Larry Minikes 10/26/21 Larry Minikes 10/26/21

How a Day at the Spa Can Benefit Your Mental Health

Guest Post by Eliza Brooks

The French term for spring, "spa," evokes images of natural hot springs with therapeutic effects. While those properties were the first to pique spas' interest many centuries ago, there are a variety of spa treatments available these days to cure our minds. One of the best ways that a spa day can benefit your mental health is through relaxation. There's nothing like enjoying a cup of tea and a hand-and-foot treatment to quiet the mind and recharge after a long week of work. A spa day can be of benefit to the mind, body, and soul. Spa resorts are known for offering services like massage therapies, mud baths, and saunas that can relieve your body from daily stressors. Many resorts also offer healthful detoxification programs to leave you feeling refreshed and renewed. In this article, we will look at how a day at the spa can benefit your mental health.

1. Relaxation

There's nothing like a day at the spa to relax. Whether you're enjoying tea with your hand-and-foot treatment or a yoga class, you'll find that a day at the spa is good for relieving stress and letting go of daily concerns. You can take advantage of services such as meditation and holistic therapies to restore peace and order to your mind and body. To meet your demands, a high quality spa resort provides various treatments. A spa enables you to get all of your spa services in one location. You may watch the news while receiving a massage.

2. Detoxification

Spas are known for offering detoxification programs that consist of healthy eating, yoga, and other activities to encourage your body's natural detoxifying processes. Many resorts also use natural ingredients to create spa treatments that will help purify the body without the side effects of harsh chemicals. This is one of the best ways that a day at the spa can benefit your mental health.

3. Holistic therapies

While you may associate massage therapy with a good backrub, holistic therapies are now available for restoring balance to both your mind and body. You can enjoy treatments that include aromatherapy, therapeutic baths, polarity therapy, acupuncture, and much more. There are even services that combine several therapies into a single treatment. These therapies can help boost your body's natural healing powers, making them a holistic way to restore order to your mind and body.

4. Nutrition

Spa resorts have begun to incorporate cooking classes for guests into their services. This is an excellent way that a day at the spa can benefit your mental health, as it allows you to enjoy healthy eating without having to go through the stress of finding new recipes and shopping for ingredients. Many resorts’s also offer nutritionist services that will help you choose healthy menus and ensure that you're getting enough of each nutrient to keep your body in balance. Whether you're getting a massage or learning to cook, the nutrition services at a spa resort can help you feel your best.

5. Pampering

One of the best things about visiting a spa is getting pampered with massages, aromatherapy, and other treatments. This is something that anyone can benefit from, but it is especially good for those who don't allow themselves enough quiet time to relax. Soaking in the Jacuzzi or enjoying a hot stone massage may sound like an indulgence, but they are some of the best ways that a day at the spa can benefit your mental health. It is important to allow your thoughts to slow down and quiet after a stressful week of work.

A day at the spa can benefit your mental health in so many ways. A good spa resort will offer a variety of ways to relax and relieve stress. Whether you enjoy meditation or aromatherapy, there are many different spa treatments that can benefit your mental health. Relaxation is one of the most important things that we can offer ourselves, and spa resorts are a great way to do just that. Spa resorts have begun including healthful detoxification programs and holistic therapies into their services, and this is making them more than just places for relaxation. The best thing about a day at the spa is getting pampered with massage, aromatherapy, and other treatments. This is a great way to relax after a stressful week of work. Most importantly, a spa resort is a place where you can escape the outside world in order to refocus your mind and body. If you are looking for a day of healthy eating and wellness, a spa resort is an excellent option.

Larry Minikes 10/26/21 Larry Minikes 10/26/21

The Effect of Detoxification on Sleep

Guest post by Eliza Brooks

The human brain is a complex organ, and sleep is an important part of its function. Sleep allows for the restoration of the body's energy levels, hormone balance, immune system strength, and cognitive skills. It also clears out toxins from our brains that have built up throughout the day. Unfortunately, many people suffer from poor quality sleep due to factors such as stress, anxiety, or exposure to blue light at night which can interfere with melatonin production. A detoxification program may be able to help you improve your sleep quality by removing some of these toxins from your body so that they do not interfere with your ability to rest well during slumber time.

In this blog post, we will explore how a detoxification program might affect one's sleep patterns and why this is important.

1. What is Detoxification?

Detoxification, or detoxing, is the process of removing substances from the body and bloodstream. It can be done by following a diet, taking specific medication, or undergoing other treatment methods. The goal is to eliminate toxins that are the result of poor lifestyle choices or an illness.

At its most basic level, detoxification can be achieved by following a diet that is rich in fresh foods with little to no processed ingredients. Doing this will increase fiber intake and water consumption which will help flush out toxins in the gut and liver.

2. Why Detoxification is important

Detoxification is an important part of the human body's natural cleansing process because it helps remove toxins that are left behind by habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol, high-stress levels, or exposure to environmental elements such as heavy metals. Alcohol Addiction is a good example of a situation where detoxification would be particularly helpful because it flushes out the chemicals from alcohol that has been ingested by the body. This process will reduce cravings for another drink, improve mood and energy levels, and provide a general sense of well-being.

A poor-quality diet does not provide sufficient nutrients for this process, so it is essential to have a healthy diet if you are looking for detoxification.

Detoxification also has the ability to improve sleep patterns even though it may seem counterintuitive. It can still improve your sleep quality because it removes toxins from your brain which might interfere with restful slumber time if they are not dealt with.

3. How detoxification affects sleep quality

There are a few different ways to help detoxify the body and brain without an intense regimen. This will help to ensure that you can get better quality sleep every night by clearing toxins from both your brain and digestive system. Since a healthier gut is going to lead to better nutrient absorption, it makes sense that this will have a positive effect on sleep patterns. You can also reduce stress levels, exercise regularly, and improve your diet to help detoxify without making too many changes to your day-to-day routine.

4. Benefits of detoxification on sleep

If you are suffering from poor sleep quality, there is a chance that toxins in the brain could be contributing to your problem. They can accumulate due to things like drinking too much caffeine or alcohol. Since the body is able to naturally detoxify itself through processes such as sweating, urination, and defecation, these methods help ensure that toxins are removed regularly. If you want to improve your sleep quality even more, there are also easy lifestyle changes that can help.

5. Consequences of not detoxifying your body and the importance of a healthy lifestyle

Detoxifying your body is a crucial part of obtaining a healthy lifestyle. If toxins are not removed regularly, it can lead to damage in the vital organs which can reduce functionality and cause future problems. For example, increasing toxic buildup through poor diet choices or being exposed to environmental chemicals could be leading to higher cancer rates in some communities.

6. Ways to cleanse your body from toxins without having to do a full-blown detox program

There are a few ways to detoxify your body from the convenience of your home. You can try a cleansing drink or supplement that helps remove toxins through the digestive system. Another way is by using a detox bath which will help release toxins in sweat during a relaxing evening. If you don't want to go out and buy products, there are simple lifestyle changes you can make to aid in the detoxification process.

7. Tips for better sleeping habits that can help you get more out of your nightly slumber time

Getting into a routine can help your body get used to falling asleep at the same time every night. This will establish a pattern that makes it easier for your body to wind down before you go to bed. Also, having a regular sleep schedule is important because it regulates the circadian rhythm which controls when we feel sleepy and alert.

If you are looking for a more restful night of sleep, detoxify your body with some helpful tips. You’ll feel refreshed and ready to take on the day tomorrow! For starters, drink plenty of water throughout the day so that your cells can have enough hydration to function properly. Next, eat foods that will help cleanse your system by eliminating toxins in the digestive tract while providing healthy nutrients at the same time. Finally, get out into nature or do something else outside every once in a while; sunlight helps regulate our circadian rhythms which also affects our sleep quality. All these things combined with an active lifestyle should be all it takes to give yourself a great night's sleep tonight!

