The suicide rate among middle-aged Americans climbed a startling 28 percent in a decade, a period that included the recession and the mortgage crisis, the government reported on May 2.
The trend was most pronounced among white men and women in that age group. Their suicide rate jumped 40 percent between 1999 and 2010.
But the rates in younger and older people held steady. And there was little change among middle-aged blacks, Hispanics and most other racial and ethnic groups.
Why did so many middle-aged whites — that is, those who are 35 to 64 years old — take their own lives?
One theory suggests the recession caused more emotional trauma in whites, who tend not to have the same kind of church support and extended families that blacks and Hispanics do.
The economy was in recession from the end of 2007 until mid-. Even well afterward, polls showed most Americans remained worried about weak hiring, a depressed housing market and other problems.
Pat Smith, violence-prevention program coordinator for the Michigan Department of Community Health, said the recession — which hit manufacturing-heavy states particularly hard — may have pushed already-troubled people over the brink. Being unable to find a job or settling for one with lower pay or prestige could add “that final weight to a whole chain of events,” she said.
Another theory notes that white baby boomers have always had higher rates of depression and suicide, and that has held true as they’ve hit middle age. During the 1999-2010 period, suicide went from the eighth leading cause of death among middle-aged Americans to the fourth, behind cancer, heart disease and accidents.
“Some of us think we’re facing an upsurge as this generation moves into later life,” said Dr. Eric Caine, a suicide researcher at the University of Rochester.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the report, which was based on death certificates. People ages 35 to 64 account for about 57 percent of suicides.

Guns used in nearly half of suicides
The report contained surprising information about how middle-aged people kill themselves: During the period studied, hangings overtook drug overdoses in that age group, becoming the No. 2 manner of suicide. But guns remained far in the lead and were the instrument of death in nearly half of all suicides among the middle-aged in 2010.
The CDC does not collect gun ownership statistics and did not attempt to correlate suicide rates with gun ownership.
For the entire U.S. population, there were 38,350 suicides in 2010, making it the nation’s 10 leading cause of death, the CDC said. The overall national suicide rate climbed from 12 suicides per 100,000 people in 1999 to 14 per 100,000 in 2010. That was a 15 percent increase.
For the middle-aged, the rate jumped from about 14 per 100,000 to nearly 18 — a 28 percent increase. Among whites in that age group, it spiked from about 16 to 22.
Suicide prevention efforts have tended to concentrate on teenagers and the elderly, but research over the past several years has begun to focus on the middle-aged. The new CDC report is being called the first to show how the trend is playing out nationally and to look in depth at the racial and geographic breakdown.
The suicide rate registered a statistically significant increase in 39 out of 50 states. The West and the South had the highest suicide rates. It’s not clear why, but one factor may be cultural differences in willingness to seek help during tough times, said Thomas Simon, one of the authors of the CDC report.
Also, it may be more difficult to find counseling and mental health services in certain places, he added.

Broad spectrum protection — Under the FDA’s new labeling rules, the phrase “broad spectrum” means the product protects against both A and B ultraviolet rays, and has a sun protection factor of 15 or higher. Sunscreen that doesn’t protect against both has been shown only to help prevent sunburn, not skin cancer, according to the FDA. Products that fall short will come with a warning label that says “Skin Cancer/Skin Aging Alert: Spending time in the sun increases your risk of skin cancer and early skin aging. This product has been shown only to help prevent sunburn, not skin cancer or early skin aging.”
Water resistance — Gone are the days when sunscreens are allowed to boast about resistance to water or sweat, which FDA says gives consumers a false sense of security. The rules now require makers to tell consumers how long the sunscreen can stand up to swimming and sweating. Labels must also suggest that users reapply sunscreen every 40 or 80 minutes, and are prohibited from making the claim that their product will provide more than two hours of protection without reapplication. Manufacturers are also now prohibited from identifying their products as sunblocks.
The FDA had been considering these changes for decades, and finally announced its new regulations last year, giving manufacturers about a year to comply.
More changes may be coming to correct misperceptions about SPF levels. Some sunscreens come with labels as high as 100 SPF, but most experts say they don’t offer much more protection than SPF levels of 15 to 20. The FDA is considering capping the advertised number to SPF 50. The FDA is also reviewing the effectiveness of spray-on sunscreens.

