Americans concerned about weight, but don't understand link to heart conditions, health

A Cleveland Clinic survey finds that while most Americans (88 percent) understand that there is a connection between a healthy heart and a healthy weight, most aren't doing enough - or anything - to combat their own weight issues. The survey found 74 percent are concerned about their weight and 65 percent are worried about getting heart disease due to extra pounds, yet less than half (43 percent) of Americans have tried to make dietary changes to lose weight and 40 percent of those who describe themselves as overweight or obese say they aren't careful about which foods they eat.

Part of the problem may be that Americans aren't sure what to eat for heart health. Nearly one-in-five (18 percent) believe their diet has nothing to do with their heart health, and a mere 14 percent knew that a Mediterranean diet is healthiest for heart health. What's more, nearly half of Americans (46 percent) believe using artificial sweeteners is a healthy way to lose weight despite studies showing they don't promote weight loss.

The survey also revealed Americans don't fully understand the impact excess weight has on their heart and overall health. The overwhelming majority of Americans (87 percent) fail to link obesity to cancer or atrial fibrillation (80 percent). More than half of Americans also don't know that obesity is linked to high "bad" cholesterol levels (54 percent) or coronary artery disease (57 percent) and two-thirds (64 percent) don't know it can lead to a stroke.

"Most Americans understand abstractly that being overweight or obese is not good for your health, but it seems we are not grasping that the leading causes of death and disability - stroke, cancer, coronary artery disease - are all adversely affected by increased weight," said Steven Nissen, M.D., chairman of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. "We need to do a better job of educating patients and the public about the major consequences of carrying excess weight and the benefits of losing weight. A patient only needs to lose five percent of their body weight to start seeing important health benefits."

Eighty-four percent of Americans say they have tried at least one weight-loss method in the past. About one-third (30 percent) say they typically stick with it between one week and one month. Americans cite dislike of exercise (24 percent) and lack of time (22 percent) as their main barriers to maintaining a healthy weight. Most Americans also believe their metabolism is detrimental to weight loss - 60 percent of women and 46 percent of men say their metabolism is working against them.
"Americans may be correct that their metabolism is thwarting their weight loss efforts," said Dr. Nissen. "Once you've been overweight, your body tries to hold on to that excess fat, making it more difficult to lose weight. It's best to work with your physician to develop a steady long term weight loss plan that will help you keep off the pounds. Quick weight loss programs are not effective."
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States and around the world. The survey was conducted as part of Cleveland Clinic's "Love your Heart" consumer education campaign in celebration of American Heart Month. Cleveland Clinic has been ranked the No. 1 hospital in the country for cardiology and cardiac surgery for 24 years in a row by US News & World Report.
Additional survey findings include:

• All fat is not created equal: When it comes to body shapes, almost half (45%) falsely believe that all types of fat put you at equal risk for heart disease; however, numerous studies have shown that fat stored in the abdomen is the most dangerous.
• Not feeling the pressure: Most Americans say they are concerned about a family member's weight (62 percent), or them getting heart disease due to their weight (64%). However, for many, outside pressure to lose the weight doesn't help. Fifty-seven percent say they don't need others to tell them to lose weight because they already know they should. Baby Boomers (65 percent) are particularly resistant to others weighing in on their weight.
• Seeking medical advice: While 44 percent of Americans say they are most likely to turn to their physician for nutrition advice, only a quarter (28 percent) have told their doctor they'd like to lose weight. Even less (22 percent) say they've discussed heart health in relation to their weight with their doctor.

According to the CDC, nearly 40 percent of Americans, 93 million people, are obese, and even more are overweight.
For more information and complete survey results, go to: clevelandclinic.org/loveyourheart
Methodology
Cleveland Clinic's survey of the general population gathered insights into Americans' perceptions of heart health and weight. This was an online survey conducted among a national probability sample consisting of 1,002 adults 18 years of age and older, living in the continental United States. The total sample data is nationally representative based on age, gender, ethnicity and educational attainment census data. The online survey was conducted by Research Now and completed between September 20 and September 28, 2018. The margin of error for the total sample at the 95% confidence level is +/- 3.1 percentage points

Nearly half of all adult Americans have cardiovascular disease C

Nearly half (48 percent, 121.5 million in 2016) of all adults in the United States have some type of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association's Heart and Stroke Statistics -- 2019 Update, published in the Association's journal Circulation.

As the world's leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health, the American Heart Association publishes the definitive statistical update annually to provide a comprehensive resource of the most current data, relevant scientific findings and assessment of the impact of cardiovascular disease (CVD) nationally and globally. The annual update represents a compilation of the newest, most relevant statistics on heart disease, stroke and cardiovascular risk factors impacting cardiovascular health and is gathered in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally. After decades of a steady decline in the U.S., CVD deaths are on the rise (840,678 deaths in 2016 up from 836,546 in 2015), although worldwide, the number of people dying from CVD was lower in 2016 (17.6 million) than the previous year (17.9 million).

This year's reported prevalence of CVD is a significant increase in previous years, mainly driven by the way high blood pressure is defined. The 2017 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology hypertension guidelines updated the definition of high blood pressure as a reading of 130/80 mm Hg, from the previous definition of 140/90 mm Hg.

Overall, cardiovascular disease is comprised of coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke and high blood pressure. Excluding high blood pressure, CVD prevalence among adults in the U.S. is 9 percent overall (24.3 million in 2016).

"As one of the most common and dangerous risk factors for heart disease and stroke, this overwhelming presence of high blood pressure can't be dismissed from the equation in our fight against cardiovascular disease," said Ivor J. Benjamin, M.D., volunteer president of the American Heart Association and director of the Cardiovascular Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. "Research has shown that eliminating high blood pressure could have a larger impact on CVD deaths than the elimination of all other risk factors among women and all except smoking among men."

Research shows approximately 80 percent of all cardiovascular disease can be prevented by controlling high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, along with adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors such as not smoking. The health behaviors such as eating a healthy diet, engaging in physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight could have the most impact as they contribute to multiple conditions.

