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Previous research indicates that women with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations have an elevated risk for developing breast cancer. A pilot study involving 68 BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers indicates that the incidence of breast cancer is lower among those who regularly exercise and refrain from smoking. The research team recommends a larger scale…
Read MoreMetabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that includes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels that occur together, increasing one’s risk for diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. A recent study involving 656 healthcare workers who experienced an episode of lower back pain in…
Read MoreA new study that evaluated the lifestyles of 132 university students found a link between increased physical fitness and reduced alcohol consumption. This suggests that programs aimed at encouraging increased physical activity could reduce alcohol consumption among college students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, December 2017
Read MoreIn a recent study involving rodents, researchers observed that a high-fat diet could cause blood vessel damage and increased blood pressure—symptoms common in diabetics—within a short period of time. Researcher Dr. Maria Alicia Carrillo Sepulveda writes, “Our findings suggest that short-term exposure to the western diet can put individuals at risk for developing vascular damage…
Read MoreAn analysis of the health records of 600 patients who had emergency surgery showed that those with excess belly fat were five-times more likely to experience complications and eight-times more likely to die than slimmer patients. The findings are important, as two thirds of Americans are currently overweight or obese. American College of Surgeons, October…
Read MorePrevious studies have noted that vitamin D deficiency increases one’s risk for a number of negative health outcomes. Now, a new study involving mice indicates that vitamin D deficiency also makes it more difficult to cope with stress. In the study, researchers fed mice either a normal diet or a vitamin D-poor diet for ten…
Read MoreThe RAND Corporation reports that the introduction of self-driving cars that are just 10% safer than human-driven cars could save hundreds of thousands of lives over the next 15 to 30 years. RAND Corporation report, November 2017
Read MoreA recent systematic review investigated the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among construction workers and found that within a given year, more than half (51.1%) could expect to experience an episode of lower back pain. Other common conditions experienced each year by construction workers include knee pain (37.2%), shoulder pain (32.4%), wrist pain (30.4%), neck pain…
Read MorePatients under care for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who participated in a twelve-week supervised aerobic exercise program achieved greater improvements in regards to OCD symptom severity, depression, and anxiety than patients who simply attended health education classes. The authors of the study conclude, “The results of this preliminary study suggest that exercise and health-focused interventions may…
Read MoreSince the implementation of regulations and laws requiring many restaurants around the United States to include caloric information next to menu items, researchers have found that calorie counts per menu item have dropped an average of 15 calories and diners have consumed an average of 27 fewer calories per meal—with overweight restaurant goers cutting 83…
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