Osteoarthritis : Causes

Most of the time, the cause of OA is unknown. It is mainly related to aging, but metabolic, genetic, chemical, and mechanical factors can also lead to OA. The symptoms of osteoarthritis usually appear in middle age and almost everyone has them by ...

Osteoarthritis results from deterioration or destruction of the cartilage that normally acts as a protective cushion between bones, particularly in weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips. As the cartilage is worn away, the bones may form...

Osteoarthritis results from deterioration or loss of the cartilage that acts as a protective cushion between bones, particularly in weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips. As the cartilage is worn away, the bone forms spurs, areas of abn...

A diagnosis of osteoarthritis is made based on a physical exam and history of symptoms. X rays are used to confirm diagnosis. In people over 60, the disease can often be observed on x ray. An indication of cartilage loss arises if the normal space...

Genetics plays a role in the development of osteoarthritis, particularly in the hands and hips. One study found that heredity may be involved in 30% of people with osteoarthritic hands and 65% of those with osteoarthritic knees. Another study foun...

Detailed information on preventing unintentional injuries

Statistics relating to unintentional injuries

Scrapes and sprains are a fact of life for most children, so it’s good to know what to do when they come home with a minor injury.

Trampolines are popular. Thousands of children are rocketing skyward, and trampoline injuries are also on the rise.

Children in households where a parent lives with another unrelated adult are at much greater risk of death from an injury suffered in the home.

Detailed information on neurological trauma in children

Psychiatric diagnosis may be neglected in emergency rooms, where, in addition, people of color are less likely to be diagnosed with a pyschiatric condition than whites.

Starting at what is commonly called middle age, operations of the human body begin to be more vulnerable to daily wear and tear; there is a general decline in physical, and possibly mental, functioning. In the Western countries, the length of life is often into the 70s. The upward limit of the life span, however, can be as high as 120 years. During the latter half of life, an individual is more prone to have problems with the various functions of the body and to develop any number of chronic or fatal diseases. The cardiovascular, digestive, excretory, nervous, reproductive and urinary systems are particularly affected. The most common diseases of aging include Alzheimer's, arthritis, cancer , diabetes, depression, and heart disease.

In general, only about three percent of the elderly living independently in the community will experience depression. That figure increases to around 20 to 30 percent of persons in nursing homes or with chronic illnesses like emphysema, heart disease or diabetes.

Aging is the process of growing older, a process that includes physical changes and, sometimes, mental changes. "The aged" refers to elderly people, those who have reached an advanced age.

Through the daily grapevine of popular culture, we get the message over and over that young is better than old. But new research contradicts these age-old stereotypes. Indeed, studies suggest that the older you get, the happier you become.

Starting at what is commonly called middle age, operations of the human body become more vulnerable to daily wear and tear. There is a general decline in physical, and possibly mental, functioning. In the Western countries, the length of life often extends into the 70s. However, the upward limit of the life span can be as high as 120 years. During the latter half of life, an individual is more prone to problems with the various functions of the body, and to a number of chronic or fatal diseases. The cardiovascular, digestive, excretory, nervous, reproductive, and urinary systems are particularly affected. The most common diseases of aging include Alzheimer's, arthritis, cancer , diabetes, depression , and heart disease .

13 Real-Life Age-StoppersYou can't turn back the clock, but you can slow down the aging processes often associated with getting older.Says Robert N. Butler, M.D., president and CEO of The International Longevity Center in New York City: "Many of t...

This term is used by demographers when referring to an increase over time in the proportion of older persons in the population. It does not necessarily imply an increase in life expectancy, that "people are living longer that they used to," or that they are dying on average at older ages, although these phenomena are usually observed in association with aging of the population. From the demo-graphic perspective, the principal determinant of aging in the population is a decline in the birth rate. When fewer children are born than in earlier years, the consequence is a decline in the proportion of younger persons, and it necessarily follows that there is an increase in the proportion of older persons. The proportion is further weighted toward older persons by improved survival rates from conditions that can cause death in early life, that is, in infancy and childhood and among younger adults. In the industrialized nations, a more recent phenomenon has been an increase in life expectancy that has accompanied improved survival rates, and this, of course, contributes further to the increased proportion of older persons. However, if birth rates remain high, there is also an increase in the numbers, and therefore in the proportion, of infants and children in the population. This happened in many industrialized nations after World War II, during the "baby boom" period, roughly 1946 to 1960. There was a secondary surge in birth rates when the children born during that period reached peak reproductive ages (the echo of the baby boom) in the 1980s and 1990s. The baby boom and its echo temporarily retarded and in some nations even briefly reversed the long-term trend toward smaller families. This trend began in the Western industrial nations before the 1920s and continued through the 1930s, aggravated by the Great Depression, but persisting through good times as well as bad. Although it is true that in the past, declining birth rates were primarily responsible and reductions in mortality rates played little part in the process of aging the population, in the future it can be expected that increases in life expectancy will contribute more to the process. Little further reduction in mortality rates in the first half of life can be expected to occur, so increased life expectancy, or mortality rate reduction, in the second half of life, from age forty-five onward, is beginning to exert more influence on the structure of the population (the shape of the population pyramid). This too is contributing to an increase in the proportion of older persons in the population, and over the coming decades, other things being equal, this will play an increasingly prominent role in the process. J OHN M. L AST ( SEE ALSO : Birthrate ; Demography ; Life Expectancy and Life Tables ; Mortality Rates ; Population Pyramid )

