Integrative Medicine Alert – January 1, 2013
January 1, 2013
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South African Geranium for Bronchitis in Children and Adolescents: Just What the Doctor Ordered?
Acute bronchitis inflammation of the large airways presenting with cough is one of the most common diagnoses seen in primary care. Usually caused by viral infections, it is self-limited and antibiotics generally are not recommended. -
Dietary Anthocyanins for Coronary Artery Disease: Berry Good Results
A multivariate analysis of a population-based study of 1898 women aged 18-75 years found that dietary intake of plant-derived anthocyanin pigments, primarily from grapes and berries, was associated with lower blood pressure readings as well as lower arterial stiffness determinations as measured by pulse wave velocities. This suggests that specific dietary phytonutrients may mitigate two important risk factors for coronary artery disease. -
Spending More Leisure Time Physically Active Can Add Years to Your Life
A pooled analysis of data from six prospective cohort studies found that more leisure time physical activity was associated with a reduced risk of mortality and increased life expectancy beyond age 40. Associations were found at all levels of body mass index. -
Do All Levels of Physical Activity Reduce the Risk of Developing Metabolic Syndrome? Sometimes More Is Better
A cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of the impact of different activity levels on the risk of developing metabolic syndrome on a large random sample of the Danish population found that higher activity levels were associated with a decreased risk of developing metabolic syndrome over the 10-year follow-up period. -
Long-Term Exercise Training in Heart Failure
Exercise training is associated with short-term improvements in functional capacity in heart failure patients, but its effect on mortality and heart failure readmissions have been mixed.