Abstracts & Commmentary
Melatonin Reduces Anxiety and Pain of Pediatric Blood Draws
12-02-2015 Best known for its use in insomnia, melatonin is also showing promise as a pain and anxiety reducer.
Curcumin and Premenstrual Syndrome
12-02-2015 Study finds curcumin attenuates the severity of premenstrual syndrome in 18-to 34-year-old females with regular menstrual cycles.
Khorasan Wheat-Based Diet and Acute Coronary Syndrome
12-02-2015 An organic khorasan wheat-based replacement diet improves risk profile of patients with acute coronary syndrome: a randomized crossover trial.
Coffee May Reduce Colon Cancer Recurrence
11-04-2015 In this prospective, observational study, drinkers of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee who also survived colon cancer were found to be 41% less likely to have their cancer recur than non‒coffee drinkers.
Mediterranean Diet, Extra-virgin Olive Oil, and Breast Cancer Risk
11-04-2015 The PREDIMED data have yielded more fascinating insights about the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet—this time as it affects the incidence of breast cancer in women who had not previously had the disease. Consider these findings if you need another reason to recommend this healthy diet to patients.
Nature Walks Boost Mental Health
11-04-2015 Walking in nature, but not in urban environments, is shown to reduce psychopsychologic rumination. This is the first study to demonstrate neuroimaging and corresponding psychological changes in response to real natural vs built environmental exposures.
Cannabis Ameliorates Diabetic Neuropathy Pain
11-04-2015 A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial adds to the growing body of evidence that cannabis is effective in the treatment of neuropathic syndromes.
Fish Oil Prevents Psychosis
11-04-2015 This study, as well as previous studies of omega 3s and psychosis, demonstrates the potential of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids as a safe and efficacious strategy for the prevention of psychotic states in at-risk individuals.
Nuts May Reduce Cancer, but Not Diabetes, Risk
10-07-2015 In a new review and meta-analysis, researchers have found that nut consumption is associated with a lower risk of specific cancers but not on the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Light-intensity Physical Activity Trumps Sedentary Behavior
10-07-2015 A recent observational analysis showed that even light physical activity had an inverse relationship with mortality, which may prove helpful as we attempt to motivate exercise-averse patients.
Choosing the Right Vitamin K2: Menaquinone-4 vs Menaquinone-7
10-07-2015 Natural strategies to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have included menaquinone-4 (MK-4) since the 1990s—but is it the best form of vitamin K2 for RA patients?
Can Restricting Fermentable Carbohydrates Help Kids With Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
10-07-2015 Studies suggest a diet low in fermentable carbohydrates alleviates irritable bowel syndrome in adults. Recent research questions whether it can also help children.
Does Air Pollution Cause Anxiety?
09-16-2015 Air pollution is a known risk factor in cardiovascular disease and respiratory disorders, but what impact does it have on mood? This study found that women with higher exposure to air pollution were more likely to experience anxiety.
Are Cosmetologists and Manicurists at Greater Risk for Pregnancy Complications?
09-16-2015 In a recent population-based retrospective study of cosmetologists and manicurists in California, researchers found that women who work in this industry are at greater risk for adverse birth outcomes and maternal health complications.
Low-dose Chemical Mixtures as Carcinogens
09-16-2015 In this study, 11 teams of toxicology experts reviewed relevant data on the chemicals in our everyday life to ascertain their carcinogenic impact according to the “hallmarks of cancer.”
Bisphenol A and Pregnant Women
09-16-2015 In a case-control study, researchers measured levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in 2 sets of pregnant women—those with a diagnosis of fetal malformation and those without. Surprisingly, the women with healthy fetuses demonstrated higher rates of conjugated BPA, which may indicate that women who metabolize BPA poorly are more likely to have fetuses with developmental defects.
Air Pollution Aggravates Diabetes
09-16-2015 In this study of cross-sectional data from Italy, researchers discovered a direct correlation between levels of particulate matter in the air and the increase in hospitalizations for diabetic patients over the age of 45.
Telomere Length, Maternal Depression, and Child Behavior
09-02-2015 In the first study to measure the effect of maternal clinical depression on telomere length (TL) and its relationship with oppositional defiant behavior preschoolers, researchers found that behavioral issues in children are linked to shorter TL and maternal depression.
Life Through Orange-colored Glasses
09-02-2015 In this crossover trial involving 13 healthy male adolescents, wearing blue-blocking, orange-tinted glasses before bed improved sleep disruption and led to better cognitive activation in the morning. Although preliminary, this study may pave the way for future studies that address sleep problems in any population whose quality of life is affected by poor sleep.
Waon Therapy Linked to Cardiovascular Health
09-02-2015 According to this pilot study, patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) saw improvement in quality of life as well as many biochemical markers from a course of waon therapy, a Japanese sauna treatment.