Sunday, July 22, 2018

Two Drugs Better Than One to Prevent New Stroke or Heart Attack

  Results from an international clinical trial of more than 4,880 people (POINT trial) reveal that taking PLAVIX (clopidogrel) with aspirin following a small stroke or TIA decreases the risk of a new stroke, heart attack or other ischemic event.
NEJM 2018;379:215-225

Us Old People need our Sleep Too ! Not TOO Much Not TOO Little

  Researchers in Japan followed 1,517 adults without dementia for 10 years.
  Incident rates of dementia and all-cause mortality were significantly greater in subjects who slept less than 5 hours per day or 10 or more hours per day.
  Therefore, short AND long daily sleep duration are risk factors for dementia and death in adults age 60 and older.
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2018 June 6

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Eat Fish to Reduce the risk of Multiple Sclerosis

  Researchers at USC in LA reviewed the diets of 1,153 people, and found that eating fish at least once weekly in addition to taking daily fish oil supplements may be associated with a reduced risk of MS.
  Those with high fish intake as described above was found to be associated with a 45% reduced risk of MS.
AAN Annual Meeting 2018

Want to Decrease your Risk of Stroke and Heart attack ? Get/Stay Married !

  In a pooled analysis of more than two million people, those who were never married, divorced or widowed persons had an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 42% and coronary heart disease by 16%.
  Not being married was also associated with an increased risk of dying from coronary heart disease by 42% and stroke by 55%. 
  Divorce was associated with a 35% increased risk of developing heart disease for both men and women. Widowers were 16% more likely to have a stroke.
  There was a higher risk of death following a heart attack among those that have never married.
Heart. 2018 June 18

Friday, July 20, 2018

Detecting Subconcussive Head Trauma Using Blood

  Blood biomarkers can identify neurologic injury that is associated with repetitive subconcussive head trauma.  
Researchers studied the blood of NCAA football players and found that serum concentrations of neurofilament light increased.
Neurosurg. 2018may 29

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Want to Reduce Risk of MS...Move to Florida

  During childhood and the years before onset of multiple sclerosis, living in areas with high ambient levels of ultraviolet-B light is associated with a lower MS risk in women.
  Women who lived in sunnier climates had a 45% reduced risk of developing MS compared to those living in areas with lower UV-B exposure.
Neurology. 2018 Mar 7

Yet Another Reason to Let kids Rest

  Delaying school start time just from 7:15 to 8:30 was shown to have lasting benefits including improved daytime alertness and mental well-being.
Sleep. 2018 Apr 10

Another Reason Young People Need Their Rest

  In infants, children and adolescents, short sleep duration was associated with an increased risk of obesity according to researchers that reviewed the results of 42 population studies. Short sleepers were defined as having less sleep for their reference category for their age.
  At all ages, short sleepers gained more weight and were 58% more likely to become obese or overweight.
Sleep. 2018 Feb 1