DAILY HEALTH UPDATE: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 Dr. Jeff Allyn, Berkley Chiropractic Clinic

“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”  ~ George Washington Carver

Mental Attitude: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Increases Metabolic Syndrome Risk. A new study of medical literature shows that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome and other related disorders. The paper's authors propose that the increased risk for metabolic syndrome in PTSD sufferers may result from neurological and hormonal responses to chronic stress.   Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, October 2013

Health Alert: Does School Cause Back Pain? A recent Portuguese study of early adolescents found that two thirds of students suffer from back pain, primarily due to poor desk ergonomics and heavy backpacks. International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics, September 2013

Diet: Can Eating Fat Stimulate Weight Loss? A study on rats by scientists at Texas Tech University found the introduction of the enzyme SCD1 into skeletal muscle tissue ultimately resulted in leaner muscles and excess energy that would normally be stored in fat cells was instead burned off as heat. This finding may lead to supplementation to help combat obesity in the human population. The Journal of Lipid Research, August 2013

Exercise: Intensity, Not Duration. A Danish study of cyclists showed that intensity, not duration, was most important in regards to decreasing all-cause mortality and coronary heart disease mortality. The data shows high-intensity male cyclists lived 5.3 years longer than low-intensity male cyclists. For female cyclists, the difference was 3.9 years.European Society of Cardiology, August 2011

Chiropractic: Adjustments Decrease Pain Associated with Scoliosis. A case study involving two individuals with scoliosis and back pain were treated with chiropractic manipulation. One patient received routine care one to two times per month while the other received care as-needed. The patient treated as-needed continued to have curve progression while the patient who was treated routinely did not. Both individuals reported improvements to their back pain. Journal Of Manipulative Physiologic Therapeutics, May 1994

Wellness/Prevention: The Peanut Butter Test. Jennifer Stamps, a graduate student at the University of Florida McKnight Brain Institute Center for Smell and Taste, has created a cheap and easy test to confirm an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis in individuals with cognitive decline. The test involves a tablespoon of peanut butter and a ruler. Participants plug one nostril and the administrator moves the spoon closer until its odor is smelled. The test is then repeated with the other nostril. In those later diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, the left nostril did not detect the peanut butter until it was 10cm closer than when the right nostril detected the smell. The right/left difference did not occur in patients with other forms of dementia. In an age of increasing medical costs combined with an aging population, cheap and time-saving tools like this may prove to be invaluable in Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and treatment.  Journal of the Neurological Sciences, October 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.