Larry Minikes 10/18/21 Larry Minikes 10/18/21

Coming Out of the Pandemic with a Bang: Practical Advice for Getting Healthier and Crushing Your Goals

Guest Post Contribution by Julia Mitchell
Outspiration.net info@outspiration.net

In light of the pandemic, most of us are ready to get back to some kind of normal. We’re excited about businesses operating at full capacity, our work routines getting back on track, and many other aspects that seem likely to come as the pandemic shifts.

But there is no getting around the fact that the world has changed. Our everyday routines were turned upside down, and now it’s time to pick up the pieces and forge a promising future. And when it comes down to it, your future begins with you. MindSpa shares some practical advice for how you can re-enter the world with confidence, position yourself to crush your goals, and live your best life:

Prioritize Nutrition

One of the first steps you should take is to evaluate your diet. What we eat matters, and our minds and bodies must have the proper nutrition if we are to thrive in our daily life and accomplish our goals.

Make sure that your eating habits are contributing to your overall health and productivity levels—not hindering them. While there are plenty of popular diets that can help you get healthier, simply choosing a few healthy foods to base your diet around can go a long way.

For example, clean foods such as vegetables, fruits, lean meats, fatty fish, whole grains, and seeds are excellent for eating day in and day out. In addition to helping you feel better on a daily basis, switching to a healthier diet can also help prevent conditions such as IBS and IBD, both of which can be controlled with more fibrous food.

Fortunately, there are tons of resources available online to help you plan a healthy diet. Look to the web for healthy and delicious recipes for lunch and dinner, as well as snack ideas that will give your energy a boost rather than drain it.

Another thing to consider is meal prepping. By dedicating two to three hours a week to preparing meals and snacks, you can have most of your food in the fridge ready to grab and go throughout the week. This not only saves you time in the long run but also gives you more control of the ingredients and portions you are consuming.

Fitness Routine

If it’s not as important as diet, physical fitness is a close second. Our bodies need to move, which is why a sedentary lifestyle significantly increases the risk of chronic diseases, not to mention tends to lower overall quality of life. Similar to your diet, you don’t have to go all-in by running a marathon next week. Simply find a physical activity you enjoy, and commit to doing it four or five times a week. Even if it’s just for 30 minutes, you’ll be surprised by how much better you feel by having exercise as a part of your routine.

Regular exercise doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time. If you’re busy, look for ways to squeeze in a workout on your lunch break, such as briskly walking in a nearby park or using the elliptical for 20 minutes at the company gym. A lot of people are taking advantage of the various online workout resources that make it easy to exercise from home. For example, you can easily find HIIT workouts, weightlifting regimes, yoga classes, and many other types of fitness routines through tutorials and videos. And the best part? You don’t need a lot of equipment.

While regular exercise can do wonders for your physical health, it’s also an essential practice for your mental health. Few things can boost your self-confidence like going for a run or swimming a few laps in the pool. And since sticking to a fitness routine will help you feel better day to day, you will naturally be more productive and ready to tackle the tasks at hand.

Getting Sleep

Getting adequate sleep is right up there with exercise in terms of importance to your all-around health. And this is usually the habit neglected first by busy people. But don’t fool yourself—you can’t be as healthy, productive, or happy as you want to be unless you get your much-needed shut-eye. Sleep is simply too critical for our minds and bodies. We can’t function if we don’t allow ourselves to rest from the activities of the day and prepare for the next day.

Experts recommend that adults get seven to nine hours of restful sleep each night. If that doesn’t seem practical with your schedule, figure out a way to make it work. One way to do this is to find an activity or two that helps your mind and body to unwind from an eventful day. This may mean listening to calming music, relaxing in a warm bath, meditating, or reading a book before bed. Another great option is to try the MindSpa Personal Development System. This easy-to-use technology offers an innovative way to achieve better sleep and relaxation through sound and light sessions that guide you toward “desirable brainwave states.”

Improving Your Career Prospects

Along with taking care of your mind and body, now is the perfect time to revisit your career path. Are you doing what you want to do? Are you getting fulfillment from your job as well as making the money you need to make?

If you want to make a career change, you might benefit from going back to school. These days you can earn an online degree in a wide array of fields. For example, if you would like to be a business owner or a leader someday, consider pursuing a business degree in business management, marketing, or a related concentration. This not only will add credentials to your resume but will also help to strengthen your business acumen.

Unplugging from Social Media

Finally, give your mental health a break by limiting the time you spend on social media. Not only is it unhealthy to stare at a screen all day, but people tend to create the image of themselves and their families that they want to portray on social media; that is, they minimize the flaws and focus on making everything look perfect. This can not only lead to feelings of personal inadequacy but also make you feel like you’re not keeping up with the Joneses, working in a fulfilling enough profession, living with enough purpose—you get the picture.

Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and others have their benefits. But don’t let it become a major influencer in how you feel about yourself and your life. Intentionally unplug for two or three days at a time, and see if you don’t feel more peace and freedom to live your own life.

It’s safe to say that most people are ready for some kind of normalcy. In many ways, this is an opportunity for us to create a fresh start in our lives. Make the most of the opportunity by taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. Revisit your career to determine if it’s time for a change. And take breaks from social media so that you can focus on the life you are creating for yourself and your family rather than constantly comparing your life to those of others.

Larry Minikes 10/18/21 Larry Minikes 10/18/21

The Effect of Detoxification on Sleep

Guest Post Contribution by: Eliza Brooks

In this blog post, we will explore how a detoxification program might affect one's sleep patterns and why this is important.

1. What is Detoxification?

2. Why Detoxification is important

A poor-quality diet does not provide sufficient nutrients for this process, so it is essential to have a healthy diet if you are looking for detoxification.

3. How detoxification affects sleep quality

4. Benefits of detoxification on sleep

5. Consequences of not detoxifying your body and the importance of a healthy lifestyle

6. Ways to cleanse your body from toxins without having to do a full-blown detox program

7. Tips for better sleeping habits that can help you get more out of your nightly slumber time

Larry Minikes 10/12/21 Larry Minikes 10/12/21

Mushroom consumption may lower risk of depression

October 12, 2021

Science Daily/Penn State

Mushrooms have been making headlines due to their many health advantages. Not only do they lower one's risk of cancer and premature death, but new research led by Penn State College of Medicine also reveals that these superfoods may benefit a person's mental health.

Penn State researchers used data on diet and mental health collected from more than 24,000 U.S. adults between 2005 and 2016. They found that people who ate mushrooms had lower odds of having depression.

According to the researchers, mushrooms contain ergothioneine, an antioxidant that may protect against cell and tissue damage in the body. Studies have shown that antioxidants help prevent several mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression.

"Mushrooms are the highest dietary source of the amino acid ergothioneine -- an anti-inflammatory which cannot be synthesized by humans," said lead researcher Djibril Ba, who recently graduated from the epidemiology doctoral program at the College of Medicine. "Having high levels of this may lower the risk of oxidative stress, which could also reduce the symptoms of depression."

White button mushrooms, which are the most commonly consumed mushroom variety in the U.S., contain potassium, which is believed to lower anxiety. In addition, certain other species of edible mushrooms, especially Hericium erinaceus, also known as Lion's Mane, may stimulate the expression of neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor synthesis, which could have an impact on preventing neuropsychiatric disorders including depression.

