Wellness Research for Healthy Living

February 23, 2023 - Getting Good Sleep Could Add Years to Your Life - American College of Cardiology
Having five low-risk sleep habits may have long-term benefits. "The study found that young people who have more beneficial sleep habits are incrementally less likely to die early. Moreover, the data suggest that about 8% of deaths from any cause could be attributed to poor sleep patterns." Researchers listed those factors as "... 1) ideal sleep duration of seven to eight hours a night; 2) difficulty falling asleep no more than two times a week; 3) trouble staying asleep no more than two times a week; 4) not using any sleep medication; and 5) feeling well rested after waking up at least five days a week."

January 30, 2023 - Drinking coffee helps maintain low blood pressure - University of Bologna, Italy
Study finds "People who drink two or three cups of coffee a day have lower blood pressure than those who drink just one cup or none at all. This applies both to peripheral and central aortic pressure, i.e. the one closest to the heart."

January 26, 2023 - More thankful, less stressed? - Universities of Maynooth and Limerick, Ireland
"Researchers from Irish universities carried out a study with 68 adults and found that gratitude has a unique stress-buffering effect on both reactions to and recovery from acute psychological stress, which can contribute to the improvement of cardiovascular health." These study findings can hopefully encourage clinical use since there are several low-cost gratitude interventions which can contribute to well-being, such as a previous research study which found cardiac patients who made gratitude journals have better cardiovascular outcomes than those who do not..."

Jan. 18, 2023 -Study Probes Awareness of Alcohol’s Link to Cancer - National Cancer Institute
"The study confirmed that most American adults aren’t aware of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. It also found that, even among those who are aware, there’s a belief that it varies by the type of alcohol." According to Andrew Seidenberg, Ph.D., who led the study, “All types of alcoholic beverages, including wine, increase cancer risk,…”

Jan 13, 2023 - Having strong social connections can improve your health, according to global study - University of Kent
"The study also found that having strong bonds with both close social circles and extended groups is associated with better mental health and wellbeing. Importantly, the greater number of groups people had strong bonds with, the higher their engagement in health behaviours and the better their reported psychological wellbeing was, with less anxiety and depression."

Jan 2, 2023 - Good hydration linked to healthy aging - NIH/NATIONAL HEART, LUNG AND BLOOD INSTITUTE
”Adults who stay well-hydrated appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic conditions, such as heart and lung disease, and live longer than those who may not get sufficient fluids, according to a National Institutes of Health study published in eBioMedicine.
Using health data gathered from 11,255 adults over a 30-year period, researchers analyzed links between serum sodium levels – which go up when fluid intake goes down – and various indicators of health. They found that adults with serum sodium levels at the higher end of a normal range were more likely to develop chronic conditions and show signs of advanced biological aging than those with serum sodium levels in the medium ranges.”

Dec. 2, 2022 - Playing the piano boosts brain processing power and helps lift the blues – University of Bath, UK
Looking for a new hobby for 2023? If you’ve ever considered learning the piano, this research may motivate you to sign up for lessons! ”Publishing their findings in the academic journal Nature Scientific Reports, the team behind the study shows how beginners who undertook piano lessons for just one hour a week over 11 weeks reported significant improvements in recognising audio-visual changes in the environment and reported less depression, stress and anxiety.”

Oct. 27, 2022 - Feeling chirpy: Being around birds is linked to lasting mental health benefits - King’s College of London, UK
”New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has found that seeing or hearing birds is associated with an improvement in mental wellbeing that can last up to eight hours.”

Oct. 19, 2022 - Five hours’ sleep a night linked to higher risk of multiple diseases - University College of London
”Researchers examined the relationship between how long each participant slept for, mortality and whether they had been diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases (multimorbidity) – such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes – over the course of 25 years. People who reported getting five hours of sleep or less at age 50 were 20% more likely to have been diagnosed with a chronic disease and 40% more likely to be diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases over 25 years, compared to people who slept for up to seven hours. Additionally, sleeping for five hours or less at the age of 50, 60, and 70 was linked to a 30% to 40% increased risk of multimorbidity when compared with those who slept for up to seven hours.”

