Rehab Articles
A new study by Brown University researchers may have identified a link between mindfulness and glucose levels. Mindfulness refers to being aware of the thoughts and emotions that are presently being experienced, and people who have healthier glucose levels tend to be more mindful than those whose glucose levels are not as healthy. The research shows that improving the level of mindfulness and being able to live in the now and this specific moment can be beneficial and lead to better physical and mental health in the long run. The study researchers do caution that the data does not prove cause and effect though, but it does suggest that a higher level of mindfulness could lead to an improvement in cardiovascular health. A connection between healthier blood glucose levels and a higher level of mindfulness was seen by the researchers but there could be many other factors at play as well.
Brown University School of Public Health assistant professor of epidemiology and lead study researcher and author Dr. Eric Loucks explained the study on mindfulness and glucose levels and the results seen from this study. Loucks and the other researchers explained “This study demonstrated a significant association of dispositional mindfulness with glucose regulation, and provided novel evidence that obesity and sense of control may serve as potential mediators of this association. As mindfulness is likely a modifiable trait, this study provides preliminary evidence for a fairly novel and modifiable potential determinant of diabetes risk. There’s been almost no epidemiological observational study investigations on the relationship of mindfulness with diabetes or any cardiovascular risk factor. This is one of the first. We’re getting a signal. I’d love to see it replicated in larger sample sizes and prospective studies as well.”
Rehab Articles
chronic pain, opioid use, mindfulness
Opioid use for chronic pain is a big problem in North America, and many who start out taking narcotic pain medications for legitimate pain end up with a substance abuse problem or even prescription drug addiction as a result of opioid use. A new study by the University of Utah shows that mindfulness techniques can help reduce the use of opioid drugs among people who suffer from chronic pain, and help prevent or minimize the risk of prescription drug abuse and addiction. The program that was developed by researchers at the university is called MORE, or Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement, and the results were very promising. The researchers use mindfulness techniques in order to help individuals who have chronic pain recover a feeling of meaning and a sense of accomplishment in their daily lives, and to lower the rate and the risks of prescription opioid use, abuse, and addiction.
The new study on mindfulness, opioid use, and chronic pain utilizes the latest developments and data on chronic opioid use and other types of substance abuse. Dr. Eric L. Garland was the lead researcher, and the results of the research can be found in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine. The study participants received 2 months of mindfulness oriented training to decrease opioid use and treat chronic pain, and meditation was included in the techniques used. According to Dr. Garland “These findings are scientifically important because one of the major theories about how and why addiction occurs asserts that over time drug abusers become dulled to the experience of joy in everyday life, and this pushes them to use higher and higher doses of drugs to feel happiness. This study suggests that this process can be reversed. We can teach people to use mindfulness to appreciate and enjoy life more, and by doing that, they may feel less of a need for addictive drugs. It’s a powerful finding.”
