Claim: Younger couples have better sex lives than older couples.

Reality: A study by the [...]]]> There are many stereotypes, myths and incorrect information about sex for boomers and beyond. Contrary to popular opinion, older couples are doing the deed a lot — and STDs are more of an issue than you might think.

Claim: Younger couples have better sex lives than older couples.

Reality: A study by the National Council on Aging finds that 74 percent of men and 70 percent of women have better sex lives now that they’re over 60 than when they were in their 40s. But before boomers get too excited about these stats, they have to realize that the study is only looking at a select group of people who are still having sex, said Debby Herbenick, research scientist at Indiana University and co-author of “Great in Bed.” But there is good news to the study. “As we age, we are more prone to being satisfied and content with a lot of things,” Herbenick said. “Our lives aren’t black and white and filled with drama anymore.”

Claim: Most people have less sex as they age.

Reality: The average couple in the United States reported that they had sex 66 times annually, according to a study by the National Opinion Research Center. But that number falls to 52 times for couples in their 50s. It’s not as bleak as it may appear, however. “I would suspect that in the younger years, the focus in a relationship is on sex,” said Howard Markman, professor of psychology at University of Denver and co-author of “Fighting for Your Marriage.” “As couples get older, the focus is more on sensuality.” So while it’s true that older couples may not be having sex as often as younger couples, they may have more fulfilling, romantic relationships than their younger counterparts, Markman said.

Claim: You need to have sex to be sexually satisfied.

Reality: A 2010 study examining the sex lives of people age 14 to 94 found that sex frequency peaks around 25 to 34 years old, said Herbenick, author of the study. But one of the biggest predictors of sexual satisfaction for older men wasn’t how often they were having sex — but how often they were touching and cuddling.

Claim: Older women have more lubrication issues than younger women.

Reality: One-third of younger women need to use lubricant during sex because of dryness, but not many of them report it, Herbenick said. Only half of women in their 50s use lubricant, and 66 percent of women in their 60s use lubricant. “It’s not a big deal, because the issues tend to be mild,” she said.

Claim: Younger couples are irresponsible when it comes to sex.

Reality: The over-55 set is among the fastest growing populations when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases. Widows and divorcees are re-entering the dating game with new partners, and they aren’t quick to use condoms because they are beyond their child-bearing years. They also aren’t as suspicious of their significant others having multiple partners, Markman said. “And sex among the elderly is far more prevalent than suspected,” he said. Regardless of your age, condoms and STD testing are necessary.

The study was conducted by UCLA researchers, and results showed that, though the gap is narrowing, the difference in death expectancy between the two races remains large, and varies by state. African-Americans in Washington DC showed the least life [...]]]> A new study shows that white Americans are outliving black Americans by up to 8 years.

The study was conducted by UCLA researchers, and results showed that, though the gap is narrowing, the difference in death expectancy between the two races remains large, and varies by state. African-Americans in Washington DC showed the least life expectancy, as they die up to 13 years sooner than Caucasians.

The Baltimore Sun reports that income and education are partially, but not entirely, to blame.

In every state across the country, white men and women are outliving blacks, in some cases by a margin as wide as eight years, says a new life-expectancy study from theUniversity of California, Los Angeles.

In America, a white male born today has a life expectancy of 74.8 years, while black males are expected to live to 67.7, creating a seven-year disparity. Meanwhile, white women can expect to live to 79.8, while their black counterparts have a life expectancy five years shorter, at 74.6 years, said the UCLA report.

Overall, the life-expectancy gap nationwide seems to be narrowing slightly, according to researchers, but it continues to vary widely by state.

10. Everyone should have a support team: Without a support system, it’s nearly [...]]]>  

Sure, you should keep your weight, cholesterol and blood pressure in check. But getting there — and staying there — includes a multitude of physical, nutritional and emotional components. Here are cardiologists’ top 10 secrets for getting heart healthy in a hurry.

10. Everyone should have a support team: Without a support system, it’s nearly impossible to get and to stay healthy. The people you interact with determine what you do. Engage with your significant other, children, co-workers and friends to make healthy choices, and they will support you. A workout buddy will make you accountable; a colleague at work who wants to walk at lunch with you or track your progress together can make all the difference. — Dr. Malissa Wood, author of “Smart at Heart”

9. Healthy bones = a healthy heart. If you have any heart disease, you need to get screened for osteoporosis. Recent studies have shown that Americans are having fewer heart problems over time, and even those who have heart attacks are living longer without long-term heart problems. However, new epidemiological studies have also shown a significant increase in major fractures in patients with prior heart attacks. What it means is that while patients with heart disease have benefited from tremendous improvements in cardiovascular treatment, they’re suffering a counterbalancing increase in noncardiac diseases such as osteoporotic bone fractures. — Dr. Robert Yeh, interventional cardiologist with Massachusetts General Hospital

8. Avoid canned soups. Most canned soups — in fact, most canned and packaged products — are high in sodium to preserve them. High-sodium diets increase your risk of high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. — Dr. Doreen DeFaria Yeh, cardiologist with Massachusetts General Hospital

