Health in a Heartbeat

What do a morning jog and a Seinfeld rerun have in common? One makes you sweat and one makes you giggle, but they could both increase your tolerance to pain. This is only the latest similarity found between exercise and laughter. For one, laughter can be a form of exercise. We tend to think of it as an emotional experience rather than a physical activity, but laughing can also burn calories. When you’re having a good guffaw, the muscles in your diaphragm contract and air forcefully exhales from your lungs. When this happens, your brain releases endorphins — just like it does with other forms of exercise. Endorphins are a natural opiate: chemicals that improve your mood. However, endorphins affect the body in another important way; they increase your pain threshold. It’s obvious that less sensitivity to pain helps athletes, but could it also benefit the audience of a comedy club? Oxford researchers recently conducted a study to see if laughter can also increase your pain threshold. They put volunteers through a few pain-inducing tests, such as a tightening blood pressure cuff. They recorded the amount of time each volunteer could endure these tests and had them watch a series of videos, both alone and as a group. Some of the videos were factual documentaries and others were comedy programs. The volunteers then went through the pain tests again. For the volunteers who laughed in response to what they watched, their average pain threshold increased significantly. However, a smile or a quiet chuckle won’t do the trick; to get a result, you need muscle contraction — in other words, a belly laugh. So is laughter really the best medicine? Probably not. But it does give you a helpful boost of endorphins, so be sure to find time for it in your day.  

Tapped for time but want to get a good sweat in and burn calories? Don’t cancel your date with the gym — you can, in fact, fit in a workout and still have time to create a healthy homemade dinner. The solution is interval training, or short bursts of intense energy added in to a cardio workout. Research from Colorado State University is the latest to support this speedy workout style as the most efficient and effective way to sweat. All it takes is two-and-a-half minutes. Divided into 30-second intervals with four minutes of light pedaling or running, a 25-minute workout can torch more than 220 calories — the same amount that more than 30 minutes of moderate cycling or running would yield. What’s more, interval training can increase insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, which are important for overall good health. Interval training has also been touted as an especially effective heart-healthy habit. And of course, it’s a great way to shed pounds. Some studies have shown it releases a torrent of hormones that cause your body to burn more calories throughout the day, even just sitting at your desk. Intervals are effective because making your muscles switch into high gear makes them work that much harder to process oxygen, calling other chemicals to help them rise to the occasion. In fact, a study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that women who ran hard for two minutes followed by three minutes at a low intensity lost 4 percent of their body fat — compared with zero in those who ran slow and steady. Intervals can be intimidating, but if you can commit to giving it your all for 30 seconds at a time, you’ll reap the benefits. Start out slow on low-impact cardio equipment, like a bike, and gradually build from there. Your physique and your schedule will thank you.  

Once the hot flashes, mood swings and spotting start, women often turn to hormone replacement therapy, or H-R-T, to quell these symptoms and ease past menopause. H-R-T can also prevent bone fractures from osteoporosis, but the latest research shows that the practice’s risks may outweigh its benefits. A report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine summarized the findings from hormone treatment trials and noted that women taking combination estrogen plus progestin hormones after menopause are more likely to face breast cancer, strokes, heart attacks, dementia, gallbladder disease and urinary incontinence. Because of this, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force renewed its stance against the use of hormone replacement therapy after menopause has taken hold. Other recent studies suggest that women who take H-R-T around the time of menopause may be able to safely relieve symptoms without the increased risks of cancer and heart disease, although long-term studies are still lacking. In addition, certain herbal remedies may help combat the menopause blues. Black cohosh, made from the black cohosh plant, is the top-selling herbal supplement for menopause symptoms in the U.S. It's made from the root of the North American black cohosh plant. Several studies have found it helps — especially with hot flashes — but you shouldn’t use it if you have liver problems. When combined with St. John’s Wort, it can also ease mood swings. Lignans (lig-NUNS) in flax seed may ease night sweats. The natural plant estrogens in red clover might ease menopause symptoms, but women with estrogen-positive cancer should speak with a doctor before taking it. And of course, it’s critical to get enough calcium. Women 50 or younger need 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day. For the over-51 set, the proper dosage jumps to twelve-hundred milligrams of calcium a day. Many of the herbal remedies have not been researched extensively, so women should discuss their symptoms with a health care provider before embarking on any new treatments.  

