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Drive by anytime to see the tree all lit up and decorated. Stop into the Library to admire what a wonderful community resource we have right here in the neighborhood. And then look for scenes from our community caroling around the tree event on December 11, in the slideshow posted on YouTube here. We had a bright bonfire going to roast marshmallows on, warm refreshments to share, and a time of celebrating all that’s good in our neighborhood. Hope you can come by soon!

Lack may increase risks

According to a new study, Vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk for metabolic syndrome* after menopause.

Researchers looked at 463 postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease who weren’t taking vitamin D supplements. More than two thirds of the women had vitamin D levels lower than 30, which was considered insufficient. Of these women, 58% had metabolic syndrome, compared with 40% of women with sufficient vitamin D. When the vitamin D level was below 20, the odds of metabolic syndrome were doubled.

This observational design can’t prove causation, and more studies are needed. But because metabolic syndrome is a major risk factor for CVD, maintaining adequate vitamin D levels in postmenopausal women may be an important preventive measure.

Charles Vega, MD, clinical professor of family medicine at the University of California at Irvine.

*Metabolic syndrome is a very common and dangerous complex of disorders noted primarily in overweight individuals who develop high blood pressure, diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels.

When to say when: Study says limit alcohol to 1 drink a day

This week several news outlets, including the Washington Post, reported that a new international study concludes there are “no overall health benefits from moderate drinking” and the “threshold for low-risk drinking … is about seven beers a week for men and women alike.”

The study was published on April 12 in The Lancet and was co-authored by 120 researchers based on “aggregated data from multiple studies of drinking patterns and health outcomes among nearly 600,000 people in 19 high-income countries.”

The Post says, “Strikingly, the data did not show a significant difference between men and women in the amount of alcohol that can be consumed without a drop in life expectancy” – a conclusion that contradicts US government guidelines.

USA Today reported that the US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s guidelines “allow for drinking in moderation,” which, for men “means up to two drinks per day, or roughly 196 grams per week – nearly double what researchers suggest” in this study. For women, the guidelines say just “one drink per day, which is 98 grams per week.” Spain, Portugal, and Italy also have government recommended guidelines nearly 50 percent higher than the 100-gram threshold shown in this study.

The AP reported that the research “estimates that 40-year-old men who drink as much as the current U.S. guidelines allow can expect to live one to two years less than men who have no more than seven drinks per week.” The study found a “higher risk of stroke, heart failure, and other problems” among those who drink more than the study’s recommendation of about seven beers per week – or five glasses of wine or 1.5-ounce shots of liquor.

PBS NewsHour reported that the study suggests that “people who drank more than 100 grams of alcohol per week, the equivalent of about six glasses of wine, had increased risk of stroke, heart disease, heart failure, fatal hypertensive disease and fatal aortic aneurysm.”

What do you think?

PCPs Are Becoming Rarer As Healthcare Business Models Change.

On the front of its Sunday business section yesterday the New York Times reported that “in this new medical age of urgent care centers and retail clinics… primary care” physicians are becoming “increasingly scarce.”

The article examined how changes in the healthcare industry have changed how patients receive medical care and interact with physicians.

Fortunately, our “business model” is growing and expanding to meet the complex needs of people who need and value more personal and comprehensive care that urgent care centers and retail clinics cannot and never will, by design, offer.

Do you or someone else you know need a primary care provider that really cares about you and your family? Just call us to set up an appointment. We look forward to serving you!

Today, April 4, marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., and the Board, staff, and supporters of His Branches will join others in our community and across the nation in paying tribute.

The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, built around the hotel where King was shot, is asking that bells toll 39 times to honor the number of years King lived and pay homage to his legacy. In our neighborhood the bells will start ringing at the U of R Hopeman Memorial Carillon in the Rush Rhees Library tower at 7:05 pm to symbolize when the news first rippled across the world.

Please join us in honoring the inspired witness, courage, and legacy of this powerfully humble man of God.