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Diet
High flavanol diet may lead to lower blood pressure
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 16 hours ago
People who consume a diet including flavanol-rich foods and drinks, including tea, apples and berries, could lead to lower blood pressure, according to the first study using objective measures of thousands of UK residents' diet. The findings, published in *Scientific Reports*, studied the diet of more than 25,000 people in Norfolk, UK and compared what they ate with their blood pressure. In contrast to most other studies investigating links between nutrition and health, the researchers did not rely on study participants reporting their diet, but instead measured flavanol intake...
High fructose intake may drive aggressive behaviors, ADHD, bipolar
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 5 days ago
New research suggests that conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome (ADHD), bipolar disorder, and even aggressive behaviors may be linked with sugar intake, and that it may have an evolutionary basis. The research, out today from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and published in *Evolution and Human Behavior*, presents a hypothesis supporting a role for fructose, a component of sugar and high fructose corn syrup, and uric acid (a fructose metabolite), in increasing the risk for these behavioral disorders. "We present evidence that fructose,...
Listeria in smoked fish - Risk groups should avoid certain food
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 2 weeks ago
In 2018, 701 cases of severe invasive listeriosis were communicated to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which translates into 0.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Most listeriosis illnesses reported are severe and are associated with blood poisoning, meningitis or miscarriages, for example. In 2018, the disease was fatal in 5% of cases. Elderly people, people with weakened immune defences, pregnant women and their new-born babies are particularly vulnerable. Listeria can be found in a large variety of foods of plant and animal origin. Cold or hot-smoked fish are often contaminated...
Even in people with Parkinson's gene, coffee may be protective
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 3 weeks ago
Even for people with a gene mutation tied to Parkinson's disease, coffee consumption may be associated with a lower risk of actually developing the disease, according to a new study published in the September 30, 2020, online issue of *Neurology*®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "These results are promising and encourage future research exploring caffeine and caffeine-related therapies to lessen the chance that people with this gene develop Parkinson's," said study author Grace Crotty, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and a member of t...
Drink coffee after breakfast, not before, for better metabolic control
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 3 weeks ago
A strong, black coffee to wake you up after a bad night's sleep could impair control of blood sugar levels, according to a new study. Research from the Centre for Nutrition, Exercise & Metabolism at the University of Bath (UK) looked at the effect of broken sleep and morning coffee across a range of different metabolic markers. Writing in the *British Journal of Nutrition* the scientists show that whilst one night of poor sleep has limited impact on our metabolism, drinking coffee as a way to perk you up from a slumber can have a negative effect on blood glucose (sugar) control. ...
8-hour time restricted feeding on body weight and metabolic disease risk
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 3 weeks ago
Time restricted feeding decreases energy intake without calorie counting and may be a viable option for weight loss. However, the effect of this diet on body weight in obese subjects has never been examined. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of 8-h time restricted feeding on body weight and metabolic disease risk factors in obese adults. DESIGN: Obese subjects (*n* = 23) participated in an 8-h time restricted feeding intervention (ad libitum feeding between 10:00 to 18:00 h, water fasting between 18:00 to 10:00 h) for 12 weeks. Weight loss and other outcomes were c...
Supplements
Improved mental and physical condition is directly linked to nutrition
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 2 days ago
Researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Abbott and, the U.S. Air Force Research Lab announced today the results of a new study that found a direct link between physical fitness, cognitive performance, and optimal nutrition. The scientists revealed that getting the right nutrition not only fuels our bodies and improves fitness, but gives us an edge mentally, too. The double-blind study, published this week in the journal *Scientific Reports*, examined the effectiveness of optimal nutrition and exercise to enhance fitness and cognitive performance among a popul...
Adequate levels of vitamin D reduces complications, death among COVID-19 patients
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 3 weeks ago
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients who were vitamin D sufficient, with a blood level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D of at least 30 ng/mL (a measure of vitamin D status), had a significant decreased risk for adverse clinical outcomes including becoming unconscious, hypoxia (body starved for oxygen) and death. In addition, they had lower blood levels of an inflammatory marker (C-reactive protein) and higher blood levels of lymphocytes (a type of immune cell to help fight infection). "This study provides direct evidence that vitamin D sufficiency can reduce the complications, including the cyt...