If you want to increase your productivity in 2013, start by increasing your happiness. When you’re being positive, dopamine floods your system, making you happier and turning on all the learning centers in your brain. As a result, intelligence and energy levels increase and employees are 31 percent more productive. So how can you be happier from day to day? Most of us are taught at an early age that hard work leads to success — and if we achieve success, we’ll be happy. However, the goal of “success” is constantly moving out of reach. If we get a good job, we want a better job; if we meet a target, we set the target higher. Therefore, happiness is typically short-lived or just out of reach. Psychologists in the field of positive psychology are trying to reverse this formula. Positivity, they say, inspires productivity; it doesn’t depend on it. For instance, they’ve found that only 25 percent of job success is determined by IQ. Seventy-five percent of job success is determined by one’s optimism level, support system and ability to see stress as a challenge instead of a threat. Positive psychology is an emerging field that examines how people can become happier and more fulfilled. Rather than operating on the disease model — or in other words, what’s wrong with you — positive psychology examines human strengths such as creativity, resilience, compassion and joy. By studying these positive traits, psychologists can help promote them in average people. For example, they believe you can actually train yourself to be more positive. There are several techniques that can achieve this, but one of the most effective is keeping a daily list of three new things you’re grateful for. After 21 days, a new pattern forms in your brain. Instead of focusing on the negative, you actively seek out the positive. Sounds like a good way to start 2013.  

The sharp pain brought on by gout has been compared to being stabbed by a hot knife. Almost 4 percent of the American population has, at one time, suffered from such an attack, often concentrated in the big toe. Given the connection between the illness and the consumption of fructose, and the fact that obesity is on the rise in America, doctors have predicted a sharp uptick in cases of gout. While there are medicines that have been partially effective in stemming the debilitating attacks, new research has shown dramatic gout-reducing results in patients who have consumed, of all things, cherries. Previous studies showed a possible correlation between the small red fruit and the reduction of gout attacks, but none as profound as the recent one just published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. Researchers recruited 633 gout sufferers over the age of eighteen. All had faced an attack at least once in the past 12 months. These individuals were then monitored for one year, each one filling out a comprehensive questionnaire to be taken just after an attack. Those surveys posed questions about medication, symptoms, and the diet of the participant. Analysis showed that individuals suffered about two attacks each during the year they were monitored. Then the researchers compared those who did and those who did not eat cherries. They found a 35 percent decrease in the risk of having a gout attack among those eating cherries, compared with those who did not consume the fruit. Interestingly, consuming cherry extract resulted in a 45 percent reduction in risk. Eating both fresh cherries and extract was tied to a 37 percent lower risk. Despite the evidence, researchers caution against making sweeping conclusions, and encourage gout sufferers to consult a doctor. After all, gout isn’t a bowl of cherries.  

Modern understanding of the lymphatic system … a network of vessels that removes waste products from the body and supports the immune system … goes back to the 15th century. Will the 21st century be known for the discovery of the “glymphatic” system? Researchers with the University of Rochester Medical Center discovered this previously unobserved cleansing network by tracking the movement of cerebrospinal fluid in the brains of living mice. Housecleaning in the brain has been suspected to be accomplished through diffusion, a process that spreads debris from areas of high concentration to less cluttered surroundings. Think of how a lump of sugar dissolves evenly in a cup of water. But when scientists used a method called 2-photon laser scanning microscopy (MY CROSS COP-EE) to take a closer look at what was really happening in the brain, they found not diffusion, but drains. Cerebrospinal fluid was moving through channels, removing waste products from the brain, much as dead cells and other waste in the body are carried away by clear fluid called lymph in the lymphatic system. The researchers called the brain drains the “glymph system,” because of the helpful presence of important brain cells known as “glia.” (GLEE-AH) In additional experiments, normal mice and mice with faulty glymph systems were injected with a type of protein known to clog the brain in Alzheimer’s patients. Normal brains cleared the protein rapidly, while impaired brains struggled with the toxic clumps. Researchers speculate that problems with this newly discovered neural plumbing may cause waste to build up to hazardous levels in the brain, contributing to stroke, traumatic injury and Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. With neurological disorders striking an estimated 50 million Americans each year, the glymphatic system may soon receive more emphatic attention.  

