Weekly Health Update For The Week Of Monday, January 27th, 2013

Mental Attitude: Be Right or Be Happy?
There's an old saying, "Would you rather be right or be happy?" In a small experiment involving one married couple, researchers tested this adage by measuring the self-reported quality of life scores of both the husband and wife over time if the husband were instructed to always agree with every opinion and request his wife made (the wife was not informed of this instruction). After 12 days, the experiment was halted because the husband found his wife becoming increasingly critical of everything he did. The husband's quality of life score fell from 7/10 on day one to 3/10 by day twelve. On the other hand, the wife's score increased slightly from 8/10 to 8.5/10 during the study. According to the study's authors, "It seems that being right is a cause of happiness, and agreeing with what one disagrees with is a cause of unhappiness… The results of this trial show that the availability of unbridled power adversely affects the quality of life of those on the receiving end… Many people in the world live as couples, and we believe that it could be harmful for one partner to always have to agree with the other. However, more research is needed to see whether our results hold if it is the male who is always right."
British Medical Journal, December 2013

Health Alert: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Cardiovascular Problems.
There is concern that long-term, untreated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms may increase a person's risk of developing cardiovascular health problems. Researchers detected the presence of myocardial ischemia in 17% of the participants with PTSD but only 10% of participants without PTSD.
Biological Psychiatry, December 2013

Diet: The Essentials.
Omega-3 and omega-6 fats are called essential fatty acids because we cannot manufacture them ourselves, meaning they must come from the foods we eat. These fatty acids are named for their carbon-to-carbon double bond on a carbon chain, and only plants are able to make a double bond at the third or sixth carbon position. There are no known animals that create their own omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids.
New England Journal of Medicine, June 2012

Exercise: Dementia.
The Alzheimer's Association states 5.2 million Americans are affected by dementia and one in three seniors will die with some form of cognitive issue. Researchers claim dementia sufferers demonstrate improvements in cognitive functioning and their ability to perform daily activities when they engage in regular exercise.
University of Alberta in Edmonton, December 2013

Chiropractic: Asymmetric Hip Mobility and Neck Pain.
Over three hundred freshmen college students underwent an examination of their hip joints and were asked whether or not they suffered from neck pain. The results showed that the young adults with asymmetrical hip mobility were nearly three times more likely to also suffer from neck pain.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, July 2013

Wellness/Prevention: Life Satisfaction?
Does money bring happiness? In most developing countries, life satisfaction rises as a country's wealth increases and people are able to meet their basic needs. Once income reaches a certain level (around $36,000 USD), life satisfaction levels peak and begin to decline. Happiness dips because more money creates higher aspirations, leading to disappointment and a drop in life satisfaction if those aspirations are not met.
World Values Survey, December 2013

Weekly Health Update For The Week Of Monday, January 20th, 2013

Mental Attitude: The Importance of Self-Worth.
Reflecting on better times can help the downtrodden take steps to escape their poverty. In an experiment conducted in a New Jersey soup kitchen, 150 participants were asked to recount a proud moment or memorable achievement prior to taking a series of problem-solving tests. A control group took the tests without a positive affirmation beforehand. The affirmation group performed dramatically better than the control group with a difference in scores representing roughly a 10-point increase in IQ. Participants in the affirmation group were also more likely to seek out help from local government or charity programs that are used by only a fraction of those eligible.
Psychological Science, December 2013

Health Alert: Inflammatory Proteins?
A recent study shows there is an abnormal amount of an inflammatory protein called PAR2 in the abdominal fat tissue of overweight and obese people. Previous research has shown that PAR2 is also increased on the surface of human immune cells by the excessive consumption of fats and sugars. This finding links obesity and fattening diets with changes in immune cells and inflammation levels within the body.
The FASEB Journal, December 2013

Diet: Facebook and Diet?
"Appearance exposure" on the Internet has been linked to body image disturbances among adolescent girls. A recent study found an association between time spent on Facebook and poor body image among adolescent girls who internalize a thin ideal physique, which may lead to eating disorders.
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, December 2013

Exercise: Reduces Fatigue in Cancer Patients.
An analysis of 56 studies involving over 4,000 cancer patients discovered that aerobic exercise, such as walking or cycling, reduces fatigue in those undergoing treatment. Fatigue is a common and problematic side-effect of cancer and cancer treatment. This exhaustion may last for months or years and make a patient less inclined to continue any further treatment. Previously, doctors recommended rest to treat cancer-related fatigue; as it turns out, the proper course may be physical activity.
The Cochrane Library, November, 2012

Chiropractic: Pain Affects Quality of Life.
Over half of older adults in the United States have experienced bothersome pain in the previous month, impairing their physical function and underscoring the need for proper health care. Three-quarters of older adults with pain reported having pain in multiple locations, such as in the back, hips, and knees. Additionally, pain was strongly associated with decreased physical capacity.
PAIN, December 2013

Wellness/Prevention: Fight Fat with Heat?
People who live in well-heated homes above 73.4 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius) are less likely to be obese, or have a high body mass index, compared with individuals who keep their dwellings cooler. People may eat less and burn more energy when residing in a warmer indoor environment. At temperatures above 73.4 degrees Fahrenheit, heat must be lost to maintain a constant body temperature and this process (such as sweating) requires energy. Coupled with decreased appetite and food intake, the additional energy expenditure could lead to weight loss.
Obesity, November 2013

