Mental Attitude: Hormones May Lead Financial Traders to Take Bigger Risks. The stressful and competitive environment of the financial world may boost levels of the hormones cortisol and testosterone in financial traders, leading them to invest in riskier assets. In a simulation, male participants who were given doses of cortisol shifted investments towards riskier assets and those given testosterone experienced increased levels of optimism about the future prospects of their choice. The researchers conclude, “Our results suggest that changes in both cortisol and testosterone could play a destabilizing role in financial markets through increased risk taking behavior, acting via different behavioral pathways.” Scientific Reports, July 2015
Health Alert: Children May Be Affected By Early Antibiotic Use. According to the findings of a new animal study, multiple courses of antibiotics during early childhood can lead to weight gain, increased bone growth, and altered gut flora. The researchers write that their findings highlight the potential negative impact repeated antibiotic exposure in early life may have on development. Nature Communications, June 2015
Diet: Eating Uncommon Foods May Promote a Healthier Lifestyle. A new report finds that adventurous eaters weigh less and appear healthier than more conservative diners. The findings are the result of a survey the showed that women who ate the widest variety of uncommon foods – including seitan, beef tongue, kimchi, rabbit, and polenta – also rated themselves as healthier eaters, more physically active, and more concerned with the healthfulness of their food when compared with less adventurous eaters. Study co-author Dr. Brian Wansink adds, “These findings are important to dieters because they show that promoting adventurous eating may provide a way for people – especially women – to lose or maintain weight without feeling restricted by a strict diet.” Obesity, July 2015
Exercise: Physical Exercise May Reduce Binge Eating. While it makes sense that dietary interventions should reduce binge eating behavior, a new study published in the journal Appetite points to physical exercise as a better strategy. Researchers tracked 180 women for six months and found that those who participated in a physical activity intervention experienced greater reductions in binge eating symptoms than those who received training on making better dietary choices. If these results are confirmed with a larger-scale study, it could lead to new treatment options for people with binge eating behavior. Appetite, July 2015
Chiropractic: Manual Therapies Help TMD Patients. For patients with a temporomandibular joint disorder, manual therapies may be the most effective conservative treatment option. A systemic review of eight published studies indicates that manual therapies had the greatest effect on improving both function and pain associated with temporomandibular joint disorders. This adds to the growing body of research supporting the efficacy of manual therapies, treatments commonly performed by doctors of chiropractic, for the care of TMD patients. Manual Therapy, June 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Keep Kid Safe While Outdoors. Keeping children safe while they exercise and play outside is very important. The eXtension Foundation recommends the following guidelines: never allow kids to play unsupervised; explain to children not to play near a street or driveway; tell children to ask an adult for help when any object rolls into the street; and remove sharp objects, lawn equipment, animal waste, branches, and garbage from outdoor play areas. eXtension Foundation, July 2015
Quote: “Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.” ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

I found that Dr. Joe Megna is one of the best chiropractors I have found in the Napa region.

Mental Attitude: Atrial Fibrillation May Increase Dementia Risk. After analyzing data regarding 332,665 atrial fibrillation (AF) patients from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, researchers report that a diagnosis of AF may increase an individual’s risk for dementia by up to 42%, even after adjusting for age, gender, and medication use.
International Journal of Cardiology, July 2015
Health Alert: National Program to Address Sepsis Is Needed! Sepsis is a condition that occurs when an infection enters the bloodstream, resulting in an inflammatory response throughout the body. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center report that during a two-year period in California, 240,198 patients were readmitted to hospitals for sepsis (almost as many as heart attack and heart failure combined) leading to $500 million dollars in additional healthcare costs. Experts suggest a national program aimed at improving discharge practices, follow-up care, and instructions for patients on how to properly take their medications will go a long way to reduce sepsis-related complications. Critical Care Medicine, June 2015
Diet: Food Supply Driving Global Obesity Epidemic. Is the global obesity epidemic simply due to the oversupply of processed foods? Researcher Dr. Stefanie Vandevijvere writes “Much of the increase in available calories over the decades has come from ultra-processed food products, which are highly palatable, relatively inexpensive, and widely advertised, making overconsumption of calories very easy.” World Health Organization, June 2015
Exercise: Extracurricular Sports Improves Kids’ Academics. Participating in extracurricular sports may help children develop the discipline they need to excel in school. Researchers note that both a child’s attention span and level of self-control can be positively associated with their participation in organized, after-school sports. Study leader Dr. Linda Pagani adds, “There is something specific to the sporting environment – perhaps the unique sense of belonging to a team, to a special group with a common goal – that appears to help kids understand the importance of respecting the rules and honoring responsibilities.” She hopes these findings will lead to improved access to parks and playgrounds where children can engage in sporting activities.
American Journal of Health Promotion, July 2015
Chiropractic: What Factors May Increase a Patient’s Risk for Another Back Pain Episode? Researchers conducted MRI scans on 76 patients who had an episode of back pain within the previous three months and followed them for a year in an effort to identify any factors that may indicate whether or not a patient may experience future back pain episodes. After comparing the MRI findings and case history of each patient who had a recurrent back pain episode with those who did not, the researchers found that patients with disk degeneration were 89% more likely to have another episode of back pain within the next twelve months when compared with patients without MRI-confirmed disk generation. For patients with a bulging disk, the risk for a recurrent episode was 84% greater than those without a disk bulge. They also found that each previous episode of back pain increases a patient’s risk for a future episode by 4%. Spine Journal, July 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Maintain a Healthy Weight to Lower Breast Cancer Risk. Using thirteen years of data concerning 67,142 postmenopausal women, researchers note that obese women (body mass index > 35) have an 86% greater risk of being diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. This news is especially troubling as two-thirds of women in the United States are either overweight or obese. JAMA Oncology, July 2015
Quote: “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.”
~ John Quincy Adams

I found that Dr. Joe Megna is one of the best chiropractors I have found in the Napa region.

Mental Attitude: Major Depression Associated with a Smaller Hippocampus. A large international study has found that individuals with major depression have a significantly smaller hippocampus (an area of the brain associated with regulating emotions) than those without depression. Dr. Jim Lagopoulos, an associate professor at Brain and Mind Research Institute, says these findings reveal new information about our brain structures and the mechanisms that might underlie depression.
Molecular Psychiatry, June 2015
Health Alert: Smoking’s Cost on Society Is Falling! After adjusting for inflation, the total cost of smoking (healthcare, lost productivity from illness, and lost productivity from premature mortality) in the State of California has fallen 13% since 1999. Experts suggest the state’s early adoption of tobacco control strategies has contributed to both the lower number of present day smokers in the state and the reduced intensity of cigarette use among current smokers. Researcher Dr. Wendy Max notes, “The California tobacco control program has been very effective but there remains work to be done, especially in light of the changing landscape of tobacco products.” Nicotine and Tobacco Research, July 2015
Diet: BBQ Grill Brush Wires Can Cause Big Health Woes. Summer is a great time to cook on the grill; however, using a rusty old grill brush to clean the barbecue can potentially be dangerous. Health experts from the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University warn that wire bristles from grill brushes can snap off, land on the grate, and can eventually find their way into grilled meats. If swallowed, these bristles can damage a person’s throat and digestive tract. Experts recommend that people who grill toss out their wire brush in favor of a safer options such as bristle-free brushes made of metal coil or brushes with nylon bristles.
Brown University, July 2015
Exercise: You Probably Still Need to Exercise, Even if You Have a Busy Job. According to a new study, having a busy job may not provide enough exercise to meet the current physical activity recommendations to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD). The small study followed 83 employees working in six occupation groups during a typical work week. Employees wore a pedometer to record steps and energy expenditure. The researchers found that only 6% of the participants reached the recommended amount of 10,000 steps per day during working hours, while 30% were described as “sedentary” (achieving less than 5,000 steps per day). EuroPrevent Congress, July 2015
Chiropractic: Can Migraines Be Caused By a Neck Problem? For some patients with migraine headaches, treatments aimed at alleviating nerve compression in the neck may lead to reduced headache severity and frequency, or even lasting relief. This adds to a growing body of research that some patients with migraine headaches may benefit from treatments intended to improve cervical function, such as chiropractic care. Eplasty, June 2015
Wellness/Prevention: CPR & AED Training Mandatory For High School Graduation? Experts recommend that both a working knowledge of CPR and the use of an automated electronic defibrillator (AED) should become a graduation requirement for middle and high school students. According to physicians from the Institute of Medicine, less than 6% of the 395,000 Americans who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital each year will survive. Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City notes, “By teaching laypersons in public settings the proper use of such devices, we may be able to effectively increase survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.” National Academy of Sciences, June 2015
Quote: “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.”
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I found that Dr. Joe Megna is one of the best chiropractors I have found in the Napa region.