Some of the most significant improvements in risk reduction are in the decline of smoking rates:

• Among children aged 12 to 19, 94 percent were nonsmokers in 2015 to 2016, up nearly 20 percentage points from the turn of the millennium (from 76 percent in 1999 to 2000);
• The percentage of adolescents (12-17 years old) who reported smoking in the past month dropped by two-thirds in just 14 years (declined from 13 percent in 2002 to 3.4 percent in 2016);
• 79 percent of adults were nonsmokers in 2015 to 2016, up from 73 percent in 1999 to 2000; and
• In the past 50 years, the number of adults who smoke has plummeted from 51 percent of males smoking in 1965 to 16.7 percent in 2015 and from 34 percent of females in 1965 to 13.6 percent in 2015 (age-adjusted rates).

More Americans are getting up and moving:

• More than half of students report participating in muscle-strengthening activities on three or more days per week (from 47.8 percent in1991 to 53.4 percent in 2015); and
• The prevalence of physical inactivity among adults has decreased by more than a third (from 40.2 percent in 2005 to 26.9 percent in 2016).
• Yet, exercise alone may not be enough, as the 2015 to 2016 prevalence of obesity was 39.6 percent of US adults and 18.5 percent of youths, with 7.7 percent of adults and 5.6 percent of youth having severe obesity.

A new chapter added to the statistical update looks at the importance of sleep in relation to cardiovascular and overall health. According to the update, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend adults get at least seven or more hours of sleep per night to promote optimal health. The statistical update cites several recent studies on sleep: a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 65.2 of people in the U.S. regularly sleep seven or more hours a night; and a meta-analysis of 43 studies found that too much or too little (more than eight hours or less than seven hours per night) were associated with a greater risk of death from all causes.
Other new features of the 2019 update include more information on the impact of social determinant of health, more evidence-based approaches to changing behaviors and an expanded focus on the global burden of CVD.
In a commentary posted on the Association's Centers for Health Metrics and Evaluation website, the Chief Science and Medical Officer of the American Heart Association, Mariell Jessup, M.D., explained why these annual updates are not just an interesting compilation of facts, but an important tool in the organization's mission.
"We pour so much effort into our update each year because we believe in the transformative power of continuously and systematically collecting, analyzing and interpreting these important data," Jessup wrote. "They hold us accountable and help us chart our progress and determine if and how we need to adjust our efforts."

Exercise may fight depression in older adults

New research suggests that exercise-induced muscle changes could help boost mood in older adults. The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology--Cell Physiology.

Exercise increases the expression of certain proteins (transcription factors) that help regulate gene expression and the processing (metabolism) of tryptophan in the body. Tryptophan is a mood-enhancing chemical closely related to serotonin, a substance that also affects mood. Many people with depression have been found to have low levels of serotonin in the blood. Tryptophan metabolism happens almost completely through the kynurenine pathway, a "metabolic route" that has two branches: one that can protect brain tissue (neuroprotective) and one that can cause harm (neurotoxic).

The neuroprotective branch of the kynurenine pathway needs an enzyme called KAT to be able to function. Aerobic and resistance exercise have been found to increase KAT activity, thereby promoting tryptophan metabolism via the neuroprotective branch instead of the neurotoxic branch. Preliminary research in younger adults has suggested that physical activity-related changes in the muscles may play a role in this mood-boosting effect of exercise. However, not as much is known about these changes--and their potential as an alternative treatment for depression--in older adults.
Researchers from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, studied a small group of healthy older men without history of depression. The men, who were 65 or older, participated in a 12-week exercise trial consisting of resistance exercise (leg and shoulder presses) and high-intensity interval training on a stationary bicycle. The research team took blood and muscle samples and examined gene and protein expression in the muscles before, during and after the trial. They found that expression of transcription factors and KAT increased significantly during the exercise trial. These results were consistent with previous research performed in younger adults.
"The significant exercise training-induced increase in the expression of skeletal muscle transcription factors and KAT in older adults is encouraging given the potential implications related to kynurenine pathway regulation. Future studies are warranted to explore the impact of various exercise modalities and intensities on transient changes of such factors in depressed adults," the researchers wrote.

For older people, medications are common; new Criteria aims to make them appropriate, too

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today unveiled its latest update to one of geriatrics' most frequently cited reference tools: The AGS Beers Criteria® for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults. With more than 90% of older people using at least one prescription and more than 66% using three or more in any given month, the AGS Beers Criteria®--a compendium of medications potentially to avoid or consider with caution because they often present an unfavorable balance of benefits and harms for older people--plays a vital role in helping health professionals, older adults, and caregivers work together to ensure medications are appropriate.

"Medications play an important role in health and wellbeing for many older people," noted Donna M. Fick, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, a co-chair of the expert panel responsible for the 2019 AGS Beers Criteria®. "With this new update, we hope the latest information on what makes medications appropriate for older people can play an equally important role in decisions about treatment options that meets the needs of older adults while also keeping them as safe as possible."

Published in its entirety in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (DOI: 10.1111/jgs.15767), the AGS Beers Criteria® also includes a host of resources-- from mobile apps to a pocket reference card--to help clinicians implement prescribing recommendations (available from GeriatricsCareOnline.org), as well as tools to aid older adults and caregivers in understanding what "potentially inappropriate" medications mean (available for free from HealthinAging.org).
What is the AGS Beers Criteria®?
The AGS Beers Criteria® includes lists of certain medications worth discussing with health professionals because they may not be the safest or most appropriate options for older adults. Though not an exhaustive catalogue of inappropriate treatments, the five lists included in the AGS Beers Criteria® describe particular medications with evidence suggesting they should be:

1. Avoided by most older people (outside of hospice and palliative care settings);
2. Avoided by older people with specific health conditions;
3. Avoided in combination with other treatments because of the risk for harmful "drug-drug" interactions;
4. Used with caution because of the potential for harmful side effects; or
5. Dosed differently or avoided among people with reduced kidney function, which impacts how the body processes medicine.

First developed by Mark Beers, MD, and colleagues in 1991, these lists have been staples of care for nearly three decades. They were transitioned to the AGS--a nonprofit society of some 6,000 experts in care for older people--in 2011.
What's new in 2019?
A panel of 13 experts reviewed more than 1,400 clinical trials and research studies published between 2017 and the last update in 2015. Across its five lists, the 2019 AGS Beers Criteria® includes:

• 30 individual medications or medication classes to avoid for most older people.
• 40 medications or medication classes to use with caution or avoid when someone lives with certain diseases or conditions.
• Several changes to medications previously identified as potentially inappropriate. Twenty-five medications or medication classes were dropped outright from the last update to the AGS Beers Criteria® in 2015, while several others were moved to new categories or had guidance revised based on new evidence.

