The Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease
One of the best-studied diets for cardiovascular health is the Mediterranean diet. This consists of fish, monounsaturated fats from olive oil, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes/nuts, and moderate alcohol consumption. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the burden, or even prevent the development, of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, depression, colorectal cancer, diabetes, obesity, asthma, erectile dysfunction, and cognitive decline. This diet is also known to improve surrogates of cardiovascular disease, such as waist-to-hip ratio, lipids, and markers of inflammation, as well as primary cardiovascular disease outcomes such as death and events in both observational and randomized controlled trial data. The American Journal of Medicine
(3/2015) Share:
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Treating severe hyponatremia with hypertonic saline
Rapid administration of hypertonic saline (3% sodium chloride solution) is recommended for hyponatremic encephalopathy, a serious complication of hyponatremia that can lead to death or permanent neurologic damage. However, evidence-based research for such treatment is lacking. In a case series of 64 adult patients, Ayus et al. evaluated the use of hypertonic saline and found that 500 mL infused over six hours was effective in reversing symptoms of hyponatremic encephalopathy without producing neurological injury. American Journal of Kidney Diseases
(3/2015) Share:
Predictors of postsurgical pain in children
Limited research has examined presurgical risk factors for outcomes in children after major surgery. Regression analysis revealed that presurgery sleep duration and parental catastrophizing were significantly associated with mean pain intensity reported by children two weeks after surgery. This study addresses a gap in the literature. Child anxiety, parental pain catastrophizing, and sleep patterns are potentially modifiable factors that predict poor outcomes; knowledge of these factors may enable identification of children at risk for poorer outcomes and guide developing prevention and intervention strategies for such children. The Journal of Pain
(12/2014) Share:
Chronic conditions and diabetes care quality
Comorbid chronic conditions in diabetes either support (concordant) or compete with (discordant) care. Using logistic regression analysis of health record data, the authors aimed to determine the impact of the number of concordant and discordant conditions on care quality. They found that having more concordant conditions improves care achievement. The number of discordant conditions has a smaller, inconsistently significant impact on goal achievement. Interventions to improve care must align with a patient's comorbidities, including the absence of comorbidities, especially concordant ones. Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications
(3/2015) Share:
Blood pressure, gait speed, and mortality
In the very old is there a link between blood pressure, gait speed, and mortality? Swedish researchers followed 85-, 90-, and 95-year-olds for five years. Gait speed seemed to make a difference in the association between blood pressure and mortality. But blood pressure alone did not. Those with low blood pressure plus slow gait speed may be at increased risk of mortality. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
(3/2015) Share:
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Higher BMI linked to risk of elevated blood pressure in teens
Israeli researchers looked at 715,000 16- to 20-year-olds between 1998 and 2011 and found a statistically significant link between annual increases in the number of youths with high blood pressure levels and those who were overweight. The study, published in the American Journal of Hypertension, found a stronger link between BMI and blood pressure among females than males. Medical News Today
(3/3) Share:
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Analysis: Hospital ratings systems vary widely
The four main hospital ratings systems vary widely in their scores and no hospital is ranked as a high performer by all of them, researchers wrote in Health Affairs. A Healthgrades officer said the systems measure different things, but researchers noted their complexity and lack of transparency likely cause confusion instead of helping patients select higher-quality care. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(3/2) Share:
Poll: Many doctors forgo use of Rx drug monitoring databases
A survey in Health Affairs revealed that while 72% of physicians are aware of state prescription drug monitoring programs, only 53% of those said they use the databases. However, nearly three-quarters of those who have used the databases said the tools help reduce excessive prescribing of opioids. Among the problems noted by physicians was the time it takes to use the databases. BeckersHospitalReview.com
(3/3) Share:
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Seniors interested in using digital health technology, survey finds
An Accenture study found that 67% of 354 seniors reported being interested in accessing care from their homes, but 66% were dubious that technologies available today were capable of offering the care they needed. More than 60% of participants expressed willingness to use a device that could track blood pressure, heart rate and other vital signs, and 25% had repeatedly used EHR portals. MobiHealthNews.com
(3/2) Share:
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Invent yourself and then reinvent yourself."
-- Charles Bukowski, writer Share:
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