Those at risk for Type 2 diabetes may already know to avoid sugar, but new research suggests they may want to skip the salt as well.
A new study from Tulane University published in Mayo Clinic Proceedingsfound that frequently adding salt to foods was associated with an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
The study surveyed more than 400,000 adults registered in the UK Biobank about their salt intake. Over a median of 11.8 years of follow-up, more than 13,000 cases of Type 2 diabetes developed among participants. Compared to those who “never” or “rarely” used salt, participants who “sometimes,” “usually,” or “always” added salt had a respective 13%, 20%, and 39% higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
“We already know that limiting salt can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and hypertension, but this study shows for the first time that taking the saltshaker off the table can help prevent Type 2 diabetes as well,” said lead author Dr. Lu Qi, HCA Regents Distinguished Chair and professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Further research is needed to determine why high salt intake could be linked to a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes. However, Qi believes salt encourages people to eat larger portions, increasing the chances of developing risk factors such as obesity and inflammation. The study found an association between frequent consumption of salt and higher BMI and waist-to-hip ratio.
Qi said the next step is to conduct a clinical trial controlling the amount of salt participants consume and observing the effects.
Still, Qi said it’s never too early to start searching for low-sodium ways to season your favorite foods.
“It’s not a difficult change to make, but it could have a tremendous impact on your health,” Qi said.
Stand Up for Your Health: The Unseen Benefits of Good Posture
There’s an old saying: “The way you carry yourself speaks volumes about who you are.” This couldn’t be more true when it comes to your posture, in particular! Whether you’re standing or sitting, good posture can make a significant difference, not just in your appearance but also in your overall health and wellbeing. It’s time to stand tall and embrace the many benefits of better posture – and this guide from Patient Talk can show you how!
The Perception of Height
Maintaining a good posture can significantly impact your perceived height. When you slouch, you may appear shorter than your actual height, diminishing your presence. Conversely, standing tall and straight can seemingly add inches to your stature, boosting your confidence. To get more insights into this, check popular online resources like https://howtallheight.com/, which provide valuable information about height and how your posture can affect it.
Investing in a Firmer Mattress
Your sleeping position and the quality of your mattress can significantly influence your posture. A too-soft mattress might feel comfortable initially, but it doesn’t provide enough support for your spine, leading to poor sleeping posture. Investing in a firmer mattress can promote spinal alignment while you sleep, which can help improve your posture over time.
Building Back Muscle Strength through Exercise
Exercise plays a crucial role in improving and maintaining good posture. Regular workouts, especially those targeting back muscles, can help strengthen your core, providing better support for your spine. Simple exercises like planks, bridges, and rows can significantly improve your back strength and, consequently, your posture. And if you’re a mom, help yourself get in the right mood by investing in nursing bras that are popular for their comfort and versatility.
The Power of Regular Stretching
Stretching is another essential aspect of improving your posture. Regular stretching can help loosen tight muscles, increase flexibility, and promote better body alignment. Stretching exercises such as shoulder rolls, neck tilts, and chest openers can help correct poor posture by elongating the spine and reducing muscular tension.
Practicing Yoga and Pilates
Yoga and Pilates are both excellent practices for improving posture. They focus on balance, flexibility, and strength, all of which contribute to better posture. Regular practice can help align your spine, strengthen your core, and increase your awareness of your body, helping you maintain good posture throughout the day.
Investing in a Supportive Office Chair
Given the amount of time many of us spend sitting at our desks, having a supportive office chair is crucial for maintaining good posture. Look for chairs that offer adequate lumbar support, adjustability, and comfort. A good chair will allow you to sit with your feet flat on the floor and your back firmly against the backrest, promoting better sitting posture.
Maintaining Good Posture While Sitting
When sitting, it’s important to keep your head and upper back pushed into the chair. This helps maintain the natural curve of your spine and prevents slouching. Remember to keep your shoulders relaxed and your elbows close to your body, and ensure your computer screen is at eye level to avoid straining your neck.
Improving your posture is a journey that requires consistency and commitment. The benefits, however, are well worth the effort. From appearing taller and more confident to enhancing your health and wellbeing, better posture can truly transform your life. Start implementing these tips today – from staying fit to upgrading your mattress and home office setup – and you’ll soon notice a positive change in your posture and how you feel about yourself. Stand tall, be proud, and embrace the power of better posture.
