Increased physical activity tied to tidy home
November 22, 2017
The study used a combination of self-assessments and objective assessments to gauge study participants' perceptions of their neighborhood and residences. Researchers based in St. Louis rated the interior and exterior of the dwellings and immediate vicinity, including such things as cleanliness, furnishings, noise, air quality and conditions of the dwelling and those of nearby buildings. The seasonally adjusted Yale Physical Activity Scale was used to assess physical activity. The YPAS was adjust...
BMI in overweight range not a higher risk for health problems
November 21, 2017
After applying a number of statistical tests to the data, the researchers found that among all age groups, with few exceptions, there was no significant difference in the severity of illness between those with normal weight and overweight BMIs. There was a slight increase in the percentage of medication use among men age 40 to 70 with overweight BMIs when compared to men of normal weight."Thus, having a BMI in the overweight range, by itself, was not generally associated with an increased m...
At-home blood pressure monitors help patients manage their high blood pressure: Research
November 20, 2017
Health experts have long known that the current approach to managing hypertension has its shortcomings. Patients often don't comply with in-person visits and when they do, the measurements can be inconsistent or inaccurate. In light of these shortcomings, the American Heart Association recently began recommending home monitoring. However, prior research conducted by Dr. Magid found that when patients used home monitoring, but were required to write down and call-in results, blood pressure goals ...
Elevated levels of Lp-PLA2 associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease
November 19, 2017
"Proponents of in-laboratory testing argue that patients performing in-lab testing might have better outcomes than those performing home testing. For example, during in-lab testing, the patient spends a greater amount of time with a technologist who is able to educate the patient about OSA and CPAP and help the patient overcome any barriers to diagnosis and treatment that might arise during testing," said Dr. Kuna. "But our results did not find a difference between home versus in-...
Potential oral drug for rheumatoid arthritis
November 18, 2017
In an effort provide a suitable solution, Chelsea Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company specializing in treatment for RA and other immunological diseases is developing an oral anti-inflammatory medication and is currently conducting Phase I clinical trials in the U.K. The potential therapy known as CH-1504, was initially developed by Dr. M. Gopal Nair, a professor and vice-chairman at the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of South Alabama. Dr. Nair's extensive...