Caffeine Effects on PVC Frequency: A Self-Experiment
Palpitations due to premature beats, either ventricular contractions (PVCs) or atrial contractions (PACs), can be extremely vexing even when we know they are benign. For many individuals, these extra-systoles come in waves that are seemingly random and inexplicable. This unpredictability can add to the anxiety they create. A reader recently shared his attempt to sort […]
Which grains you eat can impact your risk of getting heart disease earlier: Study of Iranian population found eating refined grains was associated with increased risk of premature heart disease and whole grains consumption with reduced risk
In one of the first studies to examine the relationship between different types of grain intake and premature coronary artery disease in the Middle East, researchers found a higher intake of refined grain was associated with an increased risk of premature coronary artery disease in an Iranian population, while eating whole grains was associated with […]
Former Smokers See Even Better Outcomes With Healthier Lifestyles
Former smokers still face higher disease and premature death risks, but they were able to cut down on that mortality risk by sticking with a healthy lifestyle, according to a prospective cohort study. Among people who used to smoke, higher total adherence scores to healthy lifestyle recommendations (e.g., healthy weight, balanced diet) were linked with […]
Mortality Numbers Put the Humble Salt Shaker in the Hot Seat
More generous use of salt outside cooking was associated with premature mortality — but not in people eating more potassium rich-foods such as vegetables and fruits — according to a study of over half a million people. Participants from the U.K. Biobank reported their frequency of table salt use, with higher use linked to a […]
Third U.S. Case of Congenital Varicella in the Last 25 Years
An Illinois mother with no history of varicella vaccination or documented disease delivered a premature infant with congenital varicella infection — reportedly only the third U.S. case of congenital varicella syndrome since 1995. The infant was born at 24 weeks gestation following induction of labor after ultrasound showed fetal abnormalities. The baby died shortly after […]
Black Women with HIV Face Higher Early Death Risk
Black women with HIV had the highest risk of premature death, according to a 21-year study. In a retrospective analysis of over 6,500 patients with HIV, black women with HIV had an age-adjusted years of potential life lost (aYPLL) per 1,000 person-years of 592.5 (95% CI 588.4-596.6) versus white men with HIV with an aYPLL […]
Infants exposed to domestic violence have poorer cognitive development: Study explores impact of multiple father figures on infant neurodevelopmental delays
While assessing a pregnant woman with premature labor in 1983, Linda Bullock noticed bruises on the woman. When she asked what happened, the woman told Bullock a refrigerator had fallen on her while cleaning the kitchen. “Something didn’t seem right, but I didn’t know what to say at the time. I just went on to […]
Premature Delivery Raises Odds for Cerebral Palsy
Latest Neurology News FRIDAY, July 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) Extremely premature babies have a much higher risk of cerebral palsy and other neurological conditions than full-term infants, a large Israeli study affirms. Cerebral palsy — the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and coordination — is the most common […]