Interesting facts from medical literature
Beginning today, I will occasionally share with you some interesting facts from articles I have read during my review of current medical literature.
Did you know:
- Skin cancer on the head or neck is more deadly than on other parts of the body.
- 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five days a week can reduce blood pressure between 5 and 8 points
- Extensive use of flip-flop shoes can cause pain in the heel, ankle, lower leg and toes.
- Pessimistic heart patients are almost twice as likely to die within six to 10 years as heart patients with an optimistic outlook.
- Trans fats, found in many processed foods, not only increase the risk of heart disease but also increase the risk of breast cancer.
- If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 9-1-1, then chew and swallow one 325 mg. aspirin
- Exercising in water burns more calories than doing the same exercise on land.
- People, who engage in vigorous cardiovascular activities regardless of their size, are healthier and live longer than their sedentary counterparts.
- Fish oil may help to ease depression.
- To halt a lower leg calf cramp, flex your foot by pointing it up toward your shin. You can grab and pull the toes and ball of your foot to help flex it.
- Sixteen percent of people between the ages of 20 to 69 suffer significant hearing loss.
- Memory loss is linked to low levels of “good” (HDL) cholesterol
- The spread of flu is linked to airline travel. The fewer people who travel by airline over the Thanksgiving holiday, in particular, the slower the flu moves across the country.
- Vitamin C may fight wrinkles.
- Excessive drinking of alcohol leads to increased risk of pre-diabetes.
- Eating or drinking food high in cocoa improves blood flow to the brain and may help prevent stroke and dementia.
- People with type 2 adult onset diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease, mostly because of increasing cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Those who receive the pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine may be at a lesser risk of heart attacks.
- Adult muscle mass decreases by 1 percent a year after the age of 30.
- Drinking up to three cups a day of black or green tea reduced stroke risk by 21 percent.
- Symptoms of depression can be improved by eating less processed sugary foods and increasing foods such as grains and vegetables.
- For acute low back pain, a day or two of bed rest may be helpful. For more rapid healing, it is best to get out of bed and move around as soon as possible.
- Newer cooking recipes have larger portion sizes. Stay conscious of portion size when eating.
- Drowsy driving is linked to 100,000 motor vehicle accidents causing 1,000 deaths and 40,000 injuries.
- Accidents with dogs and cats cause 80,000 emergency room visits annually for their owners in the United States.