Oct. 17, 2022 - Hair Straightening Chemicals Associated With Higher Uterine Cancer Risk - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
"Women who used chemical hair straightening products were at higher risk for uterine cancer compared to women who did not report using these products, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health. The researchers found no associations with uterine cancer for other hair products that the women reported using, including hair dyes, bleach, highlights, or perms." According to researchers, “Although, the study did not find that the relationship between straightener use and uterine cancer incidence was different by race, the adverse health effects may be greater for Black women due to higher prevalence of use.”

Oct. 13, 2022 - Listen! Birdsong is good for mental health - The Max Planck Institute for Human Development
Study investigates the influence of birdsong on mood, paranoia, and cognition

Oct. 10, 2022 - New survey: 91% of parents say their family is less stressed when they eat together - American Heart Association
"The American Heart Association releases new survey highlighting mealtime impact on mental well-being and introduces Together Tuesdays™ to help people maximize health benefits of shared meals." 1,000 U.S. adults were surveyed nationwide in September 2022 by Wakefield Research.

Oct. 6, 2022 - Wear and tear from lifelong stress can increase cancer mortality - MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA AT AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY
The wear and tear on the body from chronic and lifelong stress called allostatic load, refers to the cumulative effects of stress over time. “As a response to external stressors, your body releases a stress hormone called cortisol, and then once the stress is over, these levels should go back down,” says Dr. Justin Xavier Moore, epidemiologist at the Medical College of Georgia and Georgia Cancer Center. “However, if you have chronic, ongoing psychosocial stressors that never allow you to ‘come down,’ then that can cause wear and tear on your body at a biological level.” According to researchers, “Even when controlling for age, the researchers found that people with high allostatic load still have even 28% increased risk of dying from cancer.”

Sept 23, 2022 - Foot massage effective in improving sleep quality and anxiety in postmenopausal women - THE NORTH AMERICAN MENOPAUSE SOCIETY (NAMS)
"In this new, small-scale study, researchers specifically sought to evaluate the effects of foot massage on anxiety, fatigue and sleep in postmenopausal women. Study results determined that foot massage applied during menopause increases the average daily sleep duration—as much as an hour per day--and reduces women’s fatigue and anxiety levels."

Sept. 22, 2022 - Keys to keeping your brain healthy - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
"Three factors stand out if you want to keep your brain at its best,” says Sigmundsson," Professor at the NTNU Department of Psychology. These factors are: physical exercise, being social, and having strong interests.

June 13, 2022 - Stress accelerates aging of immune system, study finds - University of Southern California
Researchers find “Everyday stressors, traumatic events, job strain and discrimination prematurely weaken the body’s mix of immune cells, potentially increasing a person’s risk of disease.”

April 28, 2022 - Seven hours of sleep is optimal in middle and old age, say researchers - University of Cambridge, UK
Researchers “… found that both insufficient and excessive sleep duration were associated with impaired cognitive performance, such as processing speed, visual attention, memory and problem-solving skills. Seven hours of sleep per night was the optimal amount of sleep for cognitive performance, but also for good mental health, with people experiencing more symptoms of anxiety and depression and worse overall wellbeing if they reported sleeping for longer or shorter durations.”

April 25, 2022 - A combination of three simple treatments may reduce invasive cancer risk by 61% among adults aged 70+ - Frontiers in Aging
"The participants were randomized into eight different groups to test the individual and combined benefit of the interventions: group one received 2,000 IU per day of Vitamin D3 (equivalent to > 200% the amount of current recommendations for older adults, which is 800 IU per day), 1g per day of omega-3s, and three times per week SHEP [simple home strength exercise program]; group two vitamin D3 and omega-3s; group three vitamin D3 and SHEP; group four omega-3s and SHEP; group five vitamin D3 alone; group six omega-3s alone; group seven SHEP alone; and the last group received a placebo." Results of the study found that when all three treatments were combined (vitamin D3, omega-3s, and the home exercise program), "...the benefits became statistically significant, and the researchers saw an overall reduction in cancer risk by 61%."

April 25, 2022 - Being in Nature: Good for Mind, Body and Nutrition - Drexel University
According to researchers, "The results of the survey showed that participants with a stronger connection to nature reported a more varied diet and ate more fruits and vegetables."

