Mental Attitude: Psoriasis Patients Often Suffer from Depression. A new report finds that individuals with psoriasis may be at a greater risk for depression. Psoriasis is a systemic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease that affects 3-4% of Americans. It causes patches of thick, red skin, and silvery scales, usually on the elbows, knees, scalp, lower back, face, palms, and soles of feet. Investigators found that 16.5% of the psoriasis patients in their analysis suffered from major depression. They speculate the psychiatric burden of psoriasis may be related to how patients perceive the social response to their appearance, rather than objective disease severity. The authors conclude, “Our study supports that all patients with psoriasis, regardless of severity, are at risk for depressive symptoms and may benefit from depression screening.” JAMA Dermatology, September 2015
Health Alert: Calcium May Not Help the Bones of Seniors. Taking extra calcium may not help aging bones after all. An analysis of more than 100 previous investigations suggests that guidelines advising seniors to consume 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium a day are misplaced. Researcher Dr. Mark Bolland adds, “We’ve gathered all the clinical studies of calcium supplements and dietary calcium intake for both bone density and fractures… Taken together, we think this is the strongest possible evidence that taking calcium supplements will not be beneficial unless there are clear medical reasons that a calcium supplement is needed.”
British Medical Journal, September 2015
Diet: Mediterranean Diet Good for Gut Health. According to a new study, those who follow a Mediterranean-style diet have higher levels of health-promoting short-chain fatty acids in their gut. The Mediterranean diet is known to be high in fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and legumes, compared with the standard Western diet that includes higher consumption of meat and dairy. The fermentation of fiber from dietary plant matter in the colon produces short-chain fatty acids, which the authors conclude are the connection to health benefits that includes reducing the risk of inflammatory disease, diabetes, and heart disease. Gut, September 2015
Exercise: Tips to Stay Fit During & After Pregnancy. The Weight-Control Information Network suggest the following to help women stay healthy both while they are pregnant and after their child is born: speak to your healthcare provider about what exercises are safe to perform during pregnancy, return to normal exercise after the baby is born (as soon as your doctor approves such activities), drink plenty of fluids when exercising, use caution when exercising in warm weather, eat a balanced diet both during and after the pregnancy, and if possible, breast feed to aid in burning calories. National Institutes of Health, October 2015
Chiropractic: Manipulation Beneficial for Neck Pain Patients. A research review of 51 trials has found evidence that multiple sessions of manipulation performed by a doctor of chiropractic may provide greater pain relief and functional improvement over both the short-term and long-term for patients with neck pain when compared with other treatment options including massage, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and some medications. Cochrane Database Systematic Review, September 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Vitamin D Supplementation May Reduce COPD Symptoms. Using data collected from 18 published studies, researchers note there appears to be an association between vitamin D status and the intensity of symptoms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They suggest increasing serum levels of vitamin D through supplementation may reduce the severity of the disease. International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, September 2015
Quote: “Getting something and having the wits to use it… those are two different things.” ~ Rick Riordan

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

Mental Attitude: Secondhand Smoke May Cause Behavior Issues in Kids. An analysis of data concerning more than 5,200
primary school students reveals that kids exposed to secondhand smoke while in the womb and/or at a young age have a greater risk
for behavioral problems, especially emotional and conduct disorders. Study leader Dr. Isabella Annesi-Maesano wrties, “Our data
indicate that passive smoking, in addition to the well-known effects on health, should also be avoided because of the behavioral
disorders it may cause in children.” PLOS ONE, September 2015
Health Alert: Birds May Bring Exotic Ticks North. The seasonal migration of some bird species may allow ticks to hitch a ride
from Central and South America to the United States. Researchers found that 3% of migratory birds carried so-called neotropical
ticks, which means birds likely bring more than 19 million neotropical ticks to the United States every spring. Fortunately, there is no
evidence that any ticks have established permanent populations as exotic ticks can’t survive, reproduce, and spread in a Northern
climate. However, some experts warn climate change may make it possible for these neotropical ticks to establish themselves in the
United States in the future. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2015
Diet: Vitamin D May Helps Women Build Muscle After Menopause. According to a new report, vitamin D supplementation can
significantly increase muscle strength and reduce the loss of body muscle mass in women years after menopause. Researchers found
older women who received vitamin D supplements experienced a significant increase (+25.3%) in muscle strength, while those
receiving a placebo lost an average of 6.8% of their muscle mass during the course of the multi-year study. The study also revealed
that those who did not receive vitamin D supplements were nearly two times more likely to experience a fall. Dr. Wulf H. Utian, the
Executive Director of The North American Menopause Society adds, “While this study is unlikely to decide the debate over Vitamin
D, it provides further evidence to support the use of vitamin D supplements by postmenopausal women in an effort to reduce frailty
and an increased risk of falling.” The North American Menopause Society, September 2015
Exercise: Do You Want to Live longer? Start Walking More and Sitting Less. Replacing one hour of sitting each day with
walking can decrease the chance of early death among seniors by 12-14%. Researchers also note that swapping one hour of sitting
each day with standing results in a 5% decrease in the risk of premature death. On average, people over the age of 70 spend around
65-80% of their waking time performing sedentary activities, so substituting some of this time with standing or light physical activity
could have a positive impact on their overall health.
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, September 2015
Chiropractic: Manual Therapies for Cancer Radiation Patients? Radiation therapy for neck and head cancers can often result in
neck pain and loss of motion. A small study involving five participants suggests that the use of manual therapies, treatments
commonly performed by doctors of chiropractic, can help reduce pain and improve mobility in this class of patients without adverse
outcomes. Clinical Otolaryngology, September 2015
Wellness/Prevention: What’s Your Resting Heart Rate? Even if you’re not an athlete, knowing your heart rate can help you keep
tabs on your fitness level. A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats a minute. Generally, a lower heart rate at
rest implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness. American Heart Association, October 2015
Quote: “I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.” ~ Mae West