Companion tools released with the 2019 update also include an expanded editorial outlining the proper use of the AGS Beers Criteria®, particularly when it comes to two important priorities this tool helps shape: Safe prescribing practices at the bedside and the development of quality measures for evaluating health care.
"The AGS Beers Criteria® aims to guide older people and health professionals away from potentially harmful treatments while helping us assess quality of care," noted Todd Semla, MS, PharmD, BCGP, FCCP, AGSF, also a co-chair of the AGS Beers Criteria® panel for 2019.
"The AGS Beers Criteria® should never solely dictate how medications are prescribed, nor should it justify restricting health coverage. This tool works best as a starting point for a discussion--one guided by personal needs and priorities as we age," added Michael Steinman, MD, a fellow co-chair of the AGS Beers Criteria® panel.
In support of this principle, the AGS Beers Criteria® panelists used their companion editorial (DOI: 10.111/jgs.15766) to reiterate that:

• Potentially inappropriate medications are just that--potentially inappropriate. They merit special scrutiny but should not be misconstrued as universally unacceptable in all cases or for all people.
• The caveats and rationales informing AGS Beers Criteria® recommendations are as important as the recommendations themselves. Appreciating these nuances can help healthcare professionals know why medications are included on the lists, and how approaches to prescribing can be adjusted accordingly.

Remember: Never change or discontinue treatment without speaking to a health professional first. Visit GeriatricsCareOnline.org or HealthinAging.org for more info on medication use and the AGS Beers Criteria®.

Exercise benefits brains, changes blood flow in older adults

Exercise training alters brain blood flow and improves cognitive performance in older adults, though not in the way you might think. A new study published by University of Maryland School of Public Health researchers in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease showed that exercise was associated with improved brain function in a group of adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and a decrease in the blood flow in key brain regions.

"A reduction in blood flow may seem a little contrary to what you would assume happens after going on an exercise program," explained Dr. J. Carson Smith, associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology. "But after 12-weeks of exercise, adults with MCI experienced decreases in cerebral blood flow. They simultaneously improved significantly in their scores on cognitive tests."

Dr. Smith explains that for those beginning to experience subtle memory loss, the brain is in "crisis mode" and may try to compensate for the inability to function optimally by increasing cerebral blood flow. While elevated cerebral blood flow is usually considered beneficial to brain function, there is evidence to suggest it may actually be a harbinger of further memory loss in those diagnosed with MCI.

The results of the study by Dr. Smith and his team suggest exercise may have the potential to reduce this compensatory blood flow and improve cognitive efficiency in those in the very early stages of Alzheimer's Disease.

A control group of cognitively healthy older adults without mild cognitive impairment also underwent the exercise training program, consisting of four 30-minute sessions of moderate-intensity treadmill walking per week. But the program yielded different responses from each group.
Unlike the group with MCI, whose exercise training decreased cerebral blood flow, the exercise training increased cerebral blood flow in the frontal cortex in the healthy group after 12 weeks. Their performance on the cognitive tests also significantly improved, as was observed the MCI group.
For this study, changes in cerebral blood flow were measured in specific brain regions that are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, including the insula (involved in perception, motor control, self-awareness, cognitive functioning), the anterior cingulate cortex (involved in decision making , anticipation, impulse control and emotion) and the inferior frontal gyrus (involved in language processing and speech).
Specifically, among those with MCI, the decreased cerebral blood flow in the left insula and in the left anterior cingulate cortex were strongly correlated with improved performance on a word association test used to measure memory and cognitive health.
A previous publication from this study led by Dr. Smith focused on how the exercise intervention influenced changes in the brain's neural networks known to be associated with memory loss and amyloid accumulation, which are both signs of MCI and Alzheimer's.
"Our findings provide evidence that exercise can improve brain function in people who already have cognitive decline," Dr. Smith said optimistically. "We have an interest in targeting people who are at increased risk for developing Alzheimer's earlier in the disease process. We are seeing that exercise can impact biomarkers of brain function in a way that might protect people by preventing or postponing the onset of dementia."

Looking to choose a healthy post-workout snack? Decide early

IMAGE: Nebraska researchers Karsten Koehler (second from right) and Christopher Gustafson (right) have found that a person's choice of post-workout snack -- an apple vs. a brownie, in a recent experiment... view more 

Credit: Craig Chandler, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

You've just exercised for an hour, tracking the burned calories with a sense of satisfaction. Then comes a choice: munch on an apple or indulge in the chocolatey goodness of a brownie?
A post-exercise snack can threaten to undo the gains (or losses) of a workout. But the decision itself may depend on when you make it, according to a new study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The takeaway? Avoiding delay can keep temptation at bay.
Nebraska's Karsten Koehler, Christopher Gustafson and their colleagues conducted an experiment that asked two groups of participants to go about their normal workout routines while wearing motion-tracking accelerometers, supposedly to calibrate them.
Before exercising, members of one group decided whether they wanted an apple, brownie or no snack following the exercise session - an offer framed as a reward for calibrating the accelerometers. Members of the other group were presented with the same choice after they had already exercised.
Roughly 74 percent of participants who were asked prior to the workout session chose an apple, compared with 55 percent of those asked afterward - making the latter about one-third less likely to favor the fruit. And whereas just 14 percent of the pre-exercise group selected the brownie, about 20 percent of the post-workout group decided to indulge.
The findings suggest that simply committing in advance to a post-exercise snack may increase the odds of eating more nutritiously, the researchers said.
"We found that there was very little research on this very tangible thing that I think everyone can relate to," said Koehler, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences. "If your goal is to lose weight, then I would say our findings support that you're better off making the choice ... not when you're hungry after your workout, but instead before you go to the gym."
That recommendation, and the data undergirding it, echoes broader research on the dynamics between timing and food choice. Prior studies have consistently shown that people are more willing to indulge when making immediate dietary decisions than when thinking ahead, said Gustafson, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics.
"Our study conformed very closely to the ideas in behavioral economics about this present-biased preference (for unhealthier options)," Gustafson said. "Using solely that model, I would've predicted that people would be more likely to choose the healthy snack when choosing before they exercise."
The study's design also put two other theoretical models to the test. One, known as compensatory eating, suggests that people consume more calorie-dense food in the aftermath of exercise to make up for calories expended during a workout. Yet the other model, exercise-induced anorexia, proposes that exercise can suppress appetite-related hormones and consequently lead people to eat less.
"There have been a lot of lab studies that have looked at appetite and hunger," Koehler said. "Most of these studies have found that right after exercise, you seem to be less hungry. I've always looked at these studies and wondered: Does it have such a strong impact that you can use this window after you exercise to say, 'Because I'm not hungry, I'm going to make a really good choice about what I eat'? But knowing myself and many other exercisers, there's also the notion that after you exercise, you want to reward yourself."
Despite the seeming contradiction, the team found indications of both. Though modest, the 6-percent increase in brownie choice between the pre- and post-exercise groups supported the notion of compensatory eating. And the evidence for exercise-induced anorexia was clear: The 12-percent fraction that declined a snack in the pre-exercise condition rose to 25 percent in the post-exercise group.
Plenty of questions remain, the researchers said. Did the rise in brownie choice stem more from the immediacy of the decision-making or the sway of compensatory eating? What differentiates those who exhibit compensatory eating vs. exercise-induced anorexia? Would a larger menu of options - one that better approximates a real scenario - alter the outcomes?
The answers may lie in more detailed experiments that Koehler, Gustafson and their colleagues are already busy conducting.
"We're from two different academic backgrounds," Gustafson said, "and I think both of our fields have a perspective on the questions that we're looking at."
The team reported its findings in the journal Nutrients. Koehler and Gustafson authored the study with Nebraska's Ajai Ammachathram, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences; Nigina Rakhmatullaeva, graduate student in agricultural economics; Safiya Beckford, graduate student in nutrition and exercise physiology; and Alexander Cristobal, senior in nutritional science and dietetics.

