A healthy lifestyle helps to prevent gestational diabetes in those at highest genetic risk

May 4, 2022

Science Daily/University of Helsinki

Researchers have developed a genetic-risk score for identifying individuals who would benefit the most from lifestyle counselling to prevent gestational and postpartum diabetes.

Gestational diabetes is the most common health-related challenge during pregnancy. Today, it is diagnosed in every fifth expectant mother in Finland. Gestational diabetes has a significant impact on the health of both the mother and the child, both during pregnancy and after delivery.

A study conducted at the University of Helsinki investigated the effects of lifestyle intervention on the prevention of gestational diabetes in women at high risk of developing gestational diabetes. In the Finnish Gestational Diabetes Prevention Study (RADIEL), the study subjects received intensified physical exercise and dietary counselling during pregnancy and for the first year following delivery.

In this study, a polygenic risk score (PRS) describing the genetic risk of diabetes was calculated using gene variants known to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. The risk score for type 2 diabetes was associated with elevated glucose levels in mid- and late pregnancy as well as one year after delivery.

"Gestational diabetes as well as prediabetes and diabetes one year after delivery were also more common among those with higher scores," says Emilia Huvinen, specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology.

Targeted measures produce better results

The study discovered that genetic risk also affected the link between lifestyle counselling and gestational diabetes as well as diabetes.

"Based on our research, intensified lifestyle interventions benefitted only women at highest genetic risk of developing type 2 diabetes," Huvinen confirms.

According to her, the results are significant and even globally unique.

"Our study offers one possible explanation for the contradictory results of previous studies investigating the prevention of gestational diabetes till now ," Huvinen explains.

According to the researchers, genetic-risk scoring would make it possible to identify the expectant mothers most at risk as well as to direct resources and the most effective preventive measures specifically at them. This would be of great importance in terms of both limited societal resources and the health of these mothers and their children.

"At the same time, it's important to realise that, in the case of diabetes, our genetic background does not determine our future. With the help of a healthy lifestyle, you can reverse the effect of a high genetic diabetes risk," Huvinen says, offering encouragement.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220504110443.htm

Gut microbiome may alter response to cancer therapy

April 28, 2022

Science Daily/Brigham and Women's Hospital

Since ancient times, our gut microbiome, home to a vast number of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms, has been thought to influence many aspects of human health. Most recently, sequencing technology has shown that it may also play a role in the treatment of cancer. A review paper published in JAMA Oncology by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital captures the current understanding of the connection between the gut microbiome and therapeutic response to immunotherapy, chemotherapy, cancer surgery and more, pointing to ways that the microbiome could be targeted to improve treatment.

"We know that a healthy gut is key to our overall health," said lead author Khalid Shah, MS, PhD, of the Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Brigham. "Our gut is so important that we often refer to it as our 'second' brain. In recent years, we've begun to appreciate the many roles of the gut, including the gut-brain connection and the connection between the gut and our immune system. Conversely, gut dysfunction or dysbiosis can have a negative effect on our health."

Shah and colleagues report on an emerging role for gut microbiota in immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors and immune checkpoint blockade therapy are novel strategies for treating cancer, but response to these forms of treatment varies considerably between individuals and across cancer types. Several studies have found differences in the species of bacteria found in fecal samples from responders and non-responders, suggesting that different microbiome compositions may influence clinical responses. Other studies suggest that diet and probiotics -- live bacterial species that can be ingested -- as well as antibiotic medications and bacteriophages can influence the composition of the gut microbiome and, in turn, a response to immunotherapy. In particular, the authors highlight recent studies on the effects of ketogenic diets for patients with cancer.

"Today, developing treatments that sync immunotherapies and gut microbiota provides medicine a unique opportunity to truly effect change in patient care," said Shah.

The authors also provide an overview of how microbiota have been implicated in influencing response to chemotherapy and other conventional cancer treatments as well as how cancer therapies may reciprocally affect the microbiome and cause side effects.

"Overall, these findings support the potential of influencing the gut microbiota to diminish the side effects of conventional cancer treatment," said Shah.

The authors note that there is little understanding of what the "ideal" bacteria consortia in the gut looks like and how findings from preclinical models may or may not translate into applications in humans. They note that caution must be exercised before using probiotics or making dietary changes. Many cancer clinical trials are currently exploring the influence of the microbiome to help address some of the limitations and gaps in understanding. These include trials of fecal microbial transplantation, dietary supplements and novel drugs that may influence microbiota composition.

"There is strong evidence that the gut microbiome can have a positive influence on cancer therapies," said Shah. "There remain exciting possibilities to explore, including the influence of healthy diet, probiotics, novel therapies, and more."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220428125422.htm

Reducing sedentary time mitigates the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases

May 2, 2022

Science Daily/University of Turku

A new study suggests that reducing daily sedentary time can have a positive effect on the risk factors of lifestyle diseases already in three months. Spending just one hour less sitting daily and increasing light physical activity can help in the prevention of these diseases.

Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are the most common chronic diseases globally. The risk of developing these diseases is increased particularly by overweight caused by physical inactivity and unhealthy diet, and metabolic disorders often associated with it.

Regular exercise is well known to be beneficial in weight management and disease prevention. However, many adults do not meet the weekly recommendation of 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise, and the majority of the day is typically spent sitting.

In an intervention study of the Turku PET Centre and the UKK Institute in Finland, the researchers investigated whether health benefits can be achieved by reducing daily sedentary time during a three-month intervention period. The research participants were sedentary and physically inactive working-age adults with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

The researchers compared two groups: the intervention group was guided to reduce their sitting time by one-hour per day through increasing standing and light-intensity physical activity, and the control group was instructed to maintain their usual habits and sedentary lifestyle.

"What makes our research design unique is that sedentary time and physical activity of both groups were measured with accelerometers throughout the entire three-month period, whereas in earlier studies activity has typically been measured only for a few days at the beginning and end of the study period. This makes it possible to receive more information on the actual behaviour changes over a longer time period," says Doctoral Candidate Taru Garthwaite from the University of Turku in Finland.

The intervention group managed to reduce sedentary time by 50 minutes per day on average, mainly by increasing the amount of light- and moderate-intensity physical activity. In the three-month period, the researchers observed benefits in health outcomes related to blood sugar regulation, insulin sensitivity and liver health in the intervention group.

"It is an encouraging thought that health benefits can be achieved by reducing the time spent sitting and increasing the amount of even light-intensity physical activity. For many, this may be an easier starting point than increasing actual exercise," says Garthwaite.

Particularly beneficial for physically inactive individuals 

It is likely that people who do not meet the weekly physical activity recommendations will benefit the most from replacing sedentary time with light physical activity. However, reducing sedentary time is probably not enough in itself to prevent diseases if the person has several risk factors of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

"Reducing the time spent sitting might still slow down the development of these diseases, but greater benefits can of course be gained by increasing the amount or intensity of physical activity in addition to sitting less," encourages Garthwaite.

The next step for the researchers is to study how changes in daily activity and sedentary time affect energy metabolism and body composition in addition to the risk factors of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases during a six-month study period.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220502094810.htm

Seven hours of sleep is optimal in middle and old age

April 28, 2022

Science Daily/University of Cambridge

Seven hours is the ideal amount of sleep for people in their middle age and upwards, with too little or too much little sleep associated with poorer cognitive performance and mental health, say researchers from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University.

Sleep plays an important role in enabling cognitive function and maintaining good psychological health. It also helps keep the brain healthy by removing waste products. As we get older, we often see alterations in our sleep patterns, including difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, and decreased quantity and quality of sleep. It is thought that these sleep disturbances may contribute to cognitive decline and psychiatric disorders in the aging population.

In research published today in Nature Aging, scientists from the UK and China examined data from nearly 500,000 adults aged 38-73 years from the UK Biobank. Participants were asked about their sleeping patterns, mental health and wellbeing, and took part in a series of cognitive tests. Brain imaging and genetic data were available for almost 40,000 of the study participants.