Melanoma rates soar among young
The new labeling rules come at a time when melanoma rates are soaring among young adults. A study from April 2012 revealed an alarming rise in melanoma among people aged 18 to 39.
Over the past 40 years, rates of this potentially deadly skin cancer grew by 800 percent among young women and 400 percent among young men, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Researchers examined data on the 256 young adults in Olmstead County, Minn., who were diagnosed with melanoma between 1970 and 2009. Between 1970 and 1979, just 16 new cases, or 4.8 cases per 100,000 people, were diagnosed. But from 200O to 2010, 129 cases were recorded, or 30.8 cases per 100,000 people, reflects an enormous jump from the 1970s.
Although the lifetime risk of melanoma is about 1.5 times greater in males than in females, among young people this pattern is reversed, as the Mayo Clinic Proceedings study demonstrated. The authors observed that indoor ultraviolet tanning, which is much more popular among young women than young men, may account for the disproportionate increase in incidence among young women.

Common sunscreen myths

Wearing sunscreen can cause vitamin D deficiency.
There is some controversy regarding this issue, but few dermatologists believe (and no studies have shown) that sunscreens cause vitamin D deficiency. Also, vitamin D is available in dietary supplements and foods such as salmon and eggs, as well as enriched milk and orange juice.

If it’s cold or cloudy outside, you don’t need sunscreen.
This is not true. Up to 40 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation reaches the earth on a completely cloudy day. This misperception often leads to the most serious sunburns, because people spend all day outdoors with no protection from the sun.

Eighty percent of your sun exposure comes as a child, so it’s too late to do anything now.
It appears that this universally promoted idea was based largely on a misinterpretation. A recent multi-center study showed that we get less than 25 percent of our total sun exposure by age 18. In fact, it is men over the age of 40 who spend the most time outdoors, and get the highest annual doses of UV rays. And since adult Americans are living longer and spending more leisure time outdoors, preventing ongoing skin damage will continue to be an important part of a healthy lifestyle.
Source: Skin Cancer Foundation

By Marc Liechtung, DMD

12 Foods That Stain Your Teeth (The Dirty Dozen)
1. Black Coffee and Black Tea — The darker the beverage, the more staining that can occur. Try adding a little extra milk to lighten the color and reduce the staining effect.
2. Wine — Both red and white wines, if taken in excess, will stain your teeth. Although red stains, white wine’s acidic composition actually etches tiny grooves in your teeth, making them more porous and more easily stained.
3. Colas and Sports Drinks — Because they are so highly acidic, they help promote staining by other foods.
4. Berries – Blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, cherries and other berries, although excellent for your overall health, can stain your teeth. So, if you’re crazy for berries, be sure to rinse out your mouth thoroughly with water after each indulgence.
5. Beets — Now here’s a vegetable that could put a powerful stain in your t-shirt, so, like all foods that stain, moderation is called for with this one.
6. Sauces — Soy sauce and tomato sauce, as well as other deeply colored sauces, are believed to have significant staining potential.
7. Juice — Grape, pomegranate and cranberry are highly pigmented and can cause staining. If you must imbibe, try rinsing your mouth out with water or drinking juices through a straw, thereby bypassing the fronts of your teeth
8. Pickles and Ketchup — These acidic foods are good at opening up the pores of your tooth enamel allowing for easy staining.
9. Balsamic Vinegar — While great on a salad, it causes havoc to your teeth. If you must, try it on lettuce, which has a natural ability to provide a protective film over your teeth.
10. Candy – Sweets contain teeth-staining coloring agents. If your tongue turns a funny color, there’s a good chance that your teeth will too.
11. Curry — Although great on Indian food, this yellow-staining food flavoring can be harsh on teeth.
12. Popsicles — Did you ever look at your tongue after you’ve finished your fruity, sugary pop? Not only does it color your tongue, but also your teeth. Plus, it has added double whammy negative effect produced by all of that sugar.