Patient Talk has all the tips and information you need to help you take charge of your own health. Feel free to email questions to info@patienttalk.org.
Schulich School of Business and Faculty of Health researchers say that while as many as 90 per cent of autistic people are unemployed or underemployed, their study points to the benefits of having neurodivergent people in the workplace
A well-established psychological theory states that most of us are less likely to intervene in a bad situation if other people are present, and this ‘bystander effect’ also applies to workplace settings. However, new research led by York University shows that autistic people are less likely to be affected by this social contagion than neurotypical people. They are less likely to stay silent in the face of gross misconduct or even just everyday mistakes, pointing to the positive aspects of autism and how organizations can benefit from hiring more neurodivergent people, findings reveal.
“Our study shows that to the extent that they would act if they saw something wrong, autistic employees were much more likely to intervene, regardless of the number of people present. And in situations where they would not intervene, they were more likely to identify the influence of others as the reason, whereas neurotypical employees were more reluctant to acknowledge this,” says lead author Lorne Hartman, an instructor with the Schulich School of Business.
Lorne and his son Braxton Hartman, a graduate student in the Faculty of Health at York who was a collaborator on the study, were inspired to look into this issue not only from their academic experience, but also because of personal experience — Braxton is autistic and has been a public advocate on the issue since he was 12 years old.
“One of the motivations here is that a lot of the current literature on autism comes from a deficit mindset. It’s saying these differences in autism are exclusively negatives. We want to reframe that and ask, ‘What are ways that some of these differences could be an advantage rather than just a negative?’” says Braxton, whose research also focuses on autism. “One of the core areas that people tend to consider a deficit in autism is social interaction. We wanted to examine whether this is a positive to the extent that autistic people are less influenced by others when it comes to dysfunctional or unethical situations.”
Lorne has a background in clinical psychology and his main area of research looks at unethical behaviour in organizations.
“But most importantly, in all of these cases, there were hundreds, maybe thousands of people who may not have been involved in the wrongdoing, but they should have been aware that it was going on,” he says, summarizing his earlier research. “So having people around who are willing to blow the whistle, so to speak, is very important for organizations.”
The study was published this week in the October issue of Autism Research and created with collaborators from the University of Toronto. The research participants — employed individuals, 33 autistic and 34 neurotypical — were asked to weigh in on hypothetical scenarios involving everything from inefficiencies to inequalities to quality concerns.
While the results are preliminary and more research is needed, the researchers say their work has important practical implications, especially considering that the rates of unemployment and underemployment for autistic people may be as high as 90 per cent, and even if they have higher education, that statistic only drops to 70 per cent.
“We’re looking at this from two angles. One is looking at helping organizations be more ethical and efficient, but also, helping people like myself – people on the spectrum – find gainful employment by helping to change the societal understanding of autism,” concludes Braxton.
While social media can be a great resource for connecting with others, it can also quickly and easily spread misleading or inaccurate information in mass. Social media platforms, especially the popular TikTok app, have allowed information about autism to become more accessible. However, researchers and others in the autistic community have voiced concerns about the unfiltered nature of some of the content. Researchers from Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute have examined the reach and accuracy of TikTok videos providing informational content about autism and found that most of the information provided does not align with current clinical knowledge.
Recently published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, researchers examined engagement indicators – including views and “likes” – for the TikTok videos associated with the “Autism” hashtag. Two coders independently fact-checked content of the most viewed videos from the #Autism videos as of July 2022, with a focus on videos that provided information on autism as a condition, such as what causes it or how to identify it. Videos were coded as either accurate, inaccurate or ‘overgeneralization’ based on the consistency of the information in the videos with current knowledge on autism. Videos sharing information about personal experience were not coded in this study.
“We chose to study TikTok because of its popularity – it surpassed 2 billion mobile downloads worldwide by 2020 and was ranked the most popular website of 2021,” said Giacomo Vivanti, PhD, an associate professor in the Autism Institute and co-author of the study.
In the study, videos associated with the #Autism accrued 11.5 billion views collectively. An examination of the top 133 videos providing informational content on autism, which totaled 198.7 million views and 25.2 million “likes,” showed that 27% of the videos were classified as accurate, while 41% were classified as inaccurate and 32% as overgeneralized. There were no significant differences in engagement between accurate and inaccurate/overgeneralized videos. Videos created by healthcare professionals were more likely to include accurate information.
