Get some sleep
Getting insufficient sleep and working while fatigued have become commonplace in the modern 24/7 workforce, with more than 37 percent of workers sleep-deprived, according to the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project. Sleepiness not only throws you off your game with customers, but it doesn’t mix well with driving. The National Transportation Safety Board estimates that fatigue has been a contributing factor in 20 percent of its investigations over the last two decades. And in February, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released a research brief estimating that drowsy driving is involved in up to 9.5 percent of all motor vehicle crashes. Projections from the AAA Foundation indicate that drowsy driving causes an average of 328,000 motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. each year, including 6,400 fatal crashes.
Meditative lighting
Speaking of sleep, iHome says its Zenergy – a bedside sleep therapy machine – can help you sleep restfully and wake energized, reports Tribune News Service. The $100 device is designed with flame-free candles to deliver meditative lighting and sound therapy, like the natural sounds of the ocean, nature and storms.
Workout headphones
After testing 143 sets of headphones and considering an additional 90, Wirecutter calls the JLab Epic Sport the best pair of wireless workout headphones for most people. They are said to sound good, fit comfortably, stay out of your way during rigorous workouts, and offer 12-hour battery life. Wirecutter’s testing showed that these earbuds should withstand abuse, sweat, and moisture when used properly, plus they’re backed by a one-year warranty and responsive customer service.
Pelvic floor disorders
Experts estimate that one of every three women in the United States has a pelvic floor condition, which can lead to problems with bladder or bowel control, according to the National Institutes of Health. But because so many women don’t tell their doctor, the condition is probably much more common. Treatment options may include dietary changes, physical therapy, medications, medical devices, or surgery. NIH is funding studies to develop new and improved treatments. Lower your risk of pelvic floor issues by: 1) maintaining a healthy weight; 2) avoiding constipation and straining by getting enough fiber and fluids in your diet; 3) avoid tobacco smoke and triggers of a long-term cough; 4) do Kegel exercises regularly to keep pelvic floor muscles toned. Men can benefit from Kegel exercises as well.
AEDs work
Victims of cardiac arrest have a greater likelihood of survival when a bystander used an automated external defibrillator (67percent) rather than wait for emergency medical services to shock the heart (43 percent), according to an NIH-funded study published in Circulation. In addition, people were more likely to survive with minimal disability after cardiac arrest (57 percent for AED from a bystander versus 33 percent for AED initiated by emergency medical services). The more time that elapsed before emergency medical services arrived, the larger the benefit of bystanders using an AED. “We estimate that about 1,700 lives are saved in the United States per year by bystanders using an AED,” Dr. Myron Weisfeldt of Johns Hopkins University is quoted as saying. A previous analysis of 2005 to 2009 data by the team found that about 500 additional lives could be saved each year in the U.S. and Canada if bystanders used AEDs. Because of increased availability of AEDs and their increased use by bystanders, an estimated 3,459 people having a cardiac arrest could be saved each year by bystander AED use.
Sickle cell investigation
Forty sites are participating in a National Institutes of Health-funded trial investigating a potential cure for sickle cell disease, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. During a bone marrow transplantation procedure, which has proved successful with younger patients, the recipient undergoes chemotherapy to destroy their own bone marrow and ward off rejection. That’s then replaced intravenously with closely matched marrow from a healthy donor. The trial will enroll 200 patients between the ages of 15 and 40. About 60 will get a transplant, ideally from a closely matched sibling. The remaining participants for whom a suitable donor can’t be identified will go into a comparison group and receive the current standard of care for two years. The trial seeks to determine if bone marrow transplantation leads to better outcomes for older sickle cell patients. Approximately 100,000 Americans have the disease, according to NIH. Most are of African ancestry or identify themselves as black. About one in every 365 black children is born with sickle cell disease.
Diet quality, not quantity
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people who cut back on added sugar, refined grains and highly processed foods while concentrating on eating plenty of vegetables and whole foods – without worrying about counting calories or limiting portion sizes – lost significant amounts of weight over the course of a year, reports The New York Times. The strategy worked for people whether they followed diets that were mostly low in fat or mostly low in carbohydrates. And their success did not appear to be influenced by their genetics or their insulin-response to carbohydrates, a finding that casts doubt on the increasingly popular idea that different diets should be recommended to people based on their DNA makeup or on their tolerance for carbs or fat. The research lends strong support to the notion that diet quality, not quantity, is what helps people lose and manage their weight most easily in the long run.