Mental Attitude: Sepsis May Increase Dementia Risk. Using data on nearly 12,000 patients from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000, researchers found that a previous diagnosis of sepsis increases dementia risk 2.27 times among females and 3.17 times among males. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, July 2015
Health Alert: Many Americans Wait Too Long to Get Healthcare. A new report notes that some people must wait several months before receiving the healthcare services they need, potentially endangering their health. Experts from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) add that poor management of human resources in healthcare institutions is one of the main reasons patients are unable to get faster care. Three strategies offered by experts at the IOM include: better monitoring of staff resources to meet demand, focusing on patient preferences when scheduling appointments, and providing alternatives to office visits with a doctor, such as telephone consultations with non-physician clinicians. Institute of Medicine, June 2015
Diet: Sugary Drink Consumption Contributing to Over 180,000 Worldwide Deaths Annually. Sugary drink consumption in the United States (US) has increased dramatically over the last three decades. Currently, around 50% of the population drinks these types of beverages on a daily basis. Researchers report that in 2010, sugary drink consumption was responsible for around 184,450 deaths worldwide, with 133,000 deaths from diabetes, 45,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease, and 6,450 deaths from cancer. Senior author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian adds, “Many countries in the world have a significant number of deaths occurring from a single dietary factor: sugar-sweetened beverages. It should be a global priority to substantially reduce or eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages from the diet. There are no health benefits from sugar-sweetened beverages, and the potential impact of reducing consumption is saving tens of thousands of deaths each year.” Circulation, June 2015
Exercise: Drink Water Responsibly When Exercising to Avoid Health Risks. Experts say that keeping hydrated during exercise is important, but drinking too much water can be hazardous and in some case, can even result in death. Newly published guidelines recommend that drinking when thirsty is the healthiest way for athletes to keep hydrated, reducing the risk of exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH). Excess water intake can lead to EAH, whereby the kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water in the body completely. As a result, the sodium in the body becomes diluted, causing dangerous swelling in cells.
Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, July 2015
Chiropractic: Overuse Injuries Common Among High School Girls. Compared with young male athletes, young females appear to face a far greater risk for repetitive motion injuries. Researchers observed that the highest overuse injury rate was among girls who ran track, followed by girls who played field hockey and lacrosse. Overall, investigators found that the most overuse injuries involved the lower leg followed by knee and shoulder injuries. The researchers advised that all high school athletes play more than just a single sport, and parents should encourage their children to get the rest and foods they need to stay healthy.
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, June 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D? Vitamin D is important for strong and healthy bones, making sure your muscles, heart, lungs, and brain work well and that your body can fight infection. To ensure that you’re getting enough vitamin D, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics advises the following: get some sun, but avoid sunburn; eat vitamin D-fortified foods such as milk, cereals, and some forms of orange juice and cheese; eat naturally vitamin D-rich foods such as fatty fish, mushrooms, cheese, beef liver, and egg yolks; and take a vitamin D supplement. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, July 2015
Quote: “We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” ~ Bob Ross

I found that Dr. Joe Megna is one of the best chiropractors I have found in the Napa region.