The Real-World Health Benefits Of Love

Researchers have conducted numerous studies on love and committed relationships and here’s what the science has to say about being in love:

1. Less Stress – A study out of the University of Chicago found that being in a healthy, committed relationship was associated with reduced cortisol production compared to single individuals. The social and emotional support provided by a partner can play a crucial role in reducing stress or managing it healthy ways.

2. Improved Lifespan – Happy wife, longer life? According to a study out of Michigan State University, married white men and women lived longer than cohabitors.

3. Better Recovery From Surgery – A study published in the “Journal of Health and Social Behavior found that married individuals had a survival rate after heart surgery that was three times higher than single people. “While the most striking difference in outcomes occurred during the first three months, the study showed that the strong protective effect of marriage continues for up to five years following coronary artery bypass surgery. Overall, the hazard of mortality is nearly twice as great for unmarried as it is for married patients about to undergo the surgery,” researchers wrote.

4. Healthier Hearts – Another study that was presented at an American Sociological Association meeting found that women – who are married and who stay married – have fewer risk factors for heart disease, like high blood pressure compared to single women.

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The study took a closer look at how carbohydrate-rich diets affected other aspects of a person’s health, including their weight and their bone health. Researchers assessed a person’s carbohydrate quality index (CQI), which was a measure of a person’s total fiber intake, their glycemic index and their intake of processed vs. whole grains compared to their total carbohydrate intake. Researchers also examined a person’s low carbohydrate diet score (LCDS), which was a measure of a person’s carbohydrate intake compared to their fat and protein intake.

Theories Vs. Studies

After analyzing a number of different data points in their study population, researchers were able to offer some insight that went against some commonly held theories. For example, one medical theory is that excess protein can inhibit bone formation. In the study, the individuals who ate more protein had increased bone production and stronger bones.

Another theory that took a hit was the idea that excess carbohydrate intake leads to weight gain and increased bone strength. Researchers found that extra carb consumption was associated with weight gain, but this type of diet was found to have a deleterious effect on osteoblasts, the cells that play a vital role in bone production. In other words, eating too many carbohydrates could lead to reduced bone health and an increased likelihood of related health issues, like osteoporosis.

Like many things in life, you can’t simply follow theory or rumor alone. We can make educated guesses and admit that we don’t yet know things for sure, but then we need to continue to pursue knowledge and insight through studies or similar means. Innovation only comes along when someone challenges the status quo or pushes for a better understanding of a topic, so it’s refreshing to see new medically-backed information become available.

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Researchers found that by the end of the season, more than half of the players had developed either pre-hypertension or stage 1 hypertension, which is especially concerning in young individuals.

“High blood pressure is not a good thing at any point in life, but especially during the first two decades,” said Dr. Aaron Baggish, who works at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Linemen at greatest risk          

Research showed that offensive and defensive linemen were at the greatest risk for developing high blood pressure. By the end of the season 83% of linemen had developed either pre-hypertension or stage 1 hypertension. Researchers concluded that linemen should limit the amount of alcohol they consume so as not to increase their risk of hypertension, and they should be assessed for obstructive sleep apnea.

Other findings from the study include:

• The average blood pressure reading of a football player before the season was 116/64. After the season, the average blood pressure reading rose to 125/66.
• Of all the players, 47% met the criteria for pre-hypertension after the season, while 14% had stage 1 hypertension.
• Three factors that increased the likelihood of developing high blood pressure over the course of the season were what position the athlete played, if they had a family history of high blood pressure, and if they gained weight during the season.

One of the most alarming findings was how many linemen developed structural changes in their heart throughout the season. During the preseason, two linemen tested positive for concentric left ventricular hypertrophy, but by the end of the season, 20 linemen had developed the condition. Researchers reported that the change in left ventricular mass was directly correlated to an increase in blood pressure.

In hopes of preventing football players from developing hypertension or adverse heart conditions, researchers recommended that linemen should have their weight monitored throughout the season, be placed on a healthy diet regimen, and participate in proper strength training programs.

