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Weekly Health Update

Weekly Health Update 

Week of: Monday, April 29th, 2019

 Courtesy of: Michael Ellis, D.C.

Mental Attitude: Growing Up Near Green Spaces Is Good for You. Following a review of data from a nationwide database, Danish researchers report that individuals who lived near a park, forest, or other green space as children appear to have up to a 55% lower risk for mental health issues later in life. Lead researcher Dr. Kristine Engemann notes, “Ensuring access to green space and enhancing opportunities for a diverse range of uses, especially in densifying urban environments, could be an important tool for managing and minimizing the global burden of disease increasingly dominated by psychiatric disorders.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, February 2019 Health Alert: Smokers Fare Worse Against Melanoma. A study of more than 700 melanoma patients in the United Kingdom revealed that smokers or those who had recently quit were 40% less likely to survive the disease than patients who hadn’t smoked for at least ten years before their diagnosis. Cancer Research, February 2019 Diet: An Unhealthy Diet Linked to Poor Mental Health. A review of data of more than 240,000 telephone surveys conducted between 2005 and 2015 has identified an association between consuming an unhealthy diet and an elevated risk for moderate or severe psychological distress. Researcher Dr. Jim E. Banta writes, “This and other studies like it could have big implications for treatments in behavioral medicine… Perhaps the time has come for us to take a closer look at the role of diet in mental health, because it could be that healthy diet choices contribute to mental health. More research is needed before we can answer definitively, but the evidence seems to be pointing in that direction.” International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, February 2019 Exercise: Just a Little Resistance Training Benefits Older Individuals. Resistance training is a form of exercise that improves muscular strength and endurance by using body weight, gravity, bands, or weights. A new study found that resistance training as little as just once a week can offer seniors a number of health benefits including improvements in blood values, muscle strength, and mental well-being. Frontiers in Physiology, February 2019 Chiropractic: Neck Pain & Dizziness. Among a group of 236 patients with dizziness, researchers found that 59% also suffered from neck pain. Furthermore, those with neck pain reported a lower quality of life and worse dizziness symptoms. The findings suggest that dizziness may be a symptom associated with cervical dysfunction. Doctors of chiropractic are trained to assess patients with both neck pain and dizziness and can offer conservative treatments to manage these conditions. Disability and Rehabilitation, February 2019 Wellness/Prevention: At-Home Test May Be Alternative to Colonoscopy. A simple at-home stool test may soon be a reliable way to screen for colon cancer. An analysis of over 30 studies, which looked at the effectiveness of fecal immunochemical tests, found that a one-time screen caught up to 91% of colon cancers among those at average risk for the disease. The finding offers more support for at-home stool screening tests as an alternative to the usual colonoscopies. Annals of Internal Medicine, February 2019 Quote: “You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously.” ~ Sophia Bush