According to the researchers, college-educated, non-Hispanic white women were more likely to eat mushrooms. The average age of surveyed participants was 45, and the majority (66%) were non-Hispanic white people. The investigators observed a significant association between mushroom consumption and lower odds of depression after accounting for socio-demographics, major risk factors, self-reported diseases, medications and other dietary factors. They said, however, that there was no clear additional benefit with relatively high mushroom intake.

"The study adds to the growing list of possible health benefits of eating mushrooms," said Joshua Muscat, a Penn State Cancer Institute researcher and professor of public health sciences.

The team conducted a secondary analysis to see if the risk of depression could be lowered by replacing a serving of red or processed meat with a serving of mushrooms each day. However, findings show that this substitution was not associated with lower odds of depression.

Prior to this research, there have been few studies to examine the association between mushroom consumption and depression, and the majority have been clinical trials with fewer than 100 participants. The researchers said this study highlights the potential clinical and public health importance of mushroom consumption as a means of reducing depression and preventing other diseases.

The researchers noted some limitations that could be addressed in future studies. The data did not provide details on the types of mushrooms. As a result, the researchers could not determine the effects of specific types of mushrooms on depression. Food codes issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture were used to determine mushroom intake; therefore, some entries may have been misclassified or inaccurately recorded.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211012102657.htm

Larry Minikes 10/6/21 Larry Minikes 10/6/21

Can You Retrain the Brain After Addiction?

Guest post by Dr. Harshi Dhingra
Pathologist, Assistant professor, Pathology | Adesh institute of medical sciences and research, Bathinda

Addiction is not just a physical problem but an emotional challenge that can seriously impact your life and development. It literally reprograms your brain and makes it feel nearly impossible to overcome. Thankfully, that doesn't have to be the case if you understand how to retrain your brain.

How Addiction Affects the Brain

Substance abuse will inevitably change the way that your brain operates. That's because it changes the chemistry in your mind and causes changes in how it works. This process is a multi-faceted one and impacts even people who try a few drugs:

The Production of the High – When you get high, your brain is forced to release artificially high levels of dopamine. This release can acclimate your brain to this higher level and make life without drugs seem duller or less happy. But, unfortunately, your brain may also release fewer endorphin chemicals without drugs.
A Decrease in Potency – You probably noticed that you get less of a higher and a shorter one the longer you use drugs. That's because your brain is retrained to tolerate higher doses, meaning you have to increase your levels (and increase your addiction) to get the same types of effects.
The Rewarding of Adverse Patterns of Behavior – As you abuse drugs and experience higher highs, your brain becomes reprogrammed. It starts recognizing negative patterns of behavior as rewarding. As a result, it unconsciously triggers more elevated rates of substance abuse.
A Loss of Self-Control – People who abuse substances often claim that they can’t control their actions. This perception is accurate to an extent. While they are still accountable for their behaviors, their brain pushes them harder towards frequent drug abuse.

This type of reprogramming can be hard to fight. Some people argue that addiction trains the brain in such a way that retraining is impossible. But is that the case? Let's take a look at two different arguments to get an idea of what is possible in this situation.

Brains Can't Be Retrained?

Brain plasticity is the measurement of how easy it is for your mind to adapt to new situations. Plasticity is at its peak when you're about 5-8 years old and rapidly decreases as you age. By the time you reach your 20s, it’s nowhere near what it was when you were a teen. Unfortunately, this may make retraining very difficult.

Some even argue that retraining at this point is impossible, particularly when your brain is affected by addiction. The unconscious mind has been crafted to suit specific situations and react in particular ways. As a result, adaptation can feel nearly impossible for many people, making addiction tough to fight.

That said, it is unfair to say that the brain cannot be retrained at all. Even older adults learn hobbies like painting, music, and much more. And while addiction is more complex than learning how to play guitar, you can still retrain your brain if you take the time and energy to learn how to do it.

Brains CAN Be Retrained

While retraining your brain after addiction is challenging due to decreased brain plasticity, you can retrain yourself given enough time. These steps require you to pay close attention to your behaviors and your thoughts and to condition yourself to avoid them. A few ways you can take this approach include:

Work Towards Personal Awareness – Pay attention to your thoughts as they happen and try to understand where they originate. If they are negative, correct them with positive statements. Your brain plasticity may slow down your retraining, but consistency minimizes any confusion.
Understand Your Triggers – Your drug addiction operates on a pattern that is unique to you. Your triggers initiate this pattern. Learning to avoid your triggers can retrain your brain. For example, if boredom pushes you towards regular drug abuse, find a way to keep yourself engaged.
Stay Consistent – The most challenging part about retraining your brain is staying consistent. It is only through repeated and constant retraining that you can improve your mental health and fight drug addiction. You may also need a specialist or friend who can keep you engaged with this process.
Know What You Want – The brain needs direction during retraining and an understanding of what you want. Fighting for your sobriety gives you the kind of insight that you need to stay focused and happy within your recovery effort.

These steps seem simple on the surface but can be challenging to execute correctly. You may find yourself falling away from these steps or even relapsing. Even a relapse, however, can be a powerful learning tool for retraining. Use every resource available to keep your drug addiction at bay.

Help is Available for You

Retraining your brain after addiction isn’t going to be easy. You need to work constantly at keeping yourself engaged with your growth and must recognize and actively fight negative thoughts. The mind is a very stubborn and tricky beast to battle as we age. Thankfully, it’s still possible to get help if you fully understand the different suggestions for your needs.

Just as importantly, you need to take the time to work with professionals who fully understand your needs and your emotional situation. These experts will guide you through this period, teaching you various coping mechanisms, recognizing signs of relapse, and ensure that you stay focused on the path towards recovery. While challenging, you can retrain your brain and stay sober for good.

Sources:

addiction.surgeongeneral.gov – The Neurobiology of Substance Use, Misuse, and Addiction

teens.drugabuse.gov – Brain and Addiction

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – The Aging Mind: Neuroplasticity in Response to Cognitive Training

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – The Social Brain: Neural Basis of Social Knowledge

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – Brain Plasticity and Behavior in the Developing Brain

pubmed.ncbi.nih.gov – Retraining the Addicted Brain

newsinhealth.nih.gov – Biology of Addiction

drugabuse.gov – How Science Has Revolutionized the Understanding of Drug Addiction

sunshinebehavioralhealth.com - 90 Day Rehab Programs

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

How do migraines affect the sleep cycle?

Study finds differences between perceived and actual sleep quality in people with migraine

September 22, 2021

Science Daily/American Academy of Neurology

Adults and children with migraines may get less quality, REM sleep time than people who don't have migraines. That's according to a meta-analysis published in the September 22, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Children with migraines were also found to get less total sleep time than their healthy peers but took less time to fall asleep.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is the stage of sleep that involves the most brain activity and vivid dreams. It is important for learning and memory function.

"Do migraines cause poor sleep quality or does poor sleep quality cause migraines?" said meta-analysis author Jan Hoffmann, MD, PhD, of King's College London in the United Kingdom and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "We wanted to analyze recent research to get a clearer picture of how migraines affect people's sleep patterns and the severity of their headaches. That way, clinicians can better support people with migraines and deliver more effective sleep treatments."

For the meta-analysis, researchers included 32 studies, involving 10,243 people. Participants completed a questionnaire to rate their own sleep quality. It asked about sleep habits, including how long it takes to fall asleep, total sleep time and the use of sleep aids. Higher scores indicate worse sleep quality.

For many of the studies, people took part in an overnight sleep lab used to diagnose sleep disorders. This sleep study records brain waves, the oxygen level in the blood, heart rate and eye movement.

