February 2017 Health Newsletter

Concussions in soccer may not only come from unintentional hits to the head. "Heading" is a common action taken by soccer players where they intentionally take hits to the head from the soccer ball. In 2013, a study called the Einstein Soccer Study was conducted to research the effects that heading has on soccer players. For over a year, researchers collected information from 222 participants. These participants were asked to answer surveys regarding any accidental or intentional heading, and any symptoms that followed in a given two week span. The participants of the Einstein Soccer Study were predominantly males ages 18-55, and resulted in a total of 470 surveys. Although the study did not unearth the long-term effects of heading on soccer players, it did discover some interesting findings on the primary effects of heading. Of the male participants in the study, 37% claimed to take hits from the ball unintentionally and reported intentional heading an average of 44 times. While 43% of women participating in the study claimed to take hits from the ball unintentionally, and reported intentional heading an average of 27 times. 20% of the participants claimed to experience moderate to severe concussion symptoms after intentionally heading the ball and unintentional hits to the head. Researchers found that the participants who experienced the most hits through unintentional hits and intentional heading, correlated directly with those experiencing concussion symptoms. In the future, studies may be conducted to research the longterm effects of heading and the complications it may cause. For now, it is evident that there are short-term effects on soccer players experiencing both intentional and unintentional hits to the head.

There are several ways to lower the risks of heart attack, cardiovascular disease, blood vessel diseases, and stroke. Although it is important to watch the kind of food that goes into the body, many studies have shown that it may be equally as important to pay attention to the timing of meals. Here are three ways to boost cardiovascular health:
1. Meal Planning. According to a statement released by the American Heart Association, planning the meals and snacks that you have throughout the day can help lower the risks of cardiovascular disease. This is due to the metabolic rates of the body throughout the day.
2. Eating Breakfast Daily. Several studies have found correlations between increased cardiovascular health and people who consume breakfast regularly. There is a much lower risk of high cholesterol and high blood pressure associated with those who consume breakfast daily.
3. Lowering Food Consumption in the Evening. At night it is harder for the body to digest and process various foods. Many studies have shown that this may be due to a decreased metabolic rate in the evening. For this reason, lowering the amount of food eaten in the evening can lead to better cardiovascular health.
Using these methods to carefully plan meals and snacks for each day can help reduce the many risk factors surrounding cardiovascular disease including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and insulin complications such as insulin resistance.

With the increasing global concern surrounding dementia and related cognitive problems in the elderly, being able to successfully prevent these issues is of great importance. JAMA Neurology conducted a study to research the effects of various forms of mental stimulation on cognitive delays in elderly participants. The study found several forms of mental stimulation that can reduce the risks of cognitive problems in the elderly. For instance, playing games and participating in regular social events was found to decrease the risk of cognitive delay by more than 20%. While participating in crafting activities can lower the risk by 28%, and learning to use a computer can reduce the risk as much as 30%. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle by choosing to eat healthy and exercise regularly has also been proven in many studies to reduce cognitive delay. Combining this with regular mental stimulation is a great way to help reduce the risks even further. According to Dr. Denise Park of the University of Texas, participating in new activities or tasks may be more effective than the repetition of familiar activities in preventing cognitive problems. Overall, it is important for older adults to participate in mentally stimulating activities and try to maintain a healthy lifestyle through proper diet and exercise. This may prove to be their best defense against cognitive decline.