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

Mental Attitude: Genetics Mostly to Blame for Autism. The results of a new study involving over two million people from five countries suggest that autism spectrum disorder is 80% contingent on inherited genes. Dr. Andrew Adesman, director of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York notes, “Although families are often most concerned about environmental risk factors for autism, the reality is that genetic factors play a much larger role overall… [However,] this does not mean that we can completely ignore the environmental risk factors and their interaction with the genetic risk
factors.” JAMA Psychiatry, July 2019

Health Alert: Smokers Have Higher Risk for Metabolic Syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a cluster of conditions—increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and
abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels—that elevates a person’s risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. A review of data from the 2008 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that smokers
have an elevated risk for metabolic syndrome, and the risk is even greater among smokers who also drink alcohol, even at moderate levels. Substance Use & Misuse, August 2019

Diet: Eat More Veggies! According to an analysis of data from nine published studies, individuals with a higher daily vegetable intake have up to a 39% lower risk for liver cancer than adults who seldom eat
vegetables. Food & Function, July 2019

Exercise: Diabetes Linked to Too Much Sitting. A review of data from nine published studies that included nearly 450,000 adults concluded that higher total sitting time per day is associated with an elevated risk for type
2 diabetes, regardless of physical activity levels. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, August 2019

Chiropractic: Whole-Body Vibration Linked to Work Absence. Among a group of 2,302 industrial workers whom researchers monitored for four years, those with the greatest exposure to whole body vibrations (from
operating heavy equipment, for example) had a greater risk for back pain-related work absence. The findings suggest that introducing controls to limit vibration exposure on the job site could help reduce the impact of back
pain on the workforce. Occupation and Environmental Medicine, August 2019

Wellness/Prevention: Play It Safe with Lightning. Though it’s safer to be indoors during a thunderstorm, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that you can still be at risk for lightning-related injury
in the home. To keep safe, the CDC recommends avoiding contact with tap water, electronic equipment, corded phones, windows, doors, porches, and concrete. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 2019

Quote: “Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.” ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

Your Napa Chiropractor Dr. Joseph T. Megna