Articles Tagged With:

Optimism (Hopefully!) Increases Odds of ‘Exceptional Longevity’

Analysis of 10-year follow-up data from the Nurses’ Health Study and 30-year follow-up data from the Veteran Affairs Normative Aging Study show a significant association between baseline levels of higher optimism and longevity, even when data is adjusted for health behaviors and psychosocial factors.

Read more
Soft Drinks and Death

This long-term, large-scale European study finds that higher use of total soft drinks is associated with a higher risk of death; additionally, higher use of artificially sweetened soft drinks is associated with higher risk of death from cardiovascular illness and higher use of sugar-sweetened soft drinks is associated with higher risk of death from digestive illnesses.

Read more
Vegetarians and Stroke

A prospective cohort study in the United Kingdom demonstrated that vegetarians have a 22% lower incidence of ischemic heart disease, but a 20% increased incidence of total stroke, mostly related to hemorrhagic stroke, when compared to meat eaters. No difference in ischemic stroke or acute myocardial infarction was found.

Read more
Lavender Aromatherapy During Chemotherapy

Lavender oil aromatherapy demonstrated some benefits in sleep and anxiety for people undergoing chemotherapy.

Read more
Peppermint Oil for IBS?

The PERSUADE study, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of two formulations of peppermint oil, demonstrated no statistically significant reduction in abdominal pain response nor overall symptom relief in Rome IV IBS patients using Food and Drug Administration/European Medicines Agency endpoint criteria over an eight-week trial period.

Read more
Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Results in Increase in Serious Hemorrhages Following TIA or Minor Stroke

The POINT trial showed a 25% reduction in the composite outcome of ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, or ischemic vascular death in patients treated with clopidogrel plus aspirin for 90 days, immediately following a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor acute ischemic stroke. The investigators performed a secondary analysis and found the risk of major hemorrhages was low in both groups, although treatment with clopidogrel and aspirin together increased the risk of major hemorrhages over aspirin alone. Caution should be taken and very close observation of patients maintained when treating with dual antiplatelet therapies.

Read more
Smartwatches for the Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation

The Apple Heart Study participants were people without atrial fibrillation who purchased a smart phone app and consented to monitoring using a smartwatch-based irregular pulse notification algorithm, which identified possible atrial fibrillation. If notification occurred, the person was mailed an electrocardiography (ECG) patch to be worn for seven days to confirm the findings first identified by the smartwatch. The age distribution of this group is different than the usual cohort at risk for atrial fibrillation: 52% were between the ages of 22 and 39 years of age, and only 5.9% were 65 years or older. A much more useful study would have included an older cohort that carries a higher risk of atrial fibrillation.

Read more
What Is the Optimal Blood Pressure for Secondary Prevention of Stroke?

High blood pressure is the most prevalent and important risk factor for stroke, and great efforts have been made to reduce blood pressure for both primary and secondary stroke prevention. However, at this time, we do not have evidence to support a firm recommendation for optimal blood pressure management for secondary stroke prevention.

Read more
Patients With Stable Coronary Disease and Atrial Fibrillation Are Best Treated With Rivaroxaban, Alone

Optimal antithrombotic therapy for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation continues to evolve.Monotherapy with rivaroxiban was noninferior to combination therapy for the primary efficacy endpoint.

Read more
Treating Depression in Epilepsy: To Medicate or Not?

Epileptic patients with major depression were randomized to either cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or sertraline. Depression and related secondary health outcomes were analyzed in both groups. Sertraline and CBT were found to be equally efficacious with improvement in mood in just over one-half of the patients.

Read more