Dr. Silverman comments

This study is truly eye-opening, but as they noted in their research, there were other contributing factors that led to an increased likelihood of developing high blood pressure, like family history, weight gain, etc. There are also other outside factors that could contribute to the rise in blood pressure that are not accounted for in this study.

Researchers conducted this study on freshman athletes. Many people go through significant lifestyle changes from their senior year in high school to the end of their first year in college. Mom and Dad are no longer around to ensure their son is getting a balanced meal every day, and the rigors of trying to balance an academic career while playing football can weigh heavy on some. We’ve already discussed how lack of sleep can lead to an increase in blood pressure, and I doubt most freshmen football players are getting a full eight hours of sleep every night.

Related source: MedPage Today

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The study, led by Dr. Marian Hannan, examined 1,370 individuals in order to determine if certain foot disorders where passed on from generation to generation.  The average age of a study participant was 66 years old, and 57% of them were female.

In order to determine which participants suffered from foot ailments, researchers conducted individual foot exams on each patient.  The exams tested for hallux valgus (aka bunions), plantar soft tissue atrophy, and lesser toe deformities.  Once symptoms were identified, researchers used software that analyzes genetic familial data to provide an estimated likelihood of heritability.

Results

Of the participants in the study, 31% suffered from bunions, 30% from lesser toe deformities, and 28% from plantar soft tissue atrophy.  When compared to the familial data, researchers found:

• Bunions were found to be highly heritable in relation to age and sex.
• Lesser toe deformities were found to be highly heritable in relation to age and sex.
• Plantar soft tissue atrophy did not demonstrate significant heritability in the study.

Bunions and lesser toe deformities are some of the most common foot ailments among white men and women.  Over half of the older population in America and Europe suffer from one of these common foot disorders.  Dr. Hannan said she believes her study can be used as a way to predict the likelihood that someone may become afflicted with a disorder later in life.

“Our study is the largest investigation of the heritability of common foot disorders in older adults, confirming that bunions and lesser toe deformities are highly inheritable in Caucasian men and women of European descent,” said Dr. Hannan. “These new findings highlight the importance of furthering our understanding of what causes greater susceptibility to these foot conditions, as knowing more about the pathway may ultimately lead to early prevention or early treatment.”

Dr. Silverman comments

The study notes an increasing heritability of bunion and lesser toe deformities. This study’s flaw is its strongest point, interestingly enough.

The study fails, as in most genetic studies do, to address phenotype vs. genotype. A phenotype is an observable expression of the genes, like hair color for example.  Genotypes are a major influencing factor in the expression of phenotypes, but it is important to remember that it is not the only factor.  Two organisms with the same genotypes normally have different phenotypes.

It’s too hard to study genotypes despite all our knowledge of DNA, as there is no one gene that codes for ailments like bunions or hammer toe, but phenotypes can be evaluated.

Here is the kicker, we know that in the present environment in which Americans expose their feet (especially women), we can predict bunion and hammer toe deformities to develop very reliably by looking at the parents. How would one differentiate genetics from the environment? Nature vs. Nurture? By studying populations of people who don’t wear shoes or who don’t wear closed toed shoes.

Right now, this study tells us “women who wear American style footwear have their parents feet to look forward to”.  Perhaps the conclusion is strong enough for some, but it doesn’t mean that if women make different choices in footwear they will necessarily avoid developing these deformities.

Related source: News.Medical.net

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Epidemiologist Gary Slutkin, MD, founded the program in 2000 after noticing the high crime tendencies in his Chicago neighborhood of West Garfield Park.  Slutkin had spent his early years battling epidemics in Africa, and he decided to put the same mindset towards ending violence as he did towards preventing infectious diseases.  He noticed how violence only brought on more violence, similar to how one person with the flu can infect an entire office.

“This is similar to what happens with the flu, if you catch if from another person,” he said. “So in a way, violence is behaving like a contagious process.”

This rationale led Slutkin to re-examine the way people viewed crime.  He likened his approach to the Black Plague that struck Europe in the 1300’s.  He said the reason the plague had such deadly impact was because the science behind the disease was largely misunderstood.  Once people learned how the disease was transmitted, then they could focus on preventing it from spreading.  Slutkin said the same was true for violence in the 21^st century.

