Health Alert: The Cost of Forever Chemicals…
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals used to imbue heat-, oil-, stain-, grease-, and water-resistant properties to products such as food containers, clothes, and furniture and have been linked to several poor health outcomes. Because these chemicals linger in the body, they’re known as forever chemicals. According to a recent study, these chemicals may cost the United States health care system an estimated $63 billion dollars a year in medical costs and productivity losses due to the top conditions linked to PFAS exposure, including hypothyroidism and childhood obesity. Senior author Dr. Leonardo Trasande writes, “Our results strongly support the recent decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to lower the safe allowable level of these substances in water… Based on our estimates, the cost of eradicating contamination and replacing this class of chemical with safer alternatives is ultimately justified when considering the tremendous economic and medical risks of allowing them to persist in the environment.”
Exposure and Health, July 2022
Diet: Most Don’t Eat Enough Fruit and Vegetables.
An analysis of data on eating patterns from health and nutrition surveys conducted between 1988 and 2018 found that more than half of all participants failed to meet recommendations of 1.5-2 servings of fruit and 2-3 servings of vegetables per day.
Journal of Renal Nutrition, July 2022
Exercise: Walking Suggestion for PAD Patients.
New research suggests that for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), walking at a pace that induces leg discomfort results in better long-term walking performance than strolling at a comfortable pace or not walking at all.
Journal of the American Heart Association, July 2022
Chiropractic: Manual Therapy Combo Benefits Cervicogenic Dizziness Patients.
For individuals with dizziness caused by dysfunction in the cervical spine, researchers report that the combination of functional massage and manipulative therapy—treatments provided in a chiropractic setting—is an effective intervention for improving mechanosensitivity of the cervical muscles, neck-related disability, and dizziness symptoms.
Life (Basel), July 2022
Mental Attitude: Anxiety Triggers.
Healthline reports that the following are common triggers of anxiety: job-related stress; travel, drug or medication withdrawal, medication side effects, trauma, phobias, chronic pain or illness; depression, and caffeine.
Healthline, July 2022
Wellness/Prevention: University Students Could Benefits from Less Phone Use.
Questionnaires completed by 400 college students revealed that using a cellphone for six or more hours a day is linked to an elevated risk for eye strain, neck pain, back pain, weight gain, depression, loneliness, and mood disorders.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, July 2022