7. Get a flu shot. It does much more than prevent that annoying winter sickness. Preventing respiratory illnesses, such as the flu, also helps prevent heart problems. — Dr. Doreen DeFaria Yeh

6. Know your numbers. Your optimal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHG. Fasting blood glucose should be less than 100 mg/dl. Total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dl. — Dr. Stephanie Moore, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School

5. Relax. Often, those at risk for heart disease lead very stressful lives. Mind-body therapies, such as yoga or tai chi, can help an at-risk person unwind and decrease their negative emotional stress. This will lead to decreased blood pressure. High blood pressure is the No. 1 risk factor for strokes. — Moore

4. Get a pet. Recent studies have shown the therapeutic effects of pets on heart health. After a pet visit, a decline in heart rates and blood pressure has been seen. If you don’t want a pet full time, volunteer at a local animal shelter. — Moore

3. Choose the right type of exercise. Ask your doctor about the type of exercise you should be doing. Aerobic exercise is heart healthy. And while weight lifting and strength training are also great workouts, they can increase your blood pressure, and may be advised against if you have known coronary artery disease, heart muscle damage or dilation of your aorta. Exercise is necessary — just do the right type for you. — Moore

2. Work out in the morning. Those who exercise most successfully and most consistently do it in the morning before other things in life interfere. Even taking a full 30 minutes to walk the dog counts. — Dr. Mary Walsh, medical director of heart failure, cardiac transplantation and nuclear cardiology at St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana in Indianapolis

1. Own it. Most people only visit their doctor annually — so it’s important to keep track of your health at home and share your results with your doctor. Owning a blood pressure cuff (Panasonic EW3109W Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, $38 at amazon.com) can literally save your life. Having high blood pressure but not controlling it results in a greater risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney failure. — Walsh

These tests can help save your heart

Ask your doctor to give you these tests so you know your heart disease risk, says Dr. Nakela Cook, medical officer at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Lipoprotein profile: A blood test that measures total cholesterol, HDL or “good” cholesterol, LDL or “bad” cholesterol, and triglycerides, another form of fat in the blood. The test is given after a 9- to 12-hour fast.

Fasting plasma glucose: The preferred test for diagnosing diabetes. After you have fasted overnight, you will get a blood test the next morning to find out if you have diabetes or are likely to develop the disease.

When people come to the Reisterstown office of Drs. Eickhoff & Rowe for [...]]]>  

According to a recent study, “eye care providers often detected signs of chronic disease before other healthcare providers — 65 percent of the time for high cholesterol, 20 percent of the time for diabetes and 30 percent of the time for hypertension.”

When people come to the Reisterstown office of Drs. Eickhoff & Rowe for eye exams, the optometrists do more than simply ask which line of letters they can read on the eye chart.

Like other eye doctors, James Eickhoff starts with a “complete case history,” he said, which includes a rundown of family illnesses. If there’s cancer or heart disease in your family, he wants to know about it. Of course, he tests your vision, but the eye exam also includes eye dilation, which allows him to see the back of the retina, where signs of hypertension and diabetes can be detected.

A deposit on the cornea, called arcus senilis and detected with an instrument called a slit lamp, often indicates high cholesterol.

“It’s very common to see signs of systemic conditions when doing an eye exam,” Eickhoff said. When he sees signs of chronic disease, he tells his patients and urges them to follow up with their physicians.

Sometimes they are surprised to hear they might have more serious health problems than an inability to read menus in dimly lit restaurants.

A recent study commissioned by the insurer VSP Vision Care confirms what Eickhoff and other optometrists already knew anecdotally: That eye exams can be valuable tools for detecting the chronic diseases that are taking an increasing toll on Americans’ health and health care dollars.

While many people put off visits to regular physicians, they tend to visit eye doctors on a regular basis, though probably not quite once a year as recommended. Eye exams are generally pleasant experiences. They typically take less than an hour, and patients keep their clothes on, don’t get weighed, and emerge from the experience with spiffy new eyeglasses or better contact lenses.

“We understood we had a very important story to tell,” said Michael Ammerman, team leader for eye health management with VSP, a company with an estimated 27,000 vision care providers and 56 million members. He said the company tapped Human Capital Management Services, a firm that uses data to help companies cut health benefit costs, to come up with the numbers.

“We found some very compelling information that suggests that people who are using their vision benefit or getting their eye exam are finding out information about their health they might not otherwise have had,” Ammerman said.

According to the study, “eye care providers often detected signs of chronic disease before other healthcare providers — 65 percent of the time for high cholesterol, 20 percent of the time for diabetes, and 30 percent of the time for hypertension.”

The study, conducted between July 1, 2006, and March 31, 2008, divided some 212,000 VSP users (excluding those over age 65) into two groups: those with chronic conditions detected during eye exams; and those with chronic conditions detected by other means.

The study found conditions were detected earlier in the eye exam group, so patients were healthier when they began treatment.

“On average, the study group incurred fewer health plan costs, fewer lost-time costs (such as missed work days), had a lower overall job turnover rate, and had lower rates of emergency room visits and hospital admissions,” according to the study. Every dollar employers spent on eye exams reaped savings of $1.27 over two years.