Interviews with over 5,000 teenager-parent pairs revealed that adolescents average about 3.9 hours of leisure screen time a day. Past research has shown that excessive screen time can increase the risk for poor outcomes like depression, anxiety, … [Read more...]
Exercise Protects the Muscles, Bones, and Joints
A review of data from the 1999-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey revealed that meeting fitness guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week can reduce the risk for sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and … [Read more...]
How Red Meat Increases Cardiovascular Disease Risk
New research suggests that microbes in the digestive tract convert carnitine—an ammonium compound found in red meat—into trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which is a molecule known to promote atherosclerosis and blood clot formation. Nature … [Read more...]
Prediabetes Linked to Several Poor Outcomes
Prediabetes is a term used to describe elevated blood sugar levels that have not yet reached the threshold for diabetes diagnosis. An umbrella review of 95 meta-analyses found evidence that prediabetes is associated with an increased incidence of … [Read more...]
Quote of the Week
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ~ William James … [Read more...]
Safety Tips for Snow Shoveling
For many, winter means shoveling snow. Since this activity can increase one’s risk for a back injury and heart attack, Traveler’s Insurance recommends the following: warm-up beforehand, push rather than lift, choose your shovel wisely, take frequent … [Read more...]
Social Engagement Protects the Brain
During a four-year study, researchers observed that older adults with mild cognitive impairment who socialized in a greater number of environments were less likely to progress to dementia. Alzheimer’s Disease and Associated Disorders, January 2022 … [Read more...]
Spinal Alignment Linked to Low Back Pain
Examinations of 1,491 adults revealed that those with low back pain were more likely to have exaggerated sagittal (from the side) spinal curvature. The findings suggest that spinal malalignment may be a contributing factor for back pain. Doctors of … [Read more...]
Why Some Love Black Coffee and Dark Chocolate…
New research suggests that individuals who prefer their coffee black and chocolate dark carry genes that are associated with the more efficient metabolization of caffeine, which speeds up the time it takes to provide an increase in mental alertness. … [Read more...]
Good Oral Health May Have Cardiovascular Benefits
Following a review of data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Health Screening Cohort concerning nearly 53,000 hypertensive patients, researchers report that participants who developed five or more dental caries during an … [Read more...]
Quote of the Week
“When a deep injury is done us, we never recover until we forgive.” ~ Alan Paton … [Read more...]
Preventing Obesity in Kids
Healthline reports that the following can help reduce the prevalence of obesity in the pediatric population: breastfeed infants, if possible; eat healthy foods as a family; encourage eating slowly and only when hungry; limit unhealthy foods in the … [Read more...]
Weak Grip May Suggest Dementia Risk
Researchers use handgrip strength to estimate an individual’s overall fitness level. A systematic review of data from 16 studies has concluded that poor handgrip strength is also associated with a nearly two-times increased risk for dementia. … [Read more...]
Many Misbeliefs Persist About Back Pain
Questionnaires completed by 3,724 adults revealed that many people still retain false beliefs about low back pain, which not only increases their risk for the condition but can also lower their chances for recovery. Some of these myths include the … [Read more...]