Weekly Health Update – Nov 19, 2012

Posted on November 19, 2012 by

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex…
It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.”
~ Albert Einstein

Mental Attitude: Hope For Lonely Seniors.

Lonely, older adults with higher levels of cortisol and c-reactive protein (CRP) in their blood are at greater risk for stress and inflammation related diseases (such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease). However, a new study has found that lonely senior citizens can decrease their cortisol and CRP levels by maintaining a positive outlook on life and by not blaming themselves for their problems.
Concordia University, October 2012

Health Alert: Fast-Tracked Drugs!

A recent study tracked a total of 434 new active substances (NASs) approved by Health Canada between 1995 and 2010. The NASs were then compared to see whether a difference in safety existed between those that had gone through Health Canada’s standard 300-day review period vs. the 180-day priority process. Drugs streamed into Health Canada’s accelerated review process are 15% more likely to be withdrawn from the market or to earn a serious safety warning.
Archives of Internal Medicine, October 2012

Diet: Happiness and Mental Health.

Happiness and mental health are highest among people who eat 7 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Mental wellbeing appeared to rise with the number of daily portions of fruit and vegetables people consumed. Wellbeing peaked at seven portions a day. In Britain today, a quarter of the population eat just one portion or no portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Only a tenth of the British population currently consume the magic number of seven or more daily portions.
Social Indicators Research, October 2012

Exercise: Just A Few Minutes.

Participants who peddled a stationary bike as hard as possible at the highest resistance for 30 seconds, followed by 4 minutes of peddling at slow speeds with little resistance (5 rounds), burned as many as 200 calories despite only vigorously exercising for 2.5 minutes. For many people who want to be in better shape, a large chunk of time spent in an effort to work out is an annoying turn-off. This new finding could make exercise reasonable for potential fitness buffs by squeezing intense efforts into a smaller time slot.
Integrative Biology of Exercise VI meeting, October 10-13, 2012