Dr. Darren Taylor, Daily Health Update

Daily Health Update Tuesday October 20, 2015

Courtesy of:

Darren Taylor, D.C.

Quote: “For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use to be anything else.” - Winston S. Churchill Mental Attitude: Are Changes to the Brain to Blame for Tinnitus & Chronic Pain? Georgetown University Medical Center scientists say they have indentified brain abnormalities they believe may be responsible for both chronic pain and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). They explain that mechanisms in the brain that usually control noise and pain signals can lose their ability to do so, leading to a perception of noise or pain long after an injury has occurred. Dr. Josef Rauschecker, the director of the Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition at Georgetown University Medical Center notes, "Some people call these phantom sensations, but they are real, produced by a brain that continues to 'feel' the initial injury because it cannot down-regulate the sensations enough. Both conditions are extraordinarily common, yet no treatment gets to the root of these disorders." The team hopes their findings will help develop new therapies for these common complaints. Georgetown University Medical Center, September 2015 Health Alert: TVs Pose Injury Risk for Kids. Between 2011 and 2013, an average of more than 15,000 kids per year were seen in emergency rooms across the United States for injuries involving toppled television (TV) sets. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends parents educate their kids about the dangers of knocking over/down the TV, limit playing in rooms with a TV, mount the TV securely on a wall, don't place a TV on a dresser, keep toys and other items that might attract your children away from TVs, and supervise children around TVs.  Pediatrics, September 2015

Diet: American Kids Like Apples. American kids’ favorite fruit is the apple, which accounts for about 20% of all fruit consumed by children in the United States. Researchers examined surveys on the food habits of more than 3,100 school children and found that whole fruits made up 53% of their overall fruit consumption, while just over a third of the fruit in the average kid's diet came from 100% fruit juices. (The rest consists of mixed-fruit products and beverages that aren’t 100% fruit.) Apples made up 19% of total fruit intake, followed by citrus juice (14%), and apple juice (10%), with the rest coming from other whole fruits and juices. The authors of the study note that children do not eat enough daily servings of fruit and recommend parents encourage their children to not only eat more whole fruits but try different types as well. Pediatrics, September 2015 Exercise: Stretch! An essential part of a fitness plan should include finding time to stretch. The American Council on Exercise suggests stretching at least three days per week for at least 30 minutes, stretching for a few minutes as soon as you step out of the shower or bath, stretching before you get out of bed by pointing your toes and stretching your arms above your head, and taking an exercise class that involves stretching. American Council on Exercise, October 2015 Chiropractic: Avoid Injury When Lifting. Repetitive lifting or heavy lifting can strain the back and result in aching or injured back muscles. To keep your back safe, the American Academy of Family Physicians recommends testing how heavy something is before attempting to lift it, making sure the weight is balanced in the object you're lifting, getting a good grip before lifting, lifting with your legs, moving slowly, keeping items close to your body, warming-up first, taking frequent breaks, refraining from trying to lift something that is too heavy, and seeking help if needed. American Academy of Family Physicians, October 2015 Wellness/Prevention: Is Fidgeting Good for Your Health? Tapping your foot, drumming your fingers, and shifting in your seat may actually be healthy for you. A study that included more than 14,000 women found the risk of premature death associated with prolonged sitting is substantially lower in women who are moderately-to-highly fidgety when compared with women who are characterized as only slightly fidgety. University of Leeds, September 2015

Dr. Darren Taylor, Daily Health Update Monday October 19, 2015

Courtesy of: Darren Taylor, D.C.

Quote: “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” - J.K. Rowling Mental Attitude: Sleep Apnea May Hurt Kids’ School Performance. Investigators have found that children with sleep-disordered breathing, such as sleep apnea, perform worse on language arts, math, and science tests than kids without such conditions. The findings come from a review of sixteen studies dealing with sleep apnea or related disorders in children and academic achievement. Lead author Dr. Barbara Galland writes, "Given the potential adverse consequences of sleep-disordered breathing on health, behavioral, and learning outcomes in children, it is important for parents and clinicians to recognize symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing." Pediatrics, September 2015