Researchers found that adults with migraines overall had higher average scores on the questionnaire than people without migraines, with a moderate amount of the difference due to the migraines. The difference was even greater in people with chronic migraines.

When researchers looked at sleep studies, they found adults and children with migraines had less REM sleep as a percentage of their total sleep time than their healthy counterparts.

When looking at children with migraines, researchers found they had less total sleep time, more wake time, and shorter time for sleep onset than children without migraines. Hoffmann said it's possible children with migraines may fall asleep more quickly than their peers because they may be sleep deprived.

"Our analysis provides a clearer understanding of migraines and how they affect sleep patterns and illustrates the impact these patterns might have on a person's ability to get a good night's sleep," Hoffmann said.

The meta-analysis does not prove a causal relationship between sleep and migraines.

A limitation of the meta-analysis is that medications that affect sleep cycles were not taken into account.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210922160654.htm

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

People synchronize heart rates while listening attentively to stories

September 14, 2021

Science Daily/Cell Press

People often unconsciously synchronize bodily functions like heartbeat and breathing when they share an experience, such as a live performance or have a personal conversation. According to a new study, subjects' heart rates synchronize even if they are just listening to a story by themselves, and this synchronization only occurs when the subjects are paying attention to the story. The findings from the research are reported September 14 in the journal Cell Reports.

"There's a lot of literature demonstrating that people synchronize their physiology with each other. But the premise is that somehow you're interacting and physically present the same place," says co-senior author Lucas Parra, a professor at City College of New York. "What we have found is that the phenomenon is much broader, and that simply following a story and processing stimulus will cause similar fluctuations in people's heart rates. It's the cognitive function that drives your heart rate up or down."

"What's important is that the listener is paying attention to the actions in the story," adds co-senior author Jacobo Sitt (@jdsitt), a researcher at the Paris Brain Institute and Inserm. "It's not about emotions, but about being engaged and attentive, and thinking about what will happen next. Your heart responds to those signals from the brain."

The investigators conducted a series of four experiments to explore the role of consciousness and attention in synchronizing participants' heart rates. In the first, healthy volunteers listened to an audiobook of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. As they listened, their heart rate changed based on what was happening in the story, as measured by electrocardiogram (EKG). The researchers found that the majority of subjects showed increases and decreases in their heart rate at the same points in the narrative.

In the second experiment, volunteers watched short instructional videos. Because the videos were educational with no underlying emotional variations, this experiment confirmed that emotional engagement in a story was not playing a part. The first time they watched the videos, heart rates across the subjects showed similar fluctuations. The participants then watched the videos a second time while counting backwards in their heads. That time, the lack of attention resulted in a drop in the synchronization of heart rates across subjects, confirming that attention was important.

In the third experiment, the subjects listened to short children's stories, some while attentive and others while being distracted, and then were asked to recall facts from the stories. The researchers found that the fluctuations seen in the participants' heart rates were predictive of how well they did at answering questions about the story -- more synchronization predicted better test scores. This indicated that changes in heart rate were a signal of conscious processing of the narrative.

When the researchers looked at changes in breathing rates, they didn't see the same synchronization among the subjects. This was surprising, since breathing is known to affect heart rate.

The fourth experiment was similar to the first, but it included both healthy volunteers and patients with disorders of consciousness -- such as those in comas or persistent vegetative states. All subjects were presented with an audiobook of a children's story. As expected, the patients had lower rates of heart synchronization than did healthy controls. When the patients were examined six months later, some of them with higher synchronization had regained some consciousness.

"This study is still very preliminary, but you can imagine this being an easy test that could be implemented to measure brain function," Sitt says. "It doesn't require a lot of equipment. It even could be performed in an ambulance on the way to the hospital." He notes that much more validation is needed with larger numbers of patients as well as comparisons to accepted tests of brain function like EEGs and fMRIs. This is something his group is continuing to study.

Parra says such research is also important for understanding mindfulness and the brain-body connection. "Neuroscience is opening up in terms of thinking of the brain as part of an actual anatomical, physical body," he says. "This research is a step in the direction of looking at the brain-body connection more broadly, in terms of how the brain affects the body."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210914111238.htm

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

Men may sleep worse on nights during the first half of the lunar cycle

September 13, 2021

Science Daily/Uppsala University

Men's sleep may be more powerfully influenced by the lunar cycle than women's, according to a new study from Uppsala University, now published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

Previous studies have produced somewhat conflicting results on the association between the lunar cycle and sleep, with some reporting an association whereas others did not. There are several possible explanations for these discrepant findings, such as that some of the results were chance findings. However, many past studies investigating the association of the lunar cycle with human sleep did not control their analyses for confounders known to impact human sleep, such as obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia.

During the waxing period, the amount of illuminated moon surface as seen from Earth increases, and the moment that the moon crosses a location's meridian gradually shifts to late evening hours. In contrast, during the waning period, the illuminated surface decreases and the moment that the moon crosses a location's meridian gradually shifts to daytime hours.

"We used one-night at-home sleep recordings from 492 women and 360 men. We found that men whose sleep was recorded during nights in the waxing period of the lunar cycle exhibited lower sleep efficiency and increased time awake after sleep onset compared to men whose sleep was measured during nights in the waning period. In contrast, the sleep of women remained largely unaffected by the lunar cycle. Our results were robust to adjustment for chronic sleep problems and obstructive sleep apnea severity," says Christian Benedict, Associate Professor at Uppsala University's Department of Neuroscience, and corresponding author of the study.

One mechanism through which the moon may impact sleep is sunlight reflected by the moon around times when people usually go to bed. In addition, a recent study suggests that the male brain may be more responsive to ambient light than that of females.

"Our study, of course, cannot disentangle whether the association of sleep with the lunar cycle was causal or just correlative," concludes Christian Benedict.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210913135647.htm

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

Good sleep-time recovery is associated with a healthier diet and lower alcohol consumption

September 8, 2021

Science Daily/University of Eastern Finland

Good sleep-time recovery is associated with a health-promoting diet and health-promoting eating habits, as well as with lower consumption of alcohol, according to a new study investigating psychological and physiological well-being among working-age Finnish adults.

The association of physiological recovery with nutrition has been studied only scarcely. Published in Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, a new study now investigates whether physiological recovery during sleep relates to eating behaviour and diet quality.

The study population consisted of 252 psychologically distressed adults with overweight, who participated in a lifestyle intervention study in three Finnish cities. Their recovery was measured on the basis of sleep-time heart rate variability recorded on three consecutive nights. Heart rate variability was used to measure both parasympathetic and sympathetic activation of the autonomic nervous system, and their relation, i.e., the balance between stress and recovery. The parasympathetic nervous system plays a key role in recovery, during which heart rate is decreased and heart rate variability is high.

The study participants' eating behaviour was measured using four different questionnaires, and their diet quality and alcohol consumption was quantified using two different questionnaires and a 48-hour dietary recall. The aim was to explore the association between physiological recovery, diet quality, alcohol consumption and different aspects of eating behaviour, such as eating according to hunger and satiety cues. The present results are from the data collected at baseline before the lifestyle intervention.

According to the study, higher sleep-time parasympathetic activity, which is indicative of better physiological recovery, associates with more health-promoting diet quality and lower alcohol consumption, and possibly also with eating habits, especially factors affecting our decision to eat. Especially participants with a good stress balance reported better overall diet quality, higher fibre intake, stronger dietary self-control and lower alcohol consumption than those with a poorer stress balance.

