Sedentary Behaviors Differentially Associated with Dementia

A prospective UK cohort study suggested that high levels of cognitively passive sedentary behaviors (SB) were associated with increased risk of dementia, while cognitively active SB were associated with reduced risk of dementia. The study included 146,651 participants who were 60 years or older (mean age 64.59 years) and did […]

Remote Ischemic Conditioning Effective in Stroke

A multicenter, open-label, blinded–end point, randomized clinical trial in China showed that remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) was associated with better neurologic function in patients with acute moderate ischemic stroke. The trial randomly assigned 1893 patients (mean age, 65 years; women 34.1%; 93.8% completed the trial) within 48 hours after symptom […]

Salt Substitutes Beneficial and Generalizable

A meta-analyses and metaregressions concluded that the beneficial effects of salt substitutes on blood pressure and clinical outcomes were consistent and might be generalizable across diverse population subgroups worldwide. The study included 21 trials and 31 949 participants, with 19 reporting effects on blood pressure and 5 reporting effects on […]

Statins but Not PCSK9 Inhibition Linked to Adverse Neurocognitive Effects

A drug-target Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis indicated adverse neurocognitive effects related to statins but not proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibition. Data were from a combined sample of ∼740,000 participants in predominantly European ancestry-based genome-wide association cohort studies. There was a neutral cognitive profile related to genetic PCSK9 inhibition, […]

Antiplatelets and Beta-Blockers Linked to Heat-Related Heart Attacks

Data from a validated and complete registration of all 2,494 acute myocardial infarction (MI) cases in Augsburg, Germany, during warm seasons (May to September) from 2001 to 2014, suggested that heat-related non-fatal MI risk was elevated among users of anti-platelet medication and beta-receptor blockers, respectively, but not among non-users, with […]

Updated NICE Guideline for Depression

The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has updated the guideline on management of depression with new recommendations. In the new guideline, depression is classified as “less severe” and “more severe”. More severe includes moderate and severe, and less severe includes mild and sub-threshold depression. Sub-threshold has […]

Comparative Effects of Sleeping Pills

A systematic review and network meta-analysis provided the most comprehensive data synthesis on pharmacological treatments for adults with insomnia. The study included 170 trials (36 interventions and 47 950 participants) in the systematic review and 154 double-blind, randomized controlled trials (30 interventions and 44 089 participants) for the network meta-analysis. Benzodiazepines, doxylamine, […]

Moderate Alcohol Intake Linked to Higher Brain Iron and Malfunction

A UK cohort study and Mendelian randomization (MR) suggested that moderate alcohol consumption [>7 units (56 g) alcohol weekly] was associated with markers of higher brain iron and worse cognitive function. The study included 20,729 UK Biobank participants (mean age 54.8 years, 48.6% female). Multiorgan susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (~9.60 […]

Adding Salt to Foods Linked to Mortality and Life Expectancy

A prospective study indicates that the higher frequency of adding salt to foods is associated with a higher risk of all-cause premature mortality and lower life expectancy. The study included 501 379 participants from UK biobank. There were graded relationships between higher frequency of adding salt to foods and higher concentrations […]