Between 6% and 10% of U.S. adults take “hypnotic” drugs (prescription sleeping pills) in a given year. These include benzodiazepines, nonbenzodiazepines, zaleplon, barbiturates, and sedative antihistamines. What most people don’t know is that the risk of death greatly increases relative to the number of times people take sleeping drugs. Those who take hypnotics once...
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According to a recent study, “major spinal surgery in the adult is associated with a high incidence of intra- and postoperative complications.” How often are there complications? The actual number may surprise you: 87% of patients had at least one documented complication. 39% of these were serious enough to extend their hospital stay. 73.5%...
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While drinking diet soft drinks may help reduce the amount of carbs a person consumes, they are not without their downside. As one study points out, they have a significant impact on your risk of an adverse “vascular event” like a stroke, myocardial infarction or some kind of vascular death. Researchers found that “those...
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According to a recent study, “over the last years, evidence has accumulated suggesting that by systematically reducing the amount of dietary carbohydrates (CHOs) one could suppress, or at least delay, the emergence of cancer, and that proliferation of already existing tumor cells could be slowed down. This hypothesis is supported by the association between...
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A new study looked at the impact of omega-3 fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid – DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid – EPA) on cognitive impairment for seniors who are free of dementia. Researchers found that people with lower DHA and EPA levels scored lower when tested for visual memory, executive function and abstract thinking. Lower levels...
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A remarkable study compared fitness and weight loss to see which had the greatest impact in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease death and “all-cause mortality” (death from anything) for men. The study involved over 14,000 men with an average age of 44 years. After almost 11 ½ years, the researchers examined the results,...
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Working 11+ hours a day can take a toll on your mind as well as your body. In addition to feeling tired and stressed, you also may be more likely to suffer a “major depressive episode.” A recent study found that those who consistently worked more than 11 hours per day were almost two...
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Maintain your quality of life as you get older can be a challenge. As you get older, it gets harder to keep your body functioning they way it did when you were young. It can be more work to maintain your strength, balance and endurance. This is particularly true if you are over 65...
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A survey of over a million people conducted by the Gallup Organization found a direct relationship between the amount that a person is overweight and the amount of pain they experience. The survey results indicate that people who are overweight experience more pain that those whose body mass index (BMI) is normal or low....
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Approximately 70% of us will experience neck pain at some point in our lives, many of us more than once. While some people will be tempted to take a drug to relieve their pain, recent research demonstrates that this is the wrong choice. The study compared spinal manipulation (SMT), medication and “home exercise with...
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Vitamin D has been shown to have numerous health benefits including reducing the risk of headaches, Parkinson Disease, dementia, diabetes and various forms of cancer. Many believe that science has only scratched the surface in understanding the important role vitamin D plays in health. A new study has found that, for older adults, “supplemental...
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While it is important to keep your weight at a healthy level,  a recent study found that weight loss (defined as lowering a person’s body-mass index) was not associated with a reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality (dying from anything) or cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. The study involved over 14,000 men with an...
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A study of young women in their 30’s found that eating fish can help lower their risk of cardiovascular disease. The researchers followed over 48,000 women for eight years. Fish and fish oil provide n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn3FAs) which have important anti-inflammatory qualities. In this study, the researchers found that “little or no...
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