By analysing these data, the team found that both insufficient and excessive sleep duration were associated with impaired cognitive performance, such as processing speed, visual attention, memory and problem-solving skills. Seven hours of sleep per night was the optimal amount of sleep for cognitive performance, but also for good mental health, with people experiencing more symptoms of anxiety and depression and worse overall wellbeing if they reported sleeping for longer or shorter durations.

The researchers say one possible reason for the association between insufficient sleep and cognitive decline may be due to the disruption of slow-wave -- 'deep' -- sleep. Disruption to this type of sleep has been shown to have a close link with memory consolidation as well as the build-up of amyloid -- a key protein which, when it misfolds, can cause 'tangles' in the brain characteristic of some forms of dementia. Additionally, lack of sleep may hamper the brain's ability to rid itself of toxins.

The team also found a link between the amount of sleep and differences in the structure of brain regions involved in cognitive processing and memory, again with greater changes associated with greater than or less than seven hours of sleep.

Having a consistent seven hours' sleep each night, without too much fluctuation in duration, was also important to cognitive performance and good mental health and wellbeing. Previous studies have also shown that interrupted sleep patterns are associated with increased inflammation, indicating a susceptibility to age-related diseases in older people.

Professor Jianfeng Feng from Fudan University in China said: "While we can't say conclusively that too little or too much sleep causes cognitive problems, our analysis looking at individuals over a longer period of time appears to support this idea. But the reasons why older people have poorer sleep appear to be complex, influenced by a combination of our genetic makeup and the structure of our brains."

The researchers say the findings suggest that insufficient or excessive sleep duration may be a risk factor for cognitive decline in ageing. This is supported by previous studies that have reported a link between sleep duration and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and dementia, in which cognitive decline is a hallmark symptom.

Professor Barbara Sahakian from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, one of the study's authors, said: "Getting a good night's sleep is important at all stages of life, but particularly as we age. Finding ways to improve sleep for older people could be crucial to helping them maintain good mental health and wellbeing and avoiding cognitive decline, particularly for patients with psychiatric disorders and dementias."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220428125425.htm

Being in nature: Good for mind, body and nutrition

April 25, 2022

Science Daily/Drexel University

In late 2020, Canadian doctors made headlines for "prescribing nature," or recommended time outdoors based on research that suggests people who spent two or more hours in nature per week improved their health and wellbeing. Knowing this, transdisciplinary researchers from Drexel University investigated how nature relatedness -- simply feeling connected with the natural world -- benefits dietary diversity and fruit and vegetable intake, in a study recently published the American Journal of Health Promotion.

"Nature relatedness has been associated with better cognitive, psychological and physical health and greater levels of environmental stewardship. Our findings extend this list of benefits to include dietary intake," said Brandy-Joe Milliron, PhD, an associate professor in Drexel's College of Nursing and Health Professions and lead author of the publication. "We found people with higher nature relatedness were more likely to report healthful dietary intake, including greater dietary variety and higher fruit and vegetable consumption."

The research team surveyed over 300 adults in Philadelphia to measure their self-reported connection to nature, including their experience with and perspective of nature, and the foods and beverages they had consumed the previous day to assess their dietary diversity and estimate their daily fruit and vegetable consumption. Survey participants mirrored demographic characteristics (gender, income, education and race) of Philadelphia, as of the 2010 census. The data were collected between May and August 2017. The results of the survey showed that participants with a stronger connection to nature reported a more varied diet and ate more fruits and vegetables.

"This work can impact health promotion practices in two ways," said Milliron. "First, nature-based health promotion interventions may increase nature relatedness across the lifespan and potentially improve dietary intake. And second, augmenting dietary interventions with nature-based activities may lead to greater improvements in dietary quality."

The research team added that these findings highlight the potential for leveraging nature-based experiences or interventions such as incorporating green spaces or urban greening into city planning, integrating nature- and park-prescription programs into healthcare practices (similar to the Canadian model) and promoting nature-based experiences in the classroom settings, among many others.

But, the researchers noted, while improving dietary intake through nature-based interventions may be valuable, it is also complex.

"Future research should explore the ways different communities experience and value nature," said Dane Ward, PhD, assistant teaching professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and co-author of the study. "It needs to include how the intersections of environment, culture, race, history (including connection to land), social cohesion and other social and economic factors influence community identity relative to nature relatedness and dietary intake."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220425135943.htm

Recalled experiences surrounding death: More than hallucinations?

Global scientific team publishes consensus statement and new guidelines

April 12, 2022

Science Daily/NYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Scientific advances in the 20th and 21st centuries have led to a major evolution in the understanding of death. At the same time, for decades, people who have survived an encounter with death have recalled unexplained lucid episodes involving heightened consciousness and awareness. These have been reported using the popular -- yet scientifically ill-defined -- term "near-death experiences."

A multidisciplinary team of national and international leaders, led by Sam Parnia, MD, PhD, director of Critical Care and Resuscitation Research at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, have published "Guidelines and Standards for the Study of Death and Recalled Experiences of Death," a multi-disciplinary consensus statement and proposed future directions in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.Thisstudy, which examined the accumulated scientific evidence to date, represents the first-ever, peer-reviewed consensus statement for the scientific study of recalled experiences surrounding death.

The researchers on the study represent many medical disciplines, including the neurosciences, critical care, psychiatry, psychology, social sciences and humanities, and represent many of the world's most respected academic institutions including Harvard University, Baylor University, University of California Riverside, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Wisconsin, and the Universities of Southampton and London.

Among their conclusions:

1. Due to advances in resuscitation and critical care medicine, many people have survived encounters with death or being near-death. These people -- who are estimated to comprise hundreds of millions of people around the world based on previous population studies -- have consistently described recalled experiences surrounding death, which involve a unique set of mental recollections with universal themes.

2. The recalled experiences surrounding death are not consistent with hallucinations, illusions or psychedelic drug induced experiences, according to several previously published studies. Instead, they follow a specific narrative arc involving a perception of: (a) separation from the body with a heightened, vast sense of consciousness and recognition of death; (b) travel to a destination; (c) a meaningful and purposeful review of life, involving a critical analysis of all actions, intentions and thoughts towards others; a perception of (d) being in a place that feels like "home," and (e) a return back to life.

3. The experience of death culminates into previously unidentified, separate subthemes and is associated with positive long-term psychological transformation and growth.

4. Studies showing the emergence of gamma activity and electrical spikes -- ordinarily a sign of heightened states of consciousness on electroencephalography (EEG) -- in relation to death, further support the claims of millions of people who have reported experiencing lucidity and heightened consciousness in relation to death.

5. Frightening or distressing experiences in relation to death often neither share the same themes, nor the same narrative, transcendent qualities, ineffability, and positive transformative effects.

"Cardiac arrest is not a heart attack, but represents the final stage of a disease or event that causes a person to die," lead author Parnia explains. "The advent of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) showed us that death is not an absolute state, rather, it's a process that could potentially be reversed in some people even after it has started.

"What has enabled the scientific study of death," he continues, "is that brain cells do not become irreversibly damaged within minutes of oxygen deprivation when the heart stops. Instead, they 'die' over hours of time. This is allowing scientists to objectively study the physiological and mental events that occur in relation to death."

So far, the researchers say, evidence suggests that neither physiological nor cognitive processes end with death and that although systematic studies have not been able to absolutely prove the reality or meaning of patients' experiences and claims of awareness in relation to death, it has been impossible to disclaim them either.

"Few studies have explored what happens when we die in an objective and scientific way, but these findings offer intriguing insights into how consciousness exists in humans and may pave the way for further research," Parnia adds.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220407100956.htm

Antidepressants are not associated with improved quality of life in the long run

Among people with depression, those using antidepressants over the long term had no better physical or mental health

April 20, 2022

Science Daily/PLOS

Over time, using antidepressants is not associated with significantly better health-related quality of life, compared to people with depression who do not take the drugs. These are the findings of a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Omar Almohammed of King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, and colleagues.

It is generally well known that depression disorder has a significant impact on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients. While studies have shown the efficacy of antidepressant medications for treatment of depression disorder, these medications' effect on patients' overall well-being and HRQoL remains controversial.