12 Tooth-Whitening Foods
1. Apples and pears increase salivary production which flushes away stains over time.
2. Pineapple acts as a natural stain remover.
3. Carrots contain vitamin A which is needed for healthy tooth enamel.
4. Cauliflower and cucumbers also help to increase salivary production the natural way to flush away stains.
5. Green vegetables like broccoli, lettuce and spinach contains iron which helps form an acid-resistant film or barrier that can protect the enamel on your teeth.
6. Shitake mushrooms help inhibit bacteria from growing in your mouth.
7. Onions help reduce bacteria that cause tooth decay.
8. Cheese is rich in protein, calcium and phosphorus, all of which can help safeguard the acids in your mouth.
9. Salmon provides calcium and vitamin D, nutrients needed for healthy bones and teeth.
10. Poppy and sesame seeds help scrub away plaque.
11. Ginger acts as an anti-inflammatory to support healthy mouth tissue.
12. Basil is a natural antibiotic that reduces bacteria in the mouth.

By Christopher Mango, DC

Is there a better time of year than spring in New York City? After this particularly long winter, I can’t think of anything more delightful than being able to get out of our apartments and enjoy the weather. But as an ex-allergy sufferer,I know that the return of sunny days can mean the return of headaches, sneezing and stuffy noses for many people.

What can be done to ease seasonal allergy symptoms? The most common solution is to take an over the counter antihistamine. Not only do these types of medications include typical side effects like drowsiness and confusion, however; daily antihistamine use is now being linked to a whole slew of long term effects including low libido, increased appetite, anxiety, and depression. It was my frustration with serious allergies and the lack of treatment options that started me on my journey in becoming an alternative health care provider. Below are some of things I tried myself 20 years ago, along with some new tips.

1. Balance your Inner PH. PH imbalance has become a major topic in the alternative health community over the past few years. The idea is that due to diet, (such as, processed food, grains, fried food, sugary drinks, too much meat) and stress, (lifestyle, emotional, environmental), we are stuck in an acidic internal environment. A PH that is too acidic promotes inflammation and weakens the immune system, which can result in an overactive allergy response. A food’s actual PH has nothing to do with whether it is alkaline or acidic within the body. For example, lemons and limes are acidic, but if consumed they have an alkaline (or basic) effect on the body. In fact almost all fruits and vegetables, when eaten raw, have an alkaline effect on the body. So to restore the PH, eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, especially dark green leafy vegetables, while cutting back on processed foods and grains.

Another great way to balance your PH is by preparing a daily tonic of one tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon organic unprocessed raw local honey, which contains small amounts of bee pollen and acts as a vaccine, mixed with 8-12 ounces of water.

2. Adrenal Support. The adrenals are stress-handling glands that are located above the kidneys. An allergen is another stress to the body, so if the adrenals, which are responsible for controlling stress, are busy dealing with other issues, it’s possible that they can’t deal with this new external stress and our bodies react poorly. To help the adrenals during allergy season, it’s best to support them with rest, exercise, proper nutrition and supplements. Be aware of your sugar and carbohydrate load. It’s always best during allergy season to decrease these two so your adrenals can function at a higher level. Speak to your healthcare provider about trying an adrenal glandular, along with a B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, Omega 3 fish oil, (make sure on the label it lists EPA and DHA).

3. Eat Seasonally. Certain foods become readily available every spring from nature depending on where you live. Do you consider this a coincidence or is nature trying to tell us something? A lot of studies are starting to come out about the benefits of eating seasonally and locally. The nutrient and positive health properties found in these springtime fruits and vegetables are far superior than what you can get out of a freezer or can. So what produce is in season for the spring? Asparagus, radishes, delicate leafy greens like mache and arugula, fiddleheads, ramps, mushrooms, strawberries, peas, broccoli, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, chicory, cabbage, rhubarb, leeks, spinach, spring onions, purple-sprouting broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, watercress, dark green leafy vegetables, and garlic. Eat as much of the above as you would like, there is no limit or calorie counting when eating local seasonal fruits and vegetables. It’s also important to decrease the amount of meat we consume. There is nothing wrong with meat, you just need to limit your protein at each meal to the size of a deck of cards. When possible buy free range, antibiotic-free “clean” meats and fishes.
Dr. Christopher Mango’s practice, Mango Chiropractic, is at 2 East 76th Street.

