Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Depression and Stroke Risk in Middle-Aged Women.
A 12-year study of over 10,000 middle-aged Australian women found that those who suffered from depression had nearly double the risk of stroke compared to non-depressed women in their same age group. The American Heart Association encourages everyone to learn how to recognize a stroke. Think F.A.S.T: F-Face Drooping. A-Arm Weakness. S-Speech Difficulty. T-Time To Call 9-1-1 (or the appropriate emergency services number if you're outside the United States).
American Heart Association, May 2013

Health Alert: Childhood Disability On The Rise!
In the United States, disabilities due to neurodevelopmental and mental health problems increased 16.3% during the first decade of the current century. Six million kids had a disability in 2009-2010, that's almost 1 million more than in 2001-2002.
Pediatric Academic Society, May 2013

Diet: Brain Rewards.
Restricting food intake increases the reward value of food, particularly high-calorie and appetizing food. The more successful people are at caloric-restriction dieting, the greater difficulty they will face in maintaining the restriction. Dieting by skipping meals and fasting is less successful than weight loss efforts characterized by intake of low energy, dense, healthy foods. If people want to lose excess weight, it would be more effective to consume healthy, low-fat/low-sugar foods during regular meals, rather than go for long periods of time without eating.
NeuroImage, May 2013

Exercise: It's Not Too Late To Cut Heart Failure Risk!
In an eight year study, middle-aged participants drastically reduced their risk of heart failure up to 40% by increasing their cardiovascular fitness level.
American Heart Association, May 2013

Chiropractic: No Headaches!
Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is an effective treatment for tension headaches. In a study, patients who received SMT continued to benefit from care even four weeks after treatment concluded. This is in contrast to patients who received pharmaceutical therapy; they reverted to baseline values when checked a month after treatment ended.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 1995

Wellness/Prevention: Fish Oil, Your Heart, and Stress.
A new study finds that regular consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids (most commonly found in cold water fish like Salmon) improves cardiovascular health by dulling the connection between mentally stressful events and cardiovascular functions like heart rate, blood pressure, the fight-or-flight response, and blood flow. Those who frequently find themselves in stressful situations may benefit from adding Omega-3s to their diet.
American Physiological Society, May 2013

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Stress and Problem Solving.
People under high levels of chronic stress appear to have impaired problem-solving skills. In a study setting, they solved 50% fewer problems than their non-stressed peers.
PLOS ONE, May 2013

Health Alert: Texting While Driving.
Teens in the United States receive hundreds of text messages a day, but one message they aren't getting is that they shouldn't text and drive. 43% of high school students of driving age reported texting while driving at least once in the past 30 days. The specific act of texting while driving has been found to increase the risk of a crash by 23 times, leading many to conclude that texting while driving is more dangerous than driving while intoxicated.
Pediatric Academic Society, May 2013

Diet: Low Vitamin D Levels and Cardiovascular Problems.
Increased levels of vitamin D in the body result in lower levels of CRP (c-reactive protein) in the blood. High levels of CRP are associated with the hardening of blood vessels and a greater risk of developing cardiovascular problems.
American Journal of Medicine, May 2013

Exercise: Fibromyalgia and Exercise.
For many people who have fibromyalgia, the thought of exercising is painful. However, a recent study shows that light to moderate exercise (light jogging or brisk walking for 20 minutes a day) over a prolonged period of time improves overall symptoms, such as fatigue and trouble sleeping, without increasing pain.
Arthritis Care & Research, May 2013

Chiropractic: Recommended For Low Back Pain.
According to a study based in the United Kingdom, chiropractic patients with low back pain improved markedly during the first three months of care with high patient satisfaction scores. Considering all costs of care, the study's author suggests that chiropractic care be considered "in the wider context of health care delivery in the United Kingdom" for all patients with low back pain.
University of Portsmouth, May 2013

Wellness/Prevention: Helmet Laws.
900 Americans die each year in bicycle crashes, with three-quarters of the fatalities from head injuries. Bicycle helmets save lives but only 21 US states have laws requiring bicyclists to wear helmets. States with mandatory helmet laws have lower rates of fatalities/incapacitating injuries after bicycle-motor vehicle collisions than states without helmet laws.
Pediatric Academic Society, May 2013

