The World Health Organization (WHO) has added “gaming disorder” as a new mental health condition listed in the 11th edition of its International Classification of Diseases. Previously, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a handbook used by health professionals in the U.S. and other countries to help diagnose behavioral health disorders called out “Internet Gaming Disorder” but says the condition warrants more clinical research before it can be classified in the book as a formal disorder. WHO points out that all people who participate in gaming should be aware... Read More

The average age of menopause in the United States is 51.  Perimenopause, which can start as early as age 35, begins several years before menopause. It’s the time when the ovaries gradually begin to make less estrogen. For women experiencing menopause, there are many known symptoms that affect some, but not all women.  Hot flashes, insomnia, and night sweats plague about half of American women over 45.  There are some other, less common, symptoms that you might not associate with menopause. Road rage! Almost half of all menopausal women report mood swings and anger among their symptoms.... Read More

New research suggests people who get too little sleep during the week can make up for it on the weekends. According to a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research, people who slept less than five hours each night throughout the week had an increased risk of early death compared to those who slept six to seven hours every night. People who get less than five hours during the week, but who catch up on some of that lost sleep on the weekend, do not have the same risk. These results suggest that sleep is not a risk factor for mortality if it is combined with a medium or long weekend sleep. Some... Read More

Humans have been fasting throughout our existence, sometimes because food was not available, or as a part of major religions, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism. As hunter-gatherers humans went for stretches when food was not available, our bodies evolved to be able to function without food for extended periods of time. Intermittent fasting is a term for an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It is not a “diet” in the conventional sense. It is more accurately described as an “eating pattern.” Intermittent fasting methods may involve... Read More

Memorial Day weekend unofficially kicks off the summer season. Summer is the time to play outdoors on long sunny days, sleep under the stars, and enjoy activities on land and water.  Summer is camping season! Planning a camping trip requires thought and preparation.  After ticking off the items on your gear checklist, take some time to think about some other important checklist items before you pitch your tent. Taking Fido? If you are taking your dog on a camping trip, don’t forget these things to make the trip safe and healthy for him. Dog first aid kit. Just like you, your dog may have a... Read More

May is National Bike Month and Bike to Work Day isn’t far behind, so now is the perfect time to dust off the bike, lube the chain, pump up the tires and take a ride. Don’t have a bike? B-cycle is a public bicycle sharing company based in Waterloo, Wisconsin. It has 47 local systems operating in cities across the United States. With the increasing number of cyclists commuting and riding recreationally it is more important than ever to understand the etiquette and rules of the road for riding a bike. Whether on the bike path or a street, you are a vehicle with the same rights and responsibilities... Read More

Sea greens, also known as sea vegetables, are a group of foods in the seaweed family, that grow in the ocean. If you eat Japanese food you may be familiar with some sea greens – nori, the dark green wrapper on your sushi, or kombu, a common ingredient in miso soup. If you think you’ve never had seaweed, think again! Agar, a gelatinous substance that comes from red seaweed is used as a thickener in many foods. Sea vegetables are some of the most nutrient-packed foods on earth, packed with fiber vitamins and minerals. They are beneficial to us because they slow the aging process by promoting... Read More

Did you know there is a drug available in the U.S. designed to prevent HIV infection? PrEP, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, is anti-HIV medication to keep HIV negative people from becoming infected. PrEP is approved by the FDA and studies have shown that PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV by more than 90% when used consistently. Over one million Americans have HIV, according to the CDC, and African Americans are more likely to be impacted by HIV than any other group in America.  Seventy-five percent of the new HIV cases diagnosed in 2016 were African American men aged 13-34. Of the 500,000 African... Read More

A recent article in the journal The Conversation, asked the question “Is walking enough exercise?”  Four out of five experts said yes. The one expert who said no, qualified his response by saying that walking is better than no exercise at all. He goes on to point out that, ideally, strength training and higher intensity exercise is ideal for good health. While strength training and higher intensity exercise along with moderate exercise is the ideal situation for many, the National Runners’ Health Study found that moderate-intensity walking and vigorous-intensity running resulted in similar... Read More

Taking a cold shower, unless it is a sweltering hot day, does not sound like a desirable practice. Research, however, shows that those who took a cold shower regularly, took fewer sick days than those who did not. A study from the Netherlands revealed that those who finished their daily showers with 30-, 60- or 90-second blasts of chilly water, were less likely to take a sick day at work. Cold water didn’t keep participants from being sick, but those who took cold showers (roughly 50 degrees Fahrenheit) experienced more mild symptoms and had more energy, which allowed them to power through work... Read More