Treating shingles after it appears doesn't reduce increased stroke risk

Stroke risk increased significantly in the days, weeks and months after shingles appeared, despite use of the shingles vaccine and antiviral therapy to treat it, according to preliminary research to be presented in Honolulu at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2019, a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science and treatment of cerebrovascular disease.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers studied more than 35,000 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries who had been diagnosed with shingles, also known as herpes zoster, and acute ischemic stroke between 2007 and 2015. They analyzed whether having the shingles vaccine, Zostavax, as a treatment, antiviral therapy or both after shingles would impact patients' stroke risk.

They found that stroke incidence jumped by 61 percent within 14 days after shingles onset. The increased stroke risk remained elevated six months after shingles but diminished with time.
Researchers didn't find any evidence that having the vaccine or taking antiviral therapy once shingles appeared helped to reduce the increased stroke risk. But the researchers suggest having the shingles vaccine might be the most effective way to prevent shingles-associated stroke risk.


Shingles is an often painful rash caused by the virus that causes chicken pox. Almost one in three people in the United State will develop shingles in their lifetime, according to CDC. The American Heart Association recommends adults over age 50 get the shingles vaccine.

The new vaccine, Shingrix, approved by FDA in 2017 has shown to be more than 90 percent effective at preventing shingles.

In this study, researchers examined the effect of the Zostavax shingles vaccine because Medicare data was not yet available for the Shingrix shingles vaccine. Zostavax efficacy declines over time and protection from shingles only lasts about 5 years with Zostavax.

Going for an MRI scan with tattoos?

IMAGE: The team systematically collected information about their participants' tattoos -- how big they were, where they were located, and what colors were used. view more 

Credit: ©Albina_Glisic/Shutterstock.com/MPI CBS

According to Weiskopf, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig (MPI CBS), "...the most important questions for us were: Can we conduct our studies with tattooed subjects without hesitation? What restrictions may exist? At the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, part of Queen Square Institute of Neurology at University College in London, where I started the study in 2011, there were increasing numbers of volunteers with tattoos. At the time, there simply was not enough data to determine the likelihood of tattoo-related side effects arising from MRI examinations." His former colleague in London, Martina Callaghan, completed the study after Weiskopf left London to become director at the MPI CBS in Leipzig. "Based on our investigations, we can now state, on the basis of meaningful numbers, that if a tattooed individual is scanned under the conditions tested in the study, the risk of side effects is very small." the physicist explains.
Indeed, millions of people with tattoos are scanned every year in hospitals and research facilities without any side effects. Until now there has not been a systematic prospective study on how safe it is to be scanned in an MRI scanner with a tattoo. Reports of adverse reactions are usually based on individual cases and describe two different reactions. It is possible that the pigments in tattoos can interact with the static magnetic field of the scanner. Why? The tattoo ink can contain pigments that are ferrous and therefore magnetic. The strong magnetic fields involved in the procedure can interact with these small particles, which in turn can lead to a pulling sensation on the tattooed skin. However, it is another potential interaction which may represent, from the experts' point of view, a far greater risk. Many of the color pigments are also conductive. This is an issue because in MR imaging, high-frequency magnetic fields are used to generate the images by effectively labelling protons. "High-frequency fields usually have a frequency of a few hundred megahertz. That happens to correspond to the resonance lengths of conductive structures similarly sized as tattoos. In this case, the tattoo may absorb much of the energy of the high-frequency field, which would normally be spread out more widely. It can then happen that the tattoo heats up. In the worst case, this can lead to burns", says Nikolaus Weiskopf.
Together with his colleagues at University College in London, he examined 330 study participants before and after the MRI scan and tested a total of 932 tattoos. The team systematically collected information about their participants' tattoos - how big they were, where they were located, and what colors were used. The country of origin was also recorded with most arising in Europe, but also from America, Asia, Africa and Australia. The majority of the ink used was black, but various colors were also registered.
"We found that the majority of the participants did not notice any side effects with tattoos", says Weiskopf. "There was one specific case where the study doctor found that side effects - a tingling sensation on the skin - were related to scanning. However, this unpleasant feeling disappeared within 24 hours without the affected person having required medical treatment."
In order to ensure the participants safety (from potential burns) not just anyone could be scanned for the study - exclusion criteria concerned the size and number of tattoos. For example, a single tattoo was not allowed to exceed twenty centimeters and no more than five percent of the body could be covered by tattoos.
The MRI scanners used in the study had a static magnetic field strength of three Tesla, as is common in many clinics today. By comparison, the magnetic field of a rather weak 0.5 Tesla MRI model is ten thousand times stronger than the Earth's magnetic field. These MRI scanners usually have a radiofrequency body coil, which stimulates the proton spins for imaging. The high frequency field of a body coil extends not only over the head, which was scanned in this study, but also the upper body area of the participants and thus on frequently tattooed areas. According to Nikolaus Weiskopf, the results of the study not only provide information on safety guidelines for research, but can also be helpful for clinical environments. The existing recommendations on how to scan people with tattoos are always based on weighing the risk against the actual benefit of diagnosing a disease. While it should be noted that the results are limited to specific configurations and scanner types, this study adds to the positive safety record of MRI.