Medicine
Cholesterol medications linked to lower cancer-related deaths in women
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 16 hours ago
Among women with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or melanoma, those who were taking cholesterol-lowering medications, were less likely to die from cancer, according to an analysis published in the *British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology*. The analysis included 20,046,11,719 and 6,430 women in Australia who were diagnosed with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and melanoma, respectively, from 2003 to 2013. The women had been prescribed cholesterol-lowering medications such as statins before their diagnosis. The more consistently women took these medications in the year after...
Statins may reduce cancer risk through mechanisms separate to cholesterol
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 week ago
Cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins may reduce cancer risk in humans through a pathway unrelated to cholesterol, says a study published today in *eLife*. Statins reduce levels of LDL-cholesterol, the so-called 'bad' cholesterol, by inhibiting an enzyme called HMG-CoA-reductase (HMGCR). Clinical trials have previously demonstrated convincing evidence that statins reduce the risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases. But evidence for the potential effect of statins to reduce the risk of cancer is less clear. "Previous laboratory studies have suggested that l...
Regular use of acid reflux drugs linked to heightened risk of type 2 diabetes
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 2 weeks ago
Regular use of acid reflux drugs, known as proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs for short, is linked to a heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes, finds research published online in the journal *Gut*. And the longer these drugs are taken, the greater the risk seems to be, the findings show, prompting the researchers to advise that people taking these drugs for 2 or more years should have regular blood glucose check-ups to screen for diabetes. PPIs are used to treat acid reflux, peptic ulcers, and indigestion. They are among the top 10 most commonly used drugs worldwide. Long-ter...
More research needed to determine safety of hip and knee steroid injections
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 day ago
Panel of experts recommends imaging be part of the decision making process BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE Research News SHARE PRINT E-MAIL (Boston)-- Although frequently used to treat painful osteoarthritis of the hip and knee, intra-articular corticosteroid (IACS) injections remain controversial. Questions about whether damage to joints occurs as a result of these injections, which are performed thousands a time each day, persist. Osteoarthritis of the hip and knee is among the most common joint disorders. A frequently performed treatment for osteoarthritis and other...
Aging
Active older adults have better physical and mental health
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 day ago
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY Research News SHARE PRINT E-MAIL ATLANTA - OCTOBER 20, 2020 - Older adults with higher physical activity and lower sitting time have better overall physical and mental health, according to a new study from the American Cancer Society (ACS). The study, appearing in the journal, *CANCER*, suggests that higher amounts of regular moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) and lower duration of sedentary time is associated with higher global mental and physical health for older cancer survivors and older adults, in general. With a rapidly a..
Loss of interest a sign of dementia risk
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 week ago
Older adults with severe apathy, or lack of interest in usual activities, may have a greater chance of developing dementia than people with few symptoms of apathy, according to a study published in the October 14, 2020, online issue of *Neurology®*, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "Apathy can be very distressing for family members, when people no longer want to get together with family or friends or don't seem interested in what they used to enjoy," said study author Meredith Bock, M.D., of the University of California, San Francisco. "More research is n...
Exercise intensity not linked to mortality risk in older adults, finds trial
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 week ago
Exercise intensity appears to make no difference to risk of mortality among older adults, suggests a randomised controlled trial from Norway published by *The BMJ* today. Physical activity has been highlighted as one of the most important actions people of all ages can engage in to improve health, and data from observational studies show that early death is significantly reduced in physically active compared with inactive individuals. Yet high quality clinical trial evidence on a potential direct (causal) relation between current advice on physical activity levels and longevity ...
High intensity training best for older people
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 week ago
"First of all, I have to say that exercise in general seems to be good for the health of the elderly. And our study results show that on top of that, training regularly at high intensity has an extra positive effect," says Dorthe Stensvold. Stensvold is a professor in the Cardiac Exercise Research Group (CERG) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and has been looking forward to sharing the results from the Generation 100 study for a while now. Researchers, healthcare professionals and individuals around the world are eager to learn the answer to the quest...
Clashing medications put older adults at risk but many haven't had a pharmacist check them
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 2 weeks ago
Poll shows 29% of adults who take five or more prescription drugs have had a comprehensive medication review MICHIGAN MEDICINE - UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Research News SHARE PRINT E-MAIL [image: IMAGE] IMAGE: RESULTS FROM A POLL OF ADULTS OVER 50 ABOUT MEDICATION USE AND MEDICATION REVIEWS view more CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Two-thirds of older adults rely on at least two prescription drugs, and more than half take two or more non-prescription drugs or supplements. And two in ten take five or more prescription drugs. Some of those pills, capsules and tablets may int...
