Mental Attitude: Loneliness May Reduce Sleep Quality.
Researchers surveyed more than 2,200 young adults and found that between 25% and 30% of the participants felt lonely sometimes, while another 5% reported they frequently felt lonely. Furthermore, they observed that the lonelier people were 24% more likely to feel tired and have difficulty concentrating during the day. Study author Dr. Louise Arseneault adds, “Diminished sleep quality is one of the many ways in which loneliness gets under the skin, and our findings underscore the importance of early therapeutic approaches to target the negative thoughts and perceptions that can make loneliness a vicious cycle.”
Psychological Medicine, May 2017
Health Alert: Too Many Teens Ride with Impaired Drivers.
More than one-third of Canadian high school students admit to riding with a driver who has been drinking alcohol. The study, which involved 24,650 students, also revealed that almost 20% of students said they’ve ridden with someone who’d recently used marijuana. Study author Dr. Leia Minaker notes the findings are concerning because a significant proportion of motor vehicle accident deaths are related to alcohol and drug impairment.
Canadian Medical Association Journal Open, May 2017
Diet: Whole Fruits May Reduce Risk of Diabetes.
An analysis of the diet and health records of thousands of people revealed that those who ate two or more daily servings of fruits like blueberries, grapes, raisins, prunes, apples, and pears reduced their likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes by 23%. However, the study also showed that drinking fruit juice daily increased the risk of diabetes by 21%. The findings suggest that eating more whole fruits can help prevent the onset of diabetes.
BMJ, May 2017
Exercise: Exercise May Be Key to Better Bone Health.
Previous studies indicate that fat in bone marrow leads to low bone density. In a study involving obese mice, researchers discovered that just a few weeks of exercise resulted in both a reduction of marrow fat and an improvement in bone quality. The findings suggest that obese individuals, who often have poor bone quality, could derive even greater bone health benefits from exercising than their lean counterparts.
Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, May 2017
Chiropractic: Exercises Improve Neck Pain in Office Workers.
Chronic computer-related neck pain is common among office workers. In this study, researchers randomly selected 109 female office workers with chronic neck pain to perform either progressive resistance training (PRT), fixed resistance training (FRT), or no exercise to act as a control group (CG). Those in the exercise groups performed four exercises targeting the neck muscles with an elastic rubber band on a regular basis for six weeks. The investigators found that outcomes (pain levels, pain threshold, and neck strength) were significantly better in the PRT and FRT groups than in the control group both immediately after the six weeks of training and three months later. The study suggests that women with work-related neck pain may benefit from neck exercises. Chiropractic care for neck pain often includes specific neck exercises to help reduce pain and improve mobility and function.
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, May 2017
Wellness/Prevention: Do You Know the Risks for Obesity?
Obesity is associated with an increased risk for heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure, as well as other chronic diseases. Besides diet, there are other factors that can play a role in one becoming obese. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute lists the following risk factors: living a sedentary lifestyle without regular exercise, insufficient sleep, frequently becoming stressed, having family members who are obese, and having easy access to fast food.
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, May 2017