Treelet Health provides the latest health news, disease prevention, nutrition and diet, and other professional health knowledge to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Mild cognitive impairment can involve cognitive struggles and can increase someone’s chances of developing dementia. Exergaming involves technology that requires physical activity and has possible cognitive benefits. One recent study found that serious exergaming may positively impact gray matter and white matter in the brain, and that these brain changes may be linked to cognitive improvements.
Researchers from the Medical University of Lodz in Poland investigated how diet can affect the severity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which can cause severe gastrointestinal problems. A study of participants with IBD showed that those with diets deemed anti-inflammatory were more likely to be in remission or have mild disease. People whose diets tended towards being pro-inflammatory, however, were up to three times more likely to have moderate-to-severe IBD.
In 2022, about 19.8 million people globally died from heart disease, with about 85% of these deaths attributed to stroke and heart attack. Previous research has linked bacterial infections as a risk factor for heart disease. Past studies have also linked bacterial infections to an increased risk of arterial plaque buildup. A new study has now identified specific bacteria typically found in the mouth and throat, which researchers believe may be a trigger for a heart attack.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder where a person has trouble falling and staying asleep. Past studies have linked insomnia to an increased risk for a number of health concerns, including cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. A new study found that people with chronic insomnia may be at a greater risk of developing dementia or mild cognitive impairment than those with non-chronic insomnia, associated with faster brain aging.
An integrated digital health system involving a mobile device app and a blood pressure monitor proved effective in lowering participants’ blood pressure in a new study. The digital intervention was particularly effective for women, including women of perimenopausal and menopausal age, who had high blood pressure. Menopause is a time of heightened cardiovascular risk, so interventions such as this are a welcome innovation. Such digital health systems appear to be more effective for women due to their greater engagement with the systems, compared to men.
Past research has linked certain mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, to an increased risk for dementia. A new study has found that people who have multiple mental health conditions have a higher risk of developing dementia than those with one. Coexisting mood and anxiety disorders correlated with increased dementia odds of up to 90%. Researchers report that this risk percentage increases with each additional concurrent mental health disorder.
About 4% of the global population lives with an anxiety disorder, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). While there are currently treatment options available for GAD, past studies show that about 50% of people will not respond to first-line treatments like antidepressant therapy. A new study reports the results of a phase 2b clinical trial of an LSD medication that shows promise in treating anxiety. The drug, called MM120, is an oral pharmaceutical form of LSD, the hallucinogenic drug also known as acid.
A new study in mice found that a ketogenic diet did not accelerate the aging of females, although it did cause males to age more rapidly. The authors of the study found that the presence of estrogen in the female mice blocked the aging effect of the diet. When males were treated with estrogen, estradiol, and antioxidants, the rapid-aging effects of the diets decreased. Further study is required to determine if these effects translate to humans.
Past studies show that certain healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating a nutritional diet, can help people live longer and healthier. A new study found the time of day people eat their meals — especially breakfast — may also affect longevity. Eating breakfast later in the day, for example, was linked to depression and oral health issues.
A new trial investigating high-normal serum potassium levels for people at high risk of ventricular arrhythmias delivered promising results. Compared to a control group, people with these elevated potassium levels fared better over the approximately 3 years of the trial. Too little potassium is bad for the heart, and so is too much. The trial suggested a new sweet spot for at-risk heart patients.
Low-calorie sweeteners and sugar substitutes such as aspartame, saccharin, and xylitol have been used since the early 1900s. Past studies show there may be potential health risks to using sugar substitutes, including cognitive issues. A new study provides more evidence suggesting a correlation between sugar substitute use and cognitive decline.
Beta-blockers are a type of medication used after heart attacks. A recent study suggests that using beta-blockers does not improve certain outcomes after heart attacks where the left ventricular ejection fraction is preserved. Further analysis suggests that beta-blocker use may be harmful for women, especially for those who take beta-blockers at higher doses and for women who have preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.