However, the researchers point out that the cross-sectional study design allows no causality conclusions. In other words, it cannot be concluded from the results if better recovery leads to a healthier diet or if a healthy diet supports better recovery.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210908180457.htm

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

Gut and heart signals affect how we see ourselves

Study: Weak internal connections linked to body shame and weight preoccupation

September 3, 2021

Science Daily/Anglia Ruskin University

New research has discovered that the strength of the connection between our brain and internal organs is linked to how we feel about our appearance.

Published in the journal Cortex, the study is the first to investigate, and first to identify, the association between body image and the brain's processing of internal signals that occur unconsciously.

Carried out by a team of psychologists and neuroscientists at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), the study found that adults whose brains are less efficient at detecting these internal messages are more likely to experience body shame and weight preoccupation.

This research could have therapeutic implications for people suffering with conditions in which body image plays a significant role. For example, the unconscious signals could be made conscious. Further research could even be applied to the clinic as it may be the case that brain responses to gut signals could indicate a predisposition to eating disorders.

The study participants -- a group of healthy UK adults -- first took part in four body image assessments to measure their feelings of body appreciation, body functionality appreciation, body shame, and weight preoccupation.

The researchers then carried out measurements of the participants' internal signals. Some of the messages from the heart and gut are processed at an unconscious level and the nervous system interprets these signals to provide the brain with continuously updated information about the body's internal state.

The strength of the connection between the gut and the brain was measured by recording the electrical activity of both regions at the same time. The researchers also measured brain responses to heartbeats.

They found that weaker brain responses to the gut and heart were both significantly associated with greater levels of body shame and weight preoccupation amongst the participants.

Senior author Dr Jane Aspell, Associate Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: "We experience our body both from the inside and out: we can be aware of how our skin and limbs look, but also of how hungry we feel or how strongly our heart is beating during exercise. The brain also continuously processes internal signals that we are not conscious of.

"We found that when the brain is less responsive to these implicit signals from inside the body, individuals are more likely to hold negative views about their external bodily appearance. It may be that when the brain has a weaker connection to the internal body, the brain puts more emphasis on the external body and so appearance becomes much more important for self-evaluation."

Lead author Dr Jennifer Todd, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: "Our research could have implications for those experiencing negative body image, which can have a serious impact on people's lives.

"The gut and heart signal measurements used in our study could potentially act as a biomarker to help identify, or even predict, negative body image and associated conditions, such as eating disorders. Additionally, by training people to become more aware of internal sensations, it might be possible to amplify these unconscious signals.

"We need to understand why some brains are better at detecting these internal signals than others. We expect it is partly due to differences in neuro-anatomical connections between the brain and internal organs, and this will be the subject of future research."

Meanwhile, Dr Jane Aspell will be speaking about her research on the body and sense of self in a talk at the British Science Festival 2021, 7-11 September hosted by the British Science Association at Anglia Ruskin University. The talk will explore research on out of body experiences (OBEs), and she will share case studies from neurological patients.

Dr Aspell's work investigates what happens in the brain during an OBE and she will present evidence that these are caused by abnormal functioning in parts of the brain that process and combine signals from our bodies. This research on neurological patients sheds light on how the healthy brain generates the experience of one's self, and what happens when that construction temporarily goes 'wrong'.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210903085908.htm

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

Deficits may remain after 7-day recovery from 10 days of insufficient sleep

In small study, reaction speed recovered, but other sleep loss deficits persisted one week later

September 1, 2021

Science Daily/PLOS

After 7 days of recovery from a 10-day period of deficient sleep, participants in a small study had recovered their pre-sleep deprivation reaction speed, but had not fully recovered on any other measures of function. Jeremi Ochab of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on September 1, 2021.

Sleep deficiency is well known to negatively impact human functioning. For example, it is associated with deficits in attention and memory, as well as increased risk of car accidents, heart problems, and other medical issues. However, while some research has addressed recovery after chronic sleep deprivation, it has been unclear how much time is needed to fully recover from prolonged periods of deficient sleep.

To shed more light on this topic, Ochab and colleagues conducted a small study with several healthy adults who underwent 10 days of purposeful sleep restriction followed by 7 recovery days of unrestricted sleep. Participants completed the study in their normal day-to-day environments and wore wrist sensors to monitor daily patterns of sleep and activity. They also underwent daily electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor brain activity, and they answered daily questions (Stroop tasks) to measure reaction times and accuracy.

After 7 days of recovery, the participants had not yet returned to pre-sleep deprivation performance on most measures of functioning. These included several EEG measures of brain activity, rest-versus-activity patterns captured by wrist sensors, and accuracy on Stroop tasks. Only their reaction times had recovered to baseline levels.

While the researchers note that it is difficult to compare these results with other studies that employed different methods, the findings contribute new insights into recovery from chronic sleep loss. Future research could expand to a greater number of participants, investigate longer recovery periods, and disentangle the order in which different functions return to normal.

The authors add: "The investigation of the recovery process following an extended period of sleep restriction reveal that the differences in behavioral, motor, and neurophysiological responses to both sleep loss and recovery."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210901142729.htm

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

How people respond to wildfire smoke

August 30, 2021

Science Daily/Stanford University

Interviews with Northern California residents reveal that social norms and social support are essential for understanding protective health behaviors during wildfire smoke events -- information that could be leveraged to improve public health outcomes.

As wildfires become commonplace in the western U.S. and around the world, checking the daily air quality warning has become as routine as checking the weather. But what people do with that data -- whether it drives them to slip on a mask before stepping outside or seal up their homes against smoke -- is not always straightforward or rational, according to new Stanford research.

In a case study of Northern California residents, Stanford researchers explored the psychological factors and social processes that drive responses to wildfire smoke. The research, which ultimately aims to uncover approaches for helping people better protect themselves, shows that social norms and social support are essential for understanding protective health actions during wildfire smoke events. The findings appeared this month in the journal Climate Risk Management.

"It's important to understand how people behave so that public health communications professionals can potentially intervene and promote safer behavior that mitigates risk," said lead study author Francisca Santana, a PhD student in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER). "This kind of qualitative work is a first step so that we can learn how people are using information and interacting to make decisions. We can then look at where there might be leverage points or opportunities to promote more protective behavior."

Exposure to wildfire smoke can irritate the lungs, cause inflammation, impact the immune system and increase susceptibility to lung infections, including the virus that causes COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While other studies have examined how people respond to evacuation orders, little has been done to understand what's happening with wildfire smoke exposure if people don't -- or can't -- leave the area, according to senior study author Gabrielle Wong-Parodi, an assistant professor of Earth system science at Stanford's School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (Stanford Earth).

"It resonated with me, the things that people were doing to try to protect themselves in the absence of access to effective ways to reduce their wildfire smoke exposure," Wong-Parodi said, referring to a resident who breathed through a wet bandana in an attempt to filter out toxic smoke particles. "It's urgent that we come up with strategies that are realistic for what people are going through."

Study authors Santana and David Gonzalez, who worked on the study as a PhD student at Stanford, interviewed residents across age, race and income demographics who were affected by wildfire smoke from the 2018 Camp Fire that destroyed Paradise, California, and subsequent fires in 2019 in Fresno, Santa Clara and Sacramento counties.

They found that individuals responded to wildfire smoke events in three main ways: interpreting information together, protecting vulnerable others and questioning protective actions. Their responses were influenced not only by the Air Quality Index (AQI) but also by what they were personally experiencing -- whether they smelled, saw or tasted smoke in the air.

Just as important were the social factors at play, the researchers found. "Social norms and social support were really influencing how people chose to act on their perceptions of threat," Santana said. "For example, a lot of people talked about observing others wearing masks, and in some cases that observation was enough for them to act by wearing a mask themselves."

