4 NEW STUDIES THAT PROMOTE GOOD HEALTH

                                                                                                                                     

1.  Eating like a Mediterranean means better quality of life.  Recent Spanish research finds that the Mediterranean-style diet, already linked to low risk of chronic diseases, also promotes “better health-related quality of life.

Scientists analyzed adherence to a Mediterranean-style eating pattern among 11, 014 university students.  At the conclusion of the study, 4 years later, students scored their physical and mental health.   Those who most closely adhered to the diet at the start scored higher on the questionnaire.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes fish, olive oil, whole grains, vegetables, fruits and nuts.

Study published in European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

 

2.  Skipping sugar-sweetened beverages may prevent heart attacks.

Harvard School of Public Health researchers studied the 42, 883 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and found that those consuming the most (6.4/week) sugar-sweetened sodas and other drinks were found to be 20% more likely to suffer a first heart attack over 22 years than those who drank no sweetened beverages.

Each additional daily serving of the beverages boosted men’s heart-disease risk by 19%.

In the previous Nurses’ Health Study, women who consumed the most sugar-sweetened beverages experienced a 15% risk of heart disease.

The association for both genders persisted after adjustment for blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, suggesting that “sugar-sweetened beverages may impact on coronary heart disease risk above and beyond traditional risk factors.”

No increased risks were found for consumption of artificially sweetened sodas.

Study published in Circulation

 

3.  Low-fat dairy linked to fewer strokes.   Swedish researchers at the Karolinska Institute followed nearly 75,000 initially healthy men and women for more than 10 years, during which time 4,000 suffered a stroke.

Those consuming the most (4 servings a day) low-fat dairy products were 12% less likely to have a stroke than non-dairy consumers.

Researchers speculate that proteins and Vitamin D in the dairy products may protect against stroke by lowering blood pressure, a key risk factor.  

Study published in Stroke:  Journal of the American Heart Association

 

4.  Get moving to protect against Alzheimer’s.   Researchers at Chicago’s Rush University measured the activity levels of 716 people free of cognitive impairment, average age 82.  Each participant was fitted with a wrist device called an actigraph that recorded movement of all kinds during the first 10 days of the study.

Over the next 4 years, 71 of the participants developed Alzheimer’s.  Those in the bottom 10% of recorded activity were twice as likely to develop the disease as were the most active 10%.

Researchers noted that animal studies showed that moving around in an enriched environment protected against cognitive decline, possibly by increasing the number of neurons and the size of blood vessels feeding the brain.

They concluded, “Even very old people who can’t participate in formal exercise may be able to derive the benefit.”

Study published in Neurology

Sources:  Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, August 2012        National Center for Biotechnology Information:  US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health

KING’S COLLEGE, LONDON, STUDY SHOWS #SMOKING ROTS THE BRAIN

Smokers have known they’re saying goodbye to their hearts and lungs, but now they can kiss their brains goodbye, too.

After studying 8800 people over 50 for eight years, the conclusion of King’s College researchers is that smoking damages memory, learning and reasoning.

High blood pressure and being overweight also affected the brain, but to a lesser extent.

The scientists were looking for links between the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke and the state of the brain.  In addition to collecting data about participants’ lifestyles, researchers administered brain tests, such as the ability to learn new words or to name as many animals as they could in a minute.

The people were retested after four years and again after eight years.

Results showed that overall risk of a heart attack or stroke was strongly associated with cognitive decline, and those at the highest risk showed the highest decline.

Researchers found a “consistent association” between smoking and lower scores in the tests.

Dr Simon Ridley, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, said, “Research has repeatedly linked smoking and high blood pressure to a greater risk of cognitive decline and dementia, and this study adds further weight to that evidence.  These results underline the importance of looking after your cardiovascular health from mid-life.”

The Alzheimer’s Society said, “We all know smoking, a high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and a high Body Mass Index (BMI) is bad for our heart.  This research adds to the huge amount of evidence that also suggests they can be bad for our head, too.”

My Take on the study:  The good news is that high blood pressure, overweight and smoking are all modifiable conditions.

