Contact with Friends and Family Improves Hip Fracture Recovery, Among Other Benefits
September 15, 2008
According to a new study, socially connected elderly adults who fractured their hip had a better chance of survival, and better recoveries, than their less socially-integrated peers. Researchers led by Dr. Edward Mortimore found that among 674 elderly hip fracture patients, those who’d had regular contact with friends in the weeks before the injury were more likely to be alive two years later. Those with no such contact were five times more likely to die during the study period. Although family connections were also linked to a lower risk of death, the apparent protective effect of friendship appeared to be even stronger.(1)
These findings corroborate with a recent University of Michigan study, which found that people with a strong social network felt less anxiety before a major operation.
Daniel Hinshaw, M.D., and his colleagues at the University of Michigan found that patients with more active friendship networks felt less pain and anxiety pre-surgery. As a result, they used less pain medication, felt less post-operative pain/anxiety and had faster recuperation times. Dr. Hinshaw also noted that medical care providers play a unique and important role for patients who otherwise have limited social contact.(2)
(1) Amount of social contact and hip fracture mortality. Mortimore E, Haselow D, Dolan M, Hawkes WG, Langenberg P, Zimmerman S, Magaziner J Division of Nursing Homes, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Blvd., Room S3-12-11, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850, USA.
(2) Social connectedness and patient Recovery after major operations. Allison R. Mitchinson, Hyungjin Myra Kim, Michael Geisser, Jack M. Rosenberg, Daniel B. Hinshaw Journal of the American College of Surgeons - February 2008 (Vol. 206, Issue 2, Pages 292-300, DOI: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2007.08.017)
Topics: Health News
Optimism an Aid to Stroke Recovery
September 12, 2008
Stroke survivors with a positive outlook function better on their own three months after leaving the hospital than their gloomier counterparts, new research shows. The study, which was headed by Dr. Glenn V. Ostir of the University of Texas, surveyed 823 recovering stroke patients age 55 or older while they were in the hospital. A follow up survey was also given to the recovering patients 3 months after discharge.
Optimism levels were scored on a positive emotion summary test, while ability to function independently was ranked through the standardized Functional Independence Measure (FIM) test. The four positive items included in the test were:
• “I felt that I was just as good as other people.”
• “I felt hopeful about the future.”
• “I was happy,” and
• “I enjoyed life.”
The researchers found a significant positive correlation between positive emotion and functional independence. In other words, for every one-point increase on the positive emotion test, the patient’s FIM rose about one point as well.
In 1866, James White was in just such a downward spiral. White had survived a stroke, but when doctors told him an active life could give him another stroke, he took their advice to heart. His wife had other ideas, however. A health visionary ahead of her time, Ellen White firmly believed that James had no hope of recovery without mental and physical action.
Ellen started James’ stroke recovery program by instructing her sons to purchase 3 hoes. As a family, they planted a garden and set out fruit trees. Although James went through the motions of helping, his efforts were somewhat lame.
When haying time came around, James expected the neighbors to help. The neighbors knew, liked, and cared about James. So they normally would have helped. But Ellen, who knew how badly James needed to do this himself, asked the neighbors to “make themselves busy.”
“When James sends for you, tell him you’re pressed with work of your own, and you’ll suffer loss if you leave it.” The neighbors hesitated at first, but when Ellen explained that this was a stroke recovery program, they agreed to cooperate. James was disappointed when the neighbors didn’t show up, but once again, Ellen rose to the occasion.
“Let us show the neighbors that we can attend to the work ourselves,” she said. Ellen then suggested a way for the little family to get the job done. James’ job was to pitch the hay up to the haystack, where Ellen would stack it up.
“I pitched hay for 6-12 hours a day all week long,” James later wrote, “and slept very well.” Prior to that, and just after his stroke, James had felt too weak to even carry a watch. After 18 months of an active program largely orchestrated by his wife, however, James built up enough strength to once again engage in an active, aggressive ministry. During the following years, he did some of the best work of his life.
Take-away Point: If you have had a stroke, get a positive attitude and attempt to reach a goal that seems, at first, unreachable. Then persistently and diligently attempt to reach that goal.
(1) Glenn V. Ostir, Ivonne-Marie Berges, Margaret E. Ottenbacher, Angela Clow, and Kenneth J. Ottenbacher, Associations Between Positive Emotion and Recovery of Functional Status Following Stroke Psychosom Med 70: 404-409.
(2) Arthur L. White. Ellen G. White, vol. 2, The Progressive Years. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1986, pp. 185-189
Topics: Health News
How to Improve the IQ of Your Child and Teenager
August 7, 2008
A recent report revealed that working with one’s own hands in a real world 3D environment is imperative for full cognitive and intellectual development. The report was released by Dr. Aric Sigman, who was commissioned by the Ruskin Mill Educational Trust.
Unfortunately, brain development of children from the Western world is being threatened by their failure to work with their hands in school and at home. Certain classes in school are becoming much less popular, and many schools do not even offer classes in areas that involve working with the hands due to lack of interest. These classes include woodworking, metal work, crafts, agriculture, music, and auto mechanics.
Why are these classes being cancelled? Because children want to play computer games and take computer classes. The Western world is fast becoming “a software instead of a screwdriver society.” Unfortunately, many people in our society today consider working with one’s hands to be for the “lower class.” Research has shown that increasing time spent on the virtual world of computers is displacing hands-on play and hands-on learning. Hands-on play and hands-on learning allow young people to:
• experience how the world works in a practical way
• gain an understanding of materials and processes, and
• make informed judgments about abstract concepts.