Their discussions revealed that the shared rules or standards of behavior within a social group -- social norms -- were a common pathway driving behavior change, in addition to the act of assisting or comforting others within your social group -- social support.

"There were only a handful of people who described looking at the AQI and then changing their behavior based on just that -- it was almost always a conversation they were having with one another," Santana said. "It was very much a social exercise of making sense of limited information or information that was not at the right scale for their community."

The study provides a framework for better understanding wildfire smoke responses by examining social processes while acknowledging that cultural and political contexts, as well as factors like demographics, health status and previous exposure to smoke and air pollution, may also influence individual behaviors.

In the western U.S., climate change has contributed to the risk and extent of wildfires, bringing smoke to regions like the Bay Area, which has historically been less affected than the rest of the state. In some cases, the researchers found that residents were unable to protect themselves because they couldn't access N95 masks or air purifiers or properly seal their homes.

"This research is also important for epidemiologists trying to understand how wildfire smoke affects health," said Gonzalez, who is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. "This can help us to look at disparities in who's exposed to smoke and whether that leads to poorer health for some populations."

As these events become more common, there could be an opportunity to find policy synergies that help prepare communities for future smoke events, according to the co-authors. For example, programs that are designed to improve household comfort and increase energy efficiency could also include measures to reduce smoke intrusion during wildfire smoke events, Wong-Parodi suggested.

Some of the interviews revealed that residents simply didn't know what to do while experiencing a novel extreme event. But even that revealed how processing uncertainty is a social exercise, not just a cognitive one.

"This piece shows that social norms may be an effective lever for encouraging the pro-health change that we'd like to see," Wong-Parodi said. "That is actually a really promising sign for thinking about how to adapt and mitigate our risk as we're facing increasing threats from climate change."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830152903.htm

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

Antibiotics linked to increased risk of colon cancer

September 1, 2021

Science Daily/Umea University

There is a clear link between taking antibiotics and an increased risk of developing colon cancer within the next five to ten years. This has been confirmed by researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, after a study of 40,000 cancer cases. The impact of antibiotics on the intestinal microbiome is thought to lie behind the increased risk of cancer.

"The results underline the fact that there are many reasons to be restrictive with antibiotics. While in many cases antibiotic therapy is necessary and saves lives, in the event of less serious ailments that can be expected to heal anyway, caution should be exercised. Above all to prevent bacteria from developing resistance but, as this study shows, also because antibiotics may increase the risk of future colon cancer," explains Sophia Harlid, cancer researcher at Umeå University.

Researchers found that both women and men who took antibiotics for over six months ran a 17 per cent greater risk of developing cancer in the ascending colon, the first part of the colon to be reached by food after the small intestine, than those who were not prescribed any antibiotics. However, no increased risk was found for cancer in the descending colon. Nor was there an increased risk of rectal cancer in men taking antibiotics, while women taking antibiotics had a slightly reduced incidence of rectal cancer.

The increased risk of colon cancer was visible already five to ten years after taking antibiotics. Although the increase in risk was greatest for those taking most antibiotics, it was also possible to observe an admittedly small, but statistically significant, increase in the risk of cancer after a single course of antibiotics.

The present study uses data on 40,000 patients from the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry from the period 2010-2016. These have been compared to a matched control group of 200,000 cancer-free individuals drawn from the Swedish population at large. Data on the individuals' antibiotic use was collected from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register for the period 2005-2016. The Swedish study broadly confirms the results of an earlier, somewhat smaller British study.

In order to understand how antibiotics increase the risk, the researchers also studied a non-antibiotic bactericidal drug used against urinary infections that does not affect the microbiome. There was no difference in the frequency of colon cancer in those who used this drug, suggesting that it is the impact of antibiotics on the microbiome that increases the risk of cancer. While the study only covers orally administered antibiotics, even intravenous antibiotics may affect the gut microbiota in the intestinal system.

"There is absolutely no cause for alarm simply because you have taken antibiotics. The increase in risk is moderate and the affect on the absolute risk to the individual is fairly small. Sweden is also in the process of introducing routine screening for colorectal cancer. Like any other screening programme, it is important to take part so that any cancer can be detected early or even prevented, as cancer precursors can sometimes be removed," says Sophia Harlid.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210901090057.htm

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

Alcohol can cause immediate risk of atrial fibrillation

Study contradicts perception that drinking is 'cardioprotective'

August 31, 2021

Science Daily/University of California - San Francisco

A single glass of wine can quickly -- significantly -- raise the drinker's risk for atrial fibrillation, according to new research by UC San Francisco.

The study provides the first evidence that alcohol consumption substantially increases the chance of the heart rhythm condition occurring within a few hours. The findings might run counter to a prevailing perception that alcohol can be "cardioprotective," say the authors, suggesting that reducing or avoiding alcohol might help mitigate harmful effects.

The paper is published August 30, 2021 in Annals of Internal Medicine.

"Contrary to a common belief that atrial fibrillation is associated with heavy alcohol consumption, it appears that even one alcohol drink may be enough to increase the risk," said Gregory Marcus, MD, MAS, professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at UCSF.

"Our results show that the occurrence of atrial fibrillation might be neither random nor unpredictable," he said. "Instead, there may be identifiable and modifiable ways of preventing an acute heart arrhythmia episode."

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart arrhythmia seen clinically, but until now research has largely focused on risk factors for developing the disease and therapies to treat it, rather than factors that determine when and where an episode might occur. AF can lead to loss of quality of life, significant health care costs, stroke, and death.

Large studies have shown that chronic alcohol consumption can be a predictor of the condition, and Marcus and other scientists have demonstrated that it is linked to heightened risks of a first diagnosis of atrial arrhythmias.

The research centered on 100 patients with documented AF who consumed at least one alcoholic drink a month. The patients were recruited from the general cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology outpatient clinics at UCSF. People with a history of alcohol or substance use disorder were excluded, as were those with certain allergies, or who were changing treatment for their heart condition.

Each wore an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor for approximately four weeks, pressing a button whenever they had a standard-size alcoholic drink. They were also all fitted with a continuously recording alcohol sensor. Blood tests reflecting alcohol consumption over the previous weeks were periodically administered. Participants consumed a median of one drink per day throughout the study period.

Researchers found that an AF episode was associated with two-fold higher odds with one alcoholic drink, and three-fold higher odds with two or more drinks within the preceding four hours. AF episodes were also associated with an increased blood alcohol concentration.

The authors note study limitations, including that patients might have forgotten to press their monitor buttons or that they minimized the number of button presses due to embarrassment, although these considerations would not have affected alcohol sensor readings. Additionally, the study was limited to those with established AF, not to the general population.

"The effects seem to be fairly linear: the more alcohol consumed, the higher the risk of an acute AF event," said Marcus. "These observations mirror what has been reported by patients for decades, but this is the first objective, measurable evidence that a modifiable exposure may acutely influence the chance that an AF episode will occur."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210831083055.htm

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

How can I avoid heart disease or stroke?

August 30, 2021

Science Daily/European Society of Cardiology

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice are published online today in European Heart Journal.

As much as 90% of the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease (PAD) can be explained by smoking, poor eating habits, lack of physical activity, abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, raised blood lipid levels, diabetes, psychosocial factors, or alcohol. These guidelines focus on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), which affects the arteries. As the inside of the arteries become clogged up by fatty deposits, they can no longer supply enough blood to the body. This process is the main cause of heart attacks, strokes, PAD and sudden death where arteries become completely blocked. The most important way to prevent these conditions is to adopt a healthy lifestyle throughout life, especially not smoking, and to treat risk factors.

