Health Alert: Cardiovascular Disease and Depression.
An analysis of data concerning over 100,000 adults found that individuals with depression have a 64% elevated risk for ischemic heart disease and a 94% higher risk for stroke. On the other hand, men and women with cardiovascular disease had nearly double the risk for subsequent depression.
British Journal of Psychiatry, August 2020
Diet: Cutting Carbs May Protect Your Eyes.
Glaucoma is a condition that damages the optic nerve and is one of the leading causes of vision loss in people over the age of 60. An analysis of diet and health data on 185,000 health professionals found that maintaining a long-term diet low in carbohydrates and high in vegetable sources of fat and protein was linked to a 20% reduced risk of primary open angle glaucoma with early paracentral visual loss. Researcher Dr. Louis Pasquale writes, “It’s important to note that a low-carbohydrate diet won’t stop glaucoma progression if you already have it, but it may be a means to preventing glaucoma in high-risk groups… If more patients in these high-risk categories—including those with a family history of glaucoma—adhered to this diet, there might be fewer cases of vision loss.”
Eye, July 2020
Exercise: Just One Hour…
Among a group of 24 seniors at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, researchers observed that reducing sedentary behavior by one hour a day led to significant long-term improvements in both peripheral vascular function and cerebral blood flow.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, August 2020
Chiropractic: Neck and Shoulder Pain?
Questionnaires completed by 1,000 adults intended to represent the general population revealed that nearly half (45%) of those reporting significant neck pain also had shoulder/arm pain. The findings suggest the conditions often co-occur, and dysfunction in both areas may need to be addressed in order to achieve a successful treatment outcome.
Asian Spine Journal, July 2020
Mental Attitude: Concussions Increase Risk of Several Brain Conditions.
Using 25 years of data concerning over 186,000 adults, researchers report that a history of concussion is associated with an elevated risk for: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, or dementia.
Family Medicine and Community Health, July 2020
Wellness/Prevention: Inflammatory Biomarker May Suggest Heart Failure Risk.
In a new study, researchers discovered that people with higher levels of GlycA in their blood—an indicator of inflammation—had a significantly increased risk for heart failure.
Circulation, July 2020