In the new study, the researchers used data from the 2005-2015 United States' Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS), a large longitudinal study that tracks the health services that Americans use. Any person with a diagnosis of depression disorder was identified in the MEPS files. Over the duration of the study, on average there were 17.47 million adult patients diagnosed with depression each year with two years of follow-up, and 57.6% of these received treatment with antidepressant medications.

Use of antidepressants was associated with some improvement on the mental component of SF-12 -- the survey tracking health-related quality of life. However, when this positive change was compared to the change in group of people who were diagnosed with depressive disorder but did not take antidepressants, there was no statistically significant association of antidepressants with either the physical (p=0.9595) or mental (p=0.6405) component of SF-12. In other words, the change in quality of life seen among those on antidepressants over two years was not significantly different from that seen among those not taking the drugs.

The study was not able to separately analyze any subtypes or varying severities of depression. The authors say that future studies should investigate the use of non-pharmacological depression interventions used in combination with antidepressants.

The authors add: "Although we still need our patients with depression to continue using their antidepressant medications, long-term studies evaluating the actual impact for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions on these patients' quality of life is needed. With that being said, the role of cognitive and behavioral interventions on the long term-management of depression needs to be further evaluated in an efforts to improve the ultimate goal of care for these patients; improving their overall quality of life."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220420151555.htm

Socioeconomic factors affect response to depression treatment

Cross-college collaboration highlights importance of patients’ home environments

April 15, 2022

Science Daily/University of Cincinnati

Patients seeking treatment for depression who have lower income and education and those who are members of minority populations tend to have worse treatment outcomes even when receiving equal access to treatment, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati.

Led by Jeffrey Mills, PhD, and Jeffrey Strawn, MD, the UC cross-college collaborative research was recently published in the journal Psychiatric Services.

Strawn, professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience in UC's College of Medicine and a UC Health adolescent psychiatrist, said that previous research has concluded that people seeking treatment for depression with lower income and less education have worse outcomes because of a lack of access to quality health care, but it is hard to isolate socioeconomic factors as they are often intertwined.

The research team analyzed data from a very large clinical trial known as CO-MED that enrolled 665 patients seeking treatment for depression. In the randomized trial, all patients had the same access to treatment without differences due to health insurance or income.

Study results

After controlling for sex, age and treatment type following 12 weeks of antidepressant medication treatment in the study, the team's analysis found patients who were non-white improved 11.3% less compared to white patients. Those who were unemployed saw 6.6% less improvement compared to employed patients. Compared to patients in the 75th percentile of income distribution, patients having income at the 25th percentile reduced improvement by 4.8%.

Strawn noted the findings are still preliminary, but he was particularly interested to find that patients without a college degree had 9.6% less improvement compared to college graduates.

"We think about these things in terms of access, we think about them in terms of income inequality, and I realize that education does track with those, but just having a college degree while controlling for all of these other factors still had a significant impact," said Strawn.

The researchers also examined the effect of the combination of socioeconomic factors, since the individual factors are often correlated, Mills said. Patients who were non-white, unemployed with no degree and had income in the 25th percentile had 26% less improvement compared to patients who were white, employed with a college degree and had income in the 75th percentile.

Mills said that the findings do not negate the fact that a lack of access makes an impact on treatment outcomes, but it does show the importance of including a patients' home environment when analyzing the effectiveness of treatment.

"If you're going home to a wealthy neighborhood with highly educated parents or spouse, then you're arguably in a much better environment for the treatment to be effective than if you're going to a poor neighborhood with other problems," said Mills, professor of economics in UC's Carl H. Lindner College of Business.

Strawn said other research suggests patients in resource-poor environments may be affected by greater chronic variable stress, meaning high stress in a pattern that is intermittent and difficult to predict. Other studies suggest chronic variable stress has a worse effect on patients than chronic sustained stress that is more steady, he said.

"So this is, 'I was able to pay my rent this month, but I'm not sure that I will be able to next month. And I have a job right now, but I don't know that I will next month,'" Strawn said. "So it's just the impact of all those things as well as maybe having relatives or kids who have fewer educational resources or other job-related stress, or potentially other health problems, and you're still running into those same barriers in terms of access and cost and support there."

Research application

The study findings have the potential to impact clinical trials by designing studies that pay better attention to socioeconomic variables that may have been previously overlooked, Strawn said.

"When we don't control for these variables, which we often do not in our clinical trials because of differences in populations, we may miss detecting an effective treatment because its effect is obscured," Strawn said. "So it can potentially jeopardize our treatment development by not accounting for these factors."

Strawn said those treating patients every day can use the knowledge from the study in a more straightforward approach. While removing barriers of access to treatment is important, he said clinicians must also acknowledge that a patient's socioeconomic environment may be affecting their ability to get better with treatment when measuring progress and crafting future treatment plans.

Mills said the research also has important implications when crafting and implementing economic policy, such as the recently passed infrastructure bill or ongoing discussions on the minimum wage. The impact of a policy on an individual's socioeconomic environment, and subsequently their mental health, is not typically considered, he said.

"Someone employed at a higher wage has a chance to improve their socioeconomic status and environment, and so they're definitely less likely to get mental health problems," he said. "If people with higher socioeconomic status do get mental health problems, what we're showing is they're more likely to improve if they get treatment."

Team science

In the past, two researchers with different specialties in different colleges within a university may have never worked together on research like this, but the collaboration shows the benefit of what is called team science, a transdisciplinary approach to research.

Strawn explained that traditional multidisciplinary research often looks like a psychiatrist, a neurologist and a psychologist all within the College of Medicine working together on a project. While that has its place, team science works across disciplines and involves completely separate sets of expertise, concepts and approaches.

"We think of multidisciplinary as being kind of the fruit salad where you have your grapes and your bananas, but everything is still distinct," Strawn said. "And then you have your transdisciplinary, where things are really blended and it's difficult to tell whose contributions are whose. That's probably more like the fruit smoothie of disciplinary integration. I think that's hopefully what we've achieved."

Mills said he has previously seen colleagues expected to closely collaborate who never published a paper together because their skill sets were too similar and they did not need each other to move forward. Alternatively, Mills and Strawn have interest in each other's field and bring varying, complementary skill sets to the research.

"It's further than just multidisciplinary, because if I get together with my colleagues, we still have had very similar training. We use the same jargon, we have similar ideas," Mills said. "There's not the same cross pollination in stepping out of your field and thinking about other topics and giving each other ideas and concepts that you may not have thought about."

Moving forward, the researchers want to continue the research by combining data from other depression trials to produce more powerful results with a larger dataset.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220415112155.htm

High cardiovascular risk is associated with symptoms of depression

Improving cardiovascular health might help prevent the onset of depression in the elderly, researchers say

April 13, 2022

Science Daily/PLOS

Cardiovascular risk factors are associated with an increased risk of depression in older adults, according to a new study published April 13 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Sandra Martín-Peláez of University of Granada, Spain, and colleagues.

Cardiovascular disease and depression are thought to be closely related due to similar risk factors, including inflammation and oxidative stress. Although it has been shown that depression could be a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, studies analyzing the potential impact of cardiovascular health on developing depression are scarce.

In the new study, the researchers used data from an ongoing 6-year multi-center randomized trial in Spain which analyzes the effect of a Mediterranean Diet on men aged 55-75 and women aged 60-75 with overweight or obesity. 6,545 individuals with no cardiovascular or endocrine disease at baseline were included in the current analysis. A cardiovascular risk score according to the Framingham-based REGICOR function was calculated for each person, dividing participants into low (LR), medium (MR), or high/very high (HR) cardiovascular risk groups. Depressive status was gauged using a questionnaire at baseline and after 2 years of follow-up.

At baseline, women in the HR group showed higher odds of depressive status than LR women (OR 1.78 95% CI 1.26-2.50). In addition, among all participants with baseline total cholesterol below 160 mg/mL, MR and HR individuals showed higher odds of depression than LR (MR: OR 1.77 95% CI 1.13-2.77; HR: OR 2.83 95% CI 1.25-6.42). On the contrary, among participants with total cholesterol of 280 mg/mL or higher, MR and HR individuals had a lower risk of depression than LR (MR: OR 0.26 95% CI 0.07-0.98; HR: OR 0.23 95% CI 0.05-0.95). After two years, during which time all individuals were instructed to follow a Mediterranean Diet as part of the trial, participants, on average, decreased their depressive status score, with the greatest decreases seen for MR and HR participants with high baseline cholesterol levels.