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

Mental Attitude: Common Flame Retardants May Cause Attention Problems in Children. According to a new article published in the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology, prenatal exposure to commonly used fire retardants is associated with attention problems in young children. In the study, researchers analyzed umbilical cord blood samples for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are commonly used as fire retardants, and found the children in the study with the highest exposure to certain PBDEs had approximately twice the number of attention problems at ages 3-7 when compared with the other children in the study with less PBDEs exposure. Senior author Dr. Julie Herbstman writes, “These findings reinforce the decision to phase-out the use of PBDEs in consumer products and support the need to develop programs for safely disposing of products containing PBDEs that are still in use.” Neurotoxicology and Teratology, October 2015
Health Alert: Antibiotic-Resistant ‘Superbug’ an Emerging Threat. Health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the rise in some major American cities. CRE, or Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, are a class of common bacteria that have become resistant to some of the most widely used antibiotics. According to the CDC, experts have recorded higher-than-expected levels of this bacteria in Atlanta, Baltimore, and New York. Most CRE infections occur in hospitals, but officials from the CDC are worried that havoc could ensue if CRE starts to become transmitted outside of healthcare settings since enterobacteriaceae are so common. Journal of the American Medical Association, October 2015
Diet: Looking for an Energy Boost? If you feel rundown or tired, coffee isn’t the only option to perk you up. The National Sleep Foundation recommends eating magnesium-rich nuts, iron-rich spinach, eggs, or fresh fruit. National Sleep Foundation, October 2015
Exercise: Sit-Stand Desks Promotes More Movement for Office Workers. More and more employers are introducing sit-stand desks in their office spaces to encourage more physical activity. A new study involving 69 participants revealed that employees with sit-stand desks stand for one hour more a day at work when compared to co-workers with sit-only desks. The study also found that sit-stand desk users walked an average of six additional minutes and burned an extra 87 calories per day at work. Lead study author Dr. Lucas Carr writes, “Our findings are important because they support redesigning the traditionally sedentary office environment as a potentially cost-effective approach for fighting the obesity epidemic.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, October 2015
Chiropractic: Smokers at Greater Risk for Sciatica. A comprehensive literature search has identified smoking as a risk factor for sciatica, a condition often described as numbness or tingling in the leg that stems from dysfunction in the lower back. More specifically, investigators found current smokers are 1.46 times more likely to experience lumbar radicular pain or have clinically verified sciatica than those with no history of smoking. Though the risk is lower among former smokers, they are still 15% more likely to develop the condition than nonsmokers. The American Journal of Medicine, September 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Asthma Prevention. If you suffer from asthma, keeping it under control is essential for your overall health. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute suggests creating an asthma action plan that includes medications and what to do if symptoms worsen, avoiding your asthma triggers, getting regular checkups, recording symptoms and peak flow readings to share with your healthcare provider, and sticking closely to your treatment plan. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, October 2015
Quote: “The beginning is always today.” ~ Mary Shelley

