As the health care debate continues, the current edition of America’s Health Rankings has identified trends that support the need to ensure disease prevention is part of the health care reform. Based on two decades of consistent tracking, the rankings survey calls for the nation to change unhealthy behaviors that are contributing to preventable, chronic diseases. Trends cite smoking as the greatest health challenge of the past 20 years and warn obesity is likely to be the next national health concern. The health care system has become adept at treating illnesses and disease, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, Americans are struggling to modify risk factors, such as smoking, poor eating habits and lack of exercise, which contribute to chronic diseases. The United States currently spends more than any other nation on health care, including $1.5 trillion in medical costs associated with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. These chronic, preventable conditions all have a direct link to smoking and obesity, the nation’s two largest national risk factors. Making progress against smoking and obesity is a critical step to successfully tackling the health reform our nation wants to achieve. How the nation measures up: • Nearly one in five Americans still smoke, which is only 8 million people fewer than 20 years ago. • Over the past 20 years, the nation has seen significant declines in infectious diseases. • Challenges include the rising uninsured rate. • Obesity is growing faster than any previous public health issue our nation has faced. More than one in four Americans are considered obese. As medicine shifts from treatment of diseased conditions to potential diseases, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an obvious prospect with its emphasis on prevention of diseases in health care. Acupuncture & Massage College’s Community Clinic offers TCM therapies such as acupuncture, massage and Chinese herbal medicine. These therapies can aid in regulating and maintaining health. To schedule an appointment call (305) 595-9500. For information about Acupuncture & Massage College’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs ask for Joe Calareso, Admissions Director. … Read More

College students are particularly prone to psychological distress caused by academic pressures, financial strains and uncertain futures. Transcendental meditation can aid in significantly improving students’ mental health. Benefits of transcendental meditation include: • Purposeful, flexible thinking • Energy and vitality • Strong immune functioning • Balanced physiology • Fit cardiovascular system Transcendental meditation may also reduce blood pressure, anxiety and depression among at-risk college students, according to a new study by researchers at the American University and the Maharishi University of Management, which appears in the December American Journal of Hypertension. “The standard transcendental meditation program to reduce stress showed significant decreases in blood pressure and improved mental health in young adults at risk for hypertension,” said David Haaga, study coauthor and American University psychology professor. The study recruited 298 American University students and assigned them to either a transcendental meditation group or a group placed on a three-month wait list for treatment. Improvements in psychological distress, blood pressure and coping occurred in the students practicing the transcendental medication technique. Reductions in blood pressure were also determined to be associated with a lowered risk of hypertension in later years. “This is the first study to show in young adults at risk for hypertension reductions in blood pressure that were associated with changes in psychological distress and coping,” said Sanford Nidich, coauthor and senior researcher at the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management. College students frequently have more complex problems today than they did over a decade ago, according to the American Psychological Association. Issues range from stress, physical conditions and personality disorders to educational and vocational choices. For information about Acupuncture & Massage College’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs call Joe Calareso, Admissions Director, at (305) 595-9500. Nov.30. … Read More

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People with chronic low-back problems who do yoga also do better at overcoming pain and depression than people treated conventionally for back pain, a West Virginia University study funded by the National Institutes of Health shows. … Read More

A form of alternative medicine, aromatherapy utilizes essential oils and other plant compounds to treat and prevent disease and optimize mood. These compounds are often included in topical lotions and creams, massage therapy oils and other health care products. … Read More

According to statistics released in July 2009 from a nationwide government survey, U.S. adults spent $33.9 billion out-of-pocket over the previous 12 months on visits to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners and purchases of CAM products, classes and materials. … Read More

Originating in India, yoga combines physical and mental disciplines which balance mind, body and spirit. Yoga encompasses many branches of practice, hatha yoga being the most common outside of India. … Read More

Individuals who consume excess amounts of cheese, low-fiber grains, eggs, fried potatoes, tomato products, and red meat have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in Diabetes Care. Study results found that a diet pattern containing these particular foods can produce increased levels of two proteins in the blood, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and fibrinogen. These proteins are indicators of inflammation in the body’s system and are linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. … Read More

If you’re one of many exercisers having trouble sticking to an exercise routine, you’re not alone. Linda Shelton, a fitness and wellness authority and author, has a solution: Work with, not against, your fitness personality type. … Read More

Health United States: 2008, the 32nd annual edition of the report prepared by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, indicates young adults in the United States aged 18-29 face a number of health challenges, including increases in obesity, high injury rates and lack of insurance coverage when compared to older adults. … Read More