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In 1969, a band called the fifth dimension popularized the refrain "Let the sun shine in," in a hit song from the Broadway musical Hair, though it is doubtful they were advocating for the increased cutaneous manufacture and dietary intake of vitamin D.
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This single-group cohort before-and-after study of an intensive educational program for primary care physicians focusing on mindful communication and self-awareness demonstrated improvements in physician well-being and attitudes toward patient- centered care.
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A standardized extract of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F root was compared with sulfasalazine therapy in subjects with active rheumatoid arthritis. After a 24-week intervention, those taking the botanical remedy experienced significantly greater progress both clinically and in laboratory assessments when compared with the sulfasalazine group, with improvements occurring rapidly. The findings are hampered somewhat by a significant dropout rate in both study groups.
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Concerns over cell phones use and subsequent development of cancer, especially brain tumors, have occasionally dominated the news and helped create an entire business sector devoted to hands-free devices.
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A meta-analysis was conducted of the incidence of side effects reported in randomized controlled trials of women taking phytoestrogens for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Except for gastrointestinal side effects, women taking phytoestrogens were not at higher risk of side effects.
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Middle-age female health professionals at risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes derived no benefit from more than 7 years of daily supplementation with a combination pill composed of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 designed to decrease serum levels of homocysteine.
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Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms can be treated effectively with soluble fiber such as Metamucil.
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A subgroup analysis on elderly Chinese patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) revealed beneficial effects of Xuezhikang, a red yeast rice extract. Risk of coronary and all-cause deaths were significantly lowered, total cholesterol and LDL- cholesterol levels were reduced, and HDL-cholesterol levels were increased significantly compared to placebo.
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This survey study assessed religious behavior, affective state, and health behaviors in a group of 167 adult cancer survivors. A measure of religious experience was associated with self-confidence, while religious struggle was associated with feelings of guilt, and all were associated with some health behaviors. After controlling for affective state, associations with the religion variables were no longer statistically significant, though a measurable indirect effect, mediated by affective state, could be detected.
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In a mouse model of atherosclerosis, researchers showed that a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet with a macronutrient profile that approximates the maintenance phase of well-known low-carbohydrate diets in humans significantly worsens the development and severity of aortic atherosclerosis in the absence of significant changes in well-established biomarkers for cardiovascular disease. In addition, such a diet appears to impair neovascularization in response to ischemia.