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

Mental Attitude: Beauty Is in Eye of the Beholder. Some aspects of attractiveness are common and may even be programmed into
our genes. However, a new study finds that individuals can have wide-ranging definitions of attractiveness. The authors of the study
published in the journal Current Biology write, “We estimate that an individual’s aesthetic preferences for faces agree about 50
percent, and disagree about 50 percent, with others.” Current Biology, October 2015
Health Alert: Drunk Driving Is a Serious Problem in the US! Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
report nearly 121 million episodes of alcohol-impaired driving occur in the United States (US) each year. According to their data,
nearly all (85%) incidents of drunk driving involve individuals who had been binge drinking.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, August 2015
Diet: Don’t Replace Saturated Fats with Processed Carbs. Researchers found that when individuals replaced 5% of their saturated
fat calories with healthier polyunsaturated fats, such as those found in nuts, their risk for coronary heart disease decreased by 25%.
Replacing 5% of their saturated fat calories with monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, cut their risk by 15%, and substituting 5% of
saturated fats with whole-grain carbohydrates led to a 9% decrease in heart disease risk. However, when consumers replaced 5% of
their saturated fat calories with processed carbohydrates such as white bread or rice, the researchers found no benefits to heart health.
The message of the study is to reduce saturated fat and processed foods in your diet, while increasing your intake of healthier fats and
whole foods. Journal of American College of Cardiology, September 2015
Exercise: Short, Intense Exercise Bursts Improve Teen Cardiovascular Health. For teens, just eight-to-ten minutes of highintensity
interval exercise three times per week can significantly improve both blood vessel function and resting heart rate. University
of Exeter’s Dr. Alan Barker adds, “We know that activity levels drop significantly as children reach adolescence, and so far attempts to
increase this to an hour a day have proved fruitless. This study indicates that, providing the intensity is high, health benefits are
achievable with just 8-10 minutes of exercise.” American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology, September 2015
Chiropractic: Neck Pain Recurrence Low One Year After Chiropractic Care. Previous research indicates between 60-80% of
individuals with neck pain will experience a recurrent episode a year later. In a new study, Swiss researchers followed 642 neck pain
patients who received chiropractic treatment and found only 11% experienced another episode of neck pain during the following year.
They note patients with a history of neck pain and older individuals were the most at risk for future episodes.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, September 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Bike Helmets Prevent Severe Brain Injury. A new study shows that wearing a bicycle helmet significantly
reduces the risk of serious brain injury and death in the event of a collision. A medical record analysis of more than 6,200 people who
suffered a brain injury in a cycling crash revealed that those who wore a bike helmet were 58% less likely to have their injury
categorized as severe. The study also found that helmet users were 59% less likely to die, 61% less likely to require surgery to
alleviate brain swelling, and 26% less likely to have facial fractures. The findings show the importance of bicycle helmet use,
developing and enforcing stricter helmet use laws, and the creation of better helmets. American College of Surgeons, October 2015
Quote: “My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular.” ~ Adlai E. Stevenson II

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

Mental Attitude: “Phubbing” Bad for Relationships. A report published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior suggests that smartphones can damage romantic relationships and lead to greater levels of depression. The research focused on “phubbing,” or “partner phone snubbing,” a term given to those who use or are distracted by their cellphones while in the presence of a partner. Researcher Dr. James A. Roberts writes, “What we discovered was that when someone perceived that their partner phubbed them, this created conflict and led to lower levels of reported relationship satisfaction. These lower levels of relationship satisfaction, in turn, led to lower levels of life satisfaction and, ultimately, higher levels of depression… Something as common as cellphone use can undermine the bedrock of our happiness – our relationships with our romantic partners.” Computers in Human Behavior, August 2015
Health Alert: Taller People at Greater Risk of Cancer. The taller you are, the greater the risk you have of developing cancer. Investigators followed 5.5 million Swedish men and women for over 50 years and found that for every additional 10 cm (~3.4 inches) of height, the risk of developing cancer increased by 18% in women and 11% in men. Lead researcher Dr. Emelie Benyi comments, “It should be emphasized that our results reflect cancer incidence on a population level. As the cause of cancer is multifactorial, it is difficult to predict what impact our results have on cancer risk at the individual level.” The team hopes to investigate how mortality from cancer and other causes of death are associated with height.
Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology, October 2015
Diet: Higher-Protein Diet Could Help Some with Type 2 Diabetes. A high-protein diet might benefit people with type 2 diabetes, but it may depend on whether or not they possess a particular gene related to vitamin D metabolism. In a new study, individuals with a particular gene variant that boosts blood levels of vitamin D experienced greater reductions in insulin levels and improved insulin sensitivity when they ate a higher-protein diet. The researchers note this information is not practically useful at present time since people do not know the genetics behind their personal vitamin D metabolism but it may be helpful in the future as genetic profiling becomes a more common aspect of healthcare. Diabetologia, September 2015
Exercise: Find 30-Minutes to Workout. Finding the time and motivation to exercise 30 minutes a day can be difficult. However, if you can devise ways to make your routine interesting and enjoyable, you may wind up looking forward to exercising. The Academy of Nutrition of Dietetics recommends: planning three 10-minute mini-workouts per day, exercising as a family, using household chores to burn extra calories, and taking a walk with a co-worker during lunch or breaks. Academy of Nutrition of Dietetics, October 2015
Chiropractic: Migraine Sufferers Have Altered Muscle Performance. A new study has found that individuals with chronic migraines exhibit altered neck muscle performance, take longer reach to maximum strength with some neck movements, and have higher co-activation of neck flexor muscles when bending forward at the neck. These findings add to the growing body of research that dysfunction in the neck may play some role in the presence, frequency, and intensity of migraine headaches.
Headache, September 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Staying Up Late Associated with Weight Gain in Teens and Young Adults. The later a teenager or young adult goes to bed during weekdays, the more likely they are to gain weight over time. Researchers analyzed data of 3,342 teens and young adults and found that the later an individual’s bedtime, the more weight they were likely to gain over a five-year period. Lead author Dr. Lauren Asarnow comments, “These results highlight adolescent bedtimes, not just total sleep time, as a potential target for weight management during the transition to adulthood.” Sleep, October 2015
Quote: “It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

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