Mental Attitude: Elite High School Students at Higher Risk of Addiction.
Teens at elite high schools in the United States seem to face a greater risk of addiction as young adults. In this study, researchers followed more than 500 students from affluent communities starting in their senior year of high school, through college, and from ages 23 to 27. Compared with the overall population of people in their 20s, these individuals had a roughly two- to three-times greater risk for drug or alcohol addiction during young adulthood. Study author Dr. Suniya Luthar explains, “Paradoxical though it may seem, these ostensibly privileged youth, many of who start experimenting early and often with drinking and drugs, could well be among the groups at highest risk for alcoholism and addiction in adulthood… This is a problem that derives from multiple levels of influence, so we’re going to need interventions at multiple levels to tackle it.”
Development and Psychopathology, May 2017
Health Alert: Teen Drivers Face Triple the Risk of a Fatal Crash.
An analysis of national data found that compared with drivers aged 30-59 years old in the United States, teen drivers are 4.5 times more likely to be involved in a crash and over three times as likely to be in a fatal collision. The investigators say that the three main factors associated with fatal teen crashes are distraction, not buckling up, and speeding.
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, June 2017
Diet: Just Over 3% of Americans May Suffer from Food Allergies.
A review of nearly three million medical records identified more than 97,000 patients who suffered from one or more food allergies or food intolerance. The researchers found that the most common allergy was to shellfish, such as shrimp and lobster. Other common food allergies included fruits, vegetables, dairy, and peanuts. These food allergies can lead to potentially life-threatening reactions such as hives, anaphylaxis, shortness of breath, wheezing, itching, swelling, or other allergic-like reactions called intolerances.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, May 2017
Exercise: Do Compression Tights Improve Running Times?
Many runners think compression tights help improve their running times, but a new study suggests otherwise. Researchers monitored runners on a treadmill on two different days, once with compression tights and once without. They found that compression tights greatly reduced muscle vibration but did not reduce muscle fatigue, which means they don’t help runners go farther or faster.
American College of Sports Medicine, June 2017
Chiropractic: Many Conservative Treatments Benefit Shoulder Conditions.
Investigators recently performed a systematic review of non-drug and non-surgical treatments of common shoulder conditions such as shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff-associated disorders, adhesive capsulitis, and non-specific shoulder pain. They found evidence supporting the use of manual therapies for all four shoulder conditions; exercise, combined with manual therapy protocols for impingement syndrome and adhesive capsulitis; and moderate evidence for the use of several passive modalities for shoulder impingement syndrome. Chiropractors utilize many of these therapies when managing these common shoulder conditions.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, May 2017
Wellness/Prevention: Nail Fungus?
A fungal infection of the nails may not always hurt, but it can cause unsightly nails that itch and affect the surrounding toe or finger. The American Academy of Dermatology lists the following symptoms of a fungal nail infection: nails that become yellow or brown; accumulation of debris underneath the nails, which can cause nails to detach as they pull away from the nail beds; and a powdery, soft, or dry texture to the nails.
American Academy of Dermatology, May 2017
