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Alaska Health Fair events offer free health screenings, plus lots of free health and safety education for all ages. These tests can help you learn about your overall health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. All events have free entry and are open to the public. Blood tests are for those over 18 years of age. The fairs' most popular test is the Chemistry/Hematology Profile (the only test requiring fasting) for only $45, which...
Dear Savvy Senior: Can men get osteoporosis or is it primarily a problem for women? When I fell and broke my wrist last winter the doctor that treated me told me I might have osteoporosis, but I never got it checked. What can you tell me? — Bony Bill Dear Bill: Many people think osteoporosis is a woman’s disease, but men can get it too, especially in their later years. Here’s what you should know. Osteoporosis in men Osteoporosis is a disease that causes the bones to become weak and brittle and more susceptible to fractures. Though women are f...
Macho American men are not getting enough zinc in their diet, and far too many procrastinate until their prostate is the size of a bowling ball before they visit their family physician for the dreaded one-digit “test.” Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America, affecting one in six men. One new case of prostate cancer occurs every 2.25 minutes and a man dies from prostate cancer every 19 minutes. It is the second most common cause of cancer-related death among American men, and more than half of all men over 50 years of age...
Dear Savvy Senior: I will be enrolling in Medicare in a few months, and would like to know how Medicare covers vision services? I currently have vision insurance through my employer but will lose it when I retire. - Looking Ahead Dear Looking: Many people approaching 65 are unclear on what Medicare does and doesn't cover when it comes to vision services. The good news is that original Medicare covers most medical issues like cataract surgery, treatment of eye diseases and medical emergencies....
I was eating dinner with my husband Sam and having homemade chicken soup with a slice of sourdough bread and melted butter. It was simple and delicious. We ate silently. Toward the end of the meal, he said, "We always eat our soup and bread silently because we are mentally calculating how to time the last bite so it's perfect." So true. We usually chatter during meals, and tell funny stories, but when soup and bread hit the table, it all goes to silence. I like to time my last bite so it's soup...
As the holidays approach we have an opportunity to enjoy our traditions, remember family members who have passed, and recount the familiar stories that brings us together as a family. Those stories have the power to shape the ways we live our lives. They are important and are perhaps best told by our seniors. Just as we may be curious about where our elders came from, what they looked like, or even what jobs they held, equally important is the gathering of our family’s health history. Knowing what diseases grandparents or parents lived with o...
Daily fruit and vegetable intake matters Eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day may make a bigger difference than previously recognized. A new study has found that women who eat a high amount of fruits and vegetables each day may have a lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who eat fewer fruits and vegetables. Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, and yellow and orange vegetables, had a...
Men age 50 and older and living in Alaska should discuss blood testing for prostate cancer with their physicians. The guidelines are now changing because of concerns that some men who could benefit from screening are not getting screened. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now recommends that men 55 to 69 who are interested in screening talk to their doctors about potential benefits and harms of screening for prostate cancer before deciding whether to undergo periodic...
Did you know that if you have Medicare Part B you are eligible to receive a large number of preventive services that will cost you nothing? Medicare’s goal in offering these preventive screenings is to find health problems early when treatment works best. Under Medicare Part B, preventive services are part of your benefits and you will pay no co-payment if you get the services from a provider (doctor, other provider, or supplier) who takes assignment. Taking assignment means that this provider h...
New blood test for detecting early-stage colorectal cancer A new study has found that a simple blood test can identify circulating tumor cells (CTCs) present in the bloodstream and detect colorectal cancer at an early stage. A preliminary study has found the new blood test has accuracy ranging from 84 to 88 percent. Most prior studies using CTCs have been able to detect late-stage colorectal cancer. However, this is one of the first clinical studies to show that CTCs can be useful for detecting...
E-cigarettes may help some smokers A new study is suggesting that smokers who are willing to use e-cigarettes tend to smoke less and have increased quit attempts. As e-cigarettes become more popular, fewer people are taking up smoking traditional cigarettes. However, there is debate whether this electronic nicotine delivery system can help people quit smoking altogether. “Combustible cigarettes are the most harmful form of nicotine delivery. Alternative delivery of nicotine through e...
