DAILY HEALTH UPDATE: Friday, January 31, 2014 Dr. Jeff Allyn, Berkley Chiropractic Clinic

“The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.”~ James Branch Cabell

Mental Attitude: Higher Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use by Psychiatric Patients. New research comparing individuals with a severe psychiatric illness to the general population reveals that alcohol, tobacco, and drug use is much higher among people with psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder. The study's lead author, Dr. Sarah M. Hartz, adds, "[People with psychiatric disorders] don't die from drug overdoses or commit suicide - the kinds of things you might suspect in severe psychiatric illness. They die from heart disease and cancer, problems caused by chronic alcohol and tobacco use." The data shows that psychiatric patients live an average of between 12 and 25 fewer years than is normally expected. JAMA Psychiatry, January 2014

Health Alert: Smart Contact Lens May Help Control Diabetes. Scientists at Google have unveiled a prototype contact lens designed to help diabetics monitor their blood sugar levels. With circuitry thinner than a human hair, this new lens acts as a constant glucose sensor by continually analyzing tears and sending that data to a handheld device that alerts users when action needs to be taken. The inventors are looking into adding LED lights to the lens that can light up in the wearer's field of vision, decreasing the need for extra hardware. Google, January 2014

Diet: Higher Vitamin D Levels in Pregnancy Could Help Babies. A new report shows that children are likely to have stronger muscles growing up if their mother had higher levels of vitamin D during pregnancy. Low vitamin D levels are common among women, even with the availability of vitamin D supplements. This may have consequences for the later health of their offspring, as muscle strength peaks in young adulthood before declining in older age, and low grip-strength in adulthood is associated with poor health outcomes later on. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, January 2014

Exercise: Winter Fun Can Cause Injury. Experts warn that winter sports and snowy day activities can be fun but come with higher risks for injury. Each year in the United States, over 700,000 sledding-related injuries are reported. Hockey can lead to lacerations, as well as neck, shoulder, and knee injuries. Wrist, head, and neck injuries are common to ice skating. Loyola University Health System, December 2013

Chiropractic: Arnold Says… "Bodybuilders and fitness people have been using, very extensively, chiropractors in order to stay healthy and fit. Whenever I had a little problem with my body, I always ran to one of my dear friends [Franco Columbo, D.C.], he was always right there with the adjustments. This is how I found out the best way of going, is to use chiropractors, not only after injuries, but also before injury." ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

Wellness/Prevention: Quit Smoking to Reduce Risk of Impaired Vision. Research has shown that smoking 15 cigarettes a day increases a person's risk of needing a cataract operation by 42%. According to the researchers behind this finding, "Long-time exposure of oxidative stress leads to accumulation of damaged lens proteins, thus promoting cataract development. Cigarette smoke also contains toxic metal ions, and cadmium can accumulate in cataractous lenses of smokers."  JAMA Ophthalmology, January 2014

For More Information on Back Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Whiplash, and To Sign Up For Our Daily Health Update Emails, Go To:www.DrJeffAllynBlog.com or our website at:www.berkleychiropracticclinic.com 

(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.)