Even mild forms of activity can improve function and reduce pain, as studied by O`Connor et. al., (2014) in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Twenty-six studies (2384 participants) were included, and suggests that walking is associated with significant improvements in outcomes compared with control interventions. Walking can be recommended as an effective form of exercise or activity for individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain but should be supplemented with strategies aimed at maintaining participation. So, keep active and keep walking.

People who get a lot of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays are at greater risk for skin cancer. Sunlight is the main source of UV rays, but you don’t have to avoid the sun completely. And it would be unwise to stay inside if it would keep you from being active, because physical activity is important for good health. But getting too much sun can be harmful. 

For decades, one of the most talked about health issue is “what kind of diet should I try?” Atkins, South Beach, Paleo, low-fat, low-carb, high-protein.. it is mind-boggling the choices out there and the number of opinions you will get if you ask. In a recent article published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Bazzano et. al. conducted a randomized trial comparing a low-fat to low-carbohydrate diet. The researchers randomized 148 men and women to either a low-fat (< 30% calories from fat) or a low-carbohydrate (< 40 grams/day) diet. After a year, participants on the low-carbohydrate diet had greater decreases in weight and better lipid values than those on the low-fat diet. The authors concluded that the low-carbohydrate diet was more effective for weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor reduction than the low-fat diet. So, in the battle between low-fat and low-carbs, it seems that watching your carbs might be best. 

A recent review of 14 weight loss studies with a total of 2,537 participants, and four weight maintenance studies with a total of 1,603 participants showed that compared to no intervention or minimal interventions (pamphlets, usual care), interactive computer-based interventions are an effective intervention for weight loss and weight maintenance. Compared to in-person interventions, interactive computer-based interventions result in smaller weight losses and lower levels of weight maintenance. The amount of additional weight loss, however, is relatively small and of brief duration, making the clinical significance of these differences unclear. 

"Pink eye" typically refers to conjunctivitis (inflammation of the eye lid and related structures). Most cases are caused by viruses or allergies, and thus, have typically not needed antibiotic eye drops. Even bacterial conjunctivitis is often self-limiting, so, in an era of growing antibiotic resistance, many physicians do not recommend use of antibiotic drops even for bacterial conjunctivitis. A recent review identified 11 studies with 3673 participants and concluded that although acute bacterial conjunctivitis is frequently self limiting, the use of antibiotic eye drops is associated with modestly improved rates remission in comparison to the use of placebo. Use of antibiotic eye drops should therefore be considered in order to speed the resolution of symptoms and infection.

There is a belief that if something is really good, more is better; however, this is not always true for our health. Although the great chemist and Nobel Prize winner, Linnus Pauling was an advocate of mega doses of Vitamin C, (not what he won the prize for) as a remedy for all things including revving up the immune system, the body doesn't appear to need or want a lot of C. There are no studies that show an significant improvement in infection fighting capacity with excess C. 

Large randomized trials have shown that lowering LDL cholesterol with statins reduces vascular morbidity and mortality rapidly, but limited evidence exists about the long-term efficacy and safety of statin treatment. The aim of a recent extended follow-up of the Heart Protection Study (HPS) is to assess long-term efficacy and safety of lowering LDL cholesterol with statins. 20,536 patients at high risk of vascular and non-vascular outcomes were given either 40 mg simvastatin daily or placebo. The study concluded that prolonged LDL-lowering statin treatment produces larger absolute reductions in vascular events. Moreover, even after study treatment stopped in HPS, benefits persisted for at least 5 years without any evidence of emerging hazards. These findings provide further support for the prompt initiation and long-term continuation of statin treatment. 

Probiotics may improve a person's health by regulating their immune function. Some studies show that probiotic strains can prevent respiratory infections. However, no evidence of the benefits of probiotics for acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and related potential adverse effects has been published. A review of 10 trials which involved 3451 participants demonstrated that probiotics were better than placebo in reducing the number of participants experiencing episodes of acute URTIs, the rate ratio of episodes of acute URTI and reducing antibiotic use. This indicates that probiotics may be more beneficial than placebo for preventing acute URTIs. However, the results have some limitations and there were no data for older people. 

Although the issue of diminished hearing is often not thought about by person s in their early 50’s, it should be. Hearing loss occurs in up to 40% of the population, making it is a wide spread problem affecting many individuals. Since there are many interventions available that can ameliorate the condition, the US Preventive Task Force (USPSTF) suggests that routine screening to asses hearing begin at age 50 years. 

Sinus infections have been very bad this past year and are one of the most frequent reasons for visit to the doctor accounting for 20 million visits annually in the United States and 15% to 21% of annual antibiotic prescriptions. We hear of more and more patients going to their doctor for sinus infections, insisting on receiving antibiotics. As it turns out, this might not be in their best interest. A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine indicates that antibiotics for mild to moderate sinus infections may cause more harm than good. Treating sinus infections was among the Top 5 activities in primary care where changes in practice could lead simultaneously to higher quality care and better use of finite clinical resources. The meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials published in the past 10 years comparing antibiotic treatment with placebo summarized the evidence regarding the benefits, harms, and costs of antibiotic treatment of acute mild to moderate sinusitis.  

Fish oil supplements (omega 3 fatty acids) have exploded in popularity due to their proposed benefit for cardiovascular disease. What about their benefit in people with already early issues with heart disease? Although previous randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials reported efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplements in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the evidence remains inconclusive. A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine investigated the efficacy of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in the secondary prevention of CVD. The authors identified 14 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (involving 20,000 patients). In reviewing these studies, they found that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids did not reduce the risk of overall cardiovascular events, all-cause mortality, sudden cardiac death, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, or stroke. The study concluded that there was insufficient evidence of a secondary preventive effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplements against overall cardiovascular events among patients with a history of cardiovascular disease. 

Sinus infections, also called sinusitis, occur when your sinus cavities become inflamed or swollen. The most common cause of sinusitis is the virus that causes the common cold. Symptoms of a sinus infection are pressure or fullness between or behind your eyes, around your nose, or in your forehead. Additionally, you may have thick discolored nasal discharge, stuffy nose, or a decreased sense of smell. Most cases of sinusitis last between 7-10 days. Rarely, if symptoms persist longer than 10 days, your health care professional will determine if an antibiotic is necessary. Generally, antibiotics are not used in the treatment of sinusitis because bacteria do not cause the illness and treatment with antibiotics can be more harmful than beneficial. The best way to treat sinusitis is to help relieve the symptoms and making the person feel more comfortable during the illness. Pain and fever can be treated using over-the-counter medications and nasal stuffiness can be treated using a nasal decongestant. Saline sprays may also provide some relief of symptoms.