Here’s one more reason to put the phone away — and look twice before you cross the street, no matter how old you are. New research shows that teens are twice as likely as adults to get hit by a car because they were distracted by a phone or iPod. Eighteen percent of teen pedestrians hit by cars had been using a device versus nine percent of adults, in fact. The study, presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics national conference, looked at the causes of pedestrian car accidents. Researchers studied 1,000 accidents finding that 13 percent of injured pedestrians were children. They found that 80 percent of teenagers had been unsupervised, and that jaywalking, darting into the street and using an electronic device were the most common culprits of accidents involving kids. Researchers call this type of distraction “inattentional blindness.” A past study published in the journal Injury Prevention found that accidents involving pedestrians wearing headphones resulted in fatalities nearly three-quarters of the time. And then there’s the hazard of driving while talking — or worse, texting. Another study found that drivers on cell phones clog traffic and drive slower. And don’t think hands-free devices are the answer — the conversation itself is the culprit. Reaction times for young adults become as slow as those of senior citizens, and drivers talking on cell phones are four times more likely to be in an accident. The solution for safer cell phone use as a pedestrian is to simply wait until you are stationary. Keep your head up and eyes ahead — and keep headphones out of your ears. While driving, don’t eat and avoid fiddling with the radio. Remember that you’re operating a several-ton piece of metal with very precious cargo inside. And most importantly, definitely don’t use your cell phone.  

You’ve heard the phrase “Talk to your doctor” dozens of times, tacked onto ads on everything from cold medicine to antidepressants. But now experts are bringing new meaning to the phrase as they ask patients to think twice about requesting tests and procedures physicians say are often unnecessary. ChoosingWisely.org is a campaign led by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation and Consumer Reports. The site features a collection of evidence-based lists citing “Five Things Patients and Physicians Should Question” in nine medical specialties. The goal is to help patients cut back on care they don’t actually need. Eight more specialties will join the effort by the end of the year. Eleven consumer-oriented organizations, like AARP and the Leapfrog Group, have already begun spreading the word about the lists. The Institute of Medicine reported in September that one-third of health care expenditures, about $750 billion, don’t actually improve health. For instance, according to the American College of Physicians, patients without signs of seizure or other neurological symptoms don’t need CT and MRI scans. Meanwhile, the American Academy of Family Physicians says certain osteoporosis screening procedures for women under 65 and men under 70 aren’t helpful, either. And the American College of Cardiology says stress imaging tests often received during annual checkups don’t really benefit healthy adults without cardiac symptoms. But for many, it’s difficult to shake the sense of security that comes with running every possible test, no matter what the cost or harm could be. The idea behind the campaign is to counter the notion that more care means better care by educating those ordering unnecessary tests in the first place — the patients. So whether you’re going in for an EKG or you’re scheduling your next colonoscopy, be sure to wise up and ask your doctor, “Do I really need this?”  

Philosophers no less learn-ed than Aristotle have pondered the dilemma of the chicken and the egg. They wonder in circles … which came first? … because you can’t have one without the other. Today, let’s look at a variation of the classic “Which came first” dilemma. Do you smile because you are happy or are you happy because you are smiling? Or, to look at it another way, are you frowning because you are sad or sad because you are frowning? Theories of emotion have long put forth the existence of a two-way relationship between emotions and our outward expressions. Now, thanks to the use of a drug called Botox to lessen the lines on our faces, a new wrinkle has come to light. People who receive Botox for cosmetic purposes sometimes have problems displaying emotions because their facial muscles can’t contract. But for people with depression, not being able to show feelings may have a sunny side. Scientists associated with the University of Basel in Switzerland tested volunteers who weren’t helped by traditional antidepressants by giving them injections of Botox in their foreheads and between their eyebrows. A comparable group of depressed volunteers was given a placebo injection. Botox is derived from neurotoxic bacteria and must only be used with strict medical supervision. After six weeks, symptoms of depression in the treatment group decreased by nearly 50 percent and stayed low for more than two months. Volunteers in the placebo group had a lesser, 9 percent reduction in symptoms of depression. Scientists think that when they interrupted feedback from facial muscles to the brain, they may have removed a component in the development of negative emotions. People obviously use the muscles in their faces to express emotions. Could the selfsame muscular postures be instrumental for experiencing emotions, too? Test it for yourself. Turn the frown upside down. No Botox required.  

