Heart Health

Making a Case for Omega-3s

For some time, the benefits of fish oil have been touted on TV, in magazines, and by doctors, but who really benefits most from omega-3 fatty acids? While the benefits are not lost on the rest of us, those people with established heart disease appear to reap the most good with the principal benefit being a reduction in serious rhythm problems. In a review of four studies that included data from about 40,000 participants across a wide population, results showed that consumption of fish oil was associated with a decrease in cardiac deaths. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that people with confirmed coronary heart disease should consume 1,000 mg daily of combined DHA+EPA (docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid; found in fish, fish oil supplements, and algae extract.). For healthy adults, the AHA recommends consuming 500 mg/day, which works out to consuming at least two servings of fatty fish a week.

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Diabetes

Could Where You Live Lead to Diabetes?

It was reported in a recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine that people living in “healthy neighborhoods” were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. The unadjusted incidence rate for the one-third of participants residing in neighborhoods with the highest “healthiness” scores was about half that of those in neighborhoods with the lowest scores (7% versus 13%). If there are no safe places in the neighborhood to walk and if the nearby stores sell only highly processed foods, then your lifestyle may be leading you down the road to diabetes. Exercise and good eating habits are known to prevent development of type 2 diabetes and a range of other serious, chronic diseases, and while changing your environment may not seem possible, some cities are taking steps toward improvement. These include efforts to put farmers’ markets and full-size supermarkets in low income neighborhoods where access to fresh fruits and vegetables is now limited or nonexistent. Creating walking paths, bike lanes, and community gardens are other initiatives underway in some cities.

Click here to read the full Medpage Today story: http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Diabetes/16400utm_medium=email& impressionId=1263795518725&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=mSpoke&userid= 222749

Fitness

Exercise for a Sharp Mind

A new study has found that almost any amount of moderate physical activity in mid- or late life reduced the odds of mild cognitive impairment by 30% to 40%. These findings, which were reported in a recent issue of the Archives of Neurology, contribute to a growing body of evidence that supports exercise as a way to preserve cognitive function. Other studies have shown that physical activity may protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and may help those already impaired. One of those showed that 6 months of high-intensity aerobic exercise was associated with significant improvement in executive function (brain processes responsible for planning, abstract thinking, inhibiting inappropriate actions, etc.) in older women at increased risk of cognitive decline. As the authors of the study pointed out, aerobic exercise is a cost-effective practice associated with numerous physical benefits, one of which is a healthier brain.

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Bone Health

Have Some Calcium With That Vitamin D

According to a study in the British Medical Journal, taking vitamin D with calcium decreased overall fracture risk by 8%, and hip fracture risk by 16%. Previous research had focused on whether vitamin D could reduce fracture risk alone or in combination with calcium. The authors of this study used the raw data from many of those studies for their assessment. They found that using vitamin D with calcium reduced both overall fracture risk and hip fracture risk compared with no treatment. Vitamin D alone in daily doses of 10 mcg or 20 mcg had no significant effects on fracture risk, compared with placebo. Authors of the study recommend a dose of 10 mcg of vitamin D combined with 1,000 mg of calcium. In high-risk patients, they said this should be supplemented by bisphosphonates (drugs used to prevent the development of osteoporosis, eg, Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel) or other antiosteoporotic drugs (eg, hormone replacement therapy, calcitonin).

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