My column has been AWOL for the last couple of issues, and I apologize. I became one of the “walking wounded” in early June after a fall which broke my right arm. Despite having an extensive workplace safety enforcement background, I willfully and stupidly violated the three points of contact rule by not using the hand rails. My fall broke my right arm and rendered me incapable of independent living for several weeks. This article isn’t about my injury, which is healing, and I expect to be at...
Alaska Health Fair’s fall 2017 health fair season is kicking off a month earlier than normal, so check out the August event dates and/or make it to one of the fall events in your local community by checking the Senior Voice monthly edition or the Alaska Health Fairs website. Alaska Health Fair, Inc. offers free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. So take time out o...
Men over the age of 50 are being continually targeted with advertisements for testosterone replacement gels and patches. However, research is now questioning the real risks and benefits associated with getting tested and treated for low testosterone levels. Testosterone supplementation is touted to improve cardiovascular health, sexual function, physical function and mood in men who have low levels of testosterone. However, a review of more than 200 clinical trials questions those claims. Dr....
The Trump administration has proposed slashing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget, saying it is bloated with unnecessary expenses resulting in waste and abuse. It has also proposed to eliminate the independent status of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and absorb it into the NIH. AHRQ is a little-known agency that focuses on improving health care quality and applying it to patient safety. It is one of the true unsung heroes of the federal government, providing vital scientific research that has helped reduce...
Alaska Health Fair’s Spring 2017 health fair season is coming to a close this month, so try and make it to one of the remaining events in your local community. These events offer free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. The tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. So take time out of your busy week and join AHF when they bring an event to your local area. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test i...
Are you aware that if you have Medicare Part B you are eligible to receive a large number of preventive services that will cost you nothing? Medicare’s goal in offering these preventive screenings is to find health problems early when treatment works best. Under Medicare Part B, preventive services are part of your benefits and you will pay no co-payment if you get the services from a provider who takes assignment. Taking assignment means that this provider has an agreement with Medicare to a...
Alaska Health Fair, Inc. offers free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. So take time out of your busy week and join AHF when they bring an event to your local area. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45; with 27 different panels for conditions ranging from diabetes, kidney and liver function, to anemia and tissue health,...
New nasal spray to improve sleep The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is giving the green light to the first treatment for frequent urination at night due to overproduction of urine. The FDA has approved Noctiva (desmopressin acetate) nasal spray for adults who awaken at least two times per night to urinate due to a condition known as nocturnal polyuria (overproduction of urine during the night). “It is important to know that Noctiva is not approved for all causes of night-time u...
Alaska Health Fair, Inc. offers free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. So take time out of your busy week and join Alaska Health Fair when they bring an event to your local area. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45; with 27 different panels for conditions ranging from diabetes, kidney and liver function, to anemia and...
Alaska Health Fair, Inc., begins the 2017 series of health fairs around the state this month, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. So take time out of your busy week and join AHF when they bring an event to your local area. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45; with 27 different panels for conditions ranging...
New treatments and prevention efforts paying off Thanks to a host of factors, cancer death rates are continuing to drop significantly. A steady decline over more than two decades has resulted in a 25 percent drop in the overall cancer death rate in the United States. The drop equates to 2.1 million fewer cancer deaths between 1991 and 2014, according to Cancer Statistics 2017, which is the American Cancer Society’s comprehensive annual report on cancer incidence, mortality and survival. The r...
Alaska Health Fair, Inc., closes out their Fall 2016 series of health fairs around the state this month, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45; with 27 different panels for conditions ranging from diabetes, kidney and liver function, to anemia and tissue health, thyroid, pr...
Alaska Health Fair, Inc., continues their fall series of health fairs around the state this month, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45; with 27 different panels for conditions ranging from diabetes, kidney and liver function, to anemia and tissue health, thyroid,...
Alaska Health Fair, Inc., kicks off their fall series of health fairs around the state this month, featuring free health screenings and education, low cost blood tests and more. These tests can help you learn about your health and detect potential problems early, when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective. A complete and comprehensive chemistry/hematology test is available for only $45; with 27 different panels for conditions ranging from diabetes, kidney and liver function, to anemia and tissue health, thyroid,...
