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Health News Headlines: Fewer Americans Are Dying From Heart Disease, Stroke; Caregivers And Stress

Michelle Tribe/Flickr.com

“Fewer Americans are dying from heart disease and stroke, according to a new report from the American Heart Association. The report looked at hospitalization rates over the past ten years. Researchers say improvements in quality of care and prevention strategies made the difference, more so than major advances in drugs or other treatments.

It’s no surprise that caring for a family member with dementia causes a lot of stress, but a new study looked into the actual amount of the stress hormone cortisol that caregivers have when they are given one day away from the situation. The results were good. Researchers at Penn State University found that caregivers had healthier stress responses on days that caregivers went to adult daycare. Even anticipation of the day off lowered the level. Overall the findings suggest that sharing the caregiving can give healthier outcomes for all involved..."