March 29, 2022 - Good hydration may reduce long-term risks for heart failure - NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
”Staying well-hydrated may be associated with a reduced risk for developing heart failure, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health. Their findings, which appear in the European Heart Journal, suggest that consuming sufficient amounts of fluids throughout life not only supports essential body functioning but may also reduce the risk of severe heart problems in the future.”

March 14, 2022 - Even moderate light exposure during sleep harms heart health and increases insulin resistance - Northwestern University
“Investigators found insulin resistance occurred the morning after people slept in a light room. Insulin resistance is when cells in your muscles, fat and live don’t respond well to insulin and can’t use glucose from your blood for energy. To make up for it, your pancreas makes more insulin. Over time, your blood sugar goes up.” Researchers also found that heart rate increases when sleeping in a moderately lit room.

March 4, 2022 - One alcoholic drink a day linked with reduced brain size - University of Pennsylvania
"…according to a new study, alcohol consumption even at levels most would consider modest—a few beers or glasses of wine a week—may also carry risks to the brain. An analysis of data from more than 36,000 adults, led by a team from the University of Pennsylvania, found that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption was associated with reductions in overall brain volume."

Jan. 26, 2022 - Vitamin D supplements lower risk of autoimmune disease, researchers say - Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Investigators found the people who took vitamin D, or vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids had a significantly lower rate of AD [autoimmune diseases] than people who took a placebo.
- Speak with your healthcare professional to determine if a Vitamin D supplement maybe a good choice for you.

Nov. 9, 2021 - A new study has revealed the optimum time for going to sleep to avoid developing heart disease - University of Exeter
"A bedtime of between 10 and 11pm carries a lower risk of developing heart disease compared to earlier or later bedtimes, according to the study, co-authored by Dr David Plans, a Senior Lecturer at the Initiative in Digital Economy at Exeter (INDEX), part of the University of Exeter Business School."

Sept. 16, 2021 - Fruit, vegetables and exercise can make you happier - University of Kent
"While the link between lifestyle and wellbeing has been previously documented and often used in public health campaigns to encourage healthier diets and exercise, new findings published by the Journal of Happiness Studies show that there is also a positive causation from lifestyle to life satisfaction." Researchers found “… consumption of fruit and vegetables and exercising that makes people happy and not the other way round.”

July 28, 2021 - Healthy Lifestyle May Help Mitigate High Genetic Risk of Cancer - AACR
"Healthy lifestyle factors such as abstinence from smoking and drinking, low body mass index, and exercise correlated with decreased cancer incidence, even in individuals with a high genetic risk, according to results of a study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research."

July 13, 2021 - New WHO study links moderate alcohol use with higher cancer risk - Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
"A new study from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), published in the journal Lancet Oncology, has found an association between alcohol and a substantially higher risk of several forms of cancer, including breast, colon, and oral cancers. Increased risk was evident even among light to moderate drinkers (up to two drinks a day), who represented 1 in 7 of all new cancers in 2020 and more than 100,000 cases worldwide."

May 5, 2021 - Too Much, Too Little Sleep Linked to Elevated Heart Risks in People Free from Disease - American College of Cardiology
"People who clock six to seven hours of sleep a night had the lowest chance of dying from a heart attack or stroke when compared with those who got less or more sleep,..."

April 9, 2021 - Stress from Work and Social Interactions Put Women at Higher Risk of Coronary Heart Disease - Drexel University
Researchers found "...the effects of job strain and social strain — the negative aspect of social relationships — on women is a powerful one-two punch. Together they are associated with a 21% higher risk of developing coronary heart disease."

March 31, 2021 - Exercise, healthy diet in midlife may prevent serious health conditions in senior years - Journal of the American Heart Association Report
"Following a routine of regular physical activity combined with a diet including fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods may be key to middle-aged adults achieving optimal cardiometabolic health later in life, according to new research using data from the Framingham Heart Study..."

March 19, 2021 - Study shows stronger brain activity after writing on paper than on tablet or smartphone - University of Tokyo
"Although volunteers wrote by hand both with pen and paper or stylus and digital tablet, researchers say paper notebooks contain more complex spatial information than digital paper. Physical paper allows for tangible permanence, irregular strokes, and uneven shape, like folded corners. In contrast, digital paper is uniform, has no fixed position when scrolling, and disappears when you close the app. 'Our take-home message is to use paper notebooks for information we need to learn or memorize,' said Sakai [corresponding author]."