Recommendations are provided for healthy adults of all ages, as well as patients with established CVD or diabetes. Identifying who will benefit most from preventive treatments, such as blood pressure and lipid lowering therapies, is central to prevention efforts and therefore the estimation of CVD risk is the cornerstone of the guidelines.

Targets for blood lipids, blood pressure, and glycaemic control in diabetes remain as recommended in recent ESC guidelines on dyslipidaemias, hypertension or diabetes. The current guidelines introduce a stepwise approach to intensifying preventive treatments, while always taking into consideration potential benefit, other conditions, psychosocial factors and patient preferences. In healthy people, for example, the stepwise approach starts with recommendations for everyone: smoking cessation, adopting a healthy lifestyle, and maintaining a systolic blood pressure below 160 mmHg. The recommendations are then tailored according to the 10-year risk of CVD (calculated by a health professional using available risk scores).

"Individualised decisions using risk estimation and a stepwise approach to therapies is more complex than a one-size-fits-all approach, but reflects the diversity of patients and patient characteristics in everyday clinical practice, and is essential to give the right patient the right treatment," said guidelines task force chairperson Professor Frank Visseren of the University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands.

A new section is devoted to communication of risk in the shared decision making process. The aims are for individuals to understand their risk, the anticipated risk reduction with preventive actions, the pros and cons of intervention, and their own priorities. In healthy people, the standard approach is to calculate the likelihood of CVD within 10 years. Young people may find estimations of lifetime risk and lifetime benefit of preventive action more informative, since their 10-year risk is generally low.

Stopping smoking is potentially the most effective of all preventive measures, with substantial reductions in heart attacks or death. The CVD risk in smokers under 50 years of age is five-fold higher than in non-smokers. Quitting must be encouraged in all smokers, and passive smoking should be avoided where possible. For the first time, the guidelines explicitly state that smoking cessation is recommended, and remains beneficial, regardless of weight gain. While evidence suggests that e-cigarettes may be more effective than nicotine-replacement therapy for smoking cessation, the long-term effects on cardiovascular and lung health are unclear and dual use with tobacco cigarettes should be avoided.

Regarding exercise, adults of all ages should strive for at least 150?300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 75?150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity, aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination. For the first time it is recommended to reduce sedentary time and engage in at least light activity throughout the day. Also new is to consider wearable activity trackers to increase activity. The guidelines state: "Most important is to encourage activity that people enjoy and/or can include in their daily routines, as such activities are more likely to be sustainable."

Regarding nutrition, a healthy diet is recommended for all individuals to prevent CVD. This should emphasise plant-based foods including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, pulses, and nuts. New recommendations include the adoption of a Mediterranean or similar diet; restricting alcohol intake to a maximum of 100 g per week (a standard drink contains 8 to 14 g); eating fish, preferably fatty, at least once a week; and restricting consumption of meat, particularly processed meat.

In terms of body weight, it is recommended that overweight and obese people lose weight to lower blood pressure, blood lipids, and the risk of diabetes, and thereby reduce the likelihood of CVD. For the first time, the guidelines state that bariatric surgery should be considered for obese individuals at high risk of CVD when a healthy diet and exercise do not result in maintained weight loss.

Mental disorders such as anxiety are associated with an increased risk of CVD and a worse prognosis for those already diagnosed with CVD. A new recommendation is to provide intensified support to patients with these conditions to improve adherence to lifestyle changes and drug treatment. Also new is to consider referral to psychotherapeutic stress management for patients with CVD and stress.

The guidelines recommend policy interventions at the population level to improve heart health and promote healthy choices. These include measures to lower air pollution, reduce fossil fuel use, and limit carbon dioxide emissions. Other measures are greater availability of school playground spaces, and legislation that restricts marketing unhealthy food to children on television, the internet, social media, and food packaging. E-cigarettes, which are addictive, should be subject to similar marketing controls as standard cigarettes, especially flavoured varieties that appeal to children. Labelling alcohol with caloric content and health warnings may be considered.

As summarised by guidelines task force chairperson Professor François Mach of Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland, "CVD prevention requires an integrated, interdisciplinary approach that puts healthy people and patients at the centre and considers other health conditions, and environmental factors including air pollution."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830095959.htm

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

Light-to-moderate coffee drinking associated with health benefits

August 30, 2021

Science Daily/European Society of Cardiology

Up to three cups of coffee per day is associated with a lower risk of stroke and fatal heart disease, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2021.1,2

"To our knowledge, this is the largest study to systematically assess the cardiovascular effects of regular coffee consumption in a population without diagnosed heart disease," said study author Dr. Judit Simon, of the Heart and Vascular Centre, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.

"Our results suggest that regular coffee consumption is safe, as even high daily intake was not associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality after a follow-up of 10 to 15 years," she continued. "Moreover, 0.5 to 3 cups of coffee per day was independently associated with lower risks of stroke, death from cardiovascular disease, and death from any cause."

Even though coffee is among the most consumed beverages in the world, little is known about the long-term impact of regular consumption on cardiovascular health.

This study investigated the association between usual coffee intake and incident heart attack, stroke and death. The study included 468,629 participants of the UK Biobank with no signs of heart disease at the time of recruitment. The average age was 56.2 years and 55.8% were women.

Participants were divided into three groups according to their usual coffee intake: none (did not consume coffee on a regular basis, 22.1%), light-to-moderate (0.5 to 3 cups/day, 58.4%) and high (more than 3 cups/day, 19.5%).

The researchers estimated the association of daily coffee consumption with incident outcomes over a median follow-up of 11 years using multivariable models. The analyses were adjusted for factors that could influence the relationship including age, sex, weight, height, smoking status, physical activity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol level, socioeconomic status, and usual intake of alcohol, meat, tea, fruit and vegetables.

Compared to non-coffee drinkers, light-to-moderate consumption was associated with a 12% lower risk of all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR]=0.88, p<0.001), 17% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease (HR=0.83, p=0.006), and 21% lower risk of incident stroke (HR=0.79; p=0.037).

To examine the potential underlying mechanisms, the researchers analysed the association between daily coffee intake and heart structure and function over a median follow-up of 11 years. For this, they used data from 30,650 participants who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is considered the gold standard for the assessment of cardiac structure and function.

Dr. Simon said: "The imaging analysis indicated that compared with participants who did not drink coffee regularly, daily consumers had healthier sized and better functioning hearts. This was consistent with reversing the detrimental effects of ageing on the heart."

She concluded: "Our findings suggest that coffee consumption of up to 3 cups per day is associated with favourable cardiovascular outcomes. While further studies are needed to explain the underlying mechanisms, the observed benefits might be partly explained by positive alterations in cardiac structure and function."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830075619.htm

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

Integrated treatment for depression and heart failure improves quality of life and mood

August 30, 2021

Science Daily/University of Pittsburgh

Results suggest that simple measures, such as depression care administered by phone, can make a big difference for patients recovering from heart failure.

A telephone-delivered nursing care strategy that combined heart failure care management with depression treatment improved patients' clinical outcomes, discovered clinicians from the University of Pittsburgh. The findings of the clinical trial, called Hopeful Heart, were published today in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The Hopeful Heart Trial is the first study to apply a 'blended' collaborative care approach to treating heart failure and depression, whereby investigators trained medical nurses to deliver depression and heart failure care under guidance of a study cardiologist, psychiatrist and primary care physician.

"Heart failure is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases in the United States, and it's growing even more prevalent as the population ages," said lead author Bruce Rollman, M.D., M.P.H., UPMC endowed chair and professor of medicine at Pitt. "I'm very excited about our results because they show that we can successfully train medical nurses to deliver effective depression care as part of heart failure care management they may already be delivering, and that this pragmatic approach can significantly improve patients' mood and help them regain a better quality of life."