Exercise may improve thinking skills in people as young as 20

Regular aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling or climbing stairs may improve thinking skills not only in older people but in young people as well, according to a study published in the January 30, 2019, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study also found that the positive effect of exercise on thinking skills may increase as people age.
The specific set of thinking skills that improved with exercise is called executive function. Executive function is a person's ability to regulate their own behavior, pay attention, organize and achieve goals.
"As people age, there can be a decline in thinking skills, however our study shows that getting regular exercise may help slow or even prevent such decline," said study author Yaakov Stern, PhD, of Columbia University in New York, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "We found that all participants who exercised not only showed improvements in executive function but also increased the thickness in an area of the outer layer of their brain."
The study involved 132 people between the ages of 20 and 67 who did not smoke or have dementia but who also did not exercise at the start of the study and were determined to have below average fitness levels. Participants were randomly assigned to six months of either aerobic exercise or stretching and toning four times a week. The two groups were equally balanced for age, sex, education as well as memory and thinking skills at the start of the study.
All participants either exercised or stretched and toned at a fitness center and checked in weekly with coaches monitoring their progress. They all wore heart rate monitors as well. Participants' thinking and memory skills were evaluated at the start of the study as well as at three months and at the end of the six-month study.
Participants in the exercise group chose from aerobic activities including walking on a treadmill, cycling on a stationary bike or using an elliptical machine. They ramped up their activity during the first month, then during the remainder of the six-month study they trained at 75 percent of their maximum heart rate. People in the stretching and toning group did exercises to promote flexibility and core strength.
Researchers measured participants' aerobic capacity using a cycling machine called an ergometer that estimates exercise intensity. Participants also had MRI brain scans at the start and end of the study.
Researchers found that aerobic exercise increased thinking skills. From the beginning of the study to the end, those who did aerobic exercise improved their overall scores on executive function tests by 0.50 points, which was a statistically significant difference from those who did stretching and toning, who improved by 0.25 points. At age 40, the improvement in thinking skills was 0.228 standard deviation units higher in those who exercised compared to those who did stretching and toning and at age 60, it was 0.596 standard deviation units higher.
"Since a difference of 0.5 standard deviations is equivalent to 20 years of age-related difference in performance on these tests, the people who exercised were testing as if they were about 10 years younger at age 40 and about 20 years younger at age 60," Stern said.
He added, "Since thinking skills at the start of the study were poorer for participants who were older, our findings suggest that aerobic exercise is more likely to improve age-related declines in thinking skills rather than improve performance in those without a decline."
Researchers also found an increase in the thickness of the outer layer of the brain in the left frontal area in all those who exercised, suggesting that aerobic exercise contributes to brain fitness at all ages.
"Our research confirms that exercise can be beneficial to adults of any age," said Stern.
Overall, researchers did not find a link between exercise and improved memory skills. However, those with the genetic marker for dementia, the APOE ε4 allele, showed less improvement in thinking skills.
A limitation of the study is the small number of participants. Larger studies over longer periods of time may allow researchers to see other effects in thinking and memory skills

Vitamin D could lower the risk of developing diabetes

The benefits of vitamin D in promoting bone health are already well known. A new study out of Brazil suggests that vitamin D also may promote greater insulin sensitivity, thus lowering glucose levels and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

Other recent studies have shown a clear relationship between vitamin D and glycemic control, suggesting that vitamin D increases insulin sensitivity and improves pancreatic beta-cell function. In this cross-sectional study involving 680 Brazilian women aged 35 to 74 years, the goal was to evaluate the possible association between vitamin D deficiency and increased glycemia.

Of the women interviewed, 24 (3.5%) reported using vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D supplementation was found to be negatively associated with high glucose levels. Habitual exposure to the sun also provided the same association, demonstrating that vitamin D deficiencies are associated with high blood glucose levels.

Study results appear in the article "Higher serum levels of vitamin D are associated with lower blood glucose levels."

"Although a causal relationship has not been proven, low levels of vitamin D may play a significant role in type 2 diabetes mellitus," says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, NAMS executive director. "Vitamin D supplementation may help improve blood sugar control, but intervention studies are still needed."

Want healthier eating habits? Start with a workout

IMAGE: University of Texas at Austin researchers have found that formerly sedentary young adults who were instructed to exercise regularly for several weeks started choosing healthier foods without being asked to. view more 

Credit: University of Texas at Austin

In the latest evidence that it's worth sticking to your health-focused New Year's resolutions, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have found that exercising regularly is linked to better eating habits.
The new study, published this week in the International Journal of Obesity, looked at 2,680 young adults who were not exercising regularly or dieting. Scientists found that after exercising for several weeks, formerly sedentary study participants were more likely to choose foods like lean meats, fruits and vegetables, while preferences for fried foods, sodas and other unhealthy options decreased.
Participants were instructed not to change their diets in any significant way, but it happened anyway. Although this study did not examine the mechanism at work behind the changes, previous research has found that moderate exercise can reduce a preference for high-fat foods in animals through changes in dopamine levels. Several studies also have shown a relationship between the intensity of exercise and the amount of appetite-regulating hormones in the body.
"The process of becoming physically active can influence dietary behavior," said Molly Bray, corresponding author of the paper and chair of the Nutritional Sciences department at UT Austin and a pediatrics faculty member at Dell Medical School. "One of the reasons that we need to promote exercise is for the healthy habits it can create in other areas. That combination is very powerful."
Bray says what drives food-preference changes when people exercise would probably be consistent across a wide span of ages. The study examined people between the ages of 18 and 35, a period of young adulthood critical for forming healthy habits. Previous studies have found that considerable weight gain occurs during the college years and that being mildly to moderately overweight at age 20-22 increases the risk of obesity later in life.
"Many people in the study didn't know they had this active, healthy person inside them," Bray said. "Some of them thought their size was inevitable. For many of these young people, they are choosing what to eat and when to exercise for the first time in their lives."
The participants in the study were students at the University of Houston and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Participants who said they exercised less than 30 minutes a week at the beginning of the study started 30-minute aerobic workouts three times a week for 15 weeks, with instructions not to change their diet in any significant way. The exercise sessions consisted of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at 65-85 percent of the person's age- and gender-specific maximum heart rate, along with a 5-minute warmup and a 5-minute cool down. Participants wore heart-rate monitors and could choose from a variety of exercise types, such as on stationary bikes, treadmills or elliptical machines.