March 17, 2021 - Eating before 8:30 a.m. could reduce risk factors for type 2 diabetes - Northwestern University
“We found people who started eating earlier in the day had lower blood sugar levels and less insulin resistance, regardless of whether they restricted their food intake to less than 10 hours a day or their food intake was spread over more than 13 hours daily,” said lead researcher Marriam Ali, M.D., of Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill.”

Feb. 11, 2021 - Prediabetes may be linked to worse brain health - University College London
'For the study, published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, researchers analysed data from the UK Biobank of 500,000 people aged 58 years on average, and found that people with higher than normal blood sugar levels were 42% more likely to experience cognitive decline over an average of four years, and were 54% more likely to develop vascular dementia over an average of eight years (although absolute rates of both cognitive decline and dementia were low)."

Feb. 11, 2021 - Nightly sleep of five hours, less, may increase risk of dementia, death among older adults - Brigham and Women’s Hospital
"Sleep and health are inextricably connected. New research from investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital explores the connection between sleep disturbances and deficiencies among older adults and risk of dementia and death, finding that risk of dementia was double among participants who reported getting less than five hours of sleep compared to those who reported 7-8 hours of sleep per night. The team also found associations between sleep disturbance and sleep deficiency with overall risk of death."

Jan. 6, 2021 - Diet may influence risk of aggressive prostate cancer - Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
"Dietary patterns that are associated with inflammation and insulinemia—a condition marked by high levels of insulin in the blood—may put men at an increased risk for aggressive forms of prostate cancer..." according to research study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "An insulinemic dietary pattern may include foods such as sugary sweets and fried foods. A dietary pattern associated with inflammation could include processed meats, refined grains, and lower intake of leafy vegetables."

Sept 11, 2020 - Lifestyle changes could beat Alzheimer's - Australian National University
"A group of 119 participants spent six months making changes to their lifestyle with dietitians, exercise physiologists, completing brain training and adhering to a Mediterranean diet, while a control group completed online education to make changes to their lifestyle independently. At the end of the six months, those who were given the additional guidance experienced a significantly lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and improvement in cognitive abilities compared to those who weren't given the extra support."

Sept. 3, 2020 - How we sleep today may forecast when Alzheimer’s disease begins - UC Berkeley
”… researchers matched the overnight sleep quality of 32 healthy older adults against the buildup in their brains of the toxic plaque known as beta-amyloid, a key player in the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s, which destroys memory pathways and other brain functions and afflicts more than 40 million people worldwide. Their findings show that the study participants who started out experiencing more fragmented sleep and less non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) slow-wave sleep were most likely to show an increase in beta-amyloid over the course of the study." According to UC Berkeley neuroscientist Joseph Winer, “If deep, restorative sleep can slow down this disease, we should be making it a major priority,...”

June 18, 2020 - Study shows sedentary behavior independently predicts cancer mortality - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
”Replacing sitting time with 30 minutes of activity associated with lower risk of cancer death.” Using an accelerometer to measure physical activity versus relying on participants to self-report their activity levels, researchers found "The most sedentary individuals had an 82% higher risk of cancer mortality compared to the least sedentary individuals."

April 14, 2020 - Healthy habits in middle age may reduce women’s stroke risk - Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
"The researchers found that women who were practicing three healthy behaviors at middle age — not smoking, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy weight — reduced the risk of any type of stroke by 25% and ischemic stroke risk by 36%. The study also found that eating a healthy diet was linked with a 23% lower risk of stroke."

March 12, 2020 - Low-dose aspirin linked to reduced liver cancer risk - - Massachusetts General Hospital
"Importantly, the study showed that the longer a person took low-dose aspirin, the greater the benefit. Compared with short-term use (3 months to 1 year), the risk of liver cancer was 10% lower for 1-3 years of use, 34% lower for 3-5 years of use, and 43% lower for 5 or more years of use."
- Speak with your healthcare professional before starting a low-dose regimen, to see if this is the right choice for you.

