A large Swedish study, comparing 136,637 people diagnosed with a stress disorder to 170,000+ unaffected siblings and over 1.3 million in the general population (over 27 years), found that someone with a stress disorder is 37 percent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than the average person and 29 percent more likely than their unaffected siblings. ACCESS THE STUDY
A large, new study from Harvard’s School of Public Health found that drinking sugar-heavy beverages (whether sodas or fruit drinks) was associated with early mortality. One extra 12-ounce serving of a sugary drink daily was linked to a 7 percent increased risk of death overall and a 10 percent increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. One researcher noted: “The optimal intake of these drinks…
A large, new meta-review of 108 randomized controlled trials (23,000 participants) from the very stringent Cochrane Database found that exercise requiring standing up and not sitting is a very good way to reduce falls in the elderly. Tai chi, for example, reduced the rate of falls by 19 percent. The researchers summarized as follows: “We’re very sure that starting an exercise program will reduce the…
A new study from British researchers (on 6,616 children) found that using screens in the hour before bedtime hurts kids’ sleep and quality of life measures. Before-bed screen time was associated with a significantly worse ability to fall asleep as well as waking up too early (60 percent higher odds). And using screens in a dark room led to even worse sleep outcomes than using…
It has been one of the critical unanswered questions in health: Do e-cigarettes actually help smokers quit? The first, large, rigorous study out of the UK answers with a firm “yes.” E-cigarettes were almost twice as successful as nicotine replacement products, such as the patch or gum, for smoking cessation. READ THE STUDY
A large, new study in the European Heart Journal (116,632 people across 21 countries) found that getting at least 6–8 hours of sleep a night is optimal, but getting more might not be. People who slept 8–9 hours had a 5 percent increased risk for cardiovascular disease or death; those who slept 9–10 hours had a 17 percent increased risk; and those sleeping more than…