The authors conclude that high and very high cardiovascular risk are associated with depressive symptoms, especially in women, and that the role of other factors, such as adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, deserves further research.

The authors add: "High cardiovascular risk, especially in women, is associated with symptoms of depression in the elderly."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220413141551.htm

Eating two servings of avocados a week linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease

March 30, 2022

Science Daily/American Heart Association

Eating two or more servings of avocado weekly was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and substituting avocado for certain fat-containing foods like butter, cheese or processed meats was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease events, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

Avocados contain dietary fiber, unsaturated fats especially monounsaturated fat (healthy fats) and other favorable components that have been associated with good cardiovascular health. Clinical trials have previously found avocados have a positive impact on cardiovascular risk factors including high cholesterol.

Researchers believe this is the first, large, prospective study to support the positive association between higher avocado consumption and lower cardiovascular events, such as coronary heart disease and stroke.

"Our study provides further evidence that the intake of plant-sourced unsaturated fats can improve diet quality and is an important component in cardiovascular disease prevention," said Lorena S. Pacheco, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D.N., lead author of the study and a postdoctoral research fellow in the nutrition department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. "These are particularly notable findings since the consumption of avocados has risen steeply in the U.S. in the last 20 years, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture."

For 30 years, researchers followed more than 68,780 women (ages 30 to 55 years) from the Nurses' Health Study and more than 41,700 men (ages 40 to 75 years) from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. All study participants were free of cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke at the start of the study and living in the United States. Researchers documented 9,185 coronary heart disease events and 5,290 strokes during more than 30 years of follow-up. Researchers assessed participants' diet using food frequency questionnaires given at the beginning of the study and then every four years. They calculated avocado intake from a questionnaire item that asked about the amount consumed and frequency. One serving equaled half of an avocado or a half cup of avocado.

The analysis found:

• After considering a wide range of cardiovascular risk factors and overall diet, study participants who ate at least two servings of avocado each week had a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21% lower risk of coronary heart disease, compared to those who never or rarely ate avocados.

• Based on statistical modeling, replacing half a serving daily of margarine, butter, egg, yogurt, cheese or processed meats such as bacon with the same amount of avocado was associated with a 16% to 22% lower risk of cardiovascular disease events.

• Substituting half a serving a day of avocado for the equivalent amount of olive oil, nuts and other plant oils showed no additional benefit.

• No significant associations were noted in relation to stroke risk and how much avocado was eaten.

The study's results provide additional guidance for health care professionals to share. Offering the suggestion to "replace certain spreads and saturated fat-containing foods, such as cheese and processed meats, with avocado is something physicians and other health care practitioners such as registered dietitians can do when they meet with patients, especially since avocado is a well-accepted food," Pacheco said.

The study aligns with the American Heart Association's guidance to follow the Mediterranean diet -- a dietary pattern focused on fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, fish and other healthy foods and plant-based fats such as olive, canola, sesame and other non-tropical oils.

"These findings are significant because a healthy dietary pattern is the cornerstone for cardiovascular health, however, it can be difficult for many Americans to achieve and adhere to healthy eating patterns," said Cheryl Anderson, Ph.D., M.P.H., FAHA, chair of the American Heart Association's Council on Epidemiology and Prevention.

"We desperately need strategies to improve intake of AHA-recommended healthy diets -- such as the Mediterranean diet -- that are rich in vegetables and fruits," said Anderson, who is professor and dean of the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California San Diego. "Although no one food is the solution to routinely eating a healthy diet, this study is evidence that avocados have possible health benefits. This is promising because it is a food item that is popular, accessible, desirable and easy to include in meals eaten by many Americans at home and in restaurants."

The study is observational, so a direct cause and effect cannot be proved. Two other limitations of the research involve data collection and the composition of the study population. The study analyses may be affected by measurement errors because dietary consumption was self-reported. Participants were mostly white nurses and health care professionals, so these results may not apply to other groups.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220330103250.htm

Burst of accumulated zinc shows how the mineral boosts immune function, suggesting ways to improve health

In mice, zinc helps thymus of the immune system regrow and immune-cell recovery after bone marrow transplant

March 31, 2022

Science Daily/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Zinc's immune-boosting properties are well-established, but scientists haven't known exactly how it works. In a new study published online March 25 in the journal Blood, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center scientists reveal two ways the mineral supports immunity and suggest how it could be used to improve health.

Using mice, the team discovered that zinc is needed for the development of disease-fighting immune cells called T cells and prompts regeneration of the thymus, the immune organ that produces T cells.

"This study adds to our knowledge of what zinc is actually doing in the immune system and suggests a new therapeutic strategy for improving recovery of the immune system," said senior author Dr. Jarrod Dudakov, an immunologist at Fred Hutch.

The study also revealed that an experimental compound that mimics zinc's action in this organ works even better than the natural mineral to promote immune recovery.

"We are now looking into how zinc may fit in with our other discoveries of how the immune system repairs itself and could eventually lead to therapies to improve immune function for people who receive a blood stem cell transplant for a blood cancer or people with chronic immune decline that accompanies aging," Dudakov said.

Thymic regeneration and immune function, and zinc

Previously, Dudakov and his team have outlined the molecular pathways and cell types that govern how the immune system's thymus repairs itself after injury. Such treatments could improve vaccine efficacy and hasten thymic regeneration after stressors like chemotherapy, blood stem cell transplant and radiation exposure.

Dudakov began studying zinc a few years ago when Dr. Lorenzo Iovino, the study's first author and a research associate at Fred Hutch, joined Dudakov's lab. Since the scientists knew that low levels of zinc are linked to fewer infection fighting T cells and a shrunken thymus, where T cells develop, Dudakov and Iovino explored how to supplement with zinc in mouse models where the immune system is damaged.

Iovino, who's also a blood stem cell transplant physician, had shown in a previous study that zinc could boost immune recovery in patients undergoing stem-cell transplants for the blood cancer multiple myeloma.

But the study didn't explain why zinc was helping.

Zinc is critical for T-cell development and thymic regeneration

As in humans, Iovino and Dudakov found that the thymuses of mice deprived of dietary zinc shrink and produce notably fewer mature T cells, even after as little as three weeks of a no-zinc diet. Iovino was able to show that without zinc, T cells cannot fully mature.

He also found that zinc deficiency slows recovery of T-cell numbers after mice receive immune-destroying treatments akin to those given to patients about to receive a blood stem cell transplant.

Conversely, extra zinc speeds this process, and T cells recover faster than normal. The team saw a similar result in a mouse model of blood stem cell transplant.

"So we had a consistent result of a better reconstitution of the thymus and also a better reconstitution of T cells in the peripheral blood after zinc supplementation," Iovino said. "But we still didn't know how exactly zinc was working."

Iovino discovered that it was the change in zinc levels around cells that release a key regenerative factor that seemed to kick off the thymus' renewal processes. T cells accumulate zinc as they develop, but release it after a damaging event -- like a burst of radiation -- kills them off.

Cells use a molecule called GPR39 to sense a change in external zinc, and Iovino found that an experimental compound that mimics rising external zinc levels by stimulating GPR39 could also promote renewal factor release and thymic regeneration.

"What we think is going on is, as you give zinc supplementation, that gets accumulated within the developing T cells. It gets stored and stored and stored, then the damage comes along and the zinc is released," Dudakov said. "Now you have more zinc than you normally would, and it can instigate this regenerative pathway. With the experimental compound we can just directly target GPR39 and basically get the same effect without any of that pretreatment."

Getting to the clinic

There's still a lot to learn before they can turn their findings to therapeutic strategies, the scientists said.

Transplant patients already receive mineral supplements, so if extra zinc were to be incorporated into their treatment regimens, it would be important to make sure that anyone receiving it is truly zinc-deficient. Iovino thinks many patients might be, but right now there isn't a good test to assess this. He's currently working on developing one, which would first be used to help researchers determine whether patients' zinc status correlates with immune recovery after blood stem cell transplant.