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 2 weeks ago
Data indicates 61 percent of patients who used cannabis began after age 60 With growing interest in its potential health benefits and new legislation favoring legalization in more states, cannabis use is becoming more common among older adults. University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers report that older adults use cannabis primarily for medical purposes to treat a variety of common health conditions, including pain, sleep disturbances and psychiatric conditions like anxiety and depression. The study, published online October 7, 2020 in the *Journal of th...
COVID-19
COVID-19: Distancing and masks are not enough
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 day ago
Decades-old data is being used to describe the propagation of tiny droplets; now a fluid dynamics team has developed new models: Masks and distancing are good, but not enough VIENNA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Research News SHARE PRINT E-MAIL [image: IMAGE] IMAGE: PARTICLES AND CLOUDS EMITTED BY A PERSON view more CREDIT: PROF. LYDIA BOUROUIBA, THE FLUID DYNAMICS OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION, MIT Wear a mask, keep your distance, avoid crowds - these are the common recommendations to contain the COVID-19 epidemic. However, the scientific foundations on which these recommendations...
Those with mild or no symptoms may be infectious for no more than about 10 days, serious COVID cases: 20 days.
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 day ago
A review of dozens of studies by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and Oregon State University suggests that people may shed virus for prolonged periods, but those with mild or no symptoms may be infectious for no more than about 10 days. People who are severely ill from COVID-19 may be infectious for as long as 20 days. That's in line with guidance provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, confirming recommendations for the length of time people should isolate following infection with SARS-CoV-2. The review published in the journal *Infecti...
Mouthwashes, oral rinses may inactivate human coronaviruses
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 2 days ago
PENN STATE Research News SHARE PRINT E-MAIL HERSHEY, Pa. -- Certain oral antiseptics and mouthwashes may have the ability to inactivate human coronaviruses, according to a Penn State College of Medicine research study. The results indicate that some of these products might be useful for reducing the viral load, or amount of virus, in the mouth after infection and may help to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Craig Meyers, distinguished professor of microbiology and immunology and obstetrics and gynecology, led a group of physicians an...
Milder symptoms in COVID patients receiving MMR vaccination.
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 week ago
COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc globally, with over one million deaths to date. Yet what if an existing vaccine could make COVID-19 less deadly? A study just published put the theory to test, with promising results. A research team led by Dr. Larenas-Linnemann working at Medica Sur, Mexico City, reported on their clinical observations in 255 subjects vaccinated with the mumps-measles-rubella (MMR) vaccine since the start of the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Many vaccinated patients were family members or caregivers of patients who already had contracted COVID-...
Adequate levels of vitamin D reduces complications, death among COVID-19 patients
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 3 weeks ago
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients who were vitamin D sufficient, with a blood level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D of at least 30 ng/mL (a measure of vitamin D status), had a significant decreased risk for adverse clinical outcomes including becoming unconscious, hypoxia (body starved for oxygen) and death. In addition, they had lower blood levels of an inflammatory marker (C-reactive protein) and higher blood levels of lymphocytes (a type of immune cell to help fight infection). "This study provides direct evidence that vitamin D sufficiency can reduce the complications, including the cyt...
Mammography screening saves lives also in older age
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 day ago
Mammography, which is an x-ray picture of the breast, is efficient also for women over the age of 70. For women invited to regular mammography screening over the age of 70, the reduction in mortality rate was significant. This according to a vast new study from Sweden. "The results confirm that the Swedish assessment of setting the upper age limit for mammography screening to 74 was justified," says Håkan Jonsson, docent at the Department of Epidemiology and Global Health at Umeå University. This new Swedish study builds upon twenty years of follow ups and over 2,000 breast canc..
Urban daycare yards outfitted with natural forest floor boosted children's immune systems
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 week ago
Biodiversity intervention enhances immune regulation and health-associated commensal microbiota among daycare children AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE Research News SHARE PRINT E-MAIL Children who played in formerly gravel-covered urban daycare center yards renovated with natural forest floor, sod, and vegetation developed more diverse microbiomes and signs of a better-regulated immune system within one month, according to a new study with 75 children between 3 and 5 years old. The findings suggest it may be possible to improve immune systems in urban...
