Dementia Risk May Rise as Air Quality Worsens
Exposure to particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) was associated with increased risk of dementia, a meta-analysis suggested. Across 14 studies that assessed PM2.5, the overall risk of dementia rose by 4% (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.99-1.09) for every 2 μg/m3 increase in average annual PM2.5 concentration, according to Marc Weisskopf, PhD, […]
Brain Structure, Cognitive Performance Linked With Tobacco Use in Kids
Children who started using tobacco by age 10 had significantly inferior cognitive performance and smaller brain structures after a 2-year follow-up period, a cohort study reported. Those reporting ever using tobacco products had significantly lower scores in the Picture Vocabulary Test of the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery both at baseline and at 2-year follow-up compared […]
Smaller Airways Set the Stage for Worse COPD Outcomes in Women
Smaller airways in women may explain their worse respiratory outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a large cohort study suggested. For never-smokers and ever-smokers alike, CT imaging revealed that men had thicker airway walls than women, who also had smaller airway lumen dimensions after accounting for height and total lung capacity. “It is plausible […]
Eating whole grains linked to smaller increases in waist size, blood pressure, blood sugar: Study in middle- to older-aged adults suggests whole grains may protect against heart disease
Middle- to older-aged adults who ate at least three servings of whole grains daily had smaller increases in waist size, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels over time compared to those who ate less than one-half serving per day, according to new research. Published July 13, 2021, in the Journal of Nutrition, the study by […]