Lactation May Lower Diabetes Risk

A multicenter, community-based 30-year prospective cohort study in the US revealed that lactation duration is independently associated with lower incidence of diabetes. The study included 1238 black and white women ages 18 to 30 years without diabetes at baseline (1985-1986) who had 1 or more live births after baseline, reported […]

Mediterranean Diet Reduces Frailty Risk

A systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with significantly lower risk of incident frailty in older people. The analysis included four studies, 5,789 community-dwelling older adults (mean age ≥60), with mean follow-up of 3.9 years. Greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated […]

Dos and Dons of Petroleum Jelly

Dermatologists recommend using petroleum jelly to: relieve dry skin, including your lips and eyelids. For the best results, always apply petroleum jelly when your skin is damp. Help injured skin heal for minor wounds such as cuts, scrapes and scratches. As long as the wound is cleaned daily, it is […]

MRI Safe for Legacy Cardiac Devices

A prospective study to assess the safety of MRI at a magnetic field strength of 1.5 Tesla in patients with a pacemaker (58%) or an implantable cardioverter–defibrillator (42%) that was not considered to be MRI-conditional (termed a “legacy” device) showed no long-term clinically significant adverse events. The study included 1509 […]

Atherosclerosis without Risk Factors

A study revealed that many middle-aged individuals free of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) have atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis presence and extent was associated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c). The study evaluated 1,779 (45.0 ± 4.1 years old, 50.3% women) participants. CVRF freedom was defined as no current […]

No Survival Advantage for Obesity

A population-based study in the US did not find evidence of a survival advantage for obesity among persons with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study used data from an ongoing, nationally representative longitudinal survey of more than 30,000 people age 50 years and older initiated in 1992, with follow-up through […]

Weight Management Attained T2D Remission

An open-label, cluster-randomized trial in the UK showed that intensive weight management achieved remission of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The trial included 306 patients from 49 general practices between July 25, 2014, and Aug 5, 2017. The patients aged 20–65 years who had been diagnosed with T2D within the past […]

Decreasing Blood Pressure in Older Patients

A 20-year cohort analysis of medical records in the UK revealed that blood pressure (BP) decreased for more than a decade before death in patients dying at 60 years and older. The analysis included 46 634 participants dying aged at least 60 years (51.7% female; mean age at death 82.4 years), […]

Worsening Renal Function and Hemoconcentration Linked to Improved Heart Failure Survival

A retrospective analysis of heart failure (HF) patients in the US found that concurrent hemoconcentration and worsening renal function (WRF) identified a group with significantly improved post discharge survival. The analysis included 3061 patients hospitalized with HF. Hemoconcentration was defined as an increase in both hemoglobin and hematocrit, and WRF […]

CETP Gene Variants Not Associated with CVD Risk

A prospective biobank study concluded that genetic variants of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) were associated with altered high-density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism but not lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and had no significant association with risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study included 151 217 individuals aged 30 to 79 […]