An additional concern is alcohol use disorders (AUD), where rehabilitation efforts may have been futile. AUD is viewed as a medical brain disorder. Lasting changes in the brain caused by alcohol misuse perpetuate AUD…(and) make individuals vulnerable to relapse.

But we are now in a decade of neuroimaging advances that allow us to peer inside the brain and view changes related to mental healthcare interventions. Even psychotherapy brings on physical change.

While the specific ingredients that make psychotherapies effective
are still under scientific investigation, the development of imaging
techniques allowed us to demonstrate that psychotherapeutic treatments
are capable of inducing long-lasting changes in brain functioning.

The wish to improve stroke recovery has prompted a greater initiative for neuroimaging, and it has branched out to many other areas where this technology can be helpful. Although the research may center on neurologic disorders such as Parkinson’s, it has potential for mental health disorders.

Along with being able to view the brain not simply in static form but actively functioning at tasks, healthcare professionals may be able to assist in impaired functioning. The “assistance” may come from non-invasive deep brain stimulation (NIBS) that modifies the brain through its potential for neuroplasticity. How might it bring about these changes?

Non-invasive brain stimulation for psychiatric disorders includes transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, both of which have increased use in treating major depression. An overview of the results obtained for those with major depressive disorder appears to favor NIBS, but there is room for improvement.

One hypothesis as to how these stimulation techniques may work is that they affect vital brain-derived neurotropic factors, which are believed to be relevant in normal and pathologic brain functioning.

The stimulation technology features two things that mitigate its use in the broader population, it does not require surgery, and there is no need for sedation. In addition to major depression, variations of these techniques have been explored in persons with schizophrenia, OCD, and other anxiety disorders.

Since the initial work with brain disorders and behavior, brain stimulation and modification have changed. Those on the frontier of this work weren’t always viewed with enthusiasm, and ECT, although effective for some patients, is still not accepted by all.

The implementation of brain-altering electrical current has come a long way since the days of Dr. Jose Delgado, who implanted electrodes into bulls used in Spanish bullfights. After his initial efforts at controlling the animals, he used hospital patients for his work with humans. Delgado’s premise was that the device would be helpful in unmanageable patients.

Ugo Cerletti was the first to use ECT to produce controlled seizures since the belief of the time was that seizures would lead to behavioral improvement. Seizures were seen as central in treating mental health disorders. One scientist, Julius Wagner-Jauregg, won a Nobel Prize for his seizure discovery relative to a malaria drug.

A doorway to a potentially promising future for mental disorders has been revealed, but safety and efficacy are still significant factors to consider. With those concerns in mind, research in brain stimulation is ongoing and clinical trials are listed on national websites.

The post Stimulating the Brain for Major Mental Health Treatment Needs appeared first on Medika Life.

First, a brief look at dementia. We will then pivot to the new study results before ending with some potential risk-reducing maneuvers.

Dementia is not a single entity; instead, dementia is a grab bag descriptor for a range of conditions marked by cognitive impairment. Think problems with memory, thinking, or decision-making. Late in its course, dementia can reduce one’s awareness of the world. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.

Let’s be clear — while dementia is primarily (but not exclusively) a disease of older folks, it is not a part of normal aging. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s disease gets progressively worse over time. Alas, there is no cure. The focus tends to be on symptom management.

Here are some of the risk factors for dementia, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control:

• Age. The probability of developing dementia increases with age. Most cases of dementia are among individuals ages 65 years and older.
• Inherited genetics. Individuals with parents or siblings with dementia are more likely to develop the condition.
• Race and ethnicity. Older African-Americans are twice as likely to develop dementia than their white counterparts. Hispanic individuals overall have a 1.5-fold increased risk.
• Poor heart health. One more reason to watch our blood pressure and cholesterol. Don’t even think about using tobacco.
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI). Head injury can increase the risk of dementia, especially if the trauma is severe or repeated.

Light exercise and dementia

Let’s move on to our research investigation. Researchers looked at whether light-intensity physical activity is associated with a lower risk of developing dementia.

The investigators gathered data from over 62,000 subjects at least 65 years old, with a median age of 73.2 years. None had dementia, and all had medical records in the Korean National Health Insurance Service database.

