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

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago

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

The type of saturated fats we eat can affect our risk of a heart attack, according to a study published in the *International Journal of Cardiology*. People whose diets contain relatively little palmitic and stearic acid - saturated fats composed of 16 or more carbon atoms (longer-chain saturated fats) that are typically found in meats - and eat plant-based proteins instead have decreased chances of myocardial infarction. Moreover, individuals who eat more saturated fats with 14 or fewer carbon atoms (shorter-chain saturated fats) that are typically found in dairy products have lo... more »

What you eat could impact your brain and memory

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago

You may be familiar with the saying, "You are what you eat," but did you know the food you eat could impact your memory? Auriel Willette, assistant professor, and his team of researchers in Iowa State University's Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition discovered a satiety hormone that, at higher levels, could decrease a person's likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease. A paper outlining the results of their study recently was accepted for publication in *Neurobiology of Aging*. Using data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), the researchers looke... more »

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

Psychology researchers have found another reason that sleep, mood and stress are important: they affect the extent to which older adults feel they have control over their lives. The findings can inform efforts to improve an individual's sense of control, which has ramifications for physical, mental and emotional health. "We found that sleep, mood and stress are all important factors in determining a sense of control and in whether older adults feel they can do the things they want to do," says Shevaun Neupert, a professor of psychology at NC State and co-author of a paper on the wo... more »

What you eat could impact your brain and memory

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago

Lower blood pressure reduces the risk of mild cognitive impairment

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago

Intensive lowering of blood pressure did not significantly reduce dementia risk but did have a measurable impact on mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to the final, peer-reviewed results from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) Memory and Cognition in Decreased Hypertension (SPRINT MIND). SPRINT MIND secondary results are the first to show an intervention that significantly reduces the occurrence of MCI, which is a well-established precursor of dementia. The results were reported Jan. 28, 2019 in the *Journal of the American Medical Association*. SPRINT ...

Overprescribing of antidepressant medications may be common in elderly patients

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 5 days ago

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

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 48 minutes ago

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

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago

When we're in pain, we have a hard time sleeping. But how does poor sleep affect pain? For the first time, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have answered that question by identifying neural glitches in the sleep-deprived brain that can intensify and prolong the agony of sickness and injury. Their findings, to be published Jan. 28 in the *Journal of Neuroscience*, help explain the self-perpetuating cycles contributing to the overlapping global epidemics of sleep loss, chronic pain and even opioid addiction. A 2015 National Sleep Foundation poll found that two in ... more »

Weight Loss/Weight Gain

Does the 'buddy system' approach to weight loss work?

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 48 minutes ago

One of the more common self-improvement goals, particularly in the winter months before "beach body" season, is to lose weight. How people attempt to achieve their goals may vary by individual, but one of the more popular approaches is enrollment in a commercial weight loss program that uses a 'buddy system' approach to weight loss. This is where the program's design is aimed to shape and optimize a sense of community among participants to generate a positive impact on the participants' individual weight loss efforts. So, does it work? According to some new research, it does, but pos... more »

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

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 53 minutes ago

Losing weight slowly or quickly won't tip the scale in your favour when it comes to overall health, according to new research. Health researchers at York University found that people who lose weight quickly versus those who lose it slowly don't get any additional health benefits and it's the amount of weight lost overall that can have an impact. In the study led by Jennifer Kuk, associate professor in York University's Faculty of Health, researchers looked at the data of over 11,000 patients at a publicly-funded clinical weight management program and found that those who lost weight... more »

Women gain weight when job demands are high

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 6 hours ago

Heavy pressures at work seem to predispose women to weight gain, irrespective of whether they have received an academic education. This is shown in a study of more than 3,800 people in Sweden. "We were able to see that high job demands played a part in women's weight gain, while for men there was no association between high demands and weight gain," says Sofia Klingberg, a researcher in community medicine and public health at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and the study's lead author. The basis for the article, published in the journal *... more »

Supplements and Medicines

Common pain relievers can improve survival in head and neck cancer

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 1 day ago

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

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 5 days ago

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

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 5 days ago

... more »

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

Jonathan KantrowitzatHealth News Report - 5 days ago

Finasteride, a generic hormone-blocking drug, was found to reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 25 percent in the landmark Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT). Long- term data, published today in the *New England Journal of Medicine*, show that reduction in prostate cancer risk has continued and fewer than 100 men on the trial died from the disease. SWOG Cancer Research Network, an international cancer clinical trials group funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, opened the PCPT for enrollment 25 years ago. The PCPT enrolled 18,... more »

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

A new scientific paper has, for the first time, proposed an omega-3 DHA target blood level of 5% or higher for pregnant women who want to reduce their risk of preterm birth. Published in the December edition of *Nutrients*, authors Kristina Harris Jackson, PhD, RD, and William S. Harris, PhD, discuss the ramifications of low DHA levels among pregnant women and why they need to strive for a DHA level of 5% or above. DHA levels in pregnant women of 4.3% have been described in previous research as "very low," with 3.5% defined as being "exceedingly deficient." These levels, researcher... more »

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 »

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