Week Ending November 14, 2022
Mindfulness Meditation Can Help Treat Addiction, New Research at the U Finds
“A recent study at the University of Utah found that mindfulness training and meditation provides a natural high, and can be used to treat forms of addiction. Eric Garland, a distinguished endowed chair of research and an associate professor of research, developed the Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement therapy, also known as MORE, to provide a solution for those suffering from addiction and pain issues.”
Mindfulness may offer an ‘appealing approach’ to lower blood pressure
“CHICAGO — A mindfulness-based program adapted for individuals with elevated BP showed “potentially clinically relevant” reductions in systolic BP 6 months after participation, researchers reported. At 6 months’ follow-up, participants of the mindfulness-based program had a mean reduction in systolic BP of nearly 6 mm Hg, Eric B. Loucks, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and director of the Mindfulness Center at Brown University, said during a presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.”
ACR releases new guideline that offers recommendations for integrative approach to RA treatment
“The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) released a summary of its new guideline for Exercise, Rehabilitation, Diet and Additional Integrative Interventions for Rheumatoid Arthritis. This is the first ACR guideline about an Integrative Approach to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and is considered complementary to the ACR’s 2021 Guideline for the Treatment of RA, which covers pharmacologic therapies.”
Do Energy Drinks Count as Fluid?
“These beverages are increasingly popular as a way to get a buzz, but how well do they help you hydrate? Read on to find out.”
WHO highlights high cost of physical inactivity in first-ever global report
“Almost 500 million people will develop heart disease, obesity, diabetes or other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) attributable to physical inactivity, between 2020 and 2030, costing US$ 27 billion annually, if governments don’t take urgent action to encourage more physical activity among their populations. The Global status report on physical activity 2022, published today by the World Health Organization, measures the extent to which governments are implementing recommendations to increase physical activity across all ages and abilities.”
More Evidence Links Ultra-Processed Foods to Premature, Preventable Death
“It’s no secret that ultra-processed foods can be detrimental to health and contribute to chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Now, a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) was associated with a significant increase in all-cause premature, preventable deaths in Brazil in 2019.”
Whole Health Program Provides Ways To Relieve Stress
“Washington DC VA Medical Center’s Whole Health Program provides Veterans and employees with resources to combat stress through a holistic approach to caring for the mind, body and spirit of the individual.”
Mindfulness-based stress reduction is as effective as an antidepressant drug for treating anxiety disorders, study finds
“A guided mindfulness-based stress reduction program was as effective as use of the gold-standard drug — the common antidepressant drug escitalopram — for patients with anxiety disorders, according to results of a first-of-its-kind, randomized clinical trial led by researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center.”
HPV-Related Cancers Are On the Rise in Men
“As a group, human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Some forms of the virus are capable of causing cancer in both men and women. While cervical cancer in women has historically been the most common form of HPV-related cancer, CDC data show that roughly four of every 10 cases of HPV-induced cancer now occur in men.”
Healthy plant-based diets better for the environment than less healthy plant-based diets
Boston, MA – “Healthier plant-based dietary patterns were associated with better environmental health, while less healthy plant-based dietary patterns, which are higher in foods like refined grains and sugar-sweetened beverages, required more cropland and fertilizer, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The findings also showed that red and processed meat had the highest environmental impact out of all food groups in participants’ diets, producing the greatest share of greenhouse gas emissions and requiring the most irrigation water, cropland, and fertilizer.”
Eating disorders have risen in recent years. A new finding may help catch them earlier
“Health care professionals may now have a way to identify possible eating disorder cases a year before they would have been diagnosed, allowing patients to receive support much sooner, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed provincial health data from Ontario, Canada, for people age 13 and older starting in 2008. The study team tracked participants’ electrolyte levels until 2020 and noted how many were diagnosed with eating disorders, according to the study published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open.
Study shows the benefits of aerobic exercise on brain vascular health
“A year of aerobic exercise training reduced impedance (effective resistance to blood flow) in the brain blood vessels of older adults, according to a new study from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. The findings are published ahead of print in the Journal of Applied Physiology, and the study has been chosen as an APSselect article for November.” “These findings demonstrate the benefits of aerobic exercise on brain vascular health, which is essential to maintain brain function in old age.” -;Rong Zhang, PhD