“The problem of violence was stuck, and we needed a new strategy.”

Also similar to the plague, Slutkin noticed that violence tended to be clustered by location and occur in waves.  He decided to throw out the old models for preventing violence and test his own theory.

“The sense I had was that there was a giant gap here and a strategy had to be rethought,” he said. “I had no idea what it would be, but I realized that we would have to do something with new categories of workers, something with behavior change, and something with public education.”

Implementing his Idea

Slutkin worked in Africa for over 10 years fighting infectious diseases the ravaged the nation, but during his time overseas he was able to understand some common trends about epidemics.  He and his co-workers used a three-step process that included:

• Interrupting potential events
• Identifying the population at the highest risk
• Changing the behavior in the community related to the infection

Slutkin used the same process to prevent violence.  He identified shootings as potential events, gang members as the population at the highest risk, and “treating violence as a way of life” as changing the community behavior.

In order to implement change, Slutkin focuses on finding a group of “violence interrupters” that held respect within the gang community.  Oftentimes he focused on former gang members or convicts who had spent time in jail that had since committed to a life without crime.  Slutkin said they were trained to prevent gun violence much like a doctor would train to prevent tuberculosis.

Encouraging Results

Preaching a system of non-violent conflict resolution and outreach programs, the pilot program help reduce area shootings by 67%.  Some results by an independent study found the program was specifically responsible for a:

• 28% reduction in shootings and killings,
• 22% reduction in shootings and attempted shootings,
• 24% reduction in the concentration of shootings.

Since its inception in 2000, Slutkin has focused on bringing his ideas to other communities plagued by violence.  Some of the other areas include Baltimore, New Orleans, New York City and Oakland.  Slutkin said the expanded program has also been successful.

“We saw similar results in 17 other neighborhoods.”

Dr. Silverman comments

I love this kind of thinking. This solution was complex, yet so simple.  It was a matter of pattern recognition and paradigm adaptation.

Dr. Slutkin saw clusters of violence. His experience with infectious diseases made him think that the violent behavior in a community acts like infection. But, he didn’t just stop with identification of the pattern. Learning from our experience with infection, violence disruptors (antimicrobials) were deployed to treat outbreaks.

It’s so simple, so elegant and yet it wasn’t visible until an already well developed treatment method from another field of medicine was applied. Results have been amazing.

In orthopedics we have a saying, “Be flexible with thinking and rigid in fixation.”  While this obviously applies to doing surgery on broken bones, it also applies to how we approach any orthopedic problem. I routinely apply knowledge of the treatment of other bones and joints in the management of ankle and foot problems. Lessons learned on hips, knees, hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, or even the cervical and lumbar spine can give me great insight when the pathway is unclear.

Hopefully, the work of Dr. Slutkin can be applied in large scale and with greater effect.

Related source:  Medscape, TEDMED 2013

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According to their findings, consuming an additional 12 ounces of sugar-sweetened soda a day was associated with a 22% increased risk for developing diabetes, and artificially sweetened soft drinks were even more dangerous, as they were associated with a 52% increased risk.

While the new data is eye-opening, this is hardly the first study to link the negative effects sugar has on the body.  Researchers in this study said the main reason why soda intake was linked to diabetes was because sugar-sweetened beverages significantly impact a person’s weight and blood-glucose levels.

To conduct the study, researchers surveyed over 15,000 participants from eight European countries.  The participants were asked to answer a series of questions regarding their health and dietary choices.  Some of the questions included:

• Individual food/beverage consumption habits
• Food intake over the year leading up to the survey
• Types of beverages a person consumed (juice, water, soft drinks, etc.)
• Amount of each beverage consumed daily and weekly
• Other relevant factors, including smoking habits, alcohol consumption, education, physical activity and BMI.

In addition to their findings about diabetes, researchers concluded:

• Physically active males with a high waist circumference were more likely to be “high-level” consumers of soft drinks.
• Young, physically active females were more likely to drink juice or nectars.
• There was no association between the consumption of juice or nectars and an elevated risk of diabetes.
• Individuals who consumed one or more soft drinks a day saw a 58% increased risk of diabetes compared to the group who consumed the lowest amount of soda.
• Soft drink consumption remained significantly linked to diabetes both before and after adjusting for a person’s BMI.

