Nedley Health Report

Mental Health Important to the Success of Kidney Transplants

admin — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:32:37 +0000

The most common internal organ transplanted is the kidney. In an effort to decrease the risk of rejection, researchers spend thousands of dollars trying to find the good kidney matches. As it turns out, good mental health is just as important as “good matches”. New research indicates that depression doubles the risk of kidney failure after a transplant, return to dialysis, and death.

Depression screening and periodic reassessment is crucial in determining which patients should be referred for specialized mental health treatment prior to or immediately after kidney transplantation. This research was reported by Dr. Fabienne Dobbels from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, May 2008

Higher Levels of Boron = Less Cancer

admin — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:18:07 +0000

For years we have known that the trace mineral Boron reduces the risk of osteoporosis. According to researchers at the Anderson Cancer Center in Houston , Texas , higher levels of Boron have now been shown to be associated with a lower risk of lung cancer in women. In the study, the lowest levels of boron were associated with a 92% increased risk of contracting lung cancer.

Hormone replacement therapy in women actually reduces the risk of lung cancer by 31%. The highest risk group for lung cancer are women over age 60 who did not use hormone replacement therapy, and who have low boron levels.

It should be noted that hormone replacement therapy is no longer recommended for the typical American, because it increases the risk of thrombosis, which in turn may lead to a heart attack or stroke. The benefits of hormone replacement therapy may outweigh the risks, however, for vegetarian American women who are well-hydrated and have other risk factors for heart disease under control. Vegetarian sources of boron include apples, pears, peanuts, grapes, orange juice, beans, bananas, broccoli, and salad.

Social Integration Can Help Preserve Memory

admin — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:15:49 +0000

In a 6-year “Health and Retirement Study”, researchers found that social integration helped delay the memory decline which is usually associated with old age. 16,638 Americans participated in the study, which measured memory by immediate and delayed recall of a ten word list.

Social integration was assessed by marital status, volunteer activity, frequency of contact with children, frequency of contact with parents, and frequency of contact with neighbors. People with high social integration produced the least decline in their memory, while those least socially integrated had twice the rate of memory decline during the 6 year period. Results from this study, which was conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, were reported in the American Journal of Public Health.

Cancer Risk Declines as Fruit and Veggie Intake Climbs

admin — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:05:32 +0000

Researchers recently completed one of the largest cancer studies ever performed, which surveyed nearly 500,000 adult Americans age 50 and up, then followed their health for four years. The study identified smoking and heavy drinking as major risk factors for the development of head and neck cancers. Certain foods, however, emerged as particularly protective factors against these cancers, even in smokers and alcoholics.

Study participants who ate the most vegetables (typically 4 or more servings per day) had 1/3 lower risk of head and neck cancers than the group that ate the fewest (less than one serving per day.) Peppers, tomatoes, carrots and legumes (such as beans, peas and string beans), were all linked to lower cancer odds. Odds of developing cancer also decreased as consumption of rosacea fruits increased. (Rosacea fruits include apples, nectarines, peaches, plums, strawberries and pears).

The study’s authors are unclear about which compounds provide the protective effect. According to Dr. Neil D. Friedman, “numerous potentially beneficial compounds are present in these foods and it’s not possible to pinpoint which of those, or a combination thereof, are responsible” (International Journal of Cancer). Previously, Dr. Gary Frazier had reported how fruit intake substantially reduces the risk of lung cancer in non-smoking Seventh-day Adventists. While the exact agents causing this risk reduction remain unclear, this large, landmark study did show that cancer risk declined as fruit and veggie intake climbed.

25% of U.S. Teenage Girls have Sex-related Diseases

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:01:56 +0000

With sex scandals continuing to produce national headlines, the fact that 1 in 4 of U.S. teenage girls is affected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) has slipped under the radar screen. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, an estimated 3.2 million U.S. girls ages 14 through 19 (about 26% of that age group) have an STD such as the human papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia, genital herpes or trichomoniasis.HPV, which can cause genital warts and cervical cancer, was seen in 18% of the girls.

Chlamydia, which is caused by a bacterium that can damage a woman’s reproductive organs, was seen in 4% of the girls. Trichomoniasis, which is caused by a single-cell parasite and results in vaginal itching and discharge, was seen in 3% of the girls. About 2% of the girls were infected with herpes simplex virus type 2, which causes most cases of genital herpes. Although half of teenage girls have not had sexual relations, 40% of the other half had at least one sexually transmitted disease. Girls who had only a sexual relationship with only one person still had a 20% chance of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Unfortunately, many of the STDs are life-threatening.

The human papillomavirus, which is a cause of cervical cancer, has recently been found to also be the cause of rising head and neck cancers. Incidences of head and neck cancer had been declining, due to decreases in smoking rates and smokeless tobacco usage. However, the human papillomavirus is now causing 40% of all head and neck cancers. In the event of neck cancer, a test should be done to see if the cancer is due to the human papillomavirus, as the best treatment for HPV-related neck cancers is different than the best treatment for smoking-related cancers. Syphilis is also on the rise in America, and has been for the last 7 years. Transmission of this organism and many others can occur during any type of sexual activity.

Bottom line: The importance of abstinence before marriage, and monogamous relationships thereafter, has never been more important. Teenage boys and girls need continuing education to remind them of the health (and mental) issues involved.

Working Memory is More Important than I.Q. (Here’s how to improve it)

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:57:24 +0000

Because working memory is the single most important predictor of learning, some psychologists are calling it the “new I.Q.” Working memory is what allows people to hold and manipulate a few items in their minds.

