Posts tagged with 'cardiovascular'
Recent research: five papers on overweight - mortality, cardiovascular risk, diets, and schools
9th April 2009
Here are five papers mostly looking at aspects of overweight. The first, published recently in the Lancet, is a huge study on the effects of body-mass index (BMI) on subsequent mortality in nearly 900,000 adults. It shows progressive excess mortality above the BMI range 22.5-25 kg/m2. (To calculate your BMI …
Recent research: lifestyle - five papers on sleep, exercise & stress management
26th February 2009
Here are five papers on lifestyle and the benefits of making healthy choices. The first by Cohen et al on sleep habits and susceptibility to the common cold, showed increased risk of developing a cold after infection for those with shorter sleep duration. Interestingly the increased risk was even greater …
Recent research: two papers on mindfulness & four on sleep
8th January 2009
Here are two papers on mindfulness and four on sleep. The Kuyken et al paper is important. It compares mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) with continuation antidepressants in the prevention of relapse in recurrent depression. The results are great - "Relapse/recurrence rates over 15-month follow-ups in MBCT were 47%, compared with …
Recent research: fish and n-3 fatty acids
6th November 2008
Fish, fish oils, and n-3 fatty acids are often in the health news. Here are seven recent papers illustrating the breadth of fish oil relevance. The papers look at treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, the potential of flax as a dietary source of n-3 fatty acids, effects on indicators of cardiovascular …
Vegged out & fruitless: lifestyle & health
18th October 2008
Last month's BMJ published another in the long line of research articles that highlight the huge importance of lifestyle choices for our health: Dam, R. M. v., T. Li, et al. (2008). "Combined impact of lifestyle factors on mortality: prospective cohort study in US women." BMJ 337(sep16_2): a1440- [Free Full …
Would you like to be 14 years younger – it’s largely a matter of choice!
3rd October 2008
Back in January I wrote a blog post entitle "Does a healthy lifestyle really make a difference? " I highlighted that it makes a hell of a lot of a difference. At around that time another major study was published that hammered this point home even more thoroughly and I've …
Recent research: five studies on depression – including side-effects, young people, heart attacks, and bipolar disorder
28th August 2008
Here are the abstracts of five recent research studies on depression and antidepressants. The first confirms earlier work showing an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding with SSRI's (particularly if also taking NSAID's). The second highlights the potential physical survival value of screening for and treating depression in people who have …
Recent research: exercise & mental function, mindfulness, smoking, fatigue, and lots on depression
23rd June 2008
Here are some articles - mostly published in May - that I found particularly interesting: Angevaren, M., G. Aufdemkampe, et al. (2008). "Physical activity and enhanced fitness to improve cognitive function in older people without known cognitive impairment." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(2): CD005381. [PubMed] Exercise seems to improve cognitive function …
Folic acid – should we take supplements?
19th April 2008
A GP friend recently asked me about taking folic acid supplements. He said that in a discussion about supplements with a knowledgeable medical colleague, he'd been told that "there is good evidence to show that we should all be taking ... folic acid." The friend apparently takes 800mcg/day. This is …
Some interesting articles from February ‘08
17th March 2008
Here are details and links for a couple of dozen mainly February articles that I found interesting. Most of these articles (and many others) are also listed on my searchable Connotea online database. Barbui, C. M. D., T. A. M. D. Furukawa, et al. (2008). "Effectiveness of paroxetine in the …