Extreme exercise does not raise heart disease risk or mortality

Exercise is often cited as the best preventive medicine, but how much is too much for the hearts of middle-aged athletes?

Sports cardiologist Dr. Benjamin Levine led a study, now published in JAMA Cardiology, to find the answer. Dr. Levine is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, a collaboration between UT Southwestern Medical Center and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.

What is coronary calcium scanning and why is it important?

Coronary calcium scanning is an imaging test that helps physicians classify patients without cardiac symptoms as low, intermediate, or high risk for heart attack. It represents how much calcium (and thus cholesterol deposits) has accumulated in the blood vessels that supply the heart. The scan can help physicians determine the need for medication, lifestyle modification, and other risk-reducing measures.

"The question has never been whether exercise is good for you, but whether extreme exercise is bad for you. For the past decade or so, there's been increasing concern that high-volume, high-intensity exercise could injure the heart. We found that high volumes of exercise are safe, even when coronary calcium levels are high," Dr. Levine said.

High-volume, high-intensity exercise was defined in this study as at least five to six hours per week at a pace of 10 minutes per mile. The average amount of high-intensity exercise in this group was eight hours per week.
Coronary calcium is a footprint of atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque builds up in the arteries and gives rise to heart attack and stroke. When coronary calcium is detected in the heart, the clogging process within the blood vessels has begun. The majority of high-intensity athletes had low levels of coronary calcium, though their odds of having higher levels were 11 percent greater than men who exercised less. Most importantly, the researchers found that higher calcium scores did not raise the high-intensity athletes' risk for cardiovascular or all-cause mortality.
Dr. Levine studied data from the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study. A total of 21,758 generally healthy men ages 40 to 80 and without cardiovascular disease were followed for mortality between 1998 and 2013. The athletes, a majority of them in middle age, reported their physical activity levels and underwent coronary calcium scanning. Most were predominantly runners, but some were cyclists, swimmers, or rowers. A subgroup of athletes trained in three of these sports.
Women were not included in the study as their mortality rates are lower than for men.
Despite the findings that extreme exercise does not raise heart disease risk, Dr. Levine advises against using the protective effect of exercise to excuse poor lifestyle habits. "You cannot overcome a lifetime of bad behaviors - smoking, high cholesterol, hypertension - just from doing high levels of physical activity, so don't use that as a magical cure," said Dr. Levine, who holds the Distinguished Professorship in Exercise Sciences at UT Southwestern.
He also recommends caution when starting a new training program. "If you want to train for a marathon, you have to have a long-range plan to build up slowly before you achieve those volumes and intensity of exercise."
"The known benefits of regular physical activity in the general population include decreased mortality, heart disease, diabetes, and many other medical conditions which reminds us how important it is participate in regular physical activity as recommended by the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines," said Dr. Laura DeFina, Chief Scientific Officer of The Cooper Institute and co-author of the study. "The current study shows no increased risk of mortality in high-volume exercisers who have coronary artery calcium. Certainly, these high-volume exercisers should review their cardiovascular disease risk with their primary care doctor or cardiologists and the study results provide helpful clinical guidance."
"The most important take-home message for the exercising public is that high volumes of exercise are safe. The benefits of exercise far outweigh the minor risk of having a little more coronary calcium," Dr. Levine said.

Latest Health Research

 

Diet

Healthy diet

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 53 minutes ago

Key facts - A healthy diet helps to protect against malnutrition in all its forms, as well as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. - Unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity are leading global risks to health. - Healthy dietary practices start early in life – breastfeeding fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development, and may have longer term health benefits such as reducing the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life. - Energy intake (calories)... more »

 

Vegan diets are best for gut hormones and satiety

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 58 minutes ago

A study published in the journal *Nutrients* finds that a vegan diet helps to promote beneficial gut hormones that are responsible for regulating blood sugar, satiety, and weight. Researchers compared a vegan meal with a meal containing meat and cheese on hormone levels in a group of 60 men: 20 with obesity, 20 with type 2 diabetes, and 20 who were healthy. The meals contained the same amount of calories and ratio of macronutrients. Across all three groups, the vegan meal increased beneficial gastrointestinal hormones, compared with the non-vegan meal. These hormones are involved... more »

94 percent of meals served in restaurants contain more than the recommended number of calories

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 hour ago

Restaurants frequently serve oversized meals, not only in the United States but also in many other countries, according to a study conducted by an international team of researchers and supported by FAPESP - São Paulo Research Foundation. Published in the *British Medical Journal*, the study weighed and measured the energy content of meals served by restaurants in Brazil, China, Finland, Ghana and India. The results showed that 94% of the most popular main dishes served in sit-down restaurants and 72% of those purchased over the counter from fast food outlets contained more than 60... more »

Yes please to yogurt and cheese: The new improved Mediterranean diet

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Thousands of people can take heart as new research from the University of South Australia shows a dairy-enhanced Mediterranean diet will significantly increase health outcomes for those at risk of cardiovascular disease - and it's even more effective than a low-fat diet. Cardiovascular disease takes the lives of 17.9 million people every year, representing 31 per cent of all global deaths. In Australia, it is the single leading cause of death in Australia, affecting 4.2 million Australians and killing one Australian every 12 minutes. Low-fat diets are often recommended as suitable f... more »

Cardiovascular risk of diets rich in saturated fats found in meats and the benefits of plant-based and dairy alternatives

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago

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What you eat could impact your brain and memory

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago

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Lower-carbon diets aren't just good for the planet, they're also healthier

