Summer is officially upon us, with many heading outdoors to enjoy the sunshine and spend time with friends and family. It seems a good time to check out the latest health news headlines, to ensure your own health, and that of your family. As a continuing feature of our work here at the blog, we hope to be able to offer further glimpses into what is going on in the world of health and wellness in succeeding months, as well.
Try Downward Dog: Yoga could ease back pain: A new study suggests that doing yoga may be as effective as physical therapy for reducing low back pain. While some 10% of adults in the US suffer from chronic low back pain, as many as 80% of adults will experience it in their lifetime. The study suggests that you may want to try a yoga position known as “downward dog” to ease low back pain.
Olive oil protects the brain against Alzheimer’s: The so-called “Mediterranean diet” is associated with a variety of health benefits, including a lower incidence of dementia. Now, researchers have identified a specific ingredient that protects against cognitive decline: extra-virgin olive oil. In a new study, performed by the Temple University Health System, the researchers show that consumption of extra-virgin olive oil protects memory and learning ability and reduces the formation of amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain – classic markers of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Trojan horse” could treat brain tumors: From the University of Cambridge… A “Trojan horse” – type of treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer, which involves using tiny nanoparticles of gold to kill tumor cells, has been successfully tested by scientists. The ground-breaking technique could eventually be used to treat glioblastoma multiforme, which is the most common and aggressive brain tumor in adults, and notoriously difficult to treat.
Does the new draft Health Care Bill address the right issues? In an insightful opinion piece published by the New York Times, Republican Senator from Wisconsin Ron Johnson critiques the latest draft from the senate, relative to Obamacare and the potential benefits of returning to a free market system.
“As an accountant with more than 30 years’ experience in manufacturing, I assure you the private sector is much more effective at solving problems. Concepts like the “KISS” principle (“keep it simple, stupid”), pursuing continuous improvement and root-cause analysis are core ideas in private-sector problem-solving. From what I’ve seen in six years in office, these concepts are foreign to government.
“The decades-long health care debate is an example. Layer upon layer of laws, rules and regulations have made our health care-financing system a complex mess, separating patients from direct payment for health care. As a result, patients neither know nor care what things cost. We have virtually eliminated the power of consumer-driven, free-market discipline from one-sixth of our economy.”
The question must be asked: When will our “leaders” address the flaws in the health care delivery system, rather than continuing to tinker with “insurance coverage” and assorted peripheral issues?
Stay tuned for more important snapshots of such timely information and health headlines in future posts, when it’s available and has value to our readers.