Sources:  BBC News, November 25, 2012   SmartPlanet Daily, November 27, 2012        Study published in Age and Ageing

#MENTOR SENIOR CENTER: FITNESS AND EXERCISE EQUIPMENT—IT’S BETTER IN MENTOR

I took an informal poll of some of the  health-conscious men and women in the Senior Center exercise room to find out why they exercised.  Here are their answers, in no particular order:

I exercise because . . . I’m a heart patient, I’ve had heart bypass surgery, I’m recovering from an injury, diabetes and heart disease runs in my family, I want to keep up with my grandchildren, I like to, it’s good thinking time, it relaxes me, it peps me up, I want to stay alive, I need to strengthen my muscles, I want to maintain my health, I want to live longer, it boosts my metabolism and I can enjoy more food without gaining weight, it relieves joint pain, it keeps me limber and flexible, I’m older and I gotta, I think better afterwards,

I exercise to avoid . . . lupus, diabetes, becoming obese, having a heart attack, having a stroke

Of all the choices in Lake County, I prefer to work out at the Mentor Senior Center because . . . the location is convenient, I like working out with people in my age group, it has a laid-back atmosphere, there’s no loud music, it’s clean, the equipment’s well-maintained, people are friendly, people work out instead of socializing, everything at the Mentor Senior Center’s the best in the area, the equipment’s good, the staff is responsive to suggestions to improve the Fitness Room, the staff is caring, I feel comfortable here, it’s never crowded or noisy, people are considerate and polite,

Almost everyone mentioned cost as a factor.  The cost of using the room is part of the $5 annual fee Mentorites pay and the $7 others pay.

If that doesn’t bespeak a senior center, a city administration and a city council willing to subsidize the health and well being of its community, I don’t know what does.

There are 20 pieces of equipment in the Fitness Room, 7 of which are multipurpose.

My Take on the Fitness Room:  I’ve been working out for 40 years, but for only the last 2 months at the Senior Center.  What took me so long to get here????  (Besides coming of age, of course.)

Tomorrow:  5 Myths about Fitness Workouts

Mentor Senior Center    8484 Munson Rd     440 974-5725          Fitness Room available 7 AM to 9 PM, Monday-Thursday, 7 AM to 4:30 PM, Friday, Main Entrance and Center Street doors open.       (Only Main Entrance doors open at 7 AM, Monday-Friday, for access to Fitness Room) 

 Office hours  Monday-Thursday, 8 AM-7:30 PM,   Friday 8 AM-4:30 PM 

HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL: KEEP THE HIDDEN BURDEN OF HYPERTENSION AT BAY

Hypertension is a gateway to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney disease.

Probably because of its interference with health, on average the life span of people with hypertension is five years shorter than that of people with normal blood pressure.

Hypertension directly leads to 60,000 deaths a year and contributes to another 300,000 deaths.

Quite naturally, if you’re working to control it, you’re burdened with concerns. You must reprogram your eating and exercise habits and begin a regimen of one or more pills a day, pills which may be expensive.

Spanish researchers uncovered another hidden burden associated with high blood pressure: its effect on survival after both admission and readmission to hospitals.

Over a 10-month period, they studied 1,007 men and women admitted to a hospital for any heart-related problem, including chest pain, fainting, heart attack, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and pericarditis.

In this group of patients, 69% had pre-existing hypertension before being admitted. At the end of one year, 17% of those with high blood pressure were dead compared to only 9% of those with normal blood pressure.

Patients rehospitalized for a cardiac problem had similar outcomes: 31% with pre-existing high blood pressure died within a year compared to only 18% with normal blood pressure.

There are many things you can do to keep your hypertension under control and even prevent the condition from developing. Here are the recommendations of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and the American Heart Association:

Achieve & maintain a healthy weight for your height.

Exercise regularly.

Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Limit sodium intake to under 2,300 milligrams (one teaspoon) a day.

Get plenty of potassium (4,700 milligrams) a day.

Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.

Reduce stress.

Monitor your blood pressure regularly, and work with your doctor to keep it in a healthy range.

from Harvard Medical School Healthbeat June 7, 2012