Dr Beecher’s April 21 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, April 21st, 2014
Mental Attitude: Angry Outbursts Increase Heart Attack Risk! Researchers at Harvard University report that heart attack risk increases nearly five times and stroke risk increases nearly three times in the two hours following at outburst of anger. Author Dr. Elizabeth Mostofsky adds, “Although the risk of experiencing an acute cardiovascular event with any single outburst of anger is relatively low, the risk can accumulate for people with frequent episodes of anger. This is particularly important for people who have higher risk due to other underlying risk factors or those who have already had a heart attack, stroke, or diabetes.” European Heart Journal, March 2014
Health Alert: Diarrheal Infection in Children Linked to Antibiotics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the majority of severe and potentially fatal pediatric diarrhea cases caused by Clostridium difficile infection (C. difficile) are linked to recent antibiotic treatments. Based on surveys of parents, 73% of children who suffered from a C. difficile infection were recently prescribed antibiotics to treat ear, sinus, or upper respiratory infections. Past studies have shown that at least half of upper respiratory infections do not require antibiotic treatment. The overuse of antibiotics places children at risk, as the antibiotics kill both bad and natural flora in the digestive system and create an imbalance that may allow a C. difficile infection to grow out of control and release toxins that inflame the gut. Dr. Tom Frieden, the Director of the CDC, writes, “When antibiotics are prescribed incorrectly, our children are needlessly put at risk for health problems including C. difficile infection and dangerous antibiotic resistant infections.” Pediatrics, March 2014
Diet: Eating Too Much Protein in Middle-Age Could be Harmful. A new study suggests that a high protein diet (>1.2g protein per kg of body weight consumed per day) increases the risk of cancer, diabetes, and death among middle-aged adults. Lead author Dr. Valter Longo writes, “We studied simple organisms, mice, and humans, and provide convincing evidence that a high-protein diet – particularly if the proteins are derived from animals – is nearly as bad as smoking for your health.” Cell Metabolism, March 2014
Exercise: Exercising During Pregnancy Reduces Weight Gain & Associated Illnesses. Research involving 963 pregnant women shows that moderately intense supervised exercise starting at the prenatal consultation helps women avoid excessive weight gain during pregnancy while also reducing associated illnesses such as gestational diabetes and hypertension. The researchers state, “We wish to emphasize the importance of maintaining the health of pregnant women, as well as their children, by reaching an optimum weight; hence the importance of [physical exercise].” Mayo Clinic Proceeding, December 2013
Chiropractic: More Cost-Effective. Considering effectiveness and cost together, chiropractic care for low back and neck pain is highly cost-effective and represents a good value in comparison to other treatments, including medical care.
Mercer Health and Benefits, October 2009
Wellness/Prevention: Enjoy a Nap. Taking an afternoon nap has been associated with benefits including improved alertness and performance, fewer accidents and mistakes, and a psychological boost to help one feel both relaxed and rejuvenated. National Sleep Foundation, 2013
Quote: “When you start to develop your powers of empathy and imagination, the whole world opens up to you.”
~ Susan Sarandon
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 February 17 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter, please click here!
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, February 17th, 2014
Mental Attitude: Green Spaces? Researchers have discovered that moving to greener areas can improve a person’s mental health over the long-term. During a 5-year study, people who moved into greener areas experienced an immediate improvement in mental health that persisted for at least three years. Those who moved to a more built-up area with less green space experienced a decline in their mental health. The authors of the study suggest creating more green spaces in towns and cities (parks and gardens) could bring lasting benefits to public health.
Environmental Science & Technology, January 2014
Health Alert: Excessive Alcohol Consumption. Nearly forty million American adults drink too much alcohol, although most are not considered alcoholics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, high weekly use is considered 15 or more drinks for men and eight or more drinks on average for women. Excessive alcohol consumption causes premature death (79,000 deaths annually in the United States alone) and costs the economy $224 billion a year. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 2014
Diet: High-Protein Diet Linked to Kidney Problems! A Spanish study found that rats fed a long-term, high-protein diet (57% of total calories from protein) had a higher risk for developing kidney stones and other renal diseases than rats fed a lower protein diet (13% of total calories from protein). The authors of the study stress that even though these results are derived from rat subjects, their findings should translate to humans and anyone on a high-protein diet should be closely monitored for kidney-related issues. Nutricion Hospitalaria, January-February 2013
Exercise: Decreased Risk for Heart Attack Later in Life. A Swedish study involving over 740,000 males found that lack of aerobic fitness at age 18 corresponds to a greater risk for a heart attack later in life. According to lead researcher Dr. Peter Nordström, “As far as we know, this is the first study to investigate the links between an objective measure of physical fitness in teenagers and risk of heart attack in the general population. Further studies are needed to investigate the clinical relevance of these findings, but given the strong association that we have found, the low cost and easy
accessibility of cardiovascular training, and the role of heart disease as a major cause of illness and death worldwide, these results are important with respect to public health.” European Heart Journal, January 2014
Chiropractic: Car Wrecks and Disk Injuries. A disk injury can cause chronic neck pain following a car accident. If the outer wall of the disk (the annulus) is torn and does not properly heal, stress on the nerve endings in the annulus may cause neck pain during normal activities. North American Spine Society, January 2014
Wellness/Prevention: Un-Happy Employees are More Likely to Smoke. According to the Gallup research, employees who are emotionally disconnected from their jobs are 20% more likely to smoke than employees who are either neutral or excited about their work. Previous research has shown that disengaged employees are more likely to suffer from stress, obesity, and chronic health problems. Gallup, August 2013
Quote: “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
~ Joseph Campbell
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 .
