WEEKLY HEALTH UPDATE from your Napa Chiropractor, 6-4-2018

Mental Attitude: Money Worries Have Americans Anxious. A nationwide poll of more than 1,000 adults
revealed that 39% of respondents are more anxious than they were a year ago, with finances, safety, and health
topping the list as sources of anxiety. American Psychiatric Association, May 2018
Health Alert: Illnesses Tied to Ticks and Mosquitoes Soaring in US. Diseases transmitted by ticks and
mosquitoes in the United States (US) have more than tripled over the past decade from about 27,000 cases in 2004 to
over 96,000 cases in 2016. Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) adds, “Zika, West Nile, Lyme, and chikungunya—a growing list of diseases caused by the bite of an infected
mosquito, tick or flea— have confronted the US in recent years, making a lot of people sick. And we don’t know
what will threaten Americans next.” The report reveals the need for an increased effort to both combat the spread of
these pests and better educate the public how to prevent bites. CDC Vital Signs Report, May 2018
Diet: Eating More Produce Lowers Depression Risk. An analysis of data from 18 published studies found that
each 100-gram increase in daily fruit and vegetable intake reduces an individual’s risk for depression by 3%.
British Journal of Nutrition, May 2018
Exercise: Can Exercise Make Your Heart Younger? In this study, researchers found that mice that ran the
equivalent of 3.1 miles (5 km) per day generated about 4.5 times more new heart muscle cells than mice that
abstained from exercise. The investigators report that these findings demonstrate how exercise can increases the
heart’s capacity to regenerate. Researcher Dr. Anthony Rosenzweig notes, “Maintaining a healthy heart requires
balancing the loss of heart muscle cells due to injury or aging with the regeneration or birth of new heart muscle
cells. Our study suggests exercise can help tip the balance in favor of regeneration.”
Nature Communications, April 2018
Chiropractic: Shoulder Strength Affected By Posture. A recent study assessed the effect of various sitting
postures on the external rotator muscle strength of the shoulder. Among a group of 100 participants, researchers
observed that shoulder external rotator strength declined 8% following five minutes of sitting in a forward head
rounded shoulder posture. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, February 2018
Wellness/Prevention: Early Breast Screening May Reduce Need for Aggressive Treatments. Early breast
cancer screening may translate into smaller tumors and less aggressive breast cancer treatments. In this study,
researchers found that women whose last mammogram was 25 months or more before their breast cancer diagnosis
were 50% more likely to need chemotherapy, 32% more likely to have a mastectomy, 66% more likely to need
lymph nodes removed, and had larger tumors than those who more recently underwent a breast cancer screening.
Study author Dr. Elisa Port notes, “There are multiple benefits of mammography in terms of early detection. Not
only do we save lives, but we reduce the likelihood of needing more aggressive treatment.”
American Society of Breast Surgeons, May 2018
Quote: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” ~ Alan Kay

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