The study authors tracked physical activity at the study start, with participants completing a questionnaire. The scientists then examined the frequency, intensity, and duration of physical activity to calculate how much energy expenditure was due to physical activity.

After a median 42 months follow-up, the research findings are: Six percent of the subjects developed dementia. Looking by quartiles of activity (ranging from inactive to insufficiently active to active to highly active):

The insufficiently active individuals had a 10 percent lower risk of getting dementia compared with the inactive group members. The active participants had a one-fifth drop in risk, and the highly active group had a more than one-quarter (28 percent) lower risk.

When adjusted for sex, age, and other medical conditions, the findings held.

Takeaway messages

Light-intensity physical activity (as opposed to being sedentary) is associated with a lower probability of developing dementia. While the study is well-done and is in line with the results of other studies, the results are not evidence of a causal relationship between light-intensity exercise and a lower risk of dementia. The reverse may be true — those developing exercise may exercise less.

I am encouraged by this type of study. Some believe that lifestyle may prevent approximately one-third of dementia cases. That’s the view of Professor Tara Spires-Jones of the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom).

I will continue to walk (and more). Even though this new study adds to a growing body of evidence pointing to lifestyle influencing dementia risk, I know activities such as walking can help lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer, and more.

Thank you for joining me today.

The post Even Light Exercise May Drop Dementia Risk appeared first on Medika Life.

Now, back to the question my patients are asking. The best thing you can do for your health is something that you won’t find on a magazine cover: it’s simply to think deeply about it. Look at your life — your values, your purpose — and see what you need your health for. Sink your teeth into that. Sit with it for a while. Think about it, talk about it, write about it. What are you really looking for? Channel your inner toddler and ask “why” until you hear yourself answer something deeply true. This process doesn’t yield immediate, jaw-dropping before and after pictures, but it does help to establish a meaningful, sustainable relationship with your health and goals.

Step away from your smartphone

Now, stop googling for health hacks (or double-tapping them on your feed). Hacks are solutions in search of problems. They are created to capture your attention. Hacks are things you can do with as little effort as possible. If you are looking for ways to exert no effort, though, I wonder why you are trying to improve your health at all. Is your health not worth doing well? Is it less important than other things you’ve chosen to spend your energy and resources on? Don’t shortchange your commitment to your health. Dream bigger! Once you’ve established your own internal reasons for pursuing health, you can work on identifying goals and steps to meet them. You might find it helpful to work with a healthcare provider, coach, or even a like-minded friend to build informed, manageable steps that are appropriate for your life.

The problem with hacks

I get it, hacks are fun. They’re immediate and full of promises. You can start something, buy something, sign up for something, and it feels like you’re going somewhere. But. . . where? Whose road are you walking down, and why was it built? Where does it lead? Who is it designed to serve, and whose values is it based on? Maybe, there’s something for sale, and the purpose is to make money for another person. Maybe there are embedded assumptions of white supremacy, misogyny, transphobia, or fatphobia, and the purpose is to perpetuate a power imbalance. Maybe there are other values underlying the hack that are not in line with the reasons you need your health. Woah. Suddenly those ten weird tips don’t seem so cool.

So slow down, step back, and take a deep breath. You can find small actions that will improve your health, but they won’t come from clickbait, they’ll come from within. Stop hacking. Start healing.

Elizabeth Knight is a scientist, nurse practitioner, educator, and coach. You can find her at www.flowerpower.health.

The post You Can’t Hack Your Way to Health appeared first on Medika Life.

Scientists agree that most obesity is multifactorial and caused by a complex web of interrelated biological, psychological and environmental factors. Considering the complexity of the processes through which people gain weight, and the extreme difficulty most experience in changing their behaviors and habits to lose it, corporate health programs need to use every tool in the toolbox. This includes genetics.

Genes influence healthy behaviors

Genes contribute to a variety of factors that lead to unhealthy lifestyles and obesity. This happens directly (by influencing how the body uses and stores energy) and indirectly (by influencing specific habits and behaviors).