Feb. 12, 2020 - Gum Disease and Stroke Risk - American Stroke Association
Research presented at the International Stroke Conference 2020, support the importance of regular dental check-ups. "People with gingivitis, inflammation of the gums, were twice as likely to have moderately severe narrowed brain arteries from plaque buildup compared to those with no gum disease…”

Feb. 10, 2020 - A Happy Partner Leads to a Healthier Future - Michigan State University
"Science now supports the saying, 'happy wife, happy life.' Michigan State University research found that those who are optimistic contribute to the health of their partners, staving off the risk factors leading to Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and cognitive decline as they grow old together."

Jan. 8, 2020 - Following healthy lifestyle habits at middle age may increase years lived free of chronic diseases - Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
"Maintaining five healthy habits—eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, keeping a healthy body weight, not drinking too much alcohol, and not smoking—at middle-age may increase years lived free of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health."

Dec. 2, 2019 - Brush your teeth to protect the heart - European Journal of Preventive Cardiology
According to researchers, "Tooth brushing three or more times a day was associated with a 10% lower risk of atrial fibrillation and a 12% lower risk of heart failure during 10.5-year follow up. The findings were independent of a number of factors including age, sex, socioeconomic status, regular exercise, alcohol consumption, body mass index..."

Sept. 2, 2019 - Sleeping too much—or too little—boosts heart attack risk - University of Colorado Boulder
"Compared to those who slept 6 to 9 hours per night, those who slept fewer than six hours were 20% more likely to have a heart attack during the study period. Those who slept more than nine hours were 34% more likely."

Aug. 27, 2019 - New evidence that optimists live longer - Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), and National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Healthcare System
”When individuals were compared based on their initial levels of optimism, the researchers found that the most optimistic men and women demonstrated, on average, an 11 to 15 percent longer lifespan, and had 50-70 percent greater odds of reaching 85 years old compared to the least optimistic groups.”

July 19, 2019 - Take a Warm Bath 1-2 hours Before Bedtime to Get Better Sleep, Researchers Find - The University of Texas at Austin
"Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering found that bathing 1-2 hours before bedtime in water of about 104-109 degrees Fahrenheit can significantly improve your sleep."

July 15, 2019 - Wearing hearing aid may help protect brain in later life - University of Exeter Medical School, UK
"A new study has concluded that people who wear a hearing aid for age-related hearing problems maintain better brain function over time than those who do not. It builds on important research in recent years pulled together by the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care, through which hearing loss emerged as an important risk factor for dementia. This research suggests that wearing a hearing aid may mitigate that risk."

July 14, 2019 - Healthy lifestyle may offset genetic risk of dementia -University of Exeter Medical School, UK
The study led by the University of Exeter “…found that the risk of dementia was 32 per cent lower in people with a high genetic risk if they had followed a healthy lifestyle, compared to those who had an unhealthy lifestyle."

June 13, 2019 - Two hour ‘nature dose’ boosts health - University of Exeter’s European Centre for Environment and Human Health
"Research led by the University of Exeter’s European Centre for Environment and Human Health found that people who spend at least 120 minutes in nature a week are significantly more likely to report good health and higher psychological wellbeing than those who don’t visit nature at all during an average week." The study found that it didn’t matter if the 120 minutes was achieved in a single visit or over the course of several shorter visits.

May 20, 2019 - Why lack of sleep is bad for your heart - University of Colorado Boulder
A research study “…found that people who sleep fewer than seven hours per night have lower blood levels of three physiological regulators, or microRNAs, which influence gene expression and play a key role in maintaining vascular health."

April 28, 2019 - Stressed at work and trouble sleeping? It’s more serious than you think - European Society of Cardiology
According to the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, "Work stress and impaired sleep are linked to a threefold higher risk of cardiovascular death in employees with hypertension [high blood pressure]."

Feb. 5, 2019 - Sleep Loss Encourages Spread of Toxic Alzheimer’s Protein - National Institutes of Health
"The new findings center on a protein called tau, which accumulates in abnormal tangles in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. In the healthy brain, active neurons naturally release some tau during waking hours, but it normally gets cleared away during sleep. Essentially, your brain has a system for taking the garbage out while you’re off in dreamland. The latest findings in studies of mice and people further suggest that sleep deprivation upsets this balance, allowing more tau to be released, accumulate, and spread in toxic tangles within brain areas important for memory."