Running and Walking May Be Good for Your Back
People who run or walk regularly have healthier and stronger spinal discs than non-exercisers do (Scientific Reports 7, April 19, 2017). This is very reassuring because some doctors tell patients with back pain not to run because they think that the jarring of the foot striking the ground will damage discs and injure backs,.
Roger Moore’s Many Medical Problems
Roger Moore was an English film and television star who was most famous for having played secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. In 1991, he was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for his work helping underprivileged children. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003.
Gut Bacteria Linked to Diabetes
Type II diabetes means that a person is diabetic because his cells do not respond to insulin. Recent research shows type II diabetes is linked to gut bacteria that invade the inner lining of the colon, while the dominant bacteria of most non-diabetics do not try to invade the inner lining of their colon.
Alcohol and Heart Attacks
Moderate drinking does not appear to prevent heart attacks. An analysis of 45 studies of relationships between heart attacks and alcohol consumption reports that the studies that associated moderate drinking with reduced heart attack rates are flawed.
Gregg Allman and Liver Cancer
Gregg Allman was a very famous musician, singer and songwriter who, together with his brother, founded The Allman Brothers Band, one of the top bands in America in the late 1960s and the 1970s. He wrote and played top hit songs including “Midnight Rider,” “Melissa,” “Whipping Post,” “Trouble No More,” “Blue Sky,” “Ramblin’ Man” and “Dreams.”
Competitive Athletes and Doping
An important article in the May 19, 2017 New York Times discusses the latest accusations that some of America’s top athletes are using supplements, both legal and illegal, in the hope that they will improve athletic performance. I will present a brief review of some of the supplements that the accused U.S. athletes are taking and comment on their effectiveness or worthlessness, side effects and potential dangers to their health.
New Data on Meat
Researchers followed 536,000 men and women, ages 50 to 71, for an average 16 years and found that those who ate the most meat from mammals and processed meat had a 26 percent greater risk of dying within the study period than those who ate the least.
Roger Ailes and Hemophilia
Seventy-seven-year-old Roger Ailes had hemophilia, a genetic inability to clot normally, so when he fell at his home on May 10, 2017, and hit his head, he bled into his brain which caused a subdural hematoma. The massive bleeding and tremendous pressure squashed his brain and killed him eight days later.
NSAIDs May Increase Heart Attack Risk
Millions of people take over-the-counter NSAID pain medicines when they have a headache, fever, chills, joint pain or various other aches and pains. A new study shows that NSAIDs are associated with increased risk for heart attacks.
Benefits of Exercise from a Pill?
Don’t believe that you can gain the benefits of exercise without exercising. Many products are promoted to give people bigger muscles and make them better athletes, as well as to help them lose weight and prevent diabetes and heart attacks. They are sold to unsuspecting consumers without needing prescriptions. These products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and are likely to be ineffective or even harmful.