A popular New Year’s dish in the South is a mashup of beans, peppers and onions called “hoppin’ John,” believed to bring good luck for those who eat it. Southerners have the right idea — it’s smart to start off the New Year and every day after with beans, legumes and greens. New research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that beans and other legumes like chickpeas and lentils do a stellar job of keeping blood sugar levels steady to improve heart health and reduce your risk for heart disease. The study followed two groups of people with Type 2 diabetes, both on very healthy diets for three months. One group of participants went heavy on the beans — and had much better control over their blood sugar. What’s more, they enjoyed a lower risk of heart disease, too, because of the beans’ effect on blood pressure — which surprised researchers. Beans are known as a low-glycemic food, which means they keep blood sugar levels steady after ingestion. High-glycemic foods, on the other hand, cause blood sugar to spike, spelling trouble for those with diabetes. But the real hero of the diet, say scientists, is not just the beans, but the high fiber. For example, a cup of navy beans boasts about 19 grams of fiber. To help lower heart disease risk, people with diabetes should get about 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day to improve total cholesterol and L-D-L or "bad" cholesterol. Need some more ways to fit fiber in to your diet? Start your day with whole-grain cereal and top it off with fresh fruit. Apples, pears, bananas and berries are all top picks. And of course, all veggies have some fiber. Artichoke hearts, green peas, spinach, corn and broccoli boast the most. So if you’re looking to lower cholesterol, control blood sugar or just stay regular, beef up on fiber.  

It’s one of the most nerve-wracking moments in parenthood: handing your teen the car keys and watching her drive off … for the first time, alone. You try to ignore the “What-ifs?” and remember that this is part of life. You hope your budding driver will use the blinkers, obey speed limits … and never drink and drive. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has good news on that last one: Survey data shows drinking and driving among high-schoolers age 16 or older has dropped by more than half since 1991. That’s a big improvement. Today it’s estimated that nationally, only 10 percent of teens drink and drive. Boys age 18 and older are most likely to do so. But some grim realities remain: high schoolers drink and drive about 2.4 million times per month. Those who do are very likely to binge drink, meaning they’ll consume five or more alcoholic beverages in a few hours. And alcohol is involved in 20 percent of fatal accidents that include teen drivers. Scary stuff. The C-D-C emphasizes that communities and families must cooperate to curb teen drinking. Parents, practice what you preach: Refrain from drinking and driving. Provide teens a ride home or cab fare if they or their driver have been drinking. Sign written agreements with your kids that outline safe driving rules. Health care professionals should educate teens and parents about substance use and driving. Screening kids for dangerous habits is important, too. Communities can help by promoting awareness of the problem and strictly enforcing driving restrictions and drinking ages. Teens must be committed to safety and to making good choices. That means not just staying away from alcohol themselves, but also refusing rides from others who’ve been drinking. Like finding your way across town, helping your teen steer clear of drinking and driving just takes a good road map.  

Smokers might want to think twice not only before lighting up, but before getting inked, too. Having a cigarette habit might make it doubly painful if or when you ever want to get that embarrassing butterfly tattoo removed. The latest in tattoo removal research shows that smokers tend to have a tough time when it comes to getting tattoos erased. Smoking chopped the chance of a fruitful tattoo removal in 10 sessions by nearly 70 percent. The study from Italy also revealed that certain dyes like yellow, blue and green leave a more permanent stain in the skin than black or red. As suspected, large and older tattoos are harder to remove than small and new ones, and yellow, blue and green dyes resist removal more readily than black and red dyes. Interestingly, tats on feet and legs were more permanent than other parts of the body. Results were better when laser removal sessions were spaced at least eight weeks apart. The study, published in the Archives of Dermatology, found that almost 50 percent of people had their tattoos successfully removed after 10 laser treatments. The total percentage of people whose tattoos were successfully removed jumped to 75 percent after 15 treatments. Laser tattoo removal works by breaking up tattoo dye from the skin, releasing it into the bloodstream to be flushed out. But smoking can slow down this process because it inhibits the immune system. And the longer a tattoo stays on skin, the deeper the pigments sink into flesh and fat, making them harder for lasers to reach. Yet 36 percent of young’ins age 18 to 25 report having a tattoo, and 40 percent of people between 26 and 40 are inked. If you’re thinking about joining their ranks, keep in mind these results and choose wisely.  

