Tag Archives: research

Is bad cholesterol really bad?

Posted on by August 24, 2017 2

Rethinking LDLs (low-density lipoproteins)

I’ve posted a couple of times about my husband’s high LDL level and his attempts to lower it through diet and exercise.

I’ve also said that because he doesn’t have any other risk factors for heart disease, we aren’t too worried about it. But the engineer in him likes the challenge of seeing how low he can get his LDL.

When I saw this recent YouTube video, however, I had to ask him to watch it. What if everything we think we know about LDL levels is wrong? What if so-called bad cholesterol isn’t really … Continue reading

Turmeric for arthritis pain

Posted on by June 5, 2017

turmeric for arthritisGood evidence for using turmeric to treat arthritis pain

I’m generally not a fan of supplements or herbal remedies.

There can be a lot of marketing hype behind these products, but not a lot of good science.

However…about a month ago I finally became so tired of living with chronic arthritis pain, mostly in my hands and neck, that I decided to research turmeric to see if there was any chance it could help me.

I wanted an alternative to ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), which works great to control my pain, but it’s not only hard on my stomach, it’s a … Continue reading

Add high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to your exercise routine

Posted on by April 5, 2017

hiitHIIT for better health— and lower doctors’ bills

A few months ago my husband and I joined a local gym. We wanted to be a little more serious with our exercise routines.

Aging can be expensive. I believe one way to save money on health care as we age is to exercise. Exercise can help prevent diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and possibly dementia.

I also want to keep my muscles and bones strong, to prevent falls and fractures.

I’m no exercise fanatic (quite the opposite, in fact), but aging healthfully is important enough to me that I worked with … Continue reading

The health effects of pot – What do we know?

Posted on by February 20, 2017

The good news and the bad news

A few years ago my state, Washington, legalized marijuana. I voted in favor.

Since then I’ve wondered if that was a good idea. Tax windfall aside, what do we really know about the health effects of pot, good or bad?

Recently, one of my favorite health news sites, Healthcare Triage, posted this video: What we know about pot in 2017

Dr. Carroll presents a good summary of available research on the health effects of pot. Unfortunately, as he points out, there just isn’t enough quality research being … Continue reading

Rats, cell phones and cancer

Posted on by May 31, 2016

rats, cell phones and cancerScary headlines sell news

Last week the media blitzed us with headlines that linked cell phones with an increased risk of brain and heart cancers.

Don’t believe everything you read in a headline!

That news story was based on a study out of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences that looked at the effect of cell phone radiation on rats.

Most journalists, if you bothered to read the entire article, did point out that the study was not perfect and it did use rats, after all, and not humans.

However, if you just read the headlines or skimmed … Continue reading

Is drinking good for you?

Posted on by April 5, 2016

wineIf, like me, you enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, or a cold beer on a hot day, or a cocktail when out with friends, you probably think a small to moderate amount of alcohol is part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

So the continuous push-pull in the media about the benefits of alcohol (“Moderate drinking helps you live longer!”) versus the harms (“Moderate drinking increases your risk of death!”) must confuse you as much as it does me.

Why can’t these researchers decide??

Well, there are a lot of problems with this kind of research. First, these … Continue reading

Sunshine for health!

Posted on by March 29, 2016

sunshine03Just in time for spring and summer fun in the sun, the results of a large and long-term study on the hazards of avoiding the sun were published last week in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Usually all we hear about are the bad things about too much sun exposure—skin cancer, melanoma, wrinkles, sunburns, etc.

But this study out of Sweden, which followed 30,000 women for 20 years, found:

Nonsmokers who stayed out of the sun had a life expectancy similar to smokers who soaked up the most rays, according to researchers who studied nearly 30,000 Swedish women over

… Continue reading

Blueberries for brain health

Posted on by June 7, 2017

blueberriesFor years I’ve heard that blueberries are good for brain health. Which is great, because I love blueberries and try to work them into my diet several times a week.

So I was happy to read the results of some new research that supports the connection between blueberries and the human brain.

Most blueberry studies to date have been performed on animals, but two recent studies—funded in part by the National Institute on Aging and the blueberry industry—used human subjects.

One study used adults over the age of 68. Half ate the equivalent of 1 cup of blueberries daily for … Continue reading

Vitamin D doesn’t help knee arthritis

Posted on by March 10, 2016

A few years ago vitamin D was being touted as the latest and greatest miracle supplement. Low vitamin D levels were linked to all kinds of conditions—autoimmune diseases, heart disease, chronic pain, osteoporosis, some cancers, and more—so doctors started prescribing high-dose supplements.

Or people just bought vitamin D supplements at the store and dosed themselves. Sometimes way over the recommended upper limit of 4,000 IU/day.

Multiple research studies, however, have found little help from vitamin D supplements in treating or preventing most of these conditions.

Most recently is a well-done study out of Australia, published in last week’s Journal of … Continue reading

Nexium and increased dementia risk

Posted on by February 23, 2016

nexiumI’ve previously posted that Nexium and similar acid-reducing drugs, the PPIs (proton pump inhibitors), have been linked to an increased risk of heart attack .

Now, a new study has confirmed a connection between PPIs and dementia.

The patients receiving regular PPI medication…had a significantly increased risk of incident dementia compared with the patients not receiving PPI medication…

The avoidance of PPI medication may prevent the development of dementia.

The study specifically looked at PPI use in patients age 75 and older, who are frequently taking several prescription medications.

This is an important study, because as the health news … Continue reading