Courtesy of: Your Rio Vista Chiropractor Dr. Joseph T. Megna
Health Alert: Life’s Essential 8 Also Lowers Cancer Risk. The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 is a set of health-related behaviors and clinical measures—including not smoking, good sleep hygiene, maintaining a healthy weight, a nutritious diet, regular physical activity, and healthy levels of blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood
pressure—that are linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. According to data from the REGARDS study, meeting these eight criteria is also associated with a 52% lower risk of developing cancer over a 14-year period.
JACC. Advances, April 2025
Diet: High-Salt Diet Linked to Depression? A recent animal study found that high sodium intake increases production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17A, which was associated with depression-like behaviors in mice. If these findings translate to humans, reducing salt intake could become a consideration in the management or prevention of certain mood disorders. Journal of Immunology, March 2025
Exercise: Getting Active in Midlife May Improve Brain Health Too. Among a group of 337 middle-aged adults, those who increased their physical activity levels to meet or exceed exercise guidelines (at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a week) exhibited less beat-amyloid accumulation and greater cortical
thickness, which are key indicators of brain health. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, April 2025
Chiropractic: Treatment for Acute Neck Pain. A systematic review that included eight clinical trials found that spinal manipulative therapy is a safe and effective intervention for improving pain, disability, and range of motion in patients with acute neck pain. Spinal manipulative therapy is the primary form of treatment provided by
chiropractors. Systematic Reviews, May 2025
Mental Attitude: Early Menopause May Indicate Future Cognitive Issues. Researchers from Tohoku University report that middle-aged women in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing who experienced menopause before age 40 showed greater declines in thinking and memory skills over a two-year period than those who entered menopause after age 50. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, April 2025
Wellness/Prevention: AI May Help Detect Heart Problems During Routine Visits. Heart muscle weakness, defined as a left ventricular ejection fraction below 50%, affects an estimated 1-3% of women of childbearing age and can significantly increase the risk of complications during pregnancy for both mother and baby. A recent study
conducted by Mayo Clinic researchers found that tools like digital stethoscopes, when combined with artificial intelligence (AI), can detect heart dysfunction during routine primary care visits—even before symptoms appear— allowing for earlier interventions to reduce the risk of pregnancy-related complications.
Annals of Family Medicine, April 2025
Quote: “A good goal is like a strenuous exercise – it makes you stretch.” ~ Mary Kay Ash
Your Rio Vista Chiropractor Dr. Joseph T. Megna