Cardiologists rarely screen their patients for depression, even though it occurs in up to half of all heart failure patients and has been associated with reduced adherence to recommended heart failure care, higher rates of hospital readmission and increased mortality. One potential explanation is that few studies have examined the benefits of depression treatment on heart failure patients' recovery.

To find out if effective depression treatments can be delivered as part of routine heart failure care, the researchers tested a telephone-delivered 'blended' model of collaborative care. Medical nurses who were trained to administer depression care had weekly care-review conference calls with a study psychiatrist and a study cardiologist, and then relayed treatment recommendations to patients and their primary care physicians. Afterward, study nurses monitored patients via regular telephone calls and made recommendations for adjustments in care depending on patients' responses to treatment.

"Collaborative 'blended' care model provides extra layers of emotional and educational support for patients and their families," said co-author Amy Anderson, M.S., clinical coordinator for the Hopeful Heart Trial at Pitt. "When we sit in on case review sessions with doctors and nurses, we end up learning a great deal about these patients' lives; it becomes personal. So, it is always very rewarding to see these patients overcome hurdles and improve over time."

Hopeful Heart recruited 756 participants with heart failure from eight Pittsburgh-area hospitals, including 629 patients who screened positive for depression. At 12-months follow-up, 'blended' care patients reported better mental health-related quality of life -- including fewer limitations in social activities, improved general well-being, higher energy and less fatigue, and improved mood -- compared to patients receiving usual care, and improved mood compared to those who received collaborative care for heart failure alone.

The researchers hope that this innovative and practical approach to patient care could be implemented more broadly, especially as both patients and health care workers have become more accustomed to telemedicine than ever before.

"Depression often goes unrecognized and untreated in heart failure patients, and we are encouraged that our integrated approach to addressing depression was not only effective, but that it can be easily scaled up and expanded nationally," Rollman said. "A 'blended' collaborative care that is built on existing systems of care also may enable organized health care systems such as UPMC to deliver effective first-line care for depression and other mental health conditions to patients with complex medical conditions."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830113314.htm

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

Drinking sufficient water could prevent heart failure

August 24, 2021

Science Daily/European Society of Cardiology

Staying well-hydrated throughout life could reduce the risk of developing heart failure, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2021.

“Our study suggests that maintaining good hydration can prevent or at least slow down the changes within the heart that lead to heart failure,” said study author Dr. Natalia Dmitrieva of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, US. “The findings indicate that we need to pay attention to the amount of fluid we consume every day and take action if we find that we drink too little.”

Recommendations on daily fluid intake vary from 1.6 to 2.1 litres for women and 2 to 3 litres for men. However, worldwide surveys have shown that many people do not meet even the lower ends of these ranges. Serum sodium is a precise measure of hydration status: when people drink less fluid, the concentration of serum sodium increases. The body then attempts to conserve water, activating processes known to contribute to the development of heart failure.

Dr. Dmitrieva said: “It is natural to think that hydration and serum sodium should change day to day depending on how much we drink on each day. However, serum sodium concentration remains within a narrow range over long periods,3 which is likely related to habitual fluid consumption.”

This study examined whether serum sodium concentration in middle age, as a measure of hydration habits, predicts the development of heart failure 25 years later. The researchers also examined the connection between hydration and thickening of the walls of the heart's main pumping chamber (left ventricle) – called left ventricular hypertrophy – which is a precursor to heart failure diagnosis.

The analysis was performed in 15,792 adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Participants were 44 to 66 years old at recruitment and were evaluated over five visits until age 70 to 90.

Participants were divided into four groups based on their average serum sodium concentration at study visits one and two (conducted in the first three years): 135–139.5, 140–141.5, 142–143.5, and 144–146 mmol/l. For each sodium group, the researchers then analysed the proportion of people who developed heart failure and left ventricular hypertrophy at visit five (25 years later).

Higher serum sodium concentration in midlife was associated with both heart failure and left ventricular hypertrophy 25 years later. Serum sodium remained significantly associated with heart failure and left ventricular hypertrophy after adjusting for other factors related to the development of heart failure: age, blood pressure, kidney function, blood cholesterol, blood glucose, body mass index, sex and smoking status. Every 1 mmol/l increase in serum sodium concentration in midlife was associated with 1.20 and 1.11 increased odds of developing left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure, respectively, 25 years later.

The risks of both left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure at age 70 to 90 began to increase when serum sodium exceeded 142 mmol/l in midlife.

Dr. Dmitrieva said: “The results suggest that good hydration throughout life may decrease the risk of developing left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure. In addition, our finding that serum sodium exceeding 142mmol/l increases the risk of adverse effects in the heart may help to identify people who could benefit from an evaluation of their hydration level. This sodium level is within the normal range and would not be labelled as abnormal in lab test results but could be used by physicians during regular physical exams to identify people whose usual fluid intake should be assessed.”-

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210824104113.htm

Larry Minikes 10/5/21 Larry Minikes 10/5/21

There’s a bright side to being a ‘Debbie Downer’

New study finds changing it up could prompt negative emotions and that’s OK

August 24, 2021

Science Daily/University of South Florida (USF Innovation)

New research shows that keeping busy with a variety of activities can elicit both positive and negative emotions, and some of the relationship could depend on your age. A new study published in the Journal of Gerontology finds that engaging in diverse daily activities is associated with a diverse set of emotions.

"Experiencing a broad spectrum of emotions is adaptive and beneficial to health because it means having a more balanced and nuanced appraisal of daily life," said Soomi Lee, assistant professor of aging studies in the University of South Florida College of Behavioral and Community Sciences. "For example, even for negative emotions, feeling intense anger across situations may mean that the individual has a narrow appraisal of situations, whereas feeling a mix of anger, sadness and shame may indicate a broader and more nuanced appraisal."

Lee reviewed data collected on nearly 3,000 middle-aged participants enrolled in the Midlife in the United States Study who are considered relatively healthy and well-educated. She found individuals who regularly participated in a broad range of daily activities experienced diverse emotional experiences -- both positive and negative -- with those between ages 33-44 experiencing more diverse positive emotions compared to those between ages 68-84.

The study looked at the amount of time individuals spent participating in seven activities: paid work, spending time with children, chores, leisure, physical activities, formal volunteering and helping someone outside of their household, such as a neighbor. Participants recorded their activities for eight consecutive days, as well as their positive and negative emotions, which were used to calculate emodiversity scores.

Emodiversity is a term used to describe rich and balanced emotions. Emodiversity was broken into 13 positive emotions: cheerful, in good spirits, extremely happy, calm and peaceful, satisfied, full of life, enthusiastic, attentive, proud, active, close to others, belonging and confident, as well as 14 negative emotions: worthlessness, nervous, restless or fidgety, hopeless, afraid, jittery, irritable, ashamed, upset, lonely, angry, frustrated, that everything is an effort and so sad that nothing could cheer you up.

Lee says the younger demographic may have stronger emotions than older adults since their activities are more diverse. Many spend more time at work and with children, which tends to decrease with age. Also, older adults may have more muted or monotonic emotions as a result of wisdom or their strategy to reduce the range of novel social interactions to avoid potentially negative situations. Interestingly, the overall amount of time spent participating in activities was not associated with neither positive nor negative emodiversity, suggesting that total activity time is not what matters, but rather that an even amount of time is spent participating in a broad range of activities.

In addition to emodiversity, previous studies have found greater activity diversity is also associated with higher psychological well-being, better cognitive functioning and brain volume that governs memory and learning.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210824135331.htm

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