be getting the treatment or the protection you need. Some drugs even bec...

For people with type 2 diabetes, a short walk after eating may help lower blood sugar levels more than exercising at other times of the day, a new study shows. A measurement of blood sugar called postprandial glycemia, which has been linked with heart disease risk, averaged 12 percent lower when study participants took a walk after eating, compared with those who exercised at other times. The larg...

Here's something that may help older adults who are beginning to notice memory problems. It doesn't need a prescription, and you can do it at home... meditation. Researchers randomly assigned volunteers, with mild cognitive impairment, to either twelve weeks of meditation, and other yoga practices, or twelve weeks of memory enhancement training, which taught strategies for improving forgetfulness....

Here’s something to think about if you’re considering Botox injections. A new study finds people who receive the treatments to decrease their wrinkles may also lessen their ability to completely feel emotions. A side effect of the popular cosmetic injection is frozen muscles, meaning the face doesn’t as readily display emotion. But scientists have long thought it also works the other way, that fac...

Is there a limit to the human lifespan? It’s a subject of vigourous debate – now A study in Nature by Albert Einstein College of Medicine scientists suggests that it may not be possible to extend the human life beyond the ages already attained by the oldest people on record.... Canadian babies born today can expect to live more than 81 years compared with an average life expectancy of only 47 for...

Here's a sobering finding that underscores the importance of getting enough sleep. A report, from the US "AAA" Foundation for Traffic Safety, finds that missing just an hour or two of shut-eye nearly doubles your chances of a car crash the next day. And getting behind the wheel after getting only four to five hours of sleep quadruples that risk. That's comparable to driving with a blood alcohol le...

Our mothers always told us we should be thankful for what we have. Now there’s evidence that doing just that will make us feel happy and even improve our health. Robert Emmons, a professor of psychology at the University of California underook the first major study on gratitude. In his book Thanks! he says it’s a crucial element of happiness. Emmons says it’s about wanting what we have, and he adv...

Do you have asthma? It is extremely common, about three million Canadians have been diagnosed with the condition. But researchers now say if you are one of them, you should double-check. A study led by the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute found that fully a third of adults being treated for asthma don’t actually have the disorder, either because they have been misdiagnosed or have gone into remi...

The secret to a healthier retirement may be surprising: work. New research out of the U.S. shows that retirees who continue to work in some capacity, even part-time, are less likely to experience physical decline and disease. Researchers analyzed six years of information on the health, finances and employment status of over 12,000 men and women who were between the ages of 51 and 61 in 1992. Compa...

Do you find it hard to find time for exercise? The latest findings from Taiwan show that getting as little as 15 minutes of physical activity a day can make you live longer. Currently, physical activity guidelines from authorities like the World Health Organization recommend that people exercise 30 minutes a day, five days a week, a benchmark that’s tough for many of us. RESEARCHERS studied more t...

Why do some people seem to get old before their time while others look like they haven’t aged a day since college? A team of researchers from Duke University studied a nearly 1000 people born within a year of each other and found a huge gulf in the speed at which their bodies aged. The subjects were from the same town in New Zealand and were all born in 1972-73. The scientists looked at 18 differe...

Do you like spicy food? The science says it could help you live longer! Chinese researchers analyzed the diets of nearly 500,000 people for 7 years and found that those who ate spicy foods one or two days a week had a 10% reduced risk of death compared with those who ate such meals less than once a week. The risk was 14% lower for those who opted for hot food between three and seven days a week. T...

You know the famous “five-second rule” —Well scientists are now saying it’s a bunch of baloney to think we can eat dropped food as long as it’s quickly scooped off the floor. Clemson University food researchers re-visited the long debated issue in National Geographic. Though previous research has shown we may have up to a minute to rescue certain types of spilled food before it becomes contaminate...

Are you a foodie? It means you’re passionate about food and love trying new dishes. Many people think those of us who fit this description are indulgent and gluttonous, let along pretentious. But a study from the famous Cornell Food and Brand Lab suggests the opposite: Foodies weigh less and could be in better health than the less discerning among us. The researchers asked 500 women about their we...

Here’s an interesting tidbit for those of us who are pondering the possibility of living to 100. Men are less likely than women to reach that milestone, but according to a study out of London, those who do tend to be healthier than their female peers. The British researchers found that women are now four times more likely than men to hit 100. But they are more likely to suffer broken bones or deve...

Here’s something unexpected to look forward to when your marriage hits the 50 year milestone. For many, if not most couples who have been together for a long time, things can get a little dull in the bedroom. Now a study says that after around 50 years of marriage, your sex life could pick up again thanks to a renewed sense of trust and commitment. Researchers at Louisiana State university analyze...

It is an agonizing decision for terminally ill cancer patients and their families. Should they undergo more chemotherapy? The answer is usually no for very sick patients. But palliative chemo is often considered a reasonable option for those who are stronger, because of the hope that it may ease symptoms or buy time. Now, a study suggests that end-of-life chemotherapy is more likely to make things...

There’s more evidence about the benefits of exercise, especially as we age. A study out of Norway finds that older men doing three hours of exercise a week lived around five years longer than those who were sedentary. The research tracked 5700 men aged tracking 68 to 77. It found that those putting in the equivalent of six, 30-minute sessions of any intensity, were 40% less likely to have died dur...

If you’re thinking about taking up yoga, there’s evidence it may have benefits beyond what you’re expecting. A study from the University of Illinois suggests hatha yoga may also boost brain function in older adults. Researchers studied people between the ages of 55 and 79. Some attended hatha yoga classes, while the others did stretching and toning exercises. At the end of eight weeks, the group t...

Here’s a tip from scientists on how to avoid a holiday hangover. It may come down to the colour of your preferred tipple. A study out of Brown University found that bourbon gave drinkers a more severe hangover than vodka. They suffered more headaches, nausea, loss of appetite and thirst. One reason could be that bourbon contains 37 times more toxic compounds than vodka does, including nasty organi...

You know the famous “five-second rule” —Well scientists are now saying it’s a bunch of baloney to think we can eat dropped food as long as it’s quickly scooped off the floor. Clemson University food researchers re-visited the long debated issue in National Geographic. Though previous research has shown we may have up to a minute to rescue certain types of spilled food before it becomes contaminate...

It is an agonizing decision for terminally ill cancer patients and their families. Should they undergo more chemotherapy? The answer is usually no for very sick patients. But palliative chemo is often considered a reasonable option for those who are stronger, because of the hope that it may ease symptoms or buy time. Now, a study suggests that end-of-life chemotherapy is more likely to make things...

There’s more evidence about the benefits of exercise, especially as we age. A study out of Norway finds that older men doing three hours of exercise a week lived around five years longer than those who were sedentary. The research tracked 5700 men aged tracking 68 to 77. It found that those putting in the equivalent of six, 30-minute sessions of any intensity, were 40% less likely to have died dur...

Here’s an interesting tidbit for those of us who are pondering the possibility of living to 100. Men are less likely than women to reach that milestone, but according to a study out of London, those who do tend to be healthier than their female peers. The British researchers found that women are now four times more likely than men to hit 100. But they are more likely to suffer broken bones or deve...