Monthly Archives: December 2019


Adiposity Influences Blood Tests

A Canadian cohort study revealed that overweight and obese significantly influences blood levels of common laboratory markers, most notably liver enzymes, lipids/lipoproteins, inflammatory markers and uric acid, in children and adolescents. The study included 1,332 healthy subjects ages 5.1-19.0 years with body mass index (BMI) ranging from 13.4-65.0 kg/m2. Levels […]


Long Naps and Sleep Linked to Higher Stroke Risk

A Chinese prospective cohort study concluded that long sleep duration, long midday napping, and poor sleep quality were independently and jointly associated with higher risks of incident stroke. Persistently long sleep duration or switch from average to long sleep duration increased the risk of stroke. The study included 31,750 retirees […]


Common Drugs Linked to Reduced Cardiotoxicity

A meta-analysis suggested that use of beta-blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) in patients receiving cancer treatment linked to less heart damage. For every ten patients treated with the drugs, one case of cardiotoxicity could be avoided. The meta-analysis included 9 randomized controlled trials […]


Antidepressant Maintenance Reduced Depressive Recurrence

An US 2nd phase randomized clinical trial revealed that maintenance of antidepressant medication treatment was associated with a reduced risk of depressive recurrence, but previous treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was not. The study included a total of 292 adult outpatients (171 women; mean age, 45.1 years) with chronic […]


Potential Benefit of Early Lipid-Lowering

A multinational risk-evaluation and risk-modelling study suggests that non-HDL cholesterol concentrations in blood are strongly associated with long-term risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), and highlights the potential benefit of early lipid-lowering strategies. The study identified 398 846 individuals in 38 cohorts (48·7% women; median age 51·0 years, without prevalent CVD […]