“Given the reach of TikTok autism content, it’s important that stakeholders in autism community, including autistic individuals, family members, and clinicians interfacing with autism, are aware of the unfiltered nature of the information presented,” said Elisabeth Sheridan, PhD, director of Clinical Core, associate professor in the Autism Institute and co-author of the study.
The researchers found that similar to other social media channels, TikTok can bias understanding about autism in two ways. First, by providing blatant misinformation – for example, claiming that a certain product can “cure autism,” with the intent of selling the product. And secondly, by overgeneralizing an individual experience to the entire autism spectrum and not representing the entire spectrum of manifestations within the autistic population.
“Many autistic individuals and their families have expressed concerns related to harmful autism misinformation videos shared on TikTok (e.g., anti-vaccination myths),” said Sheridan. “Social media platforms also provide a space for individuals to shared lived experience and find community with others. Given the reach of these videos, we hope future studies will continue to explore the affect social media has for autistic individuals and their families.”
Because the research team concluded most of the information provided on TikTok appears to be misaligned with current clinical knowledge, it is important for health care providers and other professionals to be aware of the autism-related content being shared on TikTok so that they can better engage with the large community of TikTok users.
“It is important to monitor and fight misinformation that can damage those on the autism spectrum and their families. But it is also important for the scientific community to gain perspective on how autism and how current approaches to autism are perceived and experienced by the large community of TikTok users,” said Vivanti. “This would help us address the gaps that lead people to search for answers on TikTok in the first place.”
The loss of a loved one is always difficult, but when that loss comes as a result of an overdose, it can be particularly devastating. Feelings of shock, confusion, guilt and profound sadness are common. It’s important to remember that everyone grieves differently, and there’s no right or wrong way to feel. In today’s Patient Talk blog post, we offer some strategies to help you navigate this difficult time.
Invest Time in Self-care
During the grieving process, it’s crucial to prioritize self-care. This can mean anything from ensuring you’re eating well and getting enough sleep, to taking time out of your day for activities that bring you joy or provide a sense of calm. It might be tempting to neglect your own needs while dealing with the pain of your loss, but remember, taking care of yourself is not selfish, it’s necessary.
Share Memories
Honoring the memory of your loved one can be a powerful part of the healing process. You might choose to do this by sharing stories about them, creating a memorial in their honor, or dedicating a special activity or event to them. This can help you to hold onto the positive memories, while also acknowledging the reality of their struggle with addiction.
Learn More About Addiction
Understanding more about addiction and overdose can also be an important part of the coping process. This can help you to make sense of what happened, reduce feelings of guilt or blame, and potentially help prevent future tragedies. There are many resources available online and in print that can provide valuable information on these topics.
Give Yourself Permission to Grieve
Grief is a complex and personal process, and it’s important to give yourself permission to experience it fully. This might involve crying, expressing anger, seeking out support from others, or spending time alone. Whatever your process looks like, remember that it’s okay to feel what you’re feeling.
Donate Your Time
Another way to cope with your loss is by giving back to organizations that support addiction recovery. This could involve volunteering your time, making a donation, or even starting a fundraising campaign in your loved one’s name. Not only can this provide a sense of purpose and connection, but it can also help to make a positive impact in the fight against addiction.
Seek Closure in Your Own Way
Saying goodbye is an important step in the grieving process. This might involve writing a letter to your loved one, visiting a place that was significant to them, or holding a memorial service. These acts can provide closure and help you to let go of your grief.
Take Stock of Substance Use
Coming to terms with a loved one’s passing can be especially challenging if it prompts you to confront your own substance abuse issues. However, remember that it’s never too late to make a positive change in your life. The best rehabilitations centers in the US are equipped with the resources and expertise to guide you towards recovery and sobriety. These institutions provide a supportive environment to help you overcome addiction and start a new chapter of your life.
Losing a loved one to an overdose is an incredibly painful experience, and it’s normal to feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to cope. However, by taking the above steps toward healing, you can navigate through this difficult time. Remember, it’s okay to ask for help, and there are resources available to support you. You are not alone.
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