New research is revolutionizing upper-limb prosthetics — a technology that, for many amputees and people with limb deficiency, hasn’t advanced much since World War II. While it’s true that motorized limbs are gaining in popularity over shoulder-powered pulley prosthetics with their hooks or hand clamps, in a few years they may all seem antiquated. The next generation of prosthetics will combine bionics — the merging of organic and robotics — with mind control. Experts at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago are building a prototype that uses the human nervous system to operate a prosthetic limb. First, they redirect the nerves from a patient’s arm to his chest muscles via surgery. When the patient thinks about moving his arm, the thought travels from his brain to his corresponding chest muscle, where electrodes detect the message. A computer interprets the message and turns it into movement. Simplified, the patient controls the prosthesis with his thoughts, giving the arm surprising dexterity. Unexpectedly, the researchers discovered that this method, called targeted muscle reinnervation, also allows the wearer to feel their missing limb. By touching their chests, patients can sense pressure, temperature and texture in the prosthesis. By adding sensors to the prosthesis itself, they hope to make the sensations go both ways, thereby restoring the patient’s sense of touch. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and John Hopkins University are working on another revolutionary prosthetic prototype, this one controlled by a microchip in the brain. This technology is currently being tested, but if all goes well, these prosthetics could be on the market in a few years. Mind-controlled robotics may sound like science fiction, but for those with amputated limbs or limb deficiency, it could be their fantasy come to life.  

You’ve made it this far in life and the end is in sight, so why not let loose, let yourself go and enjoy all those vices and favorite victuals you’ve denied yourself all your life in an effort to keep your health and wealth? Because you might just add a few more years to your already-long life … and more time to enjoy those treats in moderation, that’s why. New research from Stockhholm University in Sweden, which is ranked 10th in the world for longevity, found that regular exercise, keeping an engaged network of friends and family and not smoking all contributed to a longer life. The study was the first of its kind to follow people in their mid-70s for almost two decades. These healthy habits helped add five years to women’s lives and six years to men’s lives. Half of the study’s participants lived to the ripe old age of 90 or older. Living well even helped those with chronic health problems live an average of four years longer. Of all these healthy habits, physical exercise was the single biggest predictor of living long. One factor the study didn’t address was diet, but past research offers clues to fountain-of-youth foods. Eating colorful fare rich in antioxidants, like berries, beets and peppers, can fight cancer-causing free radicals. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that enhance the aging process. Olive oil is one of the top age-fighting elixirs, known for its powerful heart-healthy fats that could improve memory and combat atherosclerosis. Another healthy fat food is fish — try tuna or salmon. These varieties boast not only plenty of muscle-building protein, but their fatty acids aid brain and nervous system development. Eating one or two servings a week could decrease risk of dementia and lower cholesterol and ease inflammation. And be sure to enjoy red wine and dark chocolate. Happy eating can be healthy, too.  

Stuffing, cookies and mashed potatoes aren’t the only waist-thickening foods to look out for during the holidays — sugar-laden libations like apple cider, pumpkin spice lattes, mulled wine and hot cocoa are the sneakiest suspects when it comes to weight gain. New research from the Harvard School of Public Health shows that people with a genetic predisposition for putting on pounds are also at a higher risk for weight gain from downing sugary drinks. The study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, looked at the genetic predisposition for obesity of more than 33,000 people and gave them a score from zero to 64 indicating their risk. Those who had less than one sugary beverage a month had a 35 percent higher risk for every 10 points on the scale. Those who gulped one or more sugary drinks daily had a 235 percent increase in risk. Similar studies with children and teens found that they too grew a little thicker after downing sweetened drinks. What’s troubling is that many seemingly healthy drinks marketed to kids, like sweetened fruit juice and sports drinks, often have almost as much sugar as sodas. Drinking just one sugar-laden refreshment a day boosts a kid’s chances of becoming obese by 60 percent, so it’s up to parents to encourage hydration with good old fashioned water instead and limiting sweetened stuff to special occasions. The good news is that Americans are consuming fewer sweetened drinks, and calorie intake from refined refreshments decreased more than 20 percent in nine years. But we still have a ways to go. Keeping liquid calories in check can keep your waistline in line, so aim to cut back on sugary drinks. Try tea, lemon-zested water or sparkling water instead if plain old tap is too boring for you.