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 4 days ago

A new Tulane University study examining the carbon footprint of what more than 16,000 Americans eat in a day has good news for environmentally conscious consumers-- diets that are more climate-friendly are also healthier. The research, which is published in the *American Journal of Clinical Nutrition*, is the first to compare the climate impact and nutritional value of U.S. diets using real-world data about what Americans say they are eating. "People whose diets had a lower carbon footprint were eating less red meat and dairy -- which contribute to a larger share of greenhouse ga... more »

More fish consumption and omega-3 supplementation needed to push the omega-3 index to 8 percent

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 5 days ago

A new study published in *Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids* shows that people likely need to eat more fish and take an omega-3 supplement to reach a cardioprotective Omega-3 Index level of 8% or higher. According to lead researcher Kristina Harris Jackson, PhD, RD, the goal of this study was to answer the question: "What combination of (non-fried) fish intake and omega-3 supplement use is associated with a cardioprotective Omega-3 Index level (i.e., 8% or above)?" In 2018, the American Heart Association (AHA) updated its 2002 recommendations regarding fish ... more »

 

Aging

Sleep, mood affect how 'in control' older adults feel

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 48 minutes ago

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What you eat could impact your brain and memory

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Lower blood pressure reduces the risk of mild cognitive impairment

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago

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Overprescribing of antidepressant medications may be common in elderly patients

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In a *Pharmacology Research & Perspectives* study of individuals living in Olmsted County, Minnesota from 2005-2012, potential overprescribing of antidepressant medications occurred in nearly one-quarter of elderly residents. Potential antidepressant overprescribing was most likely in individuals residing in nursing homes; patients having a higher number of comorbid medical conditions; individuals who were outpatients; those taking more concomitant medications; those having greater use of acute care services; and those receiving prescriptions via telephone, e-mail, or patient port... more » 

Frailty could make people more susceptible to dementia

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago

------------------------------ New research published in *The Lancet Neurology* journal suggests that frailty makes older adults more susceptible to Alzheimer's dementia, and moderates the effects of dementia-related brain changes on dementia symptoms. The findings suggest that frailty should be considered in clinical care and management of Alzheimer's dementia. The study found that older adults (59 years and older) with higher levels of frailty were more likely to have both Alzheimer's disease-related brain changes and symptoms of dementia, whilst others with substantial brain chan...

 

Sleep

Children looking at screens in darkness before bedtime are at risk of poor sleep

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 46 minutes ago

Pre-teens who use a mobile phone or watch TV in the dark an hour before bed are at risk of not getting enough sleep compared to those who use these devices in a lit room or do not use them at all before bedtime. The study by researchers from the University of Lincoln, Imperial College London, Birkbeck, University of London and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel, Switzerland is the first to analyse the pre-sleep use of media devices with screens alongside the impact of room lighting conditions on sleep in pre-teens. It found that night-time use of phones, tablet... more »

Sleep, mood affect how 'in control' older adults feel

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»

Sleep loss heightens pain sensitivity, dulls brain's painkilling response

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Weight Loss/Weight Gain

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Faster weight loss no better than slow weight loss for health benefits

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Women gain weight when job demands are high

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 6 hours ago

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Supplements and Medicines

Common pain relievers can improve survival in head and neck cancer

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Regular use of a common type of medication, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, significantly improves survival for a third or more patients with head and neck cancer, a new study led by UC San Francisco has found. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, improved the overall five-year survival rate from 25 percent to 78 percent for patients whose cancer contained a specific altered gene, known as *PIK3CA*, the researchers reported. The survival for patients whose gene was not altered in their tumor, was unaffected by NSAID use. This is the first study to show a strong clinica... more

 

Overprescribing of antidepressant medications may be common in elderly patients

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More fish consumption and omega-3 supplementation needed to push the omega-3 index to 8 percen

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... more »

Final verdict on finasteride: Safe, effective prevention for prostate cancer

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Frequent use of aspirin can lead to increased bleeding

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago

A new study published today in the *Journal of the American Medical Association* (*JAMA*) has found that taking aspirin on a regular basis to prevent heart attacks and strokes, can lead to an increase risk of almost 50% in major bleeding episodes. The systematic review from scientists at King's College London and King's College Hospital looked at the overall effects on patients who did not have known cardiovascular disease. They found that while it was associated with a lower risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular events, it did lead to an increased risk of major bleeding. W... more »

Aspirin may lower stroke risk in women with history of preeclampsia

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago

Middle-aged women with a history of preeclampsia have a greater risk of stroke, and aspirin may be able to reduce the risk, according to a new study led by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons. The study was published today in the journal *Neurology*, along with an accompanying editorial and podcast. *Why it matters* Though preeclampsia rates are declining or stable in other developed nations, they are rapidly rising in the United States, where about one in 20 pregnancies is complicated by preeclampsia and other pregnancy-related hypertensive d... more »

 

New research proposes target omega-3 DHA level for pregnant women

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago

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Exercise

Study supports physical activity as a preventive strategy against depression

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 5 days ago

While many studies have found associations between greater levels of physical activity and lower rates of depression, a key question has remained - does physical activity actually reduce the risk of depression or does depression lead to reduced physical activity? Now a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators has used a novel research method to strongly support physical activity as a preventive measure for depression. Their report is being published online in *JAMA Psychiatry*. "Using genetic data, we found evidence that higher levels of physical activity may

 

Exercise before surgery can protect both muscle and nerves

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago

Exercise can protect both muscle and nerves from damage caused by the restoration of blood flow after injury or surgery, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine shows. UVA's Zhen Yan, PhD, a top expert on the cellular benefits of exercise, and his team are working to better understand how the body is damaged by the restoration of blood flow - known as ischemia reperfusion injury - and to find ways to improve outcomes for people who suffer it, including surgery and trauma patients and soldiers injured on the battlefield. Their new finding shows that pre-injury... more »

60 minutes of dailye

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago

Body size may influence women's lifespan more than it does men's ------------------------------ Body size-height and weight- may influence women's lifespan far more than it does men's, suggests research published online in the *Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health*. And while physical activity is linked to longer lifespans in both sexes, it seems the more time men spend physically active every day, the better it is for their chances of reaching old age, whereas 60 minutes a day was associated with the best chance for women, the findings indicate. Average life expectancy has ris... more »

 