Health Alert: Almost 50% of Adults in US Have Diabetes or Are at High Risk of Getting It. Nearly half of all American adults have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, claims a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers say that up to 14% of adults had either diagnosed or undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in 2011-2012, and approximately 38% had diagnosed or undiagnosed prediabetes. Journal of the American Medical Association, September 2015

Diet: Eat More Nutrient-Rich Foods. Taste is an important part of what makes food appealing, but opting for nutrient-rich foods is essential to give your body the fuel it needs to perform its best. The American Academy of Family Physicians suggests these nutrient-rich food choices: whole grains, a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables, lean protein such as fish, skinless poultry, beans, and low-fat dairy. American Academy of Family Physicians, September 2015

Exercise: Male Teens Who Exercise Think Better When They Grow Up. Using over thirty years of data from the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study, researchers found a significant association between greater teenage physical fitness levels among males and better cognitive function two decades later. According to the research team, "The results suggest a stimulating effect of adolescent physical activity in males on executive functions in adulthood, emphasizing the importance of an active lifestyle amongst adolescent males." Journal of Physical Activity & Health, September 2015

Chiropractic: Chiropractic Rated High for Treatment of Dizziness and Balance Issues. Past research shows that about 30% of older adults experience dizziness and balance problems. A new study examining the types of treatment sought by patients with balance and dizziness complaints and the success of those treatments revealed that only 4.7% utilized chiropractic care. However, those patients who did see a chiropractor reported the highest treatment success rate for their dizziness and balance issues. The authors speculate that most dizziness and balance problems in older individuals may be caused by dysfunction in the neck that can be successfully addressed by chiropractic care. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, September 2015

Wellness/Prevention: Vitamin D May Prevent Macular Degeneration in Some Women. Women who are deficient in vitamin D may be up to 6.7 times more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD) than women without who have healthy vitamin D levels. AMD is the leading cause of legal blindness, and it affects more than ten million Americans. The study's lead author, Dr. Amy Millen writes, "Most people have heard that you should eat carrots to help your vision. However, there appear to be many other ways that adequate nutrition can support eye health. Having adequate vitamin D status may be one of them." JAMA Ophthalmology, August 2015

Daily Health Update, Friday October 16, 2015

Courtesy of: Dr. Darren Taylor

Mental Attitude: Is Mind Reading Possible? A team of researchers contend it’s possible to link up the brains of individuals in two separate spaces, so that one person can figure out what the other is thinking. They claim it could be done by digitizing the electrical nerve activity of a person's thoughts, translating that activity/thought into a specific signal, and then transmitting that signal over the Internet in patterns that can be understood by another person's brain. Study author Dr. Andrea Stocco writes, "Brain-to-brain interface is a field of research that is just at the very beginning… What we've achieved is already very cool. But what this has the potential to lead to is a whole new form of communication." PLOS ONE, September 2015

Health Alert: Dizziness After Standing May Indicate a Greater Risk of Early Death. Harvard University researchers claim dizzy spells that occur after you’ve been standing for a few minutes may be an early sign of serious neurological disease and an increased risk of premature death. The condition is called orthostatic hypotension and is defined as a drop in blood pressure that occurs within three minutes of standing. In the study, 29-64% of individuals suffering from this condition died during the ten-year follow-up period, depending on how quickly they became dizzy after standing. In comparison, only 9% of healthy people in a control group passed away during this same time frame. Dr. Paul Wright, chair of neurology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York adds, "The data warrants a deeper and more extensive evaluation of this type of patient. It appears that consistent drops in blood pressure are not as benign as once thought." Neurology, September 2015

Diet: Fruits & Veggies Help Keep You Thin. Eating more fruits and non-starchy vegetables may help keep you fit and trim. Scientists analyzed over two decades of data collected from more than 133,000 women and men and found that risk of excessive weight gain decreased as the intake of fruits and non-starchy vegetable increased. The findings may provide further food-specific guidance for the prevention of obesity, which is a significant risk factor for the development of health condition such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. PLOS Medicine, September 2015

Exercise: Aerobic Exercise Can Reduce Dementia Risk By Nearly a Fifth! Seniors who perform daily aerobic exercise can cut their risk for dementia by 19%. The study followed 15,589 seniors for six years and found those who participated in a daily aerobic exercise program lasting at least 45 minutes were significantly less likely to have been diagnosed with any form of dementia by the end of the study period. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, October 2015