Dudakov will pursue GPR39-stimulating compounds as therapies to improve thymic recovery after acute injuries like pre-transplant radiation. The team is currently screening similar compounds to find any that may be more effective.

He and Iovino are also working to determine whether such compounds could help with thymic regeneration in other settings. Unfortunately, our thymuses also slowly shrink and reduce their T-cell output as we age. Dudakov and Iovino would also like to know whether this chronic degeneration could be slowed by boosting the organ's regenerative processes.

"Our lab is continuing to piece together the molecular players that contribute to thymus regrowth," Dudakov said. "Ultimately, we aim to develop therapies that trigger natural regeneration and restore immune health."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220331185359.htm

Good hydration may reduce long-term risks for heart failure

Serum sodium levels may help identify adults with a greater chance of experiencing heart disease

March 29, 2022

Science Daily/NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

Staying well-hydrated may be associated with a reduced risk for developing heart failure, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health. Their findings, which appear in the European Heart Journal, suggest that consuming sufficient amounts of fluids throughout life not only supports essential body functioning but may also reduce the risk of severe heart problems in the future.

Heart failure, a chronic condition that develops when the heart does not pump enough blood for the body's needs, affects more than 6.2 million Americans, a little more than 2% of the population. It is also more common among adults ages 65 and older.

"Similar to reducing salt intake, drinking enough water and staying hydrated are ways to support our hearts and may help reduce long-term risks for heart disease," said Natalia Dmitrieva, Ph.D., the lead study author and a researcher in the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of NIH.

After conducting preclinical research that suggested connections between dehydration and cardiac fibrosis, a hardening of the heart muscles, Dmitrieva and researchers looked for similar associations in large-scale population studies. To start, they analyzed data from more than 15,000 adults, ages 45-66, who enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study between 1987-1989 and shared information from medical visits over a 25-year period.

In selecting participants for their retrospective review, the scientists focused on those whose hydration levels were within a normal range and who did not have diabetes, obesity, or heart failure at the start of the study. Approximately 11,814 adults were included in the final analysis, and, of those, the researchers found 1,366 (11.56%) later developed heart failure.

To assess potential links with hydration, the team assessed the hydration status of the participants using several clinical measures. Looking at levels of serum sodium, which increases as the body's fluid levels decrease, was especially useful in helping to identify participants with an increased risk for developing heart failure. It also helped identify older adults with an increased risk for developing both heart failure and left ventricular hypertrophy, an enlargement and thickening of the heart.

For example, adults with serum sodium levels starting at 143 milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L) -- a normal range is 135-146 mEq/L -- in midlife had a 39% associated increased risk for developing heart failure compared to adults with lower levels. And for every 1 mEq/L increase in serum sodium within the normal range of 135-146 mEq/L, the likelihood of a participant developing heart failure increased by 5%.

In a cohort of about 5,000 adults ages 70-90, those with serum sodium levels of 142.5-143 mEq/L at middle age were 62% more likely to develop left ventricular hypertrophy. Serum sodium levels starting at 143 mEq/L correlated with a 102% increased risk for left ventricular hypertrophy and a 54% increased risk for heart failure.

Based on these data, the authors conclude serum sodium levels above 142 mEq/L in middle age are associated with increased risks for developing left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure later in life.

A randomized, controlled trial will be necessary to confirm these preliminary findings, the researchers said. However, these early associations suggest good hydration may help prevent or slow the progression of changes within the heart that can lead to heart failure.

"Serum sodium and fluid intake can easily be assessed in clinical exams and help doctors identify patients who may benefit from learning about ways to stay hydrated," said Manfred Boehm, M.D., who leads the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine.

Fluids are essential for a range of bodily functions, including helping the heart pump blood efficiently, supporting blood vessel function, and orchestrating circulation. Yet many people take in far less than they need, the researchers said. While fluid guidelines vary based on the body's needs, the researchers recommended a daily fluid intake of 6-8 cups (1.5-2.1 liters) for women and 8-12 cups (2-3 liters) for men. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also provides tips to support healthy hydration.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220329114701.htm

Men with high blood pressure have a biased recognition of other people’s anger

March 31, 2022

Science Daily/University of Konstanz

Men with high blood pressure have a biased recognition of other people's anger, as shown in a new study.

Hypertension is a disease. However, in the majority of cases, there is no clear medical explanation, referred to as "essential hypertension." Could psychological factors play a role? In this context, Konstanz biological health psychologists Alisa Auer and Professor Petra Wirtz conducted a study in male participants over several years together with colleagues from Konstanz (Germany) and Switzerland. The researchers wanted to better understand the psychobiosocial mechanisms in hypertension, since previous work in this area has left many questions open.

In an article published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine on 22nd March 2022, they show that compared to a healthy control group, men with essential hypertension more often recognized angry expressions when they looked into the faces of others. In addition, this anger recognition bias seems to contribute to blood pressure increases over time if someone tends to frequently and intensively experience anger. This tendency is called "trait anger."

Recognition of mixed emotions

In their study in 145 hypertensive and normotensive men, researchers presented different pictures of people who were angry. However, the pictures did not just display anger alone, but combined anger with one of three other emotions: fear, happiness, and sadness. The background for this approach is that, in everyday life, people's faces rarely show just one emotion. Mixed emotions are more prevalent. Each of the computer-morphed pictures showed two emotions with varying affect intensities. Participants were asked which emotion they saw in the pictures.

"Hypertensive men recognized anger more often than any other emotion," Alisa Auer says. "So, they overrated anger displayed in other people's faces as compared to our healthy control group." Petra Wirtz adds: "Overrating anger displayed by other persons seems to affect whether high 'trait anger' contributes to blood pressure increases over time." Hence, interpersonal factors seem to play a role in essential hypertension. The expectation of associations between hypertension and social aspects was one of the reasons why the study was supported by the Cluster of Excellence "Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour."

Improving treatment of essential hypertension 

Auer and Wirtz hope that their results will be examined and confirmed by other researchers. "Then, a next step would be to offer people with essential hypertension a more targeted support," says Alisa Auer, who is currently completing her doctorate in Psychology. Auer is thinking of "therapeutic treatments that address a person's perception of social environments in order to protect them from other people´s anger."

Such therapeutic interventions would be important, because blood pressure lowering medication only treats the consequences of hypertension, but does not address potential causes. In addition, hypertension is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In 2020, as in previous years, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) listed cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in Germany. "338,001 deaths, or more than one third of all deaths (34%), can be attributed to cardiovascular disease," Destatis reports. Cardiovascular disease is especially deadly for older people: 93% of those who died of cardiovascular disease were 65 years or older.

What about women? The researchers hope that future studies will include women. Since women may possibly differ in their emotion recognition from men and as fewer women suffer from hypertension, the study initially focused on men.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220331121236.htm

Classification of 16 adult sleep patterns based on large-scale sleep analysis

Expectations for application in sleep health checkups and sleep medicine

March 31, 2022

Science Daily/Japan Science and Technology Agency

A research group found that the human sleep patterns could be classified into 16 types by combining ACCEL, their original machine learning algorithm for sleep-wake classification, the dimension reduction method and the clustering method. The acceleration data of approximately 100,000 people in the UK Biobank were analyzed in detail, and some life-style-related patterns and insomnia-like patterns were reported.

In recent years, the number of people worldwide who are dissatisfied or anxious about their sleep has been increasing due to the diversification of lifestyles. Simple sleep measurement and quantitative understanding of individual sleep patterns are very important not only in the field of healthcare but also from the medical perspective, such as in the diagnosis of sleep disorders.

A research group of The University of Tokyo led by Professor Hiroki Ueda (also a Riken team leader) and Machiko Katori, and Assistant Professor Shoi Shi (RIKEN) used ACCEL(1), an original machine learning algorithm developed by their research laboratory, to determine sleep and waking states based on arm acceleration and converted the acceleration data of approximately 100,000 people in the UK Biobank(2) into sleep data, which was then analyzed in detail. They found that the sleep patterns of these 100,000 people could be classified into 16 different types.