Geneticists at Newtopia continue to perform exhaustive reviews of the scientific literature to identify consistent associations between candidate genes and relevant traits or behaviors that can be accompanied by actionable recommendations for the development of healthy behaviors and habits. To date, we have selected four genes to test for and incorporate into our habit change experience:

• MC4R (the appetite gene), which regulates how quickly a person feels full after eating
• DRD2 (the cravings gene), which influences reward-seeking behaviors such as the consumption of high-carb foods or alcohol, or emotional eating, in order to trigger the release of dopamine
• FTO (the fat gene), which influences how a person metabolizes fat
• BDNF (the resilience gene), which creates a protein associated with vulnerability to stress

Genetic testing supports the development of actionable recommendations that fit each individual’s specific needs. It’s why Newtopia is exploring new genes to further enhance and demystify our behaviors around sleep and activity.

How behavior genetics works in practice

Let’s take an example of a typical participant in a corporate health and well-being program. Maria is 52 years old, has a BMI of 28 (she’s 5 foot 5 inches tall and weighs 168 pounds) and has one health condition — high cholesterol, for which she’s taking a statin medication. She also has a family history of type 2 diabetes, so she’s been told to be mindful of her weight and lifestyle.

Her goals are to lose 18 pounds (to normalize her BMI to 25), reduce her diabetes risk, improve her cholesterol profile (and possibly get off the statin), and increase her energy and overall self-confidence.

Maria opts into the genetic testing component of the experience and provides a saliva sample using a simple cheek swab. Her test results show that she has variations of three of the four relevant genes — the appetite gene, the cravings gene and the fat gene.

Maria’s coach incorporates this information into her hyper-personalized habit change experience, addressing her delayed sense of feeling full with recommendations such as drinking a glass of water before a meal, filling her plate and immediately putting away the leftovers, and eating more slowly and mindfully to allow her brain to catch up to her stomach. He also helps her identify her triggers for emotional eating and suggests coping mechanisms such as calling a friend or engaging in healthier behaviors like going for a walk to help relieve stress. People with Maria’s variant of the fat gene respond better to a high-protein diet and higher-intensity exercise, so her coach works with her to develop a sustainable diet that is 40% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fats and helps her build up to exercising at 70%-80% of her maximum heart rate.

Enabling precision lifestyle medicine

This precision lifestyle medicine approach works. Research we recently presented to the American Society of Human Genetics highlights the measurable impact of including genetic testing in a corporate lifestyle-intervention program. At the end of 12 months, program participants who had opted into the genetic testing component had achieved 25% greater weight loss (an average of 4% versus 3.2%). They also had 1.3 times higher odds of meeting the critical weight loss threshold of 5% of body weight, which not only results in significant health benefits, but comes with a sharp reduction to the corporate health plan costs.

In some cases, the superior outcomes associated with genetic testing are due not only to the greater precision of the habit change interventions themselves but also to the increase in engagement triggered by the new knowledge. Many people who have given up trying to lose weight after too many unsuccessful efforts find the genetic information liberating. It gives them permission to stop blaming themselves for their weight struggles, leading to increased motivation and a stronger commitment to try again.

Not everyone will feel comfortable using their genetic information in this way, so it’s important to allow participants the opportunity to opt in at a later date — after they’ve established a trusted relationship with their Inspirator (health coach), for example. It’s also important to emphasize that the testing is about behavior genetics; this is aimed at helping people achieve their goals more quickly, not identifying predisposition to diseases. And, of course, all providers and labs must comply with the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act — so employers and health insurers will not have access to the test results.

Increasing the odds of success

Studies suggest that in some people, genetics may account for up to 80% of the predisposition to be overweight. Genetic predisposition is not destiny, though. People can change their habits and their future. Identifying the genetically influenced physiological mechanisms that push people to overeat, for example, can enable the creation of a more effective plan to counter those influences through behavior change.

Although genes are just one factor in the complex healthy lifestyle and weight-management equation, the science, and the outcomes both suggest that taking genetic influences into account can help increase the likelihood that corporate health program participants will be able to achieve meaningful, sustainable lifestyle and improvement that leads to long-term improvements in health.

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