FDA Approves Tradjenta for Type 2 Diabetes – SETX Senior Medical News from EPO

EPO – Eastex Physician Organization is dedicated to providing medical news for Southeast Texas seniors. Today we look at Type 2 diabetes and treatment. Diabetes remains a major concern for Southeast Texas senior health. EPO – Eastex Physician Organization provides coordinated healthcare to ensure Southeast Texas seniors manage diabetes properly. Diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) affects approximately 25.8 million Americans and an estimated 220 million people worldwide.... Read More

Technology Removes Barriers for Book-Lovers with Low Vision

In the tradition-steeped world of literature, a major brouhaha rages between fans of digital reading devices and those who see “e-books” as proof the End Times are near. Lost in all this emotion is the fact that some readers embrace technology for strictly practical reasons. These are folks whose vision is limited due to congenital disability, disease, eye injury or typical effects of aging. They have no dog in the fight; all they want is a practical, affordable way to continue... Read More

Senior Travel Tips

Statistics are proving that age 70 really is the new 50. According to the U.S. Travel Association, mature travelers ages 65 or older represented 21 percent of all leisure travelers in 2010. From taking a trip with their grandchildren across country, to living out dreams in far, exotic destinations, today’s seniors are choosing to enjoy their golden years traveling. Staying safe and being prepared when traveling is more important than ever for this age group. Here are some... Read More

Boomers: Shifting household needs are creating home design opportunities

(ARA) – Boomers expect to stay in their homes and live independently into their later years, but in the midst of change that is occurring in their households, it’s easy for them to lose focus on planning for their own future housing needs. New research by The Hartford shows that 40 percent of boomers have experienced or anticipate experiencing family member changes in and out of the home, mostly related to their children. However, 70 percent of boomers have not made... Read More

Protecting and enhancing your vision with internal sunglasses

Protecting and enhancing your vision with internal sunglasses (ARA) – As we age, the quality of our vision can change, and for most of us that entails wearing glasses, contacts or maybe even undergoing surgical procedures. But did you know that your vision can improve through nutrition and supplementation? The back of the eye contains a film called macular pigment. This film is made up of two pigments: zeaxanthin (zee-uh-zan-thin) and lutein (loo-teen). These macular pigments... Read More

Online service delivers your A-through-F letter grade to any member of Congress

(ARA) – With public opinion surveys showing the popularity of Congress at or near all-time lows, a free online service is empowering thousands of citizens to send an easy-to-understand letter grade to any member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. GradeGov.com has delivered more than 153,000 A-through-F report cards to congressional offices in three years. Its motto is, “They work for you. Remind them!” Many users see that as an opportunity to vent. “Congress... Read More

SETX Legend: Babe Zaharias

Less than one percent of professional athletes maintain name recognition a decade after they stop playing. Their great deeds fade out of the memories of all but their family and a handful of their biggest fans. Even fewer are ever acknowledged, even fleetingly, as the greatest to ever play their sport. Ask in any bar, barbershop, or sports radio show for the greatest player in any single sport and you will set off hours or days of debate and possibly a fist fight. Michael Jordan... Read More

Southeast Texas – Supports our Soldiers

Recently,  I was driving on Highway 69 in Beaumont when a loud “ping” signaled that it was time to fill up on gas. I pulled off on Lucas and into the corner gas station. A fully uniformed soldier was standing with his military duffel. It was on my heart to go over and say something, but I first started the tedious process of gassing up my vehicle- inserting my credit card, putting in my pin, selecting the fuel type. In that short time, less than a couple of minutes, my heart... Read More

Affordable Care Options

Many baby boomers assume they will end up in a nursing home if they develop a chronic illness. But that’s not true for most of us. The vast majority of people who become chronically ill are cared for in their own home by a loved one or a friend. That includes more than two-thirds of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. So why do most chronically ill people move into a nursing home? It may surprise you to learn that it’s not because their health worsens.... Read More

Food & Fundraiser: “Art of Beer”

  Fundraising in a down economy is a challenge. Southeast Texans have been hit like everyone else, so it can be harder to “just write a check” these days. Southeast Texas seniors are also spending less on entertainment. Smart charities know “fundraising” is easier if you include lots of “fun”. The Art Museum of Southeast Texas demonstrates this principal very well with their  “Art of Beer”. This foam-filled and adventurous... Read More

Stroke strikes younger, more often in Hispanics

Each year, 795,000 Americans suffer a stroke. Though stroke has dropped from the third to the fourth leading cause of death, it remains the leading cause of long-term disability in the U.S. Even more alarming is that strokes occur more often and are deadlier for Hispanics – including young and middle-aged adults – than for other races and ethnicities. In fact, the average age for strokes among Hispanics is 67, considerably younger than for white Americans. Not all... Read More