People who are optimistic are more likely to live to age 85 or older. The conclusion comes from a study published in PNAS that included 69,744 women who were followed for 10 years and 1,429 men who were followed for 30 years.
The participants completed surveys that assessed their level of optimism and health habits such as diet, smoking and alcohol use.
The most optimistic men and women lived, on average, 11 to 15 per cent longer than the least optimistic participants. They were also 50 to 70 per cent more likely to live to the age of 85.
The results remained even after accounting for age, education, chronic diseases, depression, alcohol use, exercise and diet.
The researchers provide possible explanations: optimistic people may have healthier habits like exercising and not smoking which could increase lifespan. They also may be able to regulate emotions better and recover from stressors more effectively.
Haemoglobin levels linked to dementia
According to a Dutch study published in the journal Neurology, people who have either low or high levels of haemoglobin may have a higher risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s, as they get older.
The study included 12,305 people without dementia (average age 65). Haemoglobin levels were measured at the start of the study and the participants were divided into five groups based on that. Among them, 745 participants (6 per cent) had anaemia.
During an average follow up of 12 years, 1,520 people developed dementia, including 1,194 with Alzheimer’s disease. People with anaemia were 41 per cent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and 34 per cent more likely to