- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: Dec 14,2011
People with arthritis are significantly more likely to be physically inactive than those without the disease despite the proven benefits of physical activity for arthritis management, cites new CDC data released today.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, the study underscores the need to address arthritis-specific barriers and to expand the reach of effective arthritis-appropriate physical activity programs.
The study, published in the December 9 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, found that a substantial portion (25 to 47 percent) of inactive adults in every state are adults with arthritis. In a typical state, approximately one-third of the inactive adults reported arthritis.
In addition, the rate of no leisure-time physical activity is 25 to 84 percent higher among adults with arthritis compared to those without. In a typical state, the prevalence of no leisure time physical activity is 53 percent higher among those with arthritis than those without arthritis.
“People with arthritis have specific barriers to being physically active, such as fear of increasing pain or making their symptoms worse,” says Arthritis Foundation Vice President of Public Health, Dr. Patience White. “However, arthritis-appropriate physical activity helps reduce the risk of developing other health problems, and helps manage the disease. No matter your ability level, you can engage in activity to help fight arthritis pain and symptoms.” Read the rest of this entry »
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Routine tooth brushing and flossing and regular check-ups by a dental professional remains the cornerstone of a healthy mouth.
However, according to the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), pairing a few well-known healthy-lifestyle habits with your daily oral health regimen may also help reduce your risk for periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gum tissue and other structures supporting the teeth.
According to Dr. Pamela McClain, President of the American Academy of Periodontology and a practicing periodontist in Aurora, Colorado, “If left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss and may also interfere with other systems of the body. Several research studies have indicated that one’s periodontal health may be related to overall health. Therefore, it is crucial that you do everything you can to establish good periodontal health.”
According to the AAP, the following tips may help sustain healthy teeth and gums while also helping you live an overall healthy lifestyle: Read the rest of this entry »
- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: Dec 12,2011
“Holiday stress has a particular impact on women, who are more likely to feel increased stress during the holiday season and are more likely to fall into unhelpful habits like emotional eating to cope with overload or overwhelm,” says psychologist, life coach, and founder of TooMuchOnHerPlate.com, Dr. Melissa McCreery. “Additionally, the high calorie treats are everywhere. People gain more weight during the holiday season than any other time of year and unfortunately, if you are already overweight, you are likely to gain more weight than average. The good news is, there are simple steps that you can take to stay in control.”
Dr. McCreery offers these do-able ways to take control of holiday stress, overeating, and weight gain:
Be clear on your goals.
McCreery suggests you ask yourself what you want to have or experience during the holidays. Whatever your goal — creating happy memories, maintaining your weight, or hosting an enjoyable family gathering — you are much more likely to achieve what you want if you are crystal clear on what it is. Read the rest of this entry »
- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: Dec 9,2011
UCSF researchers have discovered news facts about the immune system.
The immune system possesses a type of cell that can be activated by tissues within the body to remind the immune system not to attack our own molecules, cells and organs.
The discovery is likely to lead to new strategies for fighting a range of autoimmune diseases – in which the immune system attacks and harms specific molecules and cells within us – as well as for preventing transplant rejection, according to UCSF researchers who report their findings in the November 27 online edition of the journal Nature.
The cells tracked by the UCSF researchers circulate in the blood and are counterparts of the memory cells that help ward off microbial foes following vaccination orrepeated exposure to the same pathogen.
UCSF immunologist and chair of the Department of Pathology Abul Abbas, MBBS; Michael Rosenblum, MD, PhD, an assistant professor with the UCSF Department of Dermatology; and UCSF postdoctoral fellow Iris Gratz, PhD, used a mouse model of autoimmune disease to discover a role in immune system memory for cells called activated T regulatory cells.
They found that over time a tissue within the body – in this case, skin – defends itself from autoimmune attack by protectively activating a small fraction of T regulatory cells.
“It’s anovel concept – that tissues remember,” Abbas said. “Subsequent exposure to the same protein that elicited autoimmunity in that tissue may lead to less severe inflammatory disease.” Read the rest of this entry »