Dr. Sigman’s report pointed out that many 11 year olds have deficits in certain areas of their cognitive development that were not present in children of the same age a generation or two ago. There has also been a decline in the ability of young engineers and apprentices to conceptualize straightforward mechanical problems. The findings of Dr. Sigman’s report clearly emphasize the need for strengthening the role of “3D learning, and crafts in education today.” It also underscores the need for parents to take the responsibility to ensure their children get more of a hands-on upbringing.
Topics: Health News
Too Much Sleep May Increase Stroke Risk in Menopausal Women
August 7, 2008
Regularly getting 9 hours or more of sleep per night appears to increase the risk of stroke in post menopausal women, according to a study published in the American Heart Association Journal “Stroke” in July 2008.
The study, which involved 93,000 women ages 50-79 years old from 40 locations around the United States, ran from 1994 to 2005. Although only 5% of study participants reported getting 9 hours or more of sleep nightly, those 5% had a 60-70% higher risk of stroke compared to women getting only 7 hours of sleep per night (the most common duration).
The risk of stroke increased by 14% in women who routinely got less than 6 hours of sleep per night. The optimal amount of sleep for most people is between 7 and 8 hours per night. Some people, however, can get by with as little as 6 hours of sleep while other need as many as 9. According to this study, too much sleep may be even worse than too little sleep as far as stroke risk is concerned.
Topics: Health News
Another Way to Get a “Natural High”
August 7, 2008
I’m interested in ways in which people can receive a nice dopamine, serotonin or norephenephrine surge in the brain without it setting themselves up for addiction. When an addictive substances is first used, the brain is stimulated in certain reward areas. The next time the substance is used, there is less of a reward sensation. Eventually, after the addictive cycle is repeated 50 or 60 times, the individuals dopamine levels are no longer in the “happy” stage. In between “fixes,” they will even experience such low dopamine levels that they have a very sad or empty feeling. At this point, they begin turning to their addiction just to come up to neutral levels of dopamine. In other words, they are no longer engaging in their addiction to “get high.” They are “doing it” just to get numb.
Unfortunately, even behavioral addictions (which don’t involve substances) can elicit this same response. Certain activities, such as gambling, pornography, movie addiction, rock music, etc. can actually raise the dopamine to an almost euphoric level. Unfortunately, these levels drop below neutral thereafter. This is in contrast to activities such as taking a walk in the park, seeing a beautiful sunset, reading a thought provoking book, meditating on a passage from scripture, or eating a watermelon, mango, or other piece of natural fruit. In such cases the dopamine levels do not go as high. The higher levels of dopamine last much longer, but they also do not go as low when the natural “high” is over, eventually just going down to but not below neutral.
Another way to get a natural, non-damaging high was recently discovered and published in the July 2008 Journal of Pediatrics. Investigators found that when mothers saw the faces of their own infants, key reward-related areas of their brains lit up. Pet scans taken during the study suggested increased blood flow to the areas of the brain involved in thinking, movement, behavior, and emotion. Interestingly enough, these are the same areas of the brain which have been activated in other experiments associated with drug addiction.
According to Dr. Lane Strathern, of the Human Neuro Imaging Laboratory of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, seeing the smiling face of your own baby brings you a natural high.
Topics: Health News
Frontal Lobe Suppressants Often Go Together
August 7, 2008
When people partake in activities that suppress their frontal lobe, they are more likely to augment the effect by engaging in additional suppressant activities.
A case in point would be the experience of people frequenting bars where syncopated rock n’ roll music is played. The louder the music is played, the faster people drink, with the end result being an increased consumption of alcohol. A French study published in the Journal of Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research supported this conclusion, finding that turning up music caused people to drink more alcohol, but in fewer gulps. The study, which was led by Nicholas Gueguen, observed 40 men ages 18-25 at two bars on three successive Saturday nights.
Topics: Health News
Cigarette Manufacturers Working to Hook First-time Smokers
August 7, 2008
According to the American Lung Association, 4000 children under 18 smoke their first cigarette each day. Of those 4000 first-time smokers, nearly 1100 will become regulars of the habit.
Tobacco companies would like to convert more of those first time users into regular smokers, and they have found a way to do it. According to a report published by the American Journal of Public Health in July 2008, tobacco companies manipulate the amount of menthol in cigarettes to make those first few puffs more palatable to young smokers.
“Menthol stimulates the cooling receptors in the lung and oral pharynx,” said Dr. Gregory Connelly of the Harvard School of Public Health. As a result, smoking becomes easier for those who are not accustomed to it. Menthol cigarette brands have been rising in popularity with adolescent users. The highest use has been documented among younger, newer smokers. “Menthol helps the nicotine go down,” said Dr. Connelly. He also states, “that tobacco companies are using an ingredient here to make nicotine addiction easier.”
The best solution, of course, is for young people never to smoke their first cigarette in which case they will never become an addicted smoker. The next best scenario, for young people who do try their first cigarette, would be for them to get a large inhalation from a hardcore Marlboro cigarette without menthol, in which
case their first cigarette experience could very likely be so terrible, they’ll never want to try it again.
Topics: Health News
Fruit Smoothie
August 7, 2008
½ cup orange juice concentrate
½ cup water
½ cup non-dairy milk (Silk Milk, Rice Dream)
½ pkg Mori-Nu Tofu, lite
1 Tbsp golden flaxseed meal (or 1 Tbsp flaxseed oil)
2 small frozen bananas, sliced
1 cup frozen strawberries or blueberries
Blend all ingredients until smooth. This smoothie makes a great way to start your day. Yields 4 cups.
Topics: Healthy Recipes
Mental Health Important to the Success of Kidney Transplants
August 7, 2008
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
Topics: Health News
Higher Levels of Boron = Less Cancer
August 7, 2008
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.
Topics: Health News
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