Dr Beecher’s April 20 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, April 20th, 2015
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Mental Attitude: Are Men the More Narcissistic Gender? Based on information collected over 30 years from more than 475,000 people, researchers from the University of Buffalo School of Management claim they can explain why some females fail to break the corporate glass ceiling: women just aren’t narcissistic enough. The results of the study showed that men scored consistently higher than women in narcissism, regardless of age. Study author Dr. Emily Grijalva explains, “Narcissism is associated with various interpersonal dysfunctions, including an inability to maintain healthy long-term relationships, unethical behavior, and aggression. At the same time, narcissism is shown to boost self-esteem, emotional stability, and the tendency to emerge as a leader. By examining gender differences in narcissism, we may be able to explain gender disparities in these important outcomes.” Psychological Bulletin, March 2015
Health Alert: Statins Linked to Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may significantly increase a user’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The authors of a new study found that statins increase insulin resistance and also appear to impair the pancreas’ ability to secrete insulin. They also found that the risk of developing diabetes increased with higher statin doses. Diabetolgia, March 2015
Diet: Fried Food Intake Associated with Heart Failure Risk. Men who consume fried food one to three times a week have an 18% increased risk of developing heart failure compared with those who do not eat fried food. The risk rises to 25% for those who consume fried food four to six times a week, and 68% for those who eat fried food seven or more times per week. Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at New York University comments, “The bottom line is, eating fried foods once in a while is fine but not on a daily or even a weekly basis.” American Heart Association, March 2015
Exercise: Type 2 Diabetics Should Exercise After Dinner. Researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered that people with type 2 diabetes can reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by exercising after eating supper. Participants in the study performed resistance exercises such as leg curls, calf raises, and abdominal crunches either before dinner, after dinner, or not at all. Compared with blood sugar tests conducted on non-exercise days, the researchers found that exercising either before or after dinner led to reductions in blood glucose levels. However, only exercise conducted after dinner was associated with reductions in cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Researcher Dr. Jill Kanaley explains, “This study shows that it is not just the intensity or duration of exercising that is important but also the timing of when it occurs… Results from this study show that resistance exercise has its most powerful effect on reducing glucose and fat levels in one’s blood when performed after dinner.” Journal of Applied Physiology, December 2014
Chiropractic: Manual Therapies Reduce Foot Pain. A new study that combined treatment involving ischemic compression of trigger points and joint mobilization for chronic foot pain resulted in significant improvements in function and self-perceived improvements in pain up to six months post treatment. Further research on this approach of treatment is needed, but these findings are supportive of commonly used chiropractic care to treat foot disorders. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, March 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Are 80% of Strokes Preventable? According to an article in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, four out of every five strokes could be prevented if individuals took measures to avoid cigarette smoke, eat a heart-healthy diet, exercise on a regular basis, and better control their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, among other strategies. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, March 2015
Quote: “Always remember, your focus determines your reality.” ~ George Lucas
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 November 24 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter , please click here!
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, November 24th, 2014
Mental Attitude: Traumatic Brain Injury in Older Adults Associated with Dementia Risk. After reviewing the available data on nearly 52,000 individuals in California who had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), researchers believe the data indicate that such persons may have a 1.45 times greater risk for a dementia diagnosis later in life. In particular, the risk was greatest among older individuals (ages 65 and up) who suffered a mild TBI, and those between ages 55 and 64 who suffered a moderate-to-severe TBI. JAMA Neurology, October 2014
Health Alert: Biggest Cause of Fatal Allergic Reactions is Medications. More than half (59%) of allergy-related deaths are caused by medications, as reported in a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In 40% of cases in which a specific drug was identified, it was an antibiotic. The next most common allergy-inducing drugs were radiocontrast agents, followed by chemotherapy medications. The researchers say that the number of fatal drug reactions nearly doubled between 1999 and 2010, and this increase could be due to increased medication use, more tests with contrast material, and to some degree, coding changes entered by hospital personnel. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, September 2014
Diet: Fried Foods Increases Risk of Gestational Diabetes. Research involving over 21,000 single-child pregnancies reveals that regularly eating fried food before conception increases the risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy. Investigators found that those who ate fried food one to three times a week before becoming pregnant had a 13% higher risk of gestational diabetes. Those who ate fried foods four to six times a week were at a 31% increased risk, and the risk more than doubled in women who consumed seven or more servings per week. Diabetologia, October 2014
Exercise: Yoga Pose Improves Spine Curvature in Scoliosis Patients. Performing a single yoga pose for 90 seconds three times a week may reduce spine curvature in patients with scoliosis in as little as three months. In a recent study, scoliosis patients who did the side plank pose on the side their spine was curved toward experienced a significant improvement in their spinal curvature. Researchers found that spinal curvature improved by about 32% in all patients and it improved by 40.9% for the patients who performed the pose for at least three days a week. Among these patients, adolescents saw a 49.6% improvement in curvature, while adults saw a 38.4% improvement. The authors of the study conclude that asymmetrically strengthening the convex side of the primary scoliosis curvature with a side plank exercise performed daily appears to reduce curvature. Global Advances in Health and Medicine, September 2014
Chiropractic: Spinal Manipulation Helps Child with Chronic Headaches. A recent case study involved the chiropractic treatment of a 6-year-old boy who had experienced chronic headaches for previous two years. Past medical care consisted of ibuprofen, which provided minimal relief. After ten chiropractic treatments to address joint dysfunction found in the boy’s neck, the patient had complete resolution of his headache symptoms. This finding supports the use of spinal manipulation in the care of children with cervicogenic headaches. The Journal of Headache and Pain, September 2014
Wellness/Prevention: RNA Biomarker Could Be New Screen for Prostate Cancer. Screening for prostate cancer currently involves testing a blood sample to see whether or not high concentrations of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are present; however, many researchers consider this method to be imperfect. Soon, the PSA screening test may be a thing of the past as scientists have observed higher levels of a biomarker known as lncRNA in urine samples of prostate cancer patients when compared with samples provided by men without prostate cancer. Researcher Dr. Ranjan J. Perera explains, “We have identified a set of lncRNAs that appear to have an important role in prostate cancer diagnostics. The findings advance our understanding of the role of lncRNAs in cancer biology and, importantly, broaden the opportunity to use lncRNAs as biomarkers to detect prostate cancer.” The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, October 2014
Quote: “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” ~ Alice Walker
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 .