Like a box, our minds can only hold so much. (Most people can hold 3-5 items in their “mental grocery list”. If there are more, something on the list may be forgotten). The fact that there is a limit involved makes it even more critical to put in the right thing, since irrelevant information clutters up working memory.

In contrast to IQ (which measures vocabulary, mathematical skills, problem solving, spatial ability, and other brain functions), working memory is the pure measure of a child’s potential.

Many people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have problems with working memory. According to Dr. Mel Levin, co-founder of the non-profit institute “All Kinds of Minds”, working memory allows a reader to still remember what was at the beginning of a page when they reach the end.

One young girl, who struggled with working memory problems, reported that it was “as if every time I read a sentence, the one just before just got erased” Dr. Levine suggested the girl buy her schoolbooks, so she could underline key points as needed. He then had her read those points into a digital tape recorder, and play them back to help her remember them even better.

Soon this girl, who used to tell her mother “I’m the stupidest kid in class”, was instead telling people “I’ve got to work on expanding my active working memory.”

While children with poor working memories are often considered lazy or dim, the good news is that many of these underachievers really can improve. A tool developed by Dr. Tracey Allow of Britain’s Durham University helps teachers assess working memory capacity in children as young as 4 years old.

In October of 2008, a 5-day peak mental performance program for adolescents and adults will be held in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Those who attend and participate in this program will be able to significantly improve their working memories, as well as their I.Q. and emotional intelligence.

Bottom Line: If your child appears to be struggling with working memory, help them understand what it is and how it works. And remember—the same strategies that will help a child manage and improve memory (e.g. not putting too many “things in the box”, lifestyle choices that improve cognitive function) can help adults too.

Early Retirement May Mean Earlier Death

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:42:41 +0000

New research suggests there may be a connection between retirement and mortality in apparently healthy people. The findings surfaced in a study of nearly 17,000 adults. Researchers found that those who were retired upon enrollment in the study were 51% more likely to die during the study period than their same age counterparts who were still working. This trend was observed across all age groups. For example, among men who were younger than 55 at the study entry, 9% of retirees died versus just over 1% of those who were still working. The difference narrowed but was still evident in the older men.

The research team found that for every 5-year increase at the age of retirement, there was a 10% decrease in mortality risk. Even when researchers accounted for other factors (such as age, education, smoking habits, and weight), there was still a correlation between retirement status and the odds of dying during the study.

People looking forward to an early retirement may want to rethink those plans. If they are going to retire from their usual jobs, they may want to be involved in productive work on a regular basis after retirement.

Bottom Line: The Bible’s command to labor for six days a week is a plan that can enhance the health and longevity of those who participate.

The Link Between Rock Music and Substance Abuse

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:38:17 +0000

The link between listening to pop music and later utilizing alcohol and drugs has been recognized for more than a generation. Syncopated rock and roll rhythms can suppress frontal lobe function. It can also lead individuals to participate in activities that they otherwise would not have, had the frontal lobe been more enhanced.

A study recently published by the American Medical Association (in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, February of 2008) strengthened the evidence of a connection, by showing that today’s hit songs often contain highly positive references to alcohol and drug use.

While 41.6% of the songs reviewed in the study contained references to drugs, a full 33% explicitly referred to substance use. The investigators also reported that 24% of the songs depicted alcohol use, 14% referred to marijuana use, 11% portrayed other substances, and 3% depicted tobacco usage. Rap songs had a 77% chance of referring to substance use in a positive way. Country music songs had a 36% chance of the same, while R & B hip-hop songs had a 20% chance.

Drug and alcohol use were frequently associated with partying, sex, violence, and/or humor, and the behavior was often motivated by pure social pressure. Most songs that mentioned drugs or alcohol portrayed positive social, sexual, financial or emotional consequences. Of the 279 most popular hits included in the study, only 4 songs contained any anti-use message and no song portrayed refusal of a substance.

Take-away point: What we listen to and observe can affect our behavior.

Melatonin in Addition to Light Therapy May Help People with Alzheimer’s

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:30:06 +0000

A morning-time dose of bright light, when combined with an evening dose of melatonin, may help normalize the sleep-wake cycle in elderly adults with Alzheimer’s. Dr. Glenna A. Dowling of the University of California, who headed the study, randomly assigned 50 nursing home patients with Alzheimer’s into three groups.

The first group was given light therapy for one hour, five hours per week. The second group received a dose of melatonin before bedtime, in addition to light therapy. The third group was exposed only to normal indoor light, and was not given melatonin.

Over the 10-week period of the study, Dr. Dowling and her colleagues found that the combination of light therapy and melatonin helped curb daytime sleepiness, and increase the patient’s activity level during the day overall. The light therapy used in the study included natural light as well as medical grade lights. Medical grade lights, such as those used in the Nedley Depression Recovery Program, are available through drnedley.com.

Bottom line: A regimen of melatonin and light therapy may be effective in curbing daytime sleepiness and increasing activity levels during the day.

97% Response Rate in Treating Depressed Patients

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:20:04 +0000

The Residential 10-day Nedley Depression Recovery Program has helped many people with depression. To date, the program has a 97% response rate, with more than 50% finding a lasting cure for their depression.

Due to Dr. Nedley’s schedule for the rest of the year, only one of these programs will be run in 2008. A few spots are still available in this program, which will run from April 11-April 21 in Ardmore, Oklahoma. If you know anyone who could benefit from this program, please let them know, and they will end up thanking you immensely for the referral. For more information, call Nedley Health Solutions at 1-888-778-4445 and ask for Paula.