DAILY HEALTH UPDATE: Thursday, October 31, 2013 Dr. Jeff Allyn, Berkley Chiropractic Clinic

“No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.”   ~ François de La Rochefoucauld

Mental Attitude: Depression Linked to Parkinson's Risk. Recent analysis of 23,180 medical records revealed that patients suffering from depression were 3.24 times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, compared to patients without depression. The author of the study, Dr. Albert Yang, states, "The main finding is that we found depression posed a long-term risk of Parkinson's disease. In particular, people with old age depression and difficult-to-treat depression are at higher risk of developing Parkinson's. These results suggest that certain populations of depressed people should be alert. For example, having new onset of depression in older age is a red flag for neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's."  Neurology, October 2013

Health Alert: Vacuum Cleaners May Carry Disease. Researchers have discovered that aerosolized dust created by vacuum cleaners contain bacteria and mold that could cause adverse effects in allergic people, infants, and individual with compromised immunity. Testing of bacteria samples showed a resistance for five common antibiotics. The investigators concluded vacuums are "underrepresented in indoor aerosol and bioaerosol assessment and should be considered, especially when assessing cases of allergy, asthma, or infectious diseases without known environmental reservoirs for the pathogenic or causative microbe." Applied Environmental Microbiology, October 2013

Diet: Mediterranean Style Diet Linked to Improved Fertility. 30% of infertility can be attributed to a female being either overweight or underweight, both of which can affect ovulation. 40% of infertility can be linked to an overweight male as obesity can not only affect sperm count but also sperm motility (the ability to move actively). Diets like the Mediterranean diet that are high in monounsaturated fat, low in saturated fat, and high in fiber can help couples gain control of weight issues that impede fertility. Loyola University Health System, October 2013

Exercise: Exercise Effective as Drugs for Many Diseases. Researchers have analyzed 305 randomized trials involving more than 330,000 people and found no statistically detectable difference between exercise and drug interventions for secondary prevention of diabetes and heart disease. For stroke patients, exercise was more effective than drug treatment. British Medical Journal, October 2013

Chiropractic: Adjustments for Painful Periods. A case study involving a patient with dysmenorrhea was asked to rate her pain for four months prior to the start of treatment. Chiropractic adjustments and soft tissue massage treatment was rendered for three months. The patient realized fewer episodes of menstrual pain as well as lower back pain ratings during the treatment. No significant change in the duration of the menstrual flow was noted.  Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics, February 1990

Wellness/Prevention: Direct Link Between Obesity and Pancreatic Cancer. A recent study has found the first direct link between obesity and the most deadly form of cancer in humans, pancreatic cancer. The research was performed on mice by placing them on a high fat, high calorie diet to make them obese. Compared to non-obese mice on a healthier diet, the results showed that the obese mice developed more pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias lesions. The research suggests that such high fat, high calorie diets lead to weight gain, metabolism disturbances, pancreas inflammation, and pancreas lesions that are precursors to cancer.  Cancer Prevention Journal, September 2013

(This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.)