Dr Beecher’s July 27 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, July 27th, 2015
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Mental Attitude: Does Smoking Affect Voting Behavior? Individuals who smoke cigarettes appear to be less likely to vote than nonsmokers. The authors of a new study surveyed 11,626 people and found that 17% of those polled were smokers, and daily smokers were 60% less likely to vote than nonsmokers. Lead author Dr. Karen Albright writes, “On one hand, the result is intuitive. We know from previous research that smokers are an increasingly marginalized population, involved in fewer organizations and activities and with less interpersonal trust than nonsmokers. But what our research suggests is that this marginalization may also extend beyond the interpersonal level to attitudes toward political systems and institutions.” Nicotine & Tobacco Research, May 2015
Health Alert: Dementia May Increase Health Risks Among Hospitalized COPD Patients. Taiwanese researchers examined data on one million individuals collected between 2000 and 2010 and found that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and dementia have an elevated risk for acute respiratory dysfunction, severe sepsis, and hospital mortality. More specifically, they found that patients with both conditions were 1.38 times more at risk for severe sepsis, 1.39 times more at risk for acute respiratory dysfunction, and 1.69 times more at risk of dying during their hospital stay. Medicine, June 2015
Diet: High-Fiber Diet May Reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk. Eating a fiber-rich diet may lower one’s risk for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. The authors of a new study found that those whose diets contain more than 26 grams of fiber each day are 18% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who consume less than 19 grams of fiber per day. When researchers focused on types of fiber, they discovered that people who consume higher amounts of cereal and vegetable fiber are 16-19% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with fiber-poor diets. Interestingly, the researchers found that fruit fiber consumption was not associated with reduced diabetes risk. Study author Dr. Dagfinn Aune concludes, “Taken together, our results indicate that individuals with diets rich in fiber, in particular cereal fiber, may be at lower risk of type 2 diabetes.” Diabetologia, May 2015
Exercise: Avoid Overuse Injuries. Performing the same exercises day after day can lead to an overuse injury. The Mayo Clinic recommends the following to avoid such injuries: engage in a variety of exercises, don’t do too many exercises in one day, warm up before and cool down after a workout, wear appropriate shoes, and use good form and technique. Mayo Clinic, June 2015
Chiropractic: Resolution of Daily Cervicogenic Headaches. A 13-year-old patient with a complaint of daily headaches presented for a trial of chiropractic care. His doctor of chiropractic utilized spinal manipulation to treat cervical and thoracic spinal joint fixations, which a thorough examination had revealed to be the possible underlying cause of the adolescent’s chief complaint. The patient reported his headaches resolved during the course of treatment, which consisted of eight visits over two months. This case documents the potential benefits of chiropractic care in the management of headaches in adolescents. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, April 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Limited Evidence for Mammograms for Women in Their 40s. The International Agency for Research on Cancer says that there is limited evidence to support preventative breast cancer screening for women in their 40s. However, they add that for women aged 50 to 75, the research shows that routine mammograms reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer. The revised guidelines recommend routine screening start at age 50 and be done every two years. The expert panel advises that women in their 40s should discuss the pros and cons of mammography screening with their doctor and then make an informed decision. New England Journal of Medicine, June 2015
Quote: “Courage isn’t having the strength to go on – it is going on when you don’t have strength.” ~ Napoléon Bonaparte
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or BeecherChiropractic.com .
Dr Beecher’s May 19 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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Week of Monday, May 19th, 2014
Mental Attitude: Working Memory Boosted by Green Tea. Consuming green tea may enhance cognitive function,
especially a person’s working memory. Researchers found that study participants who consumed a beverage that included green tea extract showed increased connectivity between the right superior parietal lobule and the frontal cortex of the brain. This action correlated with enhanced performance on working memory tasks. This finding may lead to new treatment for disorders involving cognitive impairments, such as dementia. Psychopharmacology, March 2014
Health Alert: Half the Population of the Americas at Risk for Insect-Borne Disease. Approximately 50% of people living in the Western Hemisphere are at risk of one or more diseases carried by ticks, flies, mosquitoes, and other vectors. Some of these diseases include West Nile virus, Lyme disease, dengue fever, malaria, chagas, and schistosomiasis. Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) adds, “Our region has achieved many successes in controlling vector-borne diseases. However, this success is being threatened by the expansion of mosquitoes and other vectors into new habitats and by the emergence of insecticide and drug resistance. PAHO and its partners are today calling for stepped-up action in the fight against vector-borne diseases in the Americas.” Pan American Health Organization, April 2014
Diet: Eating Legumes Keeps Away Bad Cholesterol. According to a new report, just one serving of legumes per day can reduce a person’s low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The study found that people who ate 3/4 cups of non-oil-seed legumes each day experienced a 5% reduction of LDL cholesterol. Unfortunately, some participants experienced side effects from eating legumes such as bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, and constipation. Co-author Dr. John Sievenpiper believes that the 5% reduction in LDL cholesterol correlates to a 5-6% risk reduction for major vascular events. Canadian Medical Association Journal, April 2014
Exercise: Exercise Curtails COPD Hospitalization. New research suggests that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who exercise at a moderate to vigorous level have a lower risk of hospital readmission within 30 days compared with those who are inactive. Researchers found that patients with COPD who exercised 150 minutes a week or more had a 34% lower risk of readmission within 30 days compared to those who were inactive. The finding suggests exercising three to five times a week will help improve COPD symptoms, physical functioning, and quality of life. Similar results published earlier in 2014 support this finding. Annals of the American Thoracic Society, April 2014
Chiropractic: Hand & Practice. The word “Chiropractic” combines the Greek words cheir (hand) and praxis (practice) to describe a treatment done by hand. Hands-on therapy with an emphasis on spinal adjustment is central to chiropractic care. Chiropractic is based on the premise that the relationship between the body’s structure (primarily that of the spine) and its function (as coordinated by the nervous system) affects a person’s health. National Institutes of Health, February 2012
Wellness/Prevention: Vitamin D Insufficiency Increases Fracture Risk. Women with low blood levels of vitamin D over a five-year period had a greater risk of osteoporosis-related fracture over the following decade. Osteoporosis International, April 2014
Quote: “A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.” ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or BeecherChiropractic.com .
