Test Yourself; Are You Young At Heart?

The August Health Report detailed the online scoring tool of the American Heart Association Hear (AHA) that calculates a simple yet evidence-based score to determine heart health focusing on risk factors which users can control while including some they cannot.

Lettuce get into food hazards and allegations

Several serious public health outbreaks occurred this summer and continue with headlines announcing the alarming rates of Cyclosporiasis, sharply rising rates of Measles cases and and one new worry — the New World Screwworm (NWS) outbreak.

The human microbiome, part II

Last month the Health Report reviewed the role of microbes and bacteria as part of the human microbiome which scientists are discovering performs complex and vitally important functions that keep us alive.

This is especially true in the human gastrointestinal tract where a vast community of trillions of bacteria and fungi inhabit every nook and cranny. These microbes mostly live in your lower intestine (the colon) and outnumber all the other cells in your body put together. They manage to live in partnership with us, surviving a hostile environment of darkness, high acidity and low oxygen while an ever-changing of liquid chemicals flow through them. These microbes mostly live in your lower intestine (the colon) and outnumber all the cells in your body put together.

The human microbiome – those bacteria we depend on

In the latest issue of My Sunday News, T.R. Kerth’s column “All roads lead to bugtown,” cited recent research on the importance of our “friendly microscopic buddies.” Mr. Kerth accurately and rather imaginatively described bacteria that reside in our body’s cells as “taking over,” making you more “bugs than body.”

While that thought might make some readers squeamish, looking at these microscopic bacteria from a medical perspective might prove reassuring. As Cleveland Clinic has reported, “The gut microbiome is a hot topic these days in medical and wellness communities, and it’s easy to see why. These critters seem to have so many tentacles in so many different body systems that it’s possible to imagine they might hold the key to understanding and treating a wide range of intractable diseases.”

Circadian Rhythm II

Last month’s Health News Report summarized recent research on how the human body responds to the daily cycle of light and dark through a master clock nestled near the optic nerve. This clock responds to that circadian rhythm sending hormonal signals to all regions in the body throughout the day. Without your awareness the master clock sends out melatonin to promote sleep and decreases that hormone to wake you up each morning. But that circadian rhythm does not stop with just awake/sleep influence.

When to hang up your keys

I was in a car accident 10 weeks ago. It wasn’t my fault. I know that I was lucky. My car was totaled and my ankle was broken in two places but at the time I thought I was going to die. I am now the proud owner of seven screws, two plates and a rod..

For seven weeks I was not allowed to put my right foot down. I lived in my bed, a wheel chair and a recliner. I could not live alone. My kids and sisters were wonderful taking turns stopping their lives so they could take care of me. Like I said, I was lucky.

You’ve got rhythm

You’ve got rhythm…and it’s based on light, not music! Since the 70s, scientists have been discovering how human bodies are designed to follow the rhythm of the sun, rising and setting every day. This is the body’s natural 24-hour clock, keeping you operating on a healthy wake-sleep cycle.

Walking to prevent tangled thinking?

Perhaps you’ve seen headlines about a promising new study in national and local newspapers: “Walking may reduce Alzheimer’s risk” and wondered about the science of this claim. While the link between exercise and dementia is well-established, the recent headlines referred to a new study in the journal Nature Medicine.

The new research focused on walking and cognition and has been heralded as groundbreaking. As Kirk Erickson, chair of neuroscience at the Adventist Health Research Institute, explained, this new study “is really quite important and quite unique,” identifying how walking might be influencing some of the proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), in 2025 there have been 4 confirmed cases of measles to date in Illinois. Measles, declared eliminated due to effectiveness of the measles vaccine, in 2000, is now making an aggressive comeback nationally.

Supplements: How to wisely decide what’s right for you

As April’s health report concluded, while the benefits of supplements are often not proven or exaggerated, there are times when individuals may have medical conditions that increase their individual need for supplementation of specific vitamins.

Supplements: Don’t be fooled by common claims

April Fools’ Day may be over for this year, but there are still several opportunities to be fooled throughout the coming year. One common way Americans are being deceived lately is by the increasing fraudulent claims from the supplement world. Considering how common supplement use is, some experts are ringing alarm bells.

Luck of the Irish diet

Since this is indeed the month of St Patrick’s Day, it is perhaps fitting to consider some recent research about the health of Irish people, focusing on lifestyle, especially diet. Many Americans envision the Irish diet as unhealthy with an emphasis on fried, fatty snacks (think fish and chips), followed by meat-centric heavy meals, and washed down with a Guinness. The most recent survey of the state of Irish health seems to reflect that (Source: State of Health in the EU-Ireland). Ireland has the highest rate of obesity among European countries, with high rates of alcohol-related deaths, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The biggest public health events of 2024, what’s next?

This month’s health report continues with the remaining seven Public Health Headlines of 2024 and concludes with some questions about future public health events in this country.

New awareness of deteriorating public health associated with public health policy; Gun Violence, Abortion Ban Consequences, and Lower U.S. Life Expectancy.

U.S. public health: A look back at 2024

An end-of-year comprehensive report by the John Hopkins School of Public Health reviewed 10 major public health news events of 2024 and concluded with this headline describing the past year: “A rollercoaster for public health, with historic firsts, unwelcome comebacks, and rays of hope.”

Don’t sleep on it

With the holidays here, many Americans experience escalating stress, crowded calendars, and increased demands–leading to decreased hours of sleep and less opportunity to get that coveted “long winter’s nap” mentioned in The Night Before Christmas. Is that a problem?

Sit tight

Really? Any activity is better for your heart than sitting — even sleeping.

The headline above was the title of a Nov. 2023 research study on the relationship between health and exercise which has since been collaborated by other studies this year. The study provided some surprising, but reassuring, news about heart health and exercise. It turns out that indeed replacing sitting with as little as a few minutes of moderate exercise can definitely improve heart health — and it doesn’t take much!

What’s New on the KNEE front?

Knee deep in treatments. But which ones work?

Nearly half of adults over the age of 50 report knee pain in a one-year period with osteoarthritis (OA) being the most common cause. OA happens when the cushioning (cartilage-lining of joints) breaks down faster than your body can build it back up. Outside of knee replacement, medical treatment has focused on methods to relieve pain and stimulate the cushioning that the body’s cartilage naturally provides.