Americans are still getting fatter. Since 1999, adult obesity has increased from around 30% to almost 38% in 2014. Here are some eye-opening statistics about the health of American adults. About half of all adults get the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Only 3% of Americans meet the definition of a healthy lifestyle: Have a healthy body fat percentage (less than 20% for men and less than 30% for women) Meet exercise recommendations Are non-smokers Score in the top 40% on the Harvard Healthy Eating Index   Obesity is not just an issue for your health.  Obesity as a... Read More

As a young adult, I taught multiple fitness classes and played recreational soccer.  At that time in my life that much physical activity was not only desired, it was a great way to expend my abundant energy.  As I’ve aged, I’ve noticed shifts in my physical activity levels and preferences. You may have noticed that, as you age, your interests have shifted as well. Changes in your activity level and interests are normal. As we age, there are some activities that become more difficult or risky.  For example, if you were a wrestler in your youth, you are not likely able to tolerate the physical... Read More

There’s a very strong connection between cardiovascular health—the health of your heart and circulatory system—and the health of your brain, so it makes sense that a longitudinal study of women indicated that those with the highest levels of cardiovascular fitness had an 88% lower risk for dementia. About 5.4 million people in the United States are estimated to be living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. The Swedish study involved 191 women in Sweden, 38 to 60 years old, who completed an evaluation of their cardiovascular fitness. The women’s workload... Read More

If you have ever been injured, you probably heard that you should employ RICE – rest, ice, compression and elevation—to speed recovery.  You may have taken ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory medication to relieve pain and speed healing. New research suggests we shouldn’t be using ice or NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to recover from many injuries. NSAIDs actually slow the healing of injured muscles, tendons, ligament, and bones. Why? NSAIDs work by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins.  Prostaglandins are produced as a result of the inflammatory response and may... Read More

It is ironic that this week—the week when we are all sleep deprived due to the commencement of Daylight Savings Time – is National Sleep Awareness Week. This year’s theme “Begin with Sleep” highlights the importance of good sleep health for individuals to best achieve their personal, family, and professional goals. Daylight Savings Time has a number of health risks associated with it. In the days after the time change, the risk of heart attack, workplace injury and car accident is higher. Being tired can decrease productivity, concentration, and general well-being and our appetite regulation... Read More

It’s almost spring and many Americans start to think about dumping the winter plump in preparation for summer.  With that in mind, consider some recent information comparing dieting techniques and their success at helping you lose a few. Some dieters firmly believe in avoiding fat and while others espouse avoiding carbs. Does it matter? In a recent study at Stanford University researchers put more than 600 overweight adults on either a healthy low-fat or low-carb diet. It turns out, participants had similar levels of weight loss success on each plan. That’s right!  Both diets were successful. The... Read More

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Japanese officials approved the single-dose drug, known as Xofluza, for use in that country. In a clinical trial, Japanese and American patients who took the drug when they had the flu saw the virus wiped out, on average, in 24 hours.  The drug will be available in Japan in time for next year’s flu season, but not in the U.S. until 2019. Currently Tamiflu is used widely for shortening the duration of the flu virus in America.  Xofluza works differently by inhibiting an enzyme the flu virus needs to replicate. The drug can work in 24 hours because... Read More

One in 68 U.S. children has an autism spectrum disorder, a 30% increase from 1 in 88 two years ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Scientists have taken the first steps towards what they say could become a new blood and urine test for autism. A study at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute tested children with and without the condition and found higher levels of protein damage in those with the disorder. The researchers said the tests could lead ultimately to the earlier detection of the condition, which can be difficult to diagnose. While prior research often focused... Read More

As one of the richest nation’s in the world, we should have a very high life expectancy.  For the second year in a row, however, life expectancy in the U.S. has fallen.  A study released last week in the British Medical Journal details the United States’ decline from the world leader in life expectancy rates, in the 1960s, to now 1.5 years below the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) average. The National Research Council and Institute of Medicine set out to study why America’s new life expectancy, 78.7 years, falls so far below the OECD average of 80.3. The... Read More

Last fall, the FDA approved a ‘digital pill’ that will tell your doctor if you’ve been taking your medicine.  The pill, which was approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration on November 13, sends a signal to a wearable sensor when a patient has taken the medication, and that information is then sent to a doctor’s office. While this may seem reminiscent of the book 1984, the technology could help many who have trouble tracking their medications. Embedded in the pill is a sensor that consists of a silicon chip with the logic circuit, along with two pieces of metal. When the sensor... Read More