Body Sense

Autumn/Winter 2010

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Walk to Reduce Stroke Risk You can add stroke reduction to the list of general health benefits obtained by regular walking. A study published in a 2010 issue of Stroke finds that walking at least two hours a week at any pace lowered stroke risk by 30 percent. The research used nearly 39,000 women aged 45 or older and lasted about 12 years. The participants were monitored for health activity during this time and 579 participants reported having a stroke at some point in the 12-year follow-up. More vigorous activities such as running and swimming were not found to correlate to reduced stroke risk. Health Care at Your Fingertips Technophiles and iPhone users should be aware of several useful health-care-related apps for your phone. Some of the most popular apps include WebMD Mobile, which will give users visual instructions on techniques such as CPR; EmergenKey, which helps users keep track of their own important health-care information; Diabetes Log, which lets people track their glucose readings and medical records; and iTriage, an app that lets patients match symptoms to probable causes. These and many more health-care apps are available for download at app-store.appspot.com. Toxic Tanning Do you know someone who’s still using a tanning bed despite all the health warnings? They might have a genuine addiction. A study published in a 2010 issue of Archives of Dermatology finds frequent tanners actually experience withdrawal symptoms away from the bed. They also reported using alcohol and recreational drugs at a higher level and even missed important functions in order to tan. Of the 237 regular tanners participating in the study, nearly 40 percent showed signs of addiction based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The researchers believe ultraviolet light, known to improve mood, possibly triggers endorphins in the brain, creating a sought-after pleasure response. —compiled by Sean Eads autumn/winter 2010 Body Sense 5

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