Courtesy of: Your Rio Vista Chiropractor Dr. Joseph T. Megna
Health Alert: Early-Life Tobacco Exposure May Set Stage for Type 2 Diabetes. New research suggests that individuals exposed to secondhand smoke during gestation or early life have up to a 22% elevated risk for type 2 diabetes in adulthood, while those who start smoking during adolescence may be up to 57% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. American Heart Association, March 2024
Diet: Healthy Diet May Keep Muscles Strong. An analysis of dietary questionnaire data collected from 528 middle-aged and older adults revealed an association between greater adherence to a healthy eating pattern, such as the Mediterranean diet, and both a stronger grip and greater muscle mass in the arms and legs. The findings suggest that consuming a healthy diet may preserve muscle mass in aging adults. European Journal of Nutrition, April 2024
Exercise: Carrot or Stick? In a recent study, researchers observed that a system offering small rewards for meeting physical activity recommendations and small penalties for non-compliance resulted in more significant improvements in exercise behavior than a reward-only or penalty-only system. Leiden University, February 2024
Chiropractic: Conservative Treatment for Tennis Elbow. For patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy, a systematic review that included twelve studies found that a conservative treatment plan that includes manual therapy, electrotherapy, and exercise may provide greater long-term benefits and a lower risk of recurrence than corticosteroid injections. Doctors of chiropractic often manage patients with tennis elbow using such a multimodal approach. Shoulder Elbow, March 2024
Mental Attitude: Establish a Cognitive Baseline. Experts from Northwestern Medicine recommend individuals begin undergoing cognitive assessments at midlife to both establish a baseline and to measure their thinking and memory skills over time. Neuropsychologist Dr. Sandra Weintraub notes, “All of us go to the doctor every year, and we know our blood pressure and heart rate, our sugar levels and bone density… But at no time are we ever told what our baseline cognitive functioning is. Because we know aging can bring potential problems with your thinking abilities, it is very important to know how a person is functioning even in their 50s or 60s. That way when those agerelated changes start to occur, we have a baseline to know if you have changed or not.”
Northwestern University, February 2024
Wellness/Prevention: Greenspace Access and Dementia. Using data from the Healthy Brain Project, researchers observed that greater access to green spaces is associated with a reduced risk for dementia for residents of socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. The findings suggest that measures to make parks and natural spaces easier to access could reduce the incidence of dementia in less affluent areas.
Preventative Medicine Reports, March 2024
Quote: “Winning isn’t everything. Wanting to win is.” ~ Jim “Catfish” Hunter
Your Rio Vista Chiropractor Dr. Joseph T. Megna