Courtesy of: Your Napa Chiropractor Dr. Joseph T. Megna

Mental Attitude: Money Worries Have Americans Anxious.                                      A nationwide poll of more than 1,000 adults revealed that 39% of respondents are more anxious than they were a year ago, with finances, safety, and health topping the list as sources of anxiety.                                                                                  American Psychiatric Association, May 2018

Health Alert: Illnesses Tied to Ticks and Mosquitoes Soaring in US.                    Diseases transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes in the United States (US) have more than tripled over the past decade from about 27,000 cases in 2004 to over 96,000 cases in 2016. Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adds, “Zika, West Nile, Lyme, and chikungunya—a growing list of diseases caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, tick or flea— have confronted the US in recent years, making a lot of people sick. And we don’t know what will threaten Americans next.” The report reveals the need for an increased effort to both combat the spread of these pests and better educate the public how to prevent bites.                                                      CDC Vital Signs Report, May 2018

Diet: Eating More Produce Lowers Depression Risk.                                                An analysis of data from 18 published studies found that each 100-gram increase in daily fruit and vegetable intake reduces an individual’s risk for depression by 3%.                                                                                                                                 British Journal of Nutrition, May 2018

Exercise: Can Exercise Make Your Heart Younger?                                                   In this study, researchers found that mice that ran the equivalent of 3.1 miles (5 km) per day generated about 4.5 times more new heart muscle cells than mice that abstained from exercise. The investigators report that these findings demonstrate how exercise can increases the heart’s capacity to regenerate. Researcher Dr. Anthony Rosenzweig notes, “Maintaining a healthy heart requires balancing the loss of heart muscle cells due to injury or aging with the regeneration or birth of new heart muscle cells. Our study suggests exercise can help tip the balance in favor of regeneration.”                                                    Nature Communications, April 2018

Chiropractic: Shoulder Strength Affected By Posture.                                                A recent study assessed the effect of various sitting postures on the external rotator muscle strength of the shoulder. Among a group of 100 participants, researchers observed that shoulder external rotator strength declined 8% following five minutes of sitting in a forward head rounded shoulder posture.                      International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, February 2018

Wellness/Prevention: Early Breast Screening May Reduce Need for Aggressive Treatments.                                                                                                                    Early breast cancer screening may translate into smaller tumors and less aggressive breast cancer treatments. In this study, researchers found that women whose last mammogram was 25 months or more before their breast cancer diagnosis were 50% more likely to need chemotherapy, 32% more likely to have a mastectomy, 66% more likely to need lymph nodes removed, and had larger tumors than those who more recently underwent a breast cancer screening. Study author Dr. Elisa Port notes, “There are multiple benefits of mammography in terms of early detection. Not only do we save lives, but we reduce the likelihood of needing more aggressive treatment.”                   American Society of Breast Surgeons, May 2018

Quote: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” ~ Alan Kay

Your Napa Chiropractor Dr. Joseph T. Megna