Researchers said their findings were consistent with similar studies conducted in the United States.

“The observed association between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and diabetes in the present analysis is of similar magnitude as the association reported in a meta-analysis of eight prospective studies, which was based on 15,043 diabetes cases mostly from the U.S.A.,” researchers said in their conclusion.

Dr. Silverman comments

Many parents tell their children “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but a renewed look at sugar intake might be even more beneficial than grabbing a Granny Smith every day.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, excess sugar can be extremely detrimental to a person’s health in the long run.

The problem for many people is that they don’t see any immediate consequences for consuming huge amounts of sugar.  If you try to eat pizza while it still hot, you’ll burn the room of your mouth, but if you drink three sodas a day, you won’t notice any direct consequences other than a possible influx of energy.

We’ve seen similar problems when it comes to smoking.  Teens and young adults don’t see the immediate consequences of their actions, but regulators have forced tobacco companies to issue product warnings on their labels.  This begs the question; if tobacco companies must print cancer warnings on their packs of cigarettes, shouldn’t soda companies be required to print a diabetes warning on their cans?

Related source:  MedPage Today

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The study was led by a graduate student at Texas Christian University, and its goal was to determine what impact exercise and calorie information had on a person’s food choices.

Background

As more restaurants around the country are incorporating calorie counts into their menus, either by choice or by law, consumers are being given more information to help them choose what foods are right for them.  Researchers say despite having access to the nutritional information, people are not making healthier decisions.

“The majority of studies, however, show that providing information on calorie content does not lead to fewer calories ordered or consumed,” researchers said.

The goal of the study was to find a more effective way to encourage people to make healthier food choices.

Methods

For the study, participants were randomly divided into one of three groups.  Each group received one of three menus.

• A menu that displayed no caloric information, or
• A menu that displayed the amount of calories contained in each item, or
• A menu that displayed the amount of exercise needed in order to burn off the calories in each meal.  Time was measured in amount of minutes of “brisk walking” needed to burn off the meal.

Each menu contained the same food and beverage options.

Results

Researchers found that the group whose menu contained exercise information ordered food with fewer calories than the group who received no caloric information (763 compared to 902 kcal).  They also found:

• Individuals who ordered off the exercise information menu consumed fewer calories than the group who received no caloric information (673 compared to 770 kcal).
• There was no difference in calories ordered or consumed between those whose menus contained caloric information and those whose menus had no caloric information.

Conclusions

Placing exercise information on menus may lead to individuals making healthier food choices.  Researchers noted that the study was conducted with individuals between the ages of 18-30, so they would like to implement a similar study on an older population to see how the results might be impacted.

Dr. Silverman comments

This study is interesting, but it left me wanting more information.  I applaud these researchers for attempting to find a way to get people to make healthier food choices, but I wonder why they chose kilocalories as their measurement.

A kilocalorie equals the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius. How does that apply to the real world, as I don’t measure my water by the gram nor do I slowly heat it on the stove?  It is intangible to most people, and can become very diluted by other confusing words such as “whole grain bread” or “low fat turkey”, which may have been on the menu.  When trigger words are put on the menu, the choice becomes about the healthiness, not the actual foods.  Depending on how the menu listed the items, there may be other factors that influenced food choices other than just exercise and caloric information.

With that said, understanding how food can be burned off can truly help people make better choices. If it can make people choose healthier options, I hope some restaurants consider adding exercise information to their menus.

Related source:  Medpage Today

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Background

Researchers at Korea University and Gachon University of Medicine and Science in the Republic of Korea wanted to examine the long-term side effects that plague habitual high heel wearers.  Researchers said there is already a lot of information on how high heels can alter the musculoskeletal system in a person’s legs and feet, but this study was aimed at range of motion and muscle development/weakness in the ankle.  They hoped their findings could aid medical professionals in the diagnosis and assessment of patients who have experienced such symptoms.

