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 March 31 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, March 31st, 2014
Mental Attitude: Is Stress Contagious? A new report finds that not only do babies pick up on their mother’s stress but their bodies will also mimic physiological changes. Researchers found that when mothers were stressed and then reunited with their infant, the child quickly adopted his/her mother’s stress response, including a corresponding change in heart rate. Lead author Dr. Sara Waters writes, “Before infants are verbal and able to express themselves fully, we can overlook how exquisitely attuned they are to the emotional tenor of their caregivers… Your infant may not be able to tell you that you seem stressed or ask you what is wrong, but our work shows that, as soon as she is in your arms, she is picking up on the bodily responses accompanying your emotional state and immediately begins to feel in her own body your own negative emotion.” Psychological Science, February 2014
Health Alert: Buckle Your Children Up! Although child deaths resulting from motor vehicle crashes fell 43% in the United States between 2002 and 2011, car accidents still claim the lives of over 9,000 American children each year. Researchers working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believe that nearly a third of these deaths can be prevented if parents simply secured their children in age/size appropriate car seats. They point out that in states where car seats are required until ages 7-8, more children are put into car and booster seats and serious injury rates are 17% lower than in states without such laws. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, February 2014
Diet: No More Than 2-3 Cups Per Day… Using current research on the over-consumption of caffeine as a guide, Dr. Laura Juliano, co-author of “Caffeine Use Disorder: A Comprehensive Review and Research Agenda,” recommends healthy adults limit caffeine consumption to no more than two to three cups of coffee per day (about 400 mg/day) and pregnant women to no more than half that amount. She also recommends people with health problems such as anxiety, insomnia, heart problems, or urinary incontinence limit or even eliminate caffeine consumption. Journal of Caffeine Research, February 2014
Exercise: Sitting and Disability. For the first time, a study has labeled sedentary activity as a risk factor for disability for people over age 60. Using data on over 2,000 adults over 60 years of age, researchers were shocked to discover that being sedentary is just as large a risk factor for disability as not exercising, and the risk of disability dramatically increases for each additional hour spent sitting at a computer or on the couch watching TV. Journal of Physical Activity & Health, February 2014
Chiropractic: Acute Low Back Pain Treatment Comparison. In this study, researchers compared the efficacy of spinal manipulation to diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), for the treatment of acute low back pain. Based on outcomes including self-rated physical disability, function, time missed from work, and rescue medication use during the following 12 weeks, spinal manipulation proved to be a significantly better treatment. Spine, April 2013
Wellness/Prevention: Mammography Recommended for Women in Their 40s. While the United States Preventive Services Task Force’s 2009 guidelines recommend against routine mammograms for women in their 40s, new research shows that regular screenings would benefit this age group by helping doctors catch the disease when it can still be treated without extensive surgery or chemotherapy. Current statistics show that one in eight women will develop breast cancer, and if the disease is caught early enough, the five-year survival rate is 97%. American Journal of Roentgenology, February 2014
Quote: “To know that we know what we know, and to know that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge.” ~ Nicolaus Copernicus
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 .