The research group first focused on the arm acceleration data of approximately 100,000 people in the UK Biobank. This data was obtained from men and women in their 30s to 60s, mainly in the UK, who were measured for up to 7 days using wristband-type accelerometers. Using an algorithm (ACCEL) they had developed in 2022, the research group generated sleep data(3) for approximately 100,000 people from the acceleration data. The obtained sleep data were converted into 21 sleep indicators, and then, using dimension reduction(4) and clustering(5) methods, the sleep patterns were classified into 8 different clusters. These included clusters related to "social jet lag" and clusters characterized by mid-onset awakenings and considered insomnia, enabling the extraction of clusters related to lifestyles and to sleep disorders. Next, in order to examine sleep patterns associated with sleep disorders in more detail, the research group focused on 6 of the 21 sleep indicators, including sleep duration and intermediate waking time, which are known to be closely related to sleep disorders. By applying the same analysis to data where one indicator deviated significantly from general sleep (data in the upper 2.28th percentile or higher or the lower 2.28th percentile or lower (6) in the overall distribution), they were able to classify the data into 8 clusters. These included clusters related to morning-types and evening-types. They also identified several clusters associated with insomnia, and were able, along with the clustering using the entire dataset, to classify 7 types of sleep patterns associated with insomnia.

Thus, by analyzing sleep on a large scale, they have revealed the landscape of human sleep phenotype. This study has made it possible to quantitatively classify clusters related to lifestyle such as "social jet lag" and morning/evening types, which are usually difficult to determine with short-term PSG measurements(7), In addition, detailed analysis of outlier and classification of sleep patterns revealed 7 clusters related to insomnia. These clusters are classified based on new indicators differing from conventional methods, and are expected to be useful in the construction of new methods in terms of diagnosing insomnia and proposing treatment methods.

These results were obtained through the "Ueda Biological Timing Project," ERATO Program funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). In this project, JST develops "systems biology that contributes to understanding human beings," using sleep-wake rhythms as a model system, and aims to understand in human sleep-wake behavior the "biological time" information that extends from molecules to individual humans living in society.

Notes:

(1) ACCEL : An original sleep determination algorithm developed by the research team. For details, refer to the following paper. "A jerk-based algorithm ACCEL for the accurate classification of sleep-wake states from arm acceleration" DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103727

(2) UK Biobank: A large research database containing genetic and health information on approximately 500,000 British participants. This study uses acceleration data for approximately 100,000 people as well as the linked gender and age data.

(3) Sleep data: Time-series data with intervals of 30 seconds labeled as sleeping or waking. PSG measurement uses diverse data measured by specialist technicians to create sleep data. In this study, sleep data was obtained by applying ACCEL to accelerometers.

(4) Dimension reduction method: A method to reduce the number of dimensions of data. This makes it possible to extract important information from the data and to capture the characteristics of the data. In this study, UMAP (Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection) is used.

(5) Clustering method: A method of classifying data into clusters based on similarities among the data. There are two types of clustering methods: supervised clustering, which uses correct data for clustering, and unsupervised clustering, which does not. In this study, the unsupervised clustering method, DBSCAN (Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise) is used.

(6) Upper and lower percentiles:?The value in any given percent when the values are arranged in descending order is called the upper percentile. Conversely, the value in any given percent when the values are listed in ascending order is called the lower percentile. For instance, data above the upper 2.28th percentile or below the lower 2.28th percentile in normal distribution refers to data deviating from the mean by more than twice the standard deviation (2SD).

(7) Polysomnography (PSG): In PSG measurements, multiple electrodes and sensors are attached to the examinee to measure brain waves, eye movements, respiratory status, and electrocardiogram status. It is currently the most accurate measurement method used to determine human sleep patterns. It is also used to diagnose sleep disorders.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220331101543.htm

The 25 happiest U.S. city park systems, ranked by scientists

Researchers measure the happiness effects of nature with digital technology

March 30, 2022

Science Daily/University of Vermont

Feeling unhappy? Go find a city park -- the bigger the better -- and try taking a walk outdoors.

That's the upshot of a major new study that measures the happiness effects of city parks in the 25 largest U.S. cities, from New York City to Los Angeles.

The happiness benefit of urban nature on users was so strong -- the team of University of Vermont scientists discovered -- it was roughly equivalent to the mood spike people experience on holidays like Thanksgiving or New Year's Day.

The research is the largest study of its kind -- using massive amounts of data from social media -- to quantify the mood boosting benefits on urban nature. It was published March 30 by PLOS One.

"These new findings underscore just how essential nature is for our mental and physical health," says University of Vermont scientist Taylor Ricketts. "These results are especially timely given our increased reliance on urban natural areas during the COVID pandemic."

New way to measure happiness

The study builds on the team's landmark San Francisco research, which used unlikely tools -- Twitter posts and geolocation data -- to create an effective method to quantify the happiness benefit that people get from nature.

The new study expanded the focus to the 25 largest American cities by population. The team analyzed a whopping 1.5 million Twitter posts to measure differences in online sentiment, comparing tweets posted inside city parks to those posted elsewhere.

The happiest place on Twitter? The great outdoors

Researchers found a powerful happiness benefit from city parks, which was present across all seasons, months, weeks, days, and times of the day -- not just weekends and summer holidays.

"We understand the irony of using Twitter and technology to measure happiness from nature," says lead author and recent UVM PhD student Aaron Schwartz, noting Twitter's reputation for 'doom-scrolling.' "But our goal is to use technology for the greater good -- to better understand the effect nature has on humans, which until now has been difficult to quantify in such large numbers."

Given the findings, the researchers argue that urban nature should be protected, expanded, and made as accessible as possible. City parks are the primary source of nature for millions of people, they add.

Whose parks make them happiest?

Researchers found that U.S. cities differed a lot in the size of the happiness benefit that their parks provided to users:

1. Indianapolis

2. Austin

3. Los Angeles

4. Jacksonville

5. Chicago

6. Dallas

7. Memphis

8. Denver

9. New York

10. San Diego

11. San Francisco

12. Philadelphia

13. Phoenix

14. San Jose

15. Detroit

16. Seattle

17. San Antonio

18. Houston

19. Fort Worth

20. Washington

21. Columbus

22. Charlotte

23. Boston

24. El Paso

25. Baltimore

Some surprises

Scientists were surprised by several top ranked cities in the study -- including Indianapolis, Austin and Jacksonville -- which have lower per capita funding levels for parks compared to some other cities on the list.

While people wrote far happier tweets in parks -- words like "beautiful," "fun," "enjoying," and "amazing" -- these top ranked cities saw people write dramatically fewer negative words on Twitter in parks -- such as "hate," "don't," and "not."

A more powerful predictor of happiness than park funding per capita (which previous research by others had suggested would be key) was park size. The happiness benefit was highest in parks over 100 acres in area, followed by parks 1 to 10 acres in size.

"Being in nature offers restorative benefits not available for purchase in a store, or downloadable on a screen," says UVM's Chris Danforth, a mathematics professor and Gund Fellow. "However, not all parks appear to be equal when it comes to happiness. The ability to immerse yourself in a larger, greener natural areas had a greater effect than smaller paved city parks."

"One possible explanation," the researchers write, "is that larger parks provide greater opportunities for mental restoration and separation from the taxing environment of the city."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220330141440.htm

Audio files are being used as 'digital drugs'

March 30, 2022

Science Daily/RMIT University

A binaural beat is an illusionary tone created by the brain when presenting two tones separately to each ear that slightly differ in their frequency.

It's claimed binaural beats can have a psychoactive effect on the brain, although there's limited research on their efficacy and safety.

Now a new study published in Drug and Alcohol Review has captured how and why people use the tones.

Data comes from the Global Drug Survey 2021, which drew on responses from more than 30,000 people in 22 countries.

Respondents mainly used binaural beats to relax or fall asleep (72%) and to change their mood (35%), while 12% reported trying to get a similar effect to that of psychedelic drugs.

The study's lead author, Dr Monica Barratt of RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, said the latter motivation was more commonly reported among those who used classic psychedelics.