Methods

Researchers used two groups for their study.  Each group consisted of 10 selectively recruited individuals.  One group consisted of habitual high heel wearers, while the other group was made up of people who regularly wore flat soled shoes.  The average age of a participant was 23.9 years old in the high heeled group, and 23.8 years old in the flat shoe group.  Researchers measured the participants’ range of motion, maximal voluntary isometric force, and concentric contraction power of their ankles.

Results

Participants who frequently wore high heeled shoes exhibited an increased range of motion of plantarflexion and inversion (turning the ankle outwards) in their ankles, but decreased range of motion of dorsiflexion and eversion (turning the ankle inwards) compared to their flat shoe wearing counterparts.

Conclusions

Chronic high heel wearers exhibited a functional deformity of the ankle in the supinated direction.  Researchers advise that people who wear high heels for more than five hours a day on a regular basis should engage in thorough ankle stretches.  The stretches should occur on a routine or daily basis, and they should focus on increasing dorsiflexion range of motion and eversion.

Dr. Silverman comments

High heels are the high fashion, but they come with a price.

While certain muscles strengthen, others weaken and the ankle and foot can become unbalanced. It is important to balance the time your feet spend in high heels and in flat shoes. Equal time walking in shoes without heels will help stretch your foot muscles and prevent any joint contracture.

Related source:  SagePub.com

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Method

In their study, researchers gathered 60 people afflicted with type 2 diabetes and monitored their glucose levels over two separate three day periods.  During each three day period, researchers ensured all participants followed strict dietary regulations in order to provide the most accurate results.  One group participated in moderate-intensity exercise during the three day period, while the control group did not.  Participants had their glucose levels monitored for a continuous 24-hour period after a single exercise session.  The control group did not participate in the exercise sessions, but they had their glucose levels measured at the same time as the exercise group.

Results

On average, the control group experienced hyperglycemia for an average of 8 hours and 16 minutes per day.  The average duration of hyperglycemia was reduced to an average of 5 hours and 38 minutes over the 24-hour period in those patients who participated in the moderate-intensity exercise activities.  Other results include:

• Exercise lowered average blood glucose concentrations.
• Exercise reduced glycemic variability.
• There was considerable variation between subjects in the exercise group, but the average result represented a 31% decrease in the prevalence of hyperglycemia.

Conclusions

Researchers concluded that a single, moderate-intensity exercise significantly improved glycemic control throughout a 24-hour period in insulin and non-insulin treated patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes should strongly consider daily exercise to help regulate glucose levels.

Dr. Silverman comments

This study is great.

Simply put, all patients with diabetes should work out every day because exercise helps control blood glucose. This will go a long way to reduce their overall blood sugar over the course of a day.  Long term control is essential in reducing the complications of diabetes, and if it goes unregulated it can lead to skin, kidney, eye, liver, cardiac, brain and other organ dysfunction.

Instead of just writing for higher doses of Insulin and newer expensive medications, we should be writing prescriptions for daily exercise routines and suggestions on how to implement it. Coordination with exercise physiologists and coordination of exercise classes for patients with diabetes would save insurance companies immense amounts of money.

Related source:  Medscape

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Flash forward 20 years and a disturbing trend has been revealed.  The majority of US States now show an obesity rate between 25%-30%, and Colorado has the lowest obesity rate at 19.1%.  That means that the thinnest state in 2013 is likely fatter than any state was in 1991.

Further findings show that Mississippi has the highest obesity rate at 33.8%, meaning that more than 1 in 3 individuals in Mississippi are obese.

Obesity rates have risen over the last 20 years for a variety of reasons, but experts say processed foods and the rise of the Internet have led consumers to eat more unhealthy foods and have a more sedentary lifestyle.

Dr. Silverman comments

Oh my goodness!

Two decades of growth is very disturbing. We will never rid our society of obesity, but we need to make major changes to our societal behavior to reverse this terrible trend.

There are those who claim government attempts at restricting the excessive behavior that leads to obesity violates personal freedoms, like banning all soft drinks over a certain size in New York. The problem with this argument is that we are all paying dearly for this behavior. Obesity does and will continue to cost our society in health insurance costs. We have to do something, and it begins by taking personal responsibility for what we put in our bodies!

Related source:  TreeHugger.com

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