Past studies have shown that people who exercise are more protected against stress-related disorders. And scientists know that the perception of control can benefit a person’s mental health. But it has been an open question whether a person who feels forced to exercise, eliminating the perception of control, would still reap the anxiety-fighting benefits of the exercise.

People who may feel forced to exercise could include high school, college and professional athletes, members of the military or those who have been prescribed an exercise regimen by their doctors, said Benjamin Greenwood, an assistant research professor in CU-Boulder’s Department of Integrative Physiology.

“If exercise is forced, will it still produce mental health benefits?” Greenwood asked. “It’s obvious that forced exercise will still produce peripheral physiological benefits. But will it produce benefits to anxiety and depression?”

To seek an answer to the question Greenwood and his colleagues, including Monika Fleshner, a professor in the same department, designed a lab experiment using rats. During a six-week period, some rats remained sedentary, while others exercised by running on a wheel.

The rats that exercised were divided into two groups that ran a roughly equal amount of time. One group ran whenever it chose to, while the other group ran on mechanized wheels that rotated according to a predetermined schedule. For the study, the motorized wheels turned on at speeds and for periods of time that mimicked the average pattern of exercise chosen by the rats that voluntarily exercised.

After six weeks, the rats were exposed to a laboratory stressor before testing their anxiety levels the following day. The anxiety was quantified by measuring how long the rats froze, a phenomenon similar to a deer in the headlights, when they were put in an environment they had been conditioned to fear. The longer the freezing time, the greater the residual anxiety from being stressed the previous day. For comparison, some rats were also tested for anxiety without being stressed the day before.

“Regardless of whether the rats chose to run or were forced to run they were protected against stress and anxiety,” said Greenwood, lead author of the study appearing in the European Journal of Neuroscience in February. The sedentary rats froze for longer periods of time than any of the active rats.

“The implications are that humans who perceive exercise as being forced — perhaps including those who feel like they have to exercise for health reasons — are maybe still going to get the benefits in terms of reducing anxiety and depression,” he said.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Source: University of Colorado
www.colorado.edu

After compiling the answers, Ward said that among the most common regrets expressed by the patients were:
I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

I wish that I had let myself be happier.

She also wrote about one regret: I wish I didn’t work so hard.

This sentiment came from mostly male patients that she has nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship.

Women also spoke of this regret. But as most women she has nursed were from a generation where they had not been breadwinners, there were less who mentioned it.

“All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence,” she wrote.

Family and relationship expert Hellen Chen, has had a similar experience.

“The deepest regret that I have heard has been men and women missing out on the most important part of life: the quality of their relationship in a marriage or with their children,” she said.

Chen specializes in working with men and women resistant to marriage. She says she helps them overcome their hopelessness and past disappointments so that they can say, “I do.”

“There are so many successful career professionals who came to me, from doctors to execs to CEOs,” she said. “They have everything in their life: money, house, stable career, talent. But all these accomplishments could not replace the void of a close companion to share their success with.”

One of the not-so-joyful aspects of parenthood is weight gain. And the pounds add up with each addition to the family. According to Duke University Medical Center researchers, each child increases obesity risk by 4 percent for dads and 7 percent for moms.
“Kids take time,” said Truls Ostbye, M.D., a professor of community and family medicine at Duke. “Parents who may have been very disciplined before children, now find they have less time to prepare healthy foods, less time for physical activity, and overall less time for themselves.”
Starting healthy habits early is key. “Be mindful what you eat during your pregnancy and right after the baby is born,” Ostbye said. “New moms should start being physically active as soon as they can.” Breastfeeding can also greatly reduce weight gain from pregnancy.
Dads are just as likely as moms to struggle with weight gain. “Time for exercise drops, there are more snacks around the house, and there’s less time to prepare food. These are all contributing factors,” Ostbye said.
To keep parental weight gain at bay, heed these tips from Elisabetta Politi, R.D., nutrition director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center:
Commit to an exercise plan. The biggest hurdle is often carving out time to exercise during a hectic schedule. Discuss your schedule with your partner and create a plan so both of you can get in your workouts during the week.
Get the family active. No one says you have to do this alone. Take walks, ride bikes, or start a pick-up game of soccer in the backyard.
Don’t nap at nap time. Pop in an exercise video or do some weight training in your living room. Just 15 minutes of cardiovascular activity is better than nothing.
Plan your meals. It’s easy for parents to get in a routine of snacking throughout the day and eating when your child does. Planning meals will help evenly distribute the calories throughout the day and help ensure your family follows a healthy diet.
Make a list and go grocery-shopping solo. The last thing you need when you’re trying to maintain control of your diet is a child crying for the latest processed food they’ve seen on TV.
Be a role model. Living a healthy lifestyle is good for you, but it also sets a great example for your children and ensures they develop the right habits at an early age.
Source: Duke School of Medicine

By Mike Stobbe

A government survey of parents says 1 in 50 U.S. schoolchildren has autism, surpassing another federal estimate for the disorder.
Health officials say the new number doesn’t mean autism is occurring more often. But it does suggest that doctors are diagnosing autism more frequently, especially in children with milder problems.
The earlier government estimate of 1 in 88 comes from a study that many consider more rigorous. It looks at medical and school records instead of relying on parents.
For decades, autism meant kids with severe language, intellectual and social impairments and unusual, repetitious behaviors. But the definition has gradually expanded and now includes milder, related conditions.

Photo: Centers for Disease Control

The new estimate released March 19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would mean at least 1 million children have autism.
The number is important — government officials look at how common each illness or disorder is when weighing how to spend limited public health funds.
It’s also controversial.
The new statistic comes from a national phone survey of more than 95,000 parents in 2011 and 2012. Less than a quarter of the parents contacted agreed to answer questions, and it’s likely that those with autistic kids were more interested than other parents in participating in a survey on children’s health, CDC officials said.
Still, CDC officials believe the survey provides a valid snapshot of how many families are affected by autism, said Stephen Blumberg, the CDC report’s lead author.
The study that came up with the 1-in-88 estimate had its own limitations. It focused on 14 states, only on children 8 years old, and the data came from 2008. Updated figures based on medical and school records are expected next year.
“We’ve been underestimating” how common autism is, said Michael Rosanoff of Autism Speaks, an advocacy group. He believes the figure is at least 1 in 50.
There are no blood or biologic tests for autism, so diagnosis is not an exact science. It’s identified by making judgments about a child’s behavior.
Doctors have been looking for autism at younger and younger ages, and experts have tended to believe most diagnoses are made in children by age 8.
However, the new study found significant proportions of children were diagnosed at older ages.
Dr. Roula Choueiri, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, said she’s seen that happening at her clinic. Those kids “tend to be the mild ones, who may have had some speech delays, some social difficulties,” she wrote in an email. But they have more problems as school becomes more demanding and social situations grow more complex, she added.
Online
CDC report
www.cdc.gov/nchs

