To Your HealthTYH Archives

January 28, 2003 [Volume 4, Issue 3]

 

To Your Health is brought to you by:

ChiroFind


This issue features a number of articles you will want to share with your family, friends and co-workers. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to them via e-mail. If you have received this e-mail newsletter from someone else, you may subscribe free of charge and begin receiving your own copy by going to:

https://www.chiroweb.com/newsletter/TYH/subscribe.php

 

In this issue of To Your Health:

One-Third of Americans Suffer Joint Pain

The leading causes of disability in the U.S. are arthritis and related rheumatic conditions, which cause joint pain and inflammation in sufferers. Arthritis results from immune system disorders or wearing down of the cartilage and tissues of the joints. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the prevalence of arthritis and chronic joint pain and stiffness may be higher than previously thought.

Questionnaires administered to randomly chosen adults in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico provided data on arthritis incidence. Arthritis prevalence was defined as doctor diagnosis; prevalence of chronic joint symptoms, or CJS, was determined when patients responded "yes" to "pain, aching, stiffness, or swelling in or around a joint" in the previous year during "most days for at least a month."

The overall prevalence of CJS/arthritis was 33%, or approximately 70 million adults. By categories, the percentages of American adults estimated to suffer from specific conditions were: arthritis (11%), CJS (10%) and both CJS and physician-diagnosed arthritis (12%).

Arthritis symptoms can affect anyone, particularly the elderly, women and those who are overweight and lead sedentary lives. The best way to avoid developing arthritis is to maintain a healthy diet and weight and get adequate sleep. Conservative treatments for arthritis include low-impact regular aerobic exercise, massage, acupuncture and heat and cold therapy.

Reference: Bolen J, Helmick CG, et al. Prevalence of self-reported arthritis or chronic joint symptoms among adults - United States, 2001. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (CDC) 2002:51(42), pp. 948-950.

For more studies on joint pain, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/musculoskeletal/extremities/index.html.

Meat in the Middle

Let's face it - a lot of middle-aged guys have a little bit of a "beer gut." While body mass index (BMI) is commonly used for the classification of obese or overweight individuals, it does not account for this type of body fat distribution, which has been shown to be a strong predictor of disease risk factors.

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the relative values of BMI and waist circumference for predicting cardiovascular disease and diabetes in almost 10,000 people, to determine which was more accurate. Results of the study showed that in both men and women, waist circumference was a better predictor than BMI when determining the health impacts of excess body fat in overweight or obese patients. Waist circumference accurately predicted odds for obesity-related risk factors like poor cholesterol levels, high blood sugar and high blood pressure.

You already know that being overweight is unhealthy. Now you also know that being large around the middle, as opposed to carrying extra weight in the hip region or elsewhere, may be even more unhealthy. If you have a weight problem, go to your doctor of chiropractic and ask for help. In addition to maximizing your health, you'll probably enhance your current quality of life.

Reference: Zhu S, Wang Z, et al. Waist circumference and obesity-associated risk factors among whites in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: Clinical action thresholds. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2002:76, pp. 743-749.

Go to https://www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/general for more general health studies.

Bad Breath Acceptable

Vampires and cancer, beware! Garlic, onions and the other allium vegetables are known to help ward off many forms of cancer, including those of the stomach, esophagus and colon. The Chinese include a high amount of these vegetables in their diets, and also have the lowest rates of prostate cancer in the world.

A recent study conducted in Shanghai, China, and appearing in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute examined the diets of 238 men with prostate cancer and 471 cancer-free men of similar ages randomly selected from the general population. Specifically, amounts of allium vegetables (garlic, onions, scallions, shallots, chives and leeks) eaten were compared between the two groups.

Men who ate the most allium vegetables (a mere one-third of an ounce per day or more) were 50% less likely to have prostate cancer than those who ate the least. Scallions and garlic appeared to reduce cancer risk the most; men who ate the most scallions reduced their risk for prostate cancer by 70%.

Try to include about two cloves of garlic per day in your diet, and enjoy an assortment of scallions and onions. Besides adding flavor to foods, they offer multiple health benefits and boost your immune system. Men should also consume tomato products as another weapon in the fight to ward off prostate cancer, as they provide a powerful antioxidant called lycopene.

Reference: Hsing AW, Chokkalingam AP, et al. Allium vegetables and risk of prostate cancer: A population-based study. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2002:94(21), pp. 1648-1651.

For more nutrition information, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/nutrition.

Never Too Old to Care

"Malnutrition" refers to undernutrition or overnutrition, either of which creates significant health risks in the elderly. A recent review of nutritional studies in Topics in Clinical Chiropractic covered the incidence and causes of malnourishment in seniors, and brought up the dangers of not eating right.

The review noted that a quarter of all men and half of all women over age 65 in America are considered overweight. Obesity is associated with adult-onset diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and several forms of cancer (breast, colon, uterine). Body shape may be more important than a simple weight-height ratio when assessing overnutrition: fat concentrated around or above the waistline (e.g., a potbelly) is more closely associated with cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and diabetes than fat centralized around the hips.

Undernutrition, either from being too thin or lacking certain nutrients, occurs in 5-20% of seniors and is related to increased risk of death, infection, osteoporosis and degenerative diseases. Medical causes may be seen in 93% of undernutrition cases (due to medications seniors are taking); other causes include anorexia, cancer, depression and hypothyroidism. Protein and vitamin/mineral deficiencies are common in undernourished individuals. Although people require fewer calories as they age, they should not reduce nutrient intake.

Nutritional supplements containing vitamin C, B vitamins and zinc may lessen the effects of undernutrition. A diet packed with fruits, vegetables and adequate amounts of protein can provide the best form of absorbable nutrients. If you are overweight, try to shed some extra pounds by eating fewer calories and staying physically active.

Reference: Thomas DR, Morley JE. Nutritional considerations in older people. Topics in Clinical Chiropractic 2002:9(2), pp. 7-24.

For more information on senior health, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/senior.html.

 

 

This edition of the To Your Health newsletter is co-sponsored by:


Thank you for subscribing to To Your Health. If you have received this newsletter in error or wish to unsubscribe, you may remove your name from our e-mail subscription list at https://www.chiroweb.com/newsletter/TYH/unsubscribe.php.

Visit Dynamic Chiropractic's "Ask a Doctor of Chiropractic" forum at https://www.chiroweb.com/find/ask.html, where 15 doctors of chiropractic are waiting to answer any of your health questions.

If you have any questions regarding your subscription, please complete this form at https://www.chiroweb.com/newsletterhelp/TYH.

This newsletter conforms to the requirements set by Bill S 1618 Title III, passed by the 105th U.S. Congress.

To report inappropriate ads,