Community Magazine June 2012

To • • Health SLEEPWALKINGMORE COMMON THANONCE THOUGHT About one in 25 Americans are sleepwalkers, a new study in the journal Neurology reveals, indicating an increase of 20 percent over the last study conducted 30 years ago. To date, scientists cannot determine whether certain medical conditions trigger sleepwalking. The recent study found that among those who sleepwalk, more than 80 percent had the condition for more than five years. In addition, the study found that the condition was not gender specific, and became less frequent as people get older. People who have relatives that sleepwalk and those dependent on alcohol or sleeping pill have higher rates of sleepwalking, while those who suffer from depression are 3.5 times more likely to be a sleepwalker. SAY GOODBYE TO SCARS? An old analgesic chemical used to ease pain has recently been discovered to dramatically reduce scars to less than half of the expected size. Benjamin Alman, head of orthopedic surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, made the discovery while searching for a treatment for a certain kind of tumor. Animal studies are leading to the development of a commercially available product, expected to retail for $350 per treatment course. The discovery could help surgery patients, including those with burns, caesarean scars or joint replacements. FISHMAY FIGHT SOME CANCER Fish eaters have a 12 percent lower risk of developing colon cancer and a 21 percent decrease in risk of rectal cancers, according to a new study in the American Journal of Medicine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2007, approximately 143,000 Americans were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, which is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Researchers, however, cite that cooking methods should also be taken into consideration, as barbecued or high heat grilled fish may actually increase cancer risk. The key to the health benefits of eating fish, the researchers suggest, might be the omega-3 essential fatty acids found in certain fish, such as salmon and sardines. TALKING TO YOURSELF HELPS THINKING Saying words aloud could help people remember ancillary information. A new study by researchers in the University of Wisconsin, published in the quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, found that people who repeated the name of an object they were looking for, were able to find it faster than those who stayed quiet. The strategy only worked for objects with specific colors like bananas or grapes, as opposed to items like jelly that could be different colors. Researchers suggest that verbalizing words activates certain brain centers and thus helps the brain process information more quickly. ADHDCAN IMPROVEWITH PARENTING Neglecting the science behind classification of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a psychological condition, nearly a third of parents believe that it is the result of bad parenting. An online survey from Parents Magazine and New York’s Child Mind Institute found that most parents thought kids were being misdiagnosed and put on medication too readily, often because their teachers are unable to handle them in the classroom. The majority of the parents polled would want their own child’s doctor to tell them if their child may have psychiatric or learning difficulties. However, based on research, the National Resource Center on ADHD acknowledges that some parenting styles may actually increase the symptoms of ADHD. Although parents may not be responsible for causing the problem, the University of Nevada School of Medicine says that studies prove that good parenting styles can help control the symptoms. ZINCSHORTENS COMMON-COLD LIFESPAN Adults who take zinc can reduce the duration of the common cold by 2 ½ days, according to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Annually, there are 62 million cases of the common cold in the U.S., resulting in 22 million missed work days. The study examined 17 trials involving people taking zinc orally, and found that colds were shortened by a little more than one and a half days overall, but the effect did not work for children. Cold symptoms disappeared sooner with higher dosages, but zinc also caused more side effects than a placebo, including nausea and an unpleasant taste. The severity of the symptoms on day three did not differ between the groups, suggesting that zinc does not make cold symptoms less severe overall. 74 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE