health briefs


Acupuncture Alleviates Autism in Children


Acupuncture reduces autism scores, according to a new meta-analysis of 27 clinical studies of 1,736 children. Researchers from Kyung Hee University, in the Republic of Korea, found that whether acupuncture was used alone or combined with other thera- pies, it improved outcomes for children with autism spec- trum disorder as measured by the Childhood Autism Rating Scale and the Autism Behav- ior Checklist, without causing adverse side effects.


Meditation Improves


Long-Term Cognition Cognitive gains that people experience from an intense meditation retreat can persist for at least seven years and slow age-related cognitive decline, a new study shows. Researchers from the University of California at Davis followed up with 60 people that had participated in a three-month retreat in which they meditated in a group and alone for a total of about eight hours a day. Immediately afterwards, the meditators showed improve- ments in holding sustained attention— the ability to stay focused on a task or object— a key measure of cognitive function. Seven years later, researchers found that those significant gains were partly maintained, and that older participants that diligently practiced meditation didn’t show typical


patterns of age-related


attention declines.


Ballet Dancing Boosts Senior


Fitness and Energy Ten Australian seniors that strapped on ballet slippers and participated in Ballet for Seniors classes for three months reported feeling more fit, energetic and animated, according to research from the Queensland Institute of Technology and the Queensland Ballet. They also found that ballet improved their posture, flexibility, maneuver- ability and awareness.


Mastering challenging movements and sequences made the dancers happier than working at already achieved levels. Also, the group enjoyed developing supportive social bonds in get-togethers outside the dance studio.


Cruciferous Veggies


May Lower Stroke Risk Elderly women that eat lots of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage have less plaque on their carotid artery walls, reducing risk of strokes and heart attacks, a new study shows.


Researchers from the University of Western Australia surveyed 854 Australian women over the age of 70 to determine their vegetable intake, and then used sono- grams to measure their carotid artery wall thickness to ascertain the severity of carotid plaque. Those eating the most cruciferous vegetables had a .05 millimeter lower carotid artery wall thickness compared to those with the lowest intake.


“That is likely significant, because a 0.1 millimeter decrease in carotid wall thick- ness is associated with a 10 to 18 percent decrease in risk of stroke and heart attack,” says lead study author Lauren Blek- kenhorst. Other vegetables, including leafy greens and al- liums like onions, were not found to have the same protective effect.


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