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports civil marriage for same-gender couples — as well as full adoption and foster care rights for all parents, regardless of sexual orientation — as the best way to guarantee benefits and security for their children.
The Academy’s policy statement, “Promoting the Well-Being of Children Whose Parents Are Gay or Lesbian,” and an accompanying technical report will be published in the April 2013 Pediatrics and was published online in March.
“Children thrive in families that are stable and that provide permanent security, and the way we do that is through marriage,” said Benjamin Siegel, MD, chair of the Academy’s Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, and a co-author of the policy statement. “The AAP believes there should be equal opportunity for every couple to access the economic stability and federal supports provided to married couples to raise children.”
In a previous policy statement published in 2002 and reaffirmed in 2010, the AAP supported second-parent adoption by partners of the same sex as a way to protect children’s right to maintain relationships with both parents, eligibility for health benefits and financial security. The 2013 policy statement and accompanying technical report adds:
Recommendations in support of civil marriage for same-gender couples;
Adoption by single parents, co-parents or second parents regardless of sexual orientation; and
Foster care placement regardless of sexual orientation.
“The AAP has long been an advocate for all children, and this updated policy reflects a natural progression in the Academy’s support for families,” said Ellen Perrin, MD, co-author of the policy statement. “If a child has two loving and capable parents who choose to create a permanent bond, it’s in the best interest of their children that legal institutions allow them to do so.”
A great deal of scientific research documents there is no cause-and-effect relationship between parents’ sexual orientation and children’s well-being, according to the Academy. In fact, many studies attest to the normal development of children of same-gender couples when the child is wanted, the parents have a commitment to shared parenting, and the parents have strong social and economic support. Critical factors that affect the normal development and mental health of children are parental stress, economic and social stability, community resources, discrimination, and children’s exposure to toxic stressors at home or in their communities — not the sexual orientation of their parents.
According to the policy statement, the Academy “supports pediatricians advocating for public policies that help all children and their parents, regardless of sexual orientation, build and maintain strong, stable, and healthy families that are able to meet the needs of their children.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
Online
American Academy of Pediatrics
www.aap.org

If you have a hard time getting motivated to exercise, enlisting a fitness partner may help. A fitness partner can encourage, challenge, pace you, and can make working out more fun. When you are trying to find the right person, there are some things that you should look for. Moreover, there are some fun ways you and your fitness partner can get some exercise.
Having a fitness partner can motivate you to workout even when you do not want to simply because you know someone is counting on you. Exercising with a fitness partner is also a great way to socialize. Instead of dreading your daily workout, you will find yourself looking forward to catching up with your friend.
Another benefit is that a fitness partner makes it less intimidating to join a gym, try a new class, or learn a new sport. Your friend can give you the courage to take that kickboxing class you have had your eye on or head to that hiking trail you have always wanted to try.
Finally, it is safer to workout with someone. If you injure yourself on a run, for instance, your partner can find you the help you need.

Choosing a fitness partner
While the right fitness partner can motivate you to accomplish your fitness goals, the wrong partner could squelch your efforts. When deciding which one of your friends or family members to recruit as your fitness partner, keep these things in mind:
Choose a partner with a fitness level similar to yours. If you have not exercised for years, do not choose a fitness partner who runs four miles a day.
Find someone who shares your fitness goals. That way, you can help motivate each other and share your triumphs. If, on the other hand, you are looking to gain muscle and your partner is looking to slim down, or if you want to lose 30 pounds and your partner only needs to lose five, you and your partner may become frustrated and be more likely to give up.
Make sure you have things in common with your partner, even outside of the gym, and you will find that workouts can be as socially fulfilling as they are physically challenging. Otherwise, you may not find yourself looking forward to your next workout.
Working out with a fitness partner
Once you have found the right fitness partner, it is time to get moving. Get together with your partner—calendars in hand—and schedule when and where you will meet to regularly exercise. Then, set some ground rules and stick to them.
Agree upon a cancellation policy, just as you would for a doctor’s appointment or hotel reservation. If one of you cannot make it for a scheduled workout, select a time limit (24 hours ahead, for example) that you will have to cancel in advance. Also, figure out how you will decide what activities to do. For example, you could design this week’s exercise schedule, and your partner could design next week’s, and so on.
Now it is time to enjoy the benefits of a fitness partner. Besides having someone to chat with on your walking path, a fitness partner can encourage you to participate in workouts that you would not do otherwise. You can mix up your workout schedule by adding partner-focused activities such as tennis (it is not as much fun playing against a backboard), rock climbing (you will need someone on the ground for safety), or basketball (what is more fun than a game of one-on-one?).
Ask your partner to teach you some activities she has mastered and share your skills as well. With a fitness partner, you can quickly add variety to your fitness routine, which will go a long way to keeping you motivated to become fit and stay that way.