"Much like ingestible substances, some binaural beats users were chasing a high," she said.

"But that's far from their only use. Many people saw them as a source of help, such as for sleep therapy or pain relief."

The audio tracks are often named for their intended use -- everything from mindfulness and meditation to tracks named after ingestible drugs like MDMA and cannabis.

The survey revealed binaural beat users were more likely to be younger and to report recent use of all prohibited drugs, compared to rest of the sample.

Most respondents sought to connect with themselves or something bigger than themselves through the experience.

The use of binaural beats to experience altered states was reported by 5% of the total sample.

In the United States 16% of respondents said they'd tried it, while in Mexico and Brazil countries reported use was also above average at 14% and 11.5% respectively.

Video streaming sites like YouTube and Vimeo were the most popular way to listen, followed by Spotify and other streaming apps.

Barratt said the illusionary tones had been accessible for more than a decade, but their popularity had only recently begun to grow.

"It's very new, we just don't know much about the use of binaural beats as digital drugs," she said.

"This survey shows this is going on in multiple countries.

"We had anecdotal information, but this was the first time we formally asked people how, why and when they're using them."

Barratt said the binaural beats phenomenon challenges the overall definition of a drug.

"We're starting to see digital experiences defined as drugs, but they could also be seen as complementary practices alongside drug use," she said.

"Maybe a drug doesn't have to be a substance you consume, it could be to do with how an activity affects your brain."

Despite binaural beat listeners being younger, Barratt said they're not necessarily a gateway to the use of ingestible drugs.

"In the survey, we found most people who listen were already using ingestible substances," she said.

"But that doesn't discount the need for more research, particularly to document and negate possible harms."

On the flipside, Barratt said perhaps binaural beats could be used as a therapy method, alongside traditional treatment.

"Evidence is mounting but it's still unclear, which is why more research is needed into any possible side effects," she said.

Although the Global Drug Survey is a non-representative sample, the self-reported use of binaural beats as digital drugs by respondents sets the course for more targeted research.

'Who uses digital drugs? An international survey of 'binaural beat' consumers', with co-authors Monica Barratt, Alexia Maddox, Naomi Smith, Jenny Davis, Lachlan Goold, Adam Winstock and Jason Ferris is published in Drug and Alcohol Review.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220330130520.htm

Lack of sleep increases unhealthy abdominal fat

March 28, 2022

Science Daily/Mayo Clinic

New research from Mayo Clinic shows that lack of sufficient sleep combined with free access to food increases calorie consumption and consequently fat accumulation, especially unhealthy fat inside the belly.

Findings from a randomized controlled crossover study led by Naima Covassin, Ph.D., a cardiovascular medicine researcher at Mayo Clinic, show that lack of sufficient sleep led to a 9% increase in total abdominal fat area and an 11% increase in abdominal visceral fat, compared to control sleep. Visceral fat is deposited deep inside the abdomen around internal organs and is strongly linked to cardiac and metabolic diseases.

The findings are published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, and the study was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Lack of sufficient sleep is often a behavior choice, and this choice has become increasingly pervasive. More than one-third of adults in the U.S. routinely do not get enough sleep, in part due to shift work, and smart devices and social networks being used during traditional sleep times. Also, people tend to eat more during longer waking hours without increasing physical activity.

"Our findings show that shortened sleep, even in young, healthy and relatively lean subjects, is associated with an increase in calorie intake, a very small increase in weight, and a significant increase in fat accumulation inside the belly," says Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D., the Alice Sheets Marriott Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, and principal investigator of the study.

"Normally, fat is preferentially deposited subcutaneously or under the skin. However, the inadequate sleep appears to redirect fat to the more dangerous visceral compartment. Importantly, although during recovery sleep there was a decrease in calorie intake and weight, visceral fat continued to increase. This suggests that inadequate sleep is a previously unrecognized trigger for visceral fat deposition, and that catch-up sleep, at least in the short term, does not reverse the visceral fat accumulation. In the long term, these findings implicate inadequate sleep as a contributor to the epidemics of obesity, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases," says Dr. Somers.

The study cohort consisted of 12 healthy people who were not obese, each spending two 21-day sessions in the inpatient setting. Participants were randomly assigned to the control (normal sleep) group or restricted sleep group during one session and the opposite during the next session, after a three-month washout period. Each group had access to free choice of food throughout the study. Researchers monitored and measured energy intake; energy expenditure; body weight; body composition; fat distribution, including visceral fat or fat inside the belly; and circulating appetite biomarkers.

The first four days were an acclimation period. During this time, all participants were allowed nine hours in bed to sleep. For the following two weeks, the restricted sleep group was allowed four hours of sleep and the control group maintained with nine hours. This was followed by three days and nights of recovery with nine hours in bed for both groups.

The participants consumed more than 300 extra calories per day during sleep restriction, eating approximately 13% more protein and 17% more fat, compared to the acclimation stage. That increase in consumption was highest in the early days of sleep deprivation and then tapered off to starting levels during the recovery period. Energy expenditure stayed mostly the same throughout.

"The visceral fat accumulation was only detected by CT scan and would otherwise have been missed, especially since the increase in weight was quite modest -- only about a pound," Dr. Covassin says. "Measures of weight alone would be falsely reassuring in terms of the health consequences of inadequate sleep. Also concerning are the potential effects of repeated periods of inadequate sleep in terms of progressive and cumulative increases in visceral fat over several years."

Dr. Somers says behavioral interventions, such as increased exercise and healthy food choices, need to be considered for people who cannot easily avoid sleep disruption, such as shift workers. More study is needed to determine how these findings in healthy young people relate to people at higher risk, such as those who are already obese, or have metabolic syndrome or diabetes.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220328165327.htm

Large study challenges the theory that light alcohol consumption benefits heart health

Any observed benefit likely results from other lifestyle factors common among light to moderate drinkers, say researchers

March 25, 2022

Science Daily/Massachusetts General Hospital

Observational research has suggested that light alcohol consumption may provide heart-related health benefits, but in a large study published in JAMA Network Open, alcohol intake at all levels was linked with higher risks of cardiovascular disease. The findings, which are published by a team led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, suggest that the supposed benefits of alcohol consumption may actually be attributed to other lifestyle factors that are common among light to moderate drinkers.

The study included 371,463 adults -- with an average age of 57 years and an average alcohol consumption of 9.2 drinks per week -- who were participants in the UK Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database and research resource containing in-depth genetic and health information. Consistent with earlier studies, investigators found that light to moderate drinkers had the lowest heart disease risk, followed by people who abstained from drinking. People who drank heavily had the highest risk. However, the team also found that light to moderate drinkers tended to have healthier lifestyles than abstainers -- such as more physical activity and vegetable intake, and less smoking. Taking just a few lifestyle factors into account significantly lowered any benefit associated with alcohol consumption.

The study also applied the latest techniques in a method called Mendelian randomization, which uses genetic variants to determine whether an observed link between an exposure and an outcome is consistent with a causal effect -- in this case, whether light alcohol consumption causes a person to be protected against cardiovascular disease. "Newer and more advanced techniques in 'non-linear Mendelian randomization' now permit the use of human genetic data to evaluate the direction and magnitude of disease risk associated with different levels of an exposure," says senior author Krishna G. Aragam, MD, MS, a cardiologist at MGH and an associate scientist at the Broad Institute. "We therefore leveraged these new techniques and expansive genetic and phenotypic data from biobank populations to better understand the association between habitual alcohol intake and cardiovascular disease."

When the scientists conducted such genetic analyses of samples taken from participants, they found that individuals with genetic variants that predicted higher alcohol consumption were indeed more likely to consume greater amounts of alcohol, and more likely to have hypertension and coronary artery disease. The analyses also revealed substantial differences in cardiovascular risk across the spectrum of alcohol consumption among both men and women, with minimal increases in risk when going from zero to seven drinks per week, much higher risk increases when progressing from seven to 14 drinks per week, and especially high risk when consuming 21 or more drinks per week. Notably, the findings suggest a rise in cardiovascular risk even at levels deemed "low risk" by national guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (i.e. below two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women).

