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Faeh D, Braun J, Bopp M. "Body mass index versus cholesterol in cardiovascular disease risk prediction models." Arch Intern Med, November 2012.
Oleuropein, the main polyphenol compound present in olive oil, induces anti-metastatic effects on human breast cancer cell lines.
Review confirms the value of omega-3 fatty acids in reducing the risk of heart disease.
Mental activities like reading and writing can preserve structural integrity in the brain, as people age.
When estimating cardiovascular disease risk, Swiss team reports that body mass index (BMI) is a more accurate predictor than cholesterol levels.
Optimal heart health in middle age helps the odds of living up to 14 years longer, free of cardiovascular disease.
Epigallocatechin gallate, an antioxidant compound found abundantly in green tea, helps to reduce blood sugar spikes after starchy meals, in a lab animal model.
Individuals with telomeres in the shortest 10% may be 23% more likely to die in the three years following measurement of these DNA endcaps.
The antibiotic-resistant “superbug” methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is prevalent at several US wastewater treatment plants.
Resveratrol, an antioxidant compound found abundantly in red grape skins and red wine, makes prostate tumor cells more susceptible to radiation treatment.
Increasing consumption of dairy foods helps to prevent hip fractures and reduce healthcare costs.
Abnormal length of time of overall sleep spent in different sleep stages associate with decreased metabolic rate and increased intake of calories.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a chemical messenger in our immune system, may also trigger weight loss.
New research suggests that exercising for just 30 minutes is as effective for weight loss as a whole hour.
Exposure to a compound produced when food is cooked with dry heat has been linked to the development of abdoinal obesity, and type 2 diabetes in mice.
Drinking three cups of green tea each day shown to help elderly people with metabolic syndrome lose weight and trim their waistline.
Among overweight men who lost weight, the prevalence of hypogonadism (testosterone deficiency) decreased by almost 50%.
Long-term testosterone replacement therapy helped obese hypogonadal men lose an average of 36 pounds, and shed 3.5 inches from their waistline.
People who tend to carry excess weight around their middle have an increased risk of sudden cardiac death, say researchers.
Sleeping for more than nine hours a night may help to suppress some genetic factors that promote weight gain.
Impairment of Rev-Erb alpha, the gene responsible for the body’s internal clock, may prompt weight gain.
#90 - Exercise Away Sickness
People who maintain a physically active lifestyle enjoy the benefits of a stronger immune system into older age. University of Colorado-Boulder (USA) researchers found that there is an age-related decline in the antibody response to signals that elicit the immune response. Physical activity helps to maintain a more optimal T cell-mediated response, and is especially important in those in their 50s, 60s, and beyond, because older people tend to be immunocompromised.
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Cardiovascular risk prediction models – including the Framingham Risk Score and the European SCORE (Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation) method – consider traditional modifiable risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure, and blood lipid concentrations, but not body mass index (BMI). David Faeh, from the University of Zurich (Switzerland), and colleagues analyzed data collected on 17,791 men and women, ages 16 years and older, who were enrolled in either the National Research Program 1A or the Swiss MONICA (Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) population survey. The researchers linked that data to Swiss national censuses and registries to obtain follow-up data. The team found that replacing total cholesterol level with BMI in the SCORE tool resulted in higher predicted 10-year risks of cardiovascular disease across age groups and better discrimination between patients at high and low risk. In the MONICA subjects, they found that only BMI was significantly associated with mortality during follow-up. The researchers submit that blood-based tests to measure lipids may be inconvenient or difficult for patients; and that the more available data on patient height and weight may be valuable to permit greater use of methods for calculating cardiovascular risk.