anxiety

Pets May Keep Brain More Active

Submitted by Maryglenn Boals on February 4, 2013 - 1:42pm

Pets can improve the health of the elderly according to research. Pets have been found to lower blood pressure, heart rate and minimize stress levels. Interaction with pets increases the amount of dopamine and serotonin the brain produces. Pets also have emotional effects on the body such as controlling anxiety and depression. Older adults suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia have better behavior and less agitation. Research has also determined that pets enhance mental stimulation helping to keep the mind more alert. More here Read more »

shadow

Pets May Keep Brain More Active

Submitted by Maryglenn Boals on February 4, 2013 - 1:42pm

Pets can improve the health of the elderly according to research. Pets have been found to lower blood pressure, heart rate and minimize stress levels. Interaction with pets increases the amount of dopamine and serotonin the brain produces. Pets also have emotional effects on the body such as controlling anxiety and depression. Older adults suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia have better behavior and less agitation. Research has also determined that pets enhance mental stimulation helping to keep the mind more alert. More here Read more »

shadow

Poll Finds Shift In Who Feels The Most Retirement Anxiety

Submitted by Maryglenn Boals on October 30, 2012 - 6:08am

A new poll of 2,508 adults conducted by the Pew Research Center has found an increasing amount of anxiety over retirement savings but a shift in which Americans are expressing the most concern. In 2009, baby boomers were the most worried about funding their retirement but now adults in their late 30s and 40s are the least confident in their income and savings. Among adults between the ages of 36 and 40, more than half say they are not confident their assets will last through retirement, while only 34 percent of people ages 60 to 64 said the same. Overall, the number of Americans who express anxiety about financing their retirement has risen since 2009. Read more »

shadow

Drugs Used For Anxiety, Insomnia Linked To Dementia

Submitted by Maryglenn Boals on October 3, 2012 - 4:56am

Benzodiazepines, such as Valium, Klonopin, and Xanax, are routinely prescribed to seniors for help with insomnia or anxiety. Now, a new study published in the BMJ, says that seniors who take benzodiazepines may be at increased risk for developing memory loss and difficulty thinking. According to the research, seniors who took these drugs were nearly 60 percent more likely to develop dementia than those who did not. Still, the results cannot definitely prove that benzodiazepines cause declining brain function and the researchers say that seniors who use them as a short-term solution are probably not at risk. More here. Read more »

shadow

Chronic Anxiety Could Lead To Higher Cancer Risk

Submitted by Maryglenn Boals on May 4, 2012 - 7:10am

A new study from Stanford University School of Medicine suggests that chronic anxiety could lead to a higher risk of developing cancer. The research took hairless mice and exposed them to both stressful situations and UV rays meant to mimic the effect of getting too much sun. Though all the mice developed skin cancer, the anxious mice, determined by their response to being placed under stress, had more tumors and also developed invasive forms of cancer. The research suggests that consistent anxiety can wear down the immune system leaving it more vulnerable to disease. The study was the first of its kind to find a biological link between high anxiety and cancer threat. More here. Read more »

shadow

Postponing Worry May Help Reduce Anxiety, Stress

Submitted by Maryglenn Boals on December 9, 2011 - 9:07am

Worry, anxiety, and stress can have a negative impact on your overall physical health. But, according to a recent study from researchers in the Netherlands, scheduling a time to worry can help reduce the associated stress and anxiety that comes with excessive worry. When using a four-step process, participants in the study significantly reduced their anxiety symptoms compared to people using standard treatments. The steps include recognizing when you are worrying, setting aside time to think about those particular worries, focusing on another task, then using the scheduled time to think of solutions to your problem. Read more »

shadow