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Depression and Dementia.
Those with late-life depression are 1.85 times more likely to develop all-cause dementia, 1.65 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, and 2.52 times more likely to develop vascular dementia. The phrase "all-cause dementia" refers to all dementia syndromes, the most common of which is Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60-80% of all dementia cases. Alzheimer's is associated with memory problems and apathy in early stages, and impaired judgment, confusion, disorientation, behavior changes, and difficulty speaking in later stages. Vascular dementia is the second most common cause of dementia, and is associated with impaired judgment or ability to plan and complete tasks, as opposed to memory loss that is common in early stages of Alzheimer's.
British Journal of Psychiatry, May 2013

Health Alert: What Concussion?
Many United States high school football players think it's okay to play with a concussion even though they know they are at risk of serious injury. Over 90% of players polled recognized a risk of serious injury if they returned to play too quickly, but only 54% would always or sometimes report their concussion symptoms to their coach.
Pediatric Academic Society, May 2013

Diet: Fight Inflammation!
Chronic inflammation is a condition that can be triggered by obesity and can ultimately lead to both cardiovascular and metabolic disease. Some foods that are known to combat unhealthy inflammation are citrus fruits, leafy greens, tomatoes, wild salmon, and whole foods high in fiber.
University of Alabama at Birmingham, March 2013

Exercise: 'Walkable' Neighborhoods.
Preschool children are less likely to be obese if they live in a neighborhood that is safe and within walking distance of parks and retail services.
Pediatric Academic Society, May 2013

Chiropractic: I Like Those Odds!
Patients who went to a chiropractor first had were less likely to undergo surgery than those who went to a surgeon first. 42.7% of workers with back injuries who first saw a surgeon had surgery, in contrast to only 1.5% of those who initially saw a chiropractor.
Spine, December 2012

Wellness/Prevention: Brain Power Boost.
Regularly consuming the healthy fats found in fish, extra virgin olive oil, and nuts may assist in maintaining cognitive functions in older individuals.
British Medical Journal, May 2013

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Suicide Rates Rise!
Suicide rates among middle-aged (35-65) Americans have risen 28% in the past 10 years with the largest increase among people in their 50s at nearly 50%. Suicide deaths have become more common than deaths from car crashes. In 2010, there were 33,687 deaths from car crashes and 38,364 suicides in the United States. Suicide prevention strategies include improving social support and community connectedness, increasing access to mental health and preventive services, and decreasing the stigma and barriers linked to asking for help.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, May 2013

Health Alert: Heart and Brain Function.
People with the greatest risk for heart disease performed 50% worse on cognitive tests when compared to people with the lowest risk profile. Diabetes, bad cholesterol, and smoking were all negatively linked to poor cognitive scores.
Stroke, May 2013

Diet: Just One Meal.
A single fatty meal can cause the heart to beat harder and increase blood pressure. Researchers analyzed the effects of eating a high-fat fast food meal (42 grams of fat) and eating a meal with no more than 1.3 grams of fat. When subjected to a series of standard stress tests, those who ate the high-fat meal saw their blood pressure go up 1.25 to 1.5 times higher than the those who ate the low-fat meal.
Journal of Nutrition, April 2007

Exercise: Only 1 in 5 Adults...
Only 20% of American adults perform the recommended amount of exercise as outlined in federal guidelines. Adults should get at least two and a half hours each week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (like walking), or one hour and 15 minutes each week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (like jogging), or a mixture of both. Adults should also engage in muscle strengthening activities, including sit-ups, push-ups, or exercise using resistance bands or weights. All major muscle groups should be involved in these activities and should be done at least two days every week.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 2013

Chiropractic: Asthma?
A review of published literature shows that patients with asthma who incorporate chiropractic care into their current asthma treatment plan may experience a decrease in the severity of their symptoms.
Logan College of Chiropractic, December 2012

Wellness/Prevention: Celery and Cancer Cells Mortality.
One way cancer cells thrive is by simply not dying as other cells are pre-programmed to do. Apigenin, a compound found in plant based foods like parsley and celery, has been observed in a laboratory setting to re-educate breast cancer cells to die as scheduled.
Ohio State University, May 2013