Golden LivingCenter - Bakersfield

• Well: Why Patients Can't Sleep at the Hospital

  Sep. 07, 2011

  Sleep is necessary for healing, but the drama of fractured sleep plays out night after night in hospitals everywhere.
  
  

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• Drugs Beat Stents Against Stroke Recurrence in Study

  Sep. 07, 2011

  A new government-funded study found that aggressive use of cardiovascular drugs is much more effective in preventing a recurrence of stroke than deploying a stent to prop open narrowed arteries in the brain.

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• Side benefit of statin drug includes lower infection rates

  Sep. 07, 2011

  Some people must be asking themselves: Is there nothing statins can't do? New research suggests that atorvastin (Lipitor) is not only successful at reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attacks, but also reduces the risk of acquiring a potentially fatal infectious disease.

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LivingCenter Newsletter

• Remember Me?

  Oct. 01, 2011

  Alan Alda reluctantly accepted the role he is most famous for—Army surgeon Hawkeye Pierce on the hit TV series "M*A*S*H." Alda worried that the show would make light of war by featuring it as a backdrop to comedy. Alda is the only "M*A*S*H" cast member to appear in every episode of the series, which ran from 1972 to 1983. Here are some highlights of Alda's life.

  Alda was born on Jan. 28, 1936, in New York City.

  As a child, Alda was stricken with polio and at one point was able to move only his left arm. A treatment regimen of applying hot blankets to his limbs and stretching his muscles helped Alda recover from the disease.

  Despite never taking an acting class, Alda has received numerous award nominations, including Oscar, Emmy and Tony.

  Alda once played Sky Masterson in "Guys and Dolls"—a signature role of his actor father, Robert Alda.

• Protein Helps Seniors Preserve Muscle

  Oct. 01, 2011

  We know that exercise is vital for retaining muscle tissue as we age. However, recent studies have highlighted the importance of dietary protein as well. Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston found that even physically active seniors had about 26 pounds less muscle mass than younger people. This indicates that exercise alone won't prevent muscle loss. Adequate dietary protein can help seniors preserve their muscles and stay strong.

  How much? The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends about seven grams of protein a day for every 20 pounds you weigh.

  What foods? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the highest quality proteins come from animal sources—fish, poultry, meat, eggs and dairy. These are "complete" proteins, meaning they contain all the amino acids your body needs to build muscle. Vegetarians can combine complementary proteins, such as those in beans and rice, to form complete proteins.

  Any risks? Eating foods high in saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels, so choose lean meats and low-fat dairy products.

• Wit & Wisdom

  Oct. 01, 2011

  "Football is a game played with arms, legs and shoulders but mostly from the neck up."

  —Knute Rockne

  "Sure, luck means a lot in football. Not having a good quarterback is bad luck."

  —Don Shula

  "Baseball is what we were, and football is what we have become."

  —Mary McGrory

  "I had pro offers from the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers, who were pretty hard up for linemen in those days. If I had gone into professional football, the name Jerry Ford might have been a household word today."

  —Gerald R. Ford

  "The reason women don't play football is because 11 of them would never wear the same outfit in public."

  —Phyllis Diller

  "When you win, nothing hurts."

  —Joe Namath