Health & Wellness

Elk & Elk Goes Red for the American Heart Association

A brave group of Elk & Elk employees faced the frigid temperatures last Friday for the American Heart Association’s 2015 Go Red for Women Health Expo and Luncheon. Attendees participated in free health screenings, enjoyed hands-on interactive displays, and heard “stories of the heart” from local survivors. The annual social and educational event is...

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Blue or SAD? Tackling Seasonal Affective Disorder

Just outside the Elk & Elk building, snow is piled several feet high and it’s causing many of us to suffer from the “winter blues.” However, for some people, changes in the seasons can bring on serious depression, known as seasonal affective disorder, or “SAD.” What is SAD? SAD is a type of depression related...

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Benzodiazepines Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease

Most of us take medications knowing there is a risk of side effects, but that risk is small, right? Surely the FDA ensures the health benefits outweigh these minor inconveniences, right? But what if I told you that if your grandmother took a sleeping pill, she’d be 50% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease?...

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Artificial Sweeteners Linked to Diabetes

A new study indicates that using artificial sweeteners may actually raise blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Researchers in Israel have discovered that zero calorie sweeteners can affect the composition of intestinal microbes called “gut bacteria,” which can alter blood glucose levels. The study, published in the journal of...

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Is Your Teen at Risk for Heat Injuries?

Summer is almost over and soon students will be heading back to school, but for thousands of kids, football training camp has already begun. While the media has been focused on concussions and traumatic brain injuries, heat injuries remain a major concern for youth football players and other student athletes. August in Ohio often...

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Hidden Ingredients in Food and Weight Loss Supplements

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers not to purchase or use several weight loss products sold on various websites and in some retail stores. These fraudulent products can cause serious injury or even death. “These products are masquerading as dietary supplements—they may look like dietary supplements but they are not legal...

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Ride Your Bike to Work Day

Who doesn’t want to look better, feel better and save money? One simple decision can help you achieve all three: bike to work. To promote bicycle commuting, hundreds of communities throughout the nation are hosting Bike to Work Week and Bike to Work Day events in May. Bike to Work Week is a voluntary...

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New Guidelines for Unborn Babies with Heart Problems

The American Heart Association has released new guidelines for the care of unborn babies with heart problems. In a recent article, fetal heart experts recommend that at-risk pregnant women should take advantage of the latest developments in advanced imaging technologies. Risk factors for expectant mothers Under the new recommendations, pregnant women with specific risk...

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Mumps Continues to Spread in Ohio

Updated 4/20/14 - What started as a health concern within Ohio State University campus has now become a community outbreak with 116 228 confirmed and probable cases of mumps in Franklin County out of 273 reports statewide. What is Mumps? Acute viral parotitis, better known as Mumps, is a viral infection found only in humans. Once a...

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Dangerous Diet Pills

The FDA has issued a warning that some over-the-counter weight loss pills, being sold as dietary supplements, are actually dangerous, unapproved and misbranded drugs.  Pure Edge Nutrition recently announced that it is recalling several of its products, after it was discovered the supplements contained undeclared Sibutramine or a combination of both Sibutramine and Phenolphthalein. Sibutramine,...

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