Discusses what we can do, if anything, to put ourselves in the category of those who live to advanced ages.

Art, music, and other challenging activities may play a role in keeping the mind alert, even for those affected by dementia.

Consider this fact: More than half the people who ever lived to be 65 are alive today. That alone suggests that myths about aging based on past generations may not hold true for this one. Let's look at 10 of those myths, and see what experts have to say about them.

Not only do baby boomers expect to live into their 80s or 90s, but they are expecting to be independent, one expert says.

Beyond giving you energy to conquer a multitasking day, your diet can help slow the tick-tock of the biological clock that governs the aging process.

This report helps you avoid common health woes, such as heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and sight and hearing disorders.

No need to search for a secret formula to erase the effects of getting older. You already have the power to keep yourself feeling young for years.

This report can help you preserve your independence and remain in your home in your later years. Includes information on financial and legal planning, finding and working with a caregiver, and useful home modifications.

A practical guide to the causes of memory loss and the steps you can take to improve your ability to learn and remember for a lifetime.

This report takes a view of the whole woman and helps her choose the most practical strategies for making her midlife transition.

Learn how to put together a caregiving plan, draw on useful services, and address legal, medical, and financial planning issues. Also, find advice on involving family members, handling daily tasks, and maintaining your well being.

This report details how physical changes that occur as you age can affect your sexuality.It includes information on the therapies and medications that can help you overcome sexual problems.

This report describes causes and treatments for the most common age-related skin problems. It also reviews the newest and most effective cosmetic treatments, including anti-aging creams, laser procedures, Botox injections, and surgeries.

Like the rest of your body, your eyes naturally change throughout your life. These changes occur gradually and become apparent in later years, as the structures in and around your eyes become less efficient. For most people, the first sign is presbyopia, deterioration of close-up vision. Luckily, this problem can be treated with reading glasses or bifocals.

Aimed at older adults, this report provides practical advice on how to avoid common and often deadly accidents at home.

New research indicates that-while not exactly a fountain of youth-exercise can reverse some of the physiological signs of aging and reduce overall disease and mortality.

While regular physical activity is a cornerstone of wellness at any age, it’s during your 30s, 40s and 50s that exercise becomes especially important.

Physical removal of age spots can be costly and painful. Topical treatments take time to work, but are generally safe, cost less than removal procedures, and are easier on the skin.

It's never easy to ponder death, whether you're facing the demise of a loved one or the end of your own life. But taking some time to think and plan ahead for those final hours or days can be a future blessing for your family and others close to you. Most people want a say in all life's important decisions. The same should be true regarding decisions surrounding death, such as what kind of medical treatment you receive. But what if you're unable to make your decisions or wishes known? Say, for example, you are unconscious and can't speak or hear. Unless you have spoken with your loved ones and taken certain legal actions, there may be confusion and stress over what those decisions will be and who can make them for you.

Acromegaly is a chronic metabolic disorder in which there is too much growth hormone and the body tissues gradually enlarge.

Acromegaly is a rare condition caused by abnormally high amounts of human growth hormone (HGH). An organ in the brain known as the pituitary gland, normally secretes this growth hormone. Normal amounts of HGH are needed for normal growth and physical maturity in children. However, in acromegaly, there is an increased amount of HGH released, generally by a tumor that forms in the pituitary. Untreated, acromegaly can lead to numerous disabling conditions, as well as a significantly decreased life span.

Detailed information on acromegaly, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Acromegaly is a rare condition caused by abnormally high amounts of human growth hormone (HGH). An organ in the brain known as the pituitary gland, normally secretes this growth hormone. Normal amounts of HGH are needed for normal growth and physical maturity in children. However, in acromegaly, there is an increased amount of HGH released, generally by a tumor that forms in the pituitary. Untreated, acromegaly can lead to numerous disabling conditions, as well as a significantly decreased life span.

Detailed information on the most common types of inflammatory and infectious disorders in children