Mental Attitude: Veterans with PTSD Often Have Other Mental Health Issues…
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) reports that veterans under treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often have one or more accompanying psychiatric conditions. According to a review of records from 2012, 70.2% of VHA patients with PTSD had at least one co-existing psychiatric condition, while a third of all PTSD patients had two or more additional mental health issues, with anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder being the most common.
Psychiatric Quarterly, March 2019
Health Alert: Toxins Found in Home Furnishings Can Be Passed to Kids.
In this study, researchers analyzed indoor air, indoor dust, and foam from furniture in 190 homes and found that children living in homes where the sofa in the main living area contained flame-retardant called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in its foam had a six-fold higher concentration of PBDEs in their blood. Furthermore, children from homes that had vinyl flooring in all areas had concentrations of benzyl butyl phthalate metabolite in their urine that were 15 times greater than those in children living in homes with no vinyl flooring. Experts say that these semi-volatile organic compounds have been linked to serious adverse health effects, such as neurodevelopmental delays, endocrine and thyroid disorders, and reproductive disorders.
American Association for the Advancement of Science, February 2019
Diet: Olive Oil May Reduce Stroke Risk Among Obese.
According to a new study, severely obese patients who consumed olive oil at least once per week had lower platelet activation, which reduces the propensity of blood to clot, lowering the risk for heart attack or stroke.
American Heart Association, March 2019
Exercise: Walking More May Benefit Dialysis Patients.
Experts recommend taking 10,000 steps per day as part of a healthy lifestyle. In a recent study involving 48 kidney dialysis patients, researchers observed that the more steps per day a patient took, the less likely they were to experience fatigue and insomnia. Unfortunately, the data show that most of the patients in the study averaged 2,631 steps per day or less.
Kidney International Reports, November 2018
Chiropractic: Poor Posture Affects Breathing.
Pulmonary function tests performed on fifteen healthy males revealed that when participants adopted a forward head posture (FHD), they had significantly lower forced vital capacity, expiratory and inspiratory reserve volumes, forced expiratory volume at one second, and peak flow rate. Doctors of chiropractic routinely check for FHD and recommend exercise and ergonomic modifications to address this faulty posture.
Journal of Physical Therapy Science, January 2019
Wellness/Prevention: Better Posture May Reduce Musculoskeletal Pain Risk…
Among a group of 176 office workers, those who participated in a three-month program aimed at improving their sitting posture were less likely to report neck pain, back pain, elbow pain, and knee pain during the course of the study.
Journal of Education and Health Promotion, December 2018