Weekly Health Update For The Week Of Monday, January 13th, 2014

Mental Attitude: Maternal Depression?  Depression is a serious mental illness with many negative consequences for its sufferers. Depression among pregnant women may also have an impact on their developing babies. Children of depressed parents are at an increased risk for developing depression themselves, which can be the result of a combination of both genetic and environmental factors. These children also display alterations in their amygdala, a part of the brain that's important for the regulation of emotion and stress. Biological Psychiatry, December 2013 Health Alert: E-Cigarettes?  E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that look like cigarettes and deliver an aerosol of nicotine and other chemicals. These devices are largely unregulated, with no effective controls on marketing them to minors. Despite industry claims that it markets only to adults, the percentage of 12-18 year olds who use e-cigarettes doubled from 2011 to 2012. As of 2012, an estimated 1.8 million American adolescents have used the devices. Journal of Adolescent Health, November 2013 Diet: Low Vitamin D Levels.  A recent study shows that vitamin D deficiency may cause damage to the brain and other organs. When middle-aged rats were fed a diet low in vitamin D for several months, they developed free radical damage to their brains and also performed poorly in cognitive functioning tests for learning and memory. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, December 2013 Exercise: Parents Need to be Fitness Role-Models!  Two-thirds of United Kingdom schoolchildren surveyed about their parent's fitness levels stated that their mom and dad do almost no physical activity. After testing the children's fitness levels, researchers found that the children of sedentary parents were 50% more likely to be classified as physically unfit. Dr. Gavin Sandercock, the lead author of the study, adds, "As parents we don't need to be Olympic athletes to be good role models for our children. We need our children to know that we encourage and support their physical activity and, most importantly, we need our children to see us being active ourselves." University of Essex, June 2012 Chiropractic: One More on Cracking Knuckles.  Dr. Donald Unger spent a half-century cracking the knuckles of his left hand but never his right. After fifty years, he reported no arthritis or other problems in either hand, despite cracking the knuckles in his left hand over 36,500 times. Arthritis & Rheumatism, May 1998 Wellness/Prevention: Get a Dog!  Several studies have shown that children exposed to dogs during early infancy have a much lower risk for developing allergies and asthma. Now, researchers and the University of California-San Francisco believe they know the reason and it's in the gut. Mice were exposed to dust samples from homes with and without dogs. The immune systems of mice exposed to dust from homes with dogs had decreased reactivity to common allergens. The researchers examined the gut bacteria in these mice and observed that it had changed after exposure to the dust. In particular they noticed a greater presence of the bacteria Lactobacillus johnsonii. When this bacteria was introduced to a different group of mice, they exhibited nearly the same decrease in response to common allergens as the group exposed to dust samples from the homes with dogs. According to Dr. Susan Lynch, "Gut microbiome manipulation represents a promising new therapeutic strategy to protect individuals against both pulmonary infection and allergic airway disease." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, December 2013

Weekly Health Update For The Week Of Monday, January 6th, 2014

Mental Attitude: Good News Regarding Dementia. Several recent studies show that the rate of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease is declining due to increased education and improvements in both health care (treatment of key cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol) and lifestyle (regular exercise). New England Journal of Medicine Perspective, December 2013 Health Alert: Don’t Mix Your Drinks! A growing trend among young adults is mixing energy drinks with alcohol. Research has shown that college students tend to drink more heavily and become more intoxicated on days they consume a combination of energy drinks and alcohol than on days when they only drink alcohol. While the United States no longer permits manufacturers to premix high-caffeine products with alcohol, mixed drinks such as vodka and Red Bulls are becoming more popular. The public health implications include physical risks to individuals from blacking out, alcohol poisoning, and even exposing the community to dangerous situations in which young adults may be "wide awake drunk" after a night of partying. Journal of Adolescent Health, December 2013 Diet: Two-Thirds of 13-Year-Old Girls are Afraid of Gaining Weight! Using data concerning 7,000 teenagers, United Kingdom researchers found that two of every three 13-year-old girls are afraid of gaining weight or being overweight. The researchers also noted that half of the girls surveyed avoid fatty foods and 26% restrict their calories. University of Bristol, December 2013 Exercise: Boost Your Energy Naturally. Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to devote to daily life activities. Mayo Clinic, November 2013 Chiropractic: Does Knuckle Cracking Cause Arthritis? Previous studies have NOT shown a link between knuckle cracking and hand osteoarthritis. One study even suggested that knuckle cracking helped prevent osteoarthritis. This study showed that 18.1% of those who cracked their knuckles regularly had hand osteoarthritis compared with 21.5% of those who did not crack their knuckles. Journal American Board of Family Medicine, April 2011 Wellness/Prevention: An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away. Experts in the United Kingdom (UK) estimate that if everyone over the age of 50 simply ate one apple each day, this act alone would prevent about 8,500 vascular-related deaths each year. Previous studies estimate that prescribing statins to all adults over 50 years old could prevent a similar amount of vascular-related deaths annually but the mass prescription of statins in the UK could also result in an extra 10,000 diagnoses of diabetes and an extra thousand cases of muscle disease. The study did not note any potential negative effects from mass apple consumption. British Medical Journal, December 2013