Dr Beecher’s March 24 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, March 24th, 2014
Mental Attitude: Have You Noticed Any Changes in Your Memory? Dr. Erin Abner of the University of Kentucky’s Sanders- Brown Center on Aging asked 3,701 men ages 60 and up if they had noticed any changes in their memory since their last doctor visit. She found that the patients who reported on-going incidences of memory loss that affected their daily lives were more likely to be diagnosed with cognitive decline later in the years ahead. This finding could lead to earlier detection and perhaps more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s diseases and other conditions that affect cognitive function. University of Kentucky, February 2014
Health Alert: Half of All Cancer Deaths Could be Avoided! According to the World Health Organization (WHO), early detection could cut the worldwide cancer death rate in half. Experts note the leading preventable risk factors for cancer development are tobacco use, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, sedentary activity, unhealthy diet, sexually transmitted diseases, and air pollution. The WHO estimates cancer claimed 8.2 million lives in 2012. World Cancer Report, February 2014
Diet: Four Ways to Reduce Sugar in Your Diet! Here are four tips from the American Heart Association for reducing your added sugar intake: 1) Try putting less sugar on foods like cereals or in beverages like tea and coffee. When you’re used to it, try cutting back even more. 2) Buy fresh fruits or fruits canned in water, not syrup. 3) Instead of sugar, add fresh fruit or dried fruit to foods like oatmeal. 4) Add spices like cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg to foods instead of sugar. American Heart Association, February 2014
Exercise: Walking Decreases COPD Hospitalization Risk. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a condition that describes difficulty breathing due to long-term lung damage. New research shows that COPD sufferers can greatly reduce their risk of hospitalization with severe attacks by simply walking 3-6 kilometers (~1.8-3.6 miles) per day. Respirology, February 2014
Chiropractic: Neck Pain Affects Breathing. Researchers at the Technological Educational Institute of Lamia in Greece examined a group of chronic neck pain patients and a group of individuals with no previous incidence of neck pain to see if a correlation exists between neck pain and respiratory dysfunction. They found that neck pain sufferers have significantly reduced breathing capacity and lower respiratory muscle strength. They also noted a strong association between increased forward head posture and decreased respiratory muscle strength. Cephalalgia, July 2009
Wellness/Prevention: Prevent Divorce with Movies? For newlyweds, watching and then discussing movies about relationships appears to be just as effective at preventing divorce as more time and energy intensive counseling programs. Participants attended a ten-minute lecture on the importance of relationship awareness and how watching couples in movies could help them pay better attention to their own behavior. Then, they watched a movie and had a 12 question guided discussion with their spouse. During the following four weeks, they were asked to watch one movie each week from a prepared list of movies and conduct the same guided discussion afterwards. When researchers later compared the three-year divorce rates of couples in this group with couples who participated in either conflict management or compassion and acceptance training, they found each resulted in an 11% three-year divorce rate. The three-year divorce rate for a control group that participated in no interventions was 24%. According to the study’s lead author, Dr. Ronald Rogge, “The results suggest that husbands and wives have a pretty good sense of what they might be doing right and wrong in their relationships. Thus, you might not need to teach them a whole lot of skills to cut the divorce rate. You might just need to get them to think about how they are currently behaving. And for five movies to give us a benefit over three years—that is awesome.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, December 2013
Quote: “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” ~ Peter F. Drucker
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or BeecherChiropractic.com .