The discovery that the relationship between alcohol intake and cardiovascular risk is not a linear one but rather an exponential one was supported by an additional analysis of data on 30,716 participants in the Mass General Brigham Biobank. Therefore, while cutting back on consumption can benefit even people who drink one alcoholic beverage per day, the health gains of cutting back may be more substantial -- and, perhaps, more clinically meaningful -- in those who consume more.

"The findings affirm that alcohol intake should not be recommended to improve cardiovascular health; rather, that reducing alcohol intake will likely reduce cardiovascular risk in all individuals, albeit to different extents based on one's current level of consumption," says Aragam.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220325122708.htm

Good news for coffee lovers: Daily coffee may benefit the heart

Drinking two to three cups a day was associated with greatest heart benefits

March 24, 2022

Science Daily/American College of Cardiology

Drinking coffee -- particularly two to three cups a day -- is not only associated with a lower risk of heart disease and dangerous heart rhythms but also with living longer, according to studies being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 71stAnnual Scientific Session. These trends held true for both people with and without cardiovascular disease. Researchers said the analyses -- the largest to look at coffee's potential role in heart disease and death -- provide reassurance that coffee isn't tied to new or worsening heart disease and may actually be heart protective.

"Because coffee can quicken heart rate, some people worry that drinking it could trigger or worsen certain heart issues. This is where general medical advice to stop drinking coffee may come from. But our data suggest that daily coffee intake shouldn't be discouraged, but rather included as a part of a healthy diet for people with and without heart disease," said Peter M. Kistler, MD, professor and head of arrhythmia research at the Alfred Hospital and Baker Heart Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and the study's senior author. "We found coffee drinking had either a neutral effect -- meaning that it did no harm -- or was associated with benefits to heart health."

Kistler and his team used data from the UK BioBank, a large-scale prospective database with health information from over half a million people who were followed for at least 10 years. Researchers looked at varying levels of coffee consumption ranging from up to a cup to more than six cups a day and the relationship with heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke; and total and heart-related deaths among people both with and without cardiovascular disease. Patients were grouped by how much coffee they reported drinking each day: 0, <1, 1, 2-3, 4-5, >5 cups/day. Coffee drinking was assessed from questionnaires completed upon entry into the registry. Overall, they either found no effect or, in many cases, significant reductions in cardiovascular risk after controlling for exercise, alcohol, smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure that could also play a role in heart health and longevity.

For the first study, researchers examined data from 382,535 individuals without known heart disease to see whether coffee drinking played a role in the development of heart disease or stroke during the 10 years of follow up. Participants' average age was 57 years and half were women. In general, having two to three cups of coffee a day was associated with the greatest benefit, translating to a 10%-15% lower risk of developing coronary heart disease, heart failure, a heart rhythm problem, or dying for any reason. The risk of stroke or heart-related death was lowest among people who drank one cup of coffee a day. Researchers did observe a U-shaped relationship with coffee intake and new heart rhythm problems. The maximum benefit was seen among people drinking two to three cups of coffee a day with less benefit seen among those drinking more or less.

The second study included 34,279 individuals who had some form of cardiovascular disease at baseline. Coffee intake at two to three cups a day was associated with lower odds of dying compared with having no coffee. Importantly, consuming any amount of coffee was not associated with a higher risk of heart rhythm problems, including atrial fibrillation (AFib) or atrial flutter, which Kistler said is often what clinicians are concerned about. Of the 24,111 people included in the analysis who had an arrhythmia at baseline, drinking coffee was associated with a lower risk of death. For example, people with AFib who drank one cup of coffee a day were nearly 20% less likely to die than non-coffee drinkers.

"Clinicians generally have some apprehension about people with known cardiovascular disease or arrhythmias continuing to drink coffee, so they often err on the side of caution and advise them to stop drinking it altogether due to fears that it may trigger dangerous heart rhythms," Kistler said. "But our study shows that regular coffee intake is safe and could be part of a healthy diet for people with heart disease."

Although two to three cups of coffee a day seemed to be the most favorable overall, Kistler said that people shouldn't increase their coffee intake, particularly if it makes them feel anxious or uncomfortable.

"There is a whole range of mechanisms through which coffee may reduce mortality and have these favorable effects on cardiovascular disease," he said. "Coffee drinkers should feel reassured that they can continue to enjoy coffee even if they have heart disease. Coffee is the most common cognitive enhancer -- it wakes you up, makes you mentally sharper and it's a very important component of many people's daily lives."

So how might coffee beans benefit the heart? People often equate coffee with caffeine, but coffee beans actually have over 100 biologically active compounds. These substances can help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, boost metabolism, inhibit the gut's absorption of fat and block receptors known to be involved with abnormal heart rhythms, Kistler said.

In a third study, researchers looked at whether there were any differences in the relationship between coffee and cardiovascular disease depending on whether someone drank instant or ground coffee or caffeinated or decaf. They found, once again, two to three cups a day to be associated with the lowest risk of arrhythmias, blockages in the heart's arteries, stroke or heart failure regardless of whether they had ground or instant coffee. Lower rates of death were seen across all coffee types. Decaf coffee did not have favorable effects against incident arrhythmia but did reduce cardiovascular disease, with the exception of heart failure. Kistler said the findings suggest caffeinated coffee is preferable across the board, and there are no cardiovascular benefits to choosing decaf over caffeinated coffees.

There are several important limitations to these studies. Researchers were unable to control for dietary factors that may play a role in cardiovascular disease, nor were they able to adjust for any creamers, milk or sugar consumed. Participants were predominantly white, so additional studies are needed to determine whether these findings extend to other populations. Finally, coffee intake was based on self-report via a questionnaire fielded at study entry. This should be considered when interpreting the study findings, though Kistler noted that research suggests people's dietary habits don't change much in adulthood or over time. Kistler said the results should be validated in randomized trials.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220324104420.htm

How the gut communicates with the brain

March 23, 2022

Science Daily/Flinders University

New research has discovered how the enteric nervous system -- or 'second brain' -- can communicate with both the brain and spinal cord, which up until now had remained a major mystery. The study found specialized cells within the gut wall release serotonin when stimulated by food, which then acts on the nerves to communicate with the brain. The authors say as there is a direct connection between serotonin levels in our body and depression and how we feel, understanding how the gut communicates with the brain is of major importance.

How the 'second brain' -- the enteric nervous system in our gut -- communicates with our first brain has been one of the most challenging questions faced by enteric neuroscientists, until now.

New research from Flinders University has discovered how specialised cells within the gut can communicate with both the brain and spinal cord, which up until now had remained a major mystery.

"The gut-brain axis consists of bidirectional communication between the brain and the gut, which links emotional and cognitive centres of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions," says study author Professor Nick Spencer from the College of Medicine and Public Health.

"Recent advances in research have described the importance of gut microbiota in influencing these pathways but we had yet to uncover how the communication was working."

The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology, reveals a breakthrough discovery regarding how enterochromaffin cells communicate with sensory nerve endings.

"Within the gut wall lie specialised cells called enterochromaffin (EC) cells that produce and release hormones and neurotransmitters in response to particular stimuli that are ingested when we eat," says Professor Spencer.

"These EC cells release the vast majority of serotonin into the body, so our study has uncovered a major clue into how the food we eat stimulates the release of serotonin, which then acts on the nerves to communicate with the brain.

"There is a direct connection between serotonin levels in our body and depression and how we feel. So, understanding how the gut EC cells communicate with the brain is of major importance."

The team made the discovery using a neuronal tracing technique developed in their lab, not used anywhere else in the world, allowing them to see the sensory nerve endings with clarity, for the first time, in the gut wall.

"This has not been possible, until now, because there were so many other types of nerves also present in the gut -- it's like finding a needle in a haystack," says Professor Spencer.

The technique allowed the researchers to see that EC cells likely release substances by a process of diffusion, which then acts on the sensory nerves that communicate with the brain.

No direct physical connection between the EC cells and sensory nerve endings were found, contrary to some suggestions.

"The gut is the only organ with its own nervous system, known as the Enteric Nervous System or the second brain. We now have a better understanding of how the 'second brain' communicates with the 'first brain'," says Professor Spencer.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220323130316.htm