Exercise
Even minimal physical activity measurably boosts health
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 week ago
Two new studies from UC San Diego find that simply standing up or walking around can provide positive health benefits; and Americans sit too much UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - SAN DIEGO Research News SHARE PRINT E-MAIL More than 5 million people around the world die from causes associated with a lack of physical activity. Two research teams at UC San Diego School of Medicine sought to understand sedentary lifestyles, with one study finding that even light physical activity, including just standing, can benefit health, and the other that Americans are still sitting too much. St...
Physical activity in the morning could be most beneficial against cancer
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 week ago
BARCELONA INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL HEALTH (ISGLOBAL) Research News SHARE PRINT E-MAIL One potential cause of cancer is circadian disruption, the misalignment of environmental cues (light, food intake, etc.) and our endogenous circadian rhythms. It is established that regular physical activity throughout lifetime can reduce cancer risk. This protective effect could be the most beneficial when physical activity is done in the morning -this is the main result of a recent study coordinated by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caix...
Mindfulness
Sleep health dictates success of practicing mindfulness
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 week ago
Sleeping an extra 29 minutes each night can be the key to improving mindfulness, a critical resource that has benefits for daily well-being and work performance. Mindfulness is achieved by purposefully bringing an individual's awareness and attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without forming an opinion. Unlike previous studies, new research published in *Sleep Health* looked at how multiple dimensions of nightly sleep impact daily mindfulness, rather than just focusing on sleep quality or duration. The study led by the University of South Florida found better...
Yoga and meditation reduce chronic pain
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 2 weeks ago
-A mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course was found to benefit patients with chronic pain and depression, leading to significant improvement in participant perceptions of pain, mood and functional capacity, according to a study in the *Journal of the American Osteopathic Association*. Most of the study respondents (89%) reported the program helped them find ways to better cope with their pain while 11% remained neutral. Chronic pain is a common and serious medical condition affecting an estimated 100 million people in the United States, which correlates with annual cos...
Pregnancy,etc.
Kegels: Underused by women to treat and prevent urinary incontinence
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 week ago
Kegels are underused to treat and prevent urinary incontinence, especially during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This woman-controlled, non-invasive muscle exercise should be taught and the use of Kegels encouraged by providers. Knowledge and use of Kegels is examined in*Journal of Women’s Health*. Click here to read the article now. “The current study does demonstrate the opportunity for changes in practice that improve Kegel education and performance. Approaches that emphasize the role of providers in preventing, identifying, and treating urinary incontinence (UI) may i...
More than 40% of women suffer from constipation during pregnancy and right after childbirth
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 1 week ago
SHARE PRINT E-MAIL Women are 2-3 times more likely to suffer from constipation during pregnancy and right after childbirth than at any other time in their life, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. "However, constipation-related problems subside surprisingly quickly after delivery," says Moona Kuronen, Lic. Med., the lead author of the newly published article. Constipation is common, and the risk of infrequent bowel movements is increased by diet that is low in fibre. Constipation becomes more common with age, and women tend to have constipation more ...
Consuming sugary beverages while breastfeeding affects cognitive development in children
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 2 weeks ago
Children's Hospital Los Angeles study shows that juice and drinks with added sugar can affect a child's cognitive development CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES Research News SHARE PRINT E-MAIL A diet high in sugar during adulthood is associated with weight gain, and has also been linked to risk of type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and heart disease. New research shows that when consumed by moms during the breastfeeding period, a high sugar diet can also impact developmental outcomes during infancy. Michael I. Goran, PhD, Program Director for Diabetes and Obesity at Child...
Women who delivered their last child later in life were likely to have better long-term health and longevity
Jonathan Kantrowitz, Health News Report - 2 weeks ago
No one knows for sure how long they will live. A new study, however, suggests that leukocyte telomere length may offer some key insights into a woman's longevity and further demonstrates how maternal age at birth of last child affects telomere length and long-term health. Study results are published online today in *Menopause*, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). This is not the first time that the length of a woman's leukocyte telomeres has been linked with her projected lifespan. Telomeres are repeating DNA-protein complexes that protect the ends of ch...
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