Short bouts of stairclimbing throughout the day can boost health

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago

It just got harder to avoid exercise. A few minutes of stair climbing, at short intervals throughout the day, can improve cardiovascular health, according to new research from kinesiologists at McMaster University and UBC Okanagan. The findings, published in the journal *Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism*, suggest that virtually anyone can improve their fitness, anywhere, any time. "The findings make it even easier for people to incorporate 'exercise snacks' into their day," says Martin Gibala, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster and senior author on the study. "Tho... more »

General Health

Why it's so important to have a primary care doctor

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago

The United States health care system is generally centered around hospitals and specialty care. The value of primary care, however, has remained unclear and debated, in part due to limited research. A new Northwestern Medicine study was the first to directly compare the quality and experience of outpatient care between adults with or without primary care. It found that Americans with primary care received significantly more high-value healthcare -- such as recommended cancer screenings and flu shots -- and reported better patient experience and overall healthcare access, compared t... more »

Waist-stature ratio can indicate the risk of cardiovascular disease even in healthy men

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago

*Physically active men who are not overweight but who have a relatively high waist-stature ratio are more likely to develop heart disorders, according to a study by Brazilian researchers* Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo [image: IMAGE] *IMAGE: *Physically active men who are not overweight but who have a relatively high waist-stature ratio are more likely to develop heart disorders, according to a study by Brazilian researchers. view more Credit: Vitor Engrácia Valenti Health experts have warned for years that men and women with excess abdominal fat run a greater r... more »

Positive self belief key to recovery from shoulder pain

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 5 days ago

People are more likely to recover from shoulder pain if they have the confidence to carry on doing most things, despite their pain - according to new research from the University of East Anglia and University of Hertfordshire. Researchers studied more than 1,000 people undergoing physiotherapy for shoulder pain. They found that those who expected physiotherapy would help them were likely to recover more than those who expected minimal or no benefit. Meanwhile, people suffering more pain, who were confident in their ability to still do most things despite their pain, were likely to... more »

Analysis examines migraine's link to higher stroke risk

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 5 days ago

Migraine with aura was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke in the *Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities* study, but a recent post-hoc analysis published in Headache reveals unexpected results suggesting that onset of such migraines before age 50 years is not associated with such risk. Later onset of migraine with aura was linked with a higher risk, however. The analysis included 447 migraineurs with aura (MA) and 1,128 migraineurs without aura (MO) among 11,592 participants (elderly men and women with a history of migraine). Over 20 years, there was a twofold increa... more »

Personality traits, such as negativity, with greater risk of being diabetic

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 5 days ago

It has been said that a good personality can help one succeed in life. But can it also guard against disease risk? A new study based on data from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) shows that positive personality traits, such as optimism, actually may help to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Results are published online today in *Menopause*, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). More than 30 million Americans, or 9.4% of the US population, have diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes increases with age, with a 25.2% prevalence in those aged 65 years... more »

Even in young adults, blood pressure above normal may be linked to brain shrinkage

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 5 days ago

For people in their 20s and 30s, having blood pressure above normal but below the level considered to be high blood pressure, may be linked to loss of brain volume, according to a study published in the January 23, 2019, online issue of *Neurology®*, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. People with blood pressure above normal were more likely to have a loss of volume in the gray matter in certain areas of the brain than people with normal blood pressure. Healthy blood pressure is less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). For this study, high blood pressu... more »

 

Thirty percent fewer prostate cancer deaths with PSA screening

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago

PSA-screening cuts deaths from prostate cancer by some 30%. This is shown by research based on data on 20,000 men monitored for more than two decades. The men's initially measured PSA level proved highly significant as a predictor of future cancer risk. "This research is important because it shows the long-term effects of an organized screening program in Sweden," says Maria Franlund, MD, PhD in Urology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and Head of Department at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Franlund's thesis on prostate cancer screening comes after the l... more »

 

Stressed? Having a partner present -- even in your mind -- may keep blood pressure down

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago

When faced with a stressful situation, thinking about your romantic partner may help keep your blood pressure under control just as effectively as actually having your significant other in the room with you, according to a new study by University of Arizona psychologists. For the study, published in the journal *Psychophysiology*, 102 participants were asked to complete a stressful task - submerging one foot into 3 inches of cold water ranging from 38 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Researchers measured participants' blood pressure, heart rate and heart rate variability before, during and... more »

Early detection of prediabetes can reduce risk of developing cardiovascular disease

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago

A diagnosis of prediabetes should be a warning for people to make lifestyle changes to prevent both full-blown diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to scientists at Wake Forest School of Medicine. "We know that having diabetes increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, so in our study we wanted to determine what the absolute risk or probability of developing heart disease was for people who were only at a pre-diabetic level of blood sugar," said the study's lead author Michael P. Bancks, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology and prevention at Wake F... more »

 

Youthful cognitive ability strongly predicts mental capacity later in life

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago

Early adult general cognitive ability (GCA) -- the diverse set of skills involved in thinking, such as reasoning, memory and perception -- is a stronger predictor of cognitive function and reserve later in life than other factors, such as higher education, occupational complexity or engaging in late-life intellectual activities, report researchers in a new study publishing January 21 in *PNAS*. Higher education and late-life intellectual activities, such as doing puzzles, reading or socializing, have all been associated with reduced risk of dementia and sustained or improved cognit... more »

At least half of parents try non-evidence-based cold prevention methods for kids

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago

National Poll: Many parents still believe 'folklore strategies' or use vitamins or supplements for cold prevention that are not scientifically supported [image: IMAGE] *IMAGE: *Many parents still believe "folklore strategies " or use vitamins or supplements for cold prevention that are not scientifically supported. view more Credit: C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at the University of Michigan. ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Vitamin C to keep the germs away. Never go outside with wet hair. Stay inside. Despite little or no evidence suggesting these types of ... more »more »

'Statistics anxiety' is real, and new research suggests targeted ways to handle it

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 week ago

------------------------------ The high anxiety network formed by pair-wise correlations of the 51 items in the STARS based on the responses from students with high anxiety scores. Thicker lines indicate that the correlation coefficient was closer to +1.0 and thinner lines indicate correlation coefficients closer to +.3. All the lines are green, indicating that all the correlations were positive. *Credit: University of Kansas* Have you ever been stressed out by the idea of doing math or statistics problems? You're not alone. Research shows that up to 80 percent of college students exp... more »