When I run comprehensive blood tests on patients it is very common I find a deficiency in Vitamin D. According to two new studies published this week in the journal Pediatrics  highlighted by cnn.com finds a “whopping 70 percent of American kids aren’t getting enough vitamin D, and such youngsters tend to have higher blood pressure and lower levels of good cholesterol than their peers”.

Key Points:

• The study looked 6,000 people ages 1 to 21 and evaluated their Vit D level.

• Vitamin D is made in the body when exposed to sunlight  — 10 to 15 minutes a day is all you need.

• “Children with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to have high blood pressure and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein, also known as good cholesterol — two factors that are considered major risk factors for heart disease later in life.”

• Low vitamin-D levels also had higher levels of parathyroid hormone than their counterparts with adequate vitamin D in their blood.

• Those most at risk for a vitamin-D deficiency  were: “older, female, obese, drank milk less than once a week, and spent more than four hours a day watching TV, playing video games, or working on a computer.”

Parents should make sure their kids eat foods rich in Vitamin D.  If their diet isn’t rich enough in Vitamin D, they should consider supplementing with Vitamin D, especially if lab tests show low levels.  Also, parents should help their children get at least 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure daily without sunscreen. “Set your watch and then apply sunscreen after 15 minutes,” Melamed says. Some children, including those in high-risk groups, may need to be screened to check for low vitamin-D levels.

Vitamin D defficency dramatically increases the rsik for serious disease as they children hit their 20s and 30s therefore this is a serious issue that can easily be prevented.

Teen girls who smoke are more likely to experience obesity at some point in their lives compared to girls who don’t, says a new study.

Smoking is a risk factor for abdominal obesity among both genders.

There are many techniques to help quit ranging including hypnosis, supplements that reduce cravings, and support groups. For more information on options for yourself or friends and family feel free to contact me about it.

Source: Association of Smoking in Adolescence With Abdominal Obesity in Adulthood: A Follow-Up Study of 5 Birth Cohorts of Finnish Twins

A new pilot program shows that conservative heath care, including chiropractic, may reduce overall health care costs in patients with musculoskeletal disorders, such as back and neck pain. The pilot, conducted by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield to measure quality of patient care for its members in Iowa and South Dakota, also shows promising outcomes for the patients choosing chiropractic and other conservative care.

“The cost-effectiveness and safety of chiropractic has been documented in several studies. ACA is pleased that insurance companies are starting to recognize the value that doctors of chiropractic and other conservative providers can offer to their members,” said ACA President Glenn Manceaux, DC. “Especially during the health care reform debate, it’s important that chiropractic and other conservative care methods are taken into serious consideration as a cost-effective alternative to the utilization of expensive surgery and hospital-based care,” he added.

Wellmark conducted the Physical Medicine Pilot on Quality in 2008 for Iowa and South Dakota physical medicine providers. A total of 238 chiropractors, physical therapists and occupational therapists provided care to 5,500 members with musculoskeletal disorders. According to Wellmark, data from participating clinicians show that 89 percent of the patients treated in the pilot reported a greater than 30-percent improvement in 30 days.

The pilot compared data for Wellmark members who received care from doctors of chiropractic or physical therapists with a member population with similar demographics who did not receive such services. The comparison showed that those who received chiropractic care or physical therapy were less likely to have surgery and experienced lower total health care costs, according to Wellmark.

Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of back pain, neck pain, headaches and other neuromusculoskeletal complaints. A significant amount of evidence shows that chiropractic care for certain conditions can be more effective and less costly than traditional medical care. Recent research includes:

• A study published in the October 2005 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) found that chiropractic and medical care have comparable costs for treating chronic low-back pain, with chiropractic care producing significantly better outcomes.
• A March 2004 study in JMPT found that chiropractic care is more effective than medical care at treating chronic low-back pain in patients’ first year of symptoms.
• A study published in a 2003 edition of the medical journal Spine found that manual manipulation provides better short-term relief of chronic spinal pain than do a variety of medications.

Reported by The American Chiropractic Association, which is the nation’s leading chiropractic organization representing more than 15,000 doctors of chiropractic and their patients. To find a chiropractor near you, visit www.acatoday.org.

Long-term regular consumption of a multivitamin may reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by 16 per cent, according to a new study.  The study defined long term as 10-year average frequency of multivitamin use of 6–7 days per week.