Monthly Archives: February 2018


Vegetarian and Mediterranean Diets Equivalent for Weight Loss

A randomized, open, crossover trial in Italy showed that both low-calorie lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (VD) and Mediterranean diet (MD) were effective in reducing body weight, body mass index (BMI), and fat mass. One hundred eighteen overweight subjects (mean age 51.1 years, females 78%, BMI ≥ 25) with a low-to-moderate cardiovascular […]


Comparative Efficacy and Acceptability of Antidepressants

A systematic review and network meta-analysis concluded that all 21 antidepressants were more efficacious than placebo in adults with major depressive disorder. Smaller differences between active drugs were found when placebo-controlled trials were included in the analysis, whereas there was more variability in efficacy (response rate) and acceptability (treatment discontinuations […]


Low-Fat Diet on Par with Low-Carbohydrate Diet for Weight Loss

A randomized clinical trial in the US showed that there was no significant difference in weight change between a healthy low-fat diet (HLF) vs a healthy low-carbohydrate diet (HLC), and neither genotype pattern nor baseline insulin secretion was associated with the dietary effects on weight loss. A total of 609 […]


Shared and Specific Genes in Psychiatric Disorders

A transcriptomic profiling analysis revealed that there were shared and distinct gene-expression patterns across five major psychiatric disorders—autism (ASD), schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), depression (MDD), and alcoholism (AAD)—compared with matched controls. Brain transcriptomes—a quantitative, genome-wide molecular phenotype—were performed using 700 cerebral cortical samples from subjects with ASD (n = […]


Shifting Focus for Stroke

“Time is brain,” the time-focused mantra has been extended in acute stroke care. Findings of 2 recent trials—showing that a mechanical thrombectomy treatment window of 16 to even 24 hours can still benefit imaging-selected patient—have been adopted into the new American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines. Strokes develop differently; some […]


Standing Burned More Calories than Sitting

A systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that replacing sitting with standing could be a potential solution for a sedentary lifestyle to prevent weight gain in the long term. The analysis included 46 studies with 1184 participants. The mean difference in energy expenditure (EE) between sitting and standing was 0.15 kcal/min (0.1 and […]