Chiropractic: Obesity a Risk Factor for Spinal Stenosis. A new study involving over 364,000 participants finds obese and overweight individuals have a higher risk for developing spinal stenosis in the lumbar spine. Spinal stenosis is a condition whereby either the spinal canal or one or more vertebral foramina becomes narrowed. It can lead to compression of the spinal cord or spinal nerves, potentially resulting in painful symptoms including low back pain, buttock pain, and leg pain and numbness that is made worse with walking and relieved by resting. The findings indicate obesity epidemic may be a novel explanation for the increased rate of clinical lumbar spinal stenosis diagnoses in recent decades. Spine, September 2015

Wellness/Prevention: Healthy Vitamin D levels May Reduce Lung Cancer Risk. After reviewing data from ten published studies, researchers report that simply maintaining healthy vitamin D levels may reduce an individual's risk for lung cancer by 5%. However, the best way to reduce one's risk for the disease is to not smoke and limit exposure to secondhand smoke. Cancer Causes & Control, September 2015

Quote: Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. - T.S. Eliot

Daily Health Update, Thursday October 15, 2015

Dr. Darren Taylor

DAILY HEALTH UPDATE Thursday, October 15, 2015

Mental Attitude: Antidepressant Paroxetine Not Safe for Teens. A reanalysis of data from a decade ago finds that paroxetine (also known by the trade names Paxil, Pexeva, Seroxat, Brisdelle, and Rexetin) can make some teens suicidal and likely to harm themselves. The reanalysis found that paroxetine was no more effective than a placebo in the treatment of major depression among teenagers, and investigators also considered the increase in potential harm with the drug to be clinically significant. These new findings suggest that the original analysis came to the wrong conclusion when it declared the medication safe and effective for use in teens. Study co-author Dr. David Henry writes, "It's not clear whether it was deliberate or accidental, but it wrongly gave the impression [this] antidepressant drug was effective and safe in children and adolescents." British Medical Journal, September 2015 Health Alert: Daytime Sleepiness and Long Naps Linked to Increased Diabetes Risk. A new research review finds that being sleepy and taking long naps during the day may be a sign an individual is at a greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The analysis included data from 261,365 participants and found excessive daytime sleepiness is associated with a 56% increased risk of a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, while taking a daytime nap of one hour or longer is tied to a 46% higher risk for the same condition. European Association for the Study of Diabetes, September 2015 Diet: Beet Juice Boosts Muscle Strength Among Heart Patients. Foods with high concentrations of nitrates, such as beets and spinach, may help boost muscle strength among patients with heart conditions. Nitrates are converted into nitric oxide inside the body, which helps relax blood vessels and improves metabolism. Study participants given concentrated beet juice experienced a 13% power increase in the muscles that extend the knee two hours after consuming the nitrate-rich juice when compared with those in a control group who did not drink beet juice. Investigator Dr. Andrew R. Coggan writes, "I have compared the beet-juice effect to Popeye eating his spinach… The magnitude of this improvement is comparable to that seen in heart failure patients who have done two to three months of resistance training." Circulation: Heart Failure, September 2015 Exercise: Nearly 10% of Deaths Worldwide Caused by Physical Inactivity. Taking into account the increased risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, age-associated frailty, and cancer associated with physical inactivity, a study published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings estimates that 9.4% of the more than 57 million deaths worldwide in 2008 were caused by simply too much sedentary behavior and not enough physical exercise. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, September 2015 Chiropractic: If You Have Back Pain, Consider Seeing a Chiropractor First… After following 747 patients with low back pain (LBP) for one year, researchers report that LBP patients who initially seek care from a medical doctor regarding their condition are five times more likely to undergo advanced diagnostic imaging and 7.69 times more likely to eventually consult with a surgeon than those who visit a doctor of chiropractic first. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, September 2015 Wellness/Prevention: Keep Blood Pressure in Check. High blood pressure can lead to serious health events if not treated and monitored properly. If you suffer from this condition, you must work with your primary care provider to keep it under control. Experts at the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute recommend eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and regularly checking and keeping a log of your blood pressure to review with your physician at your next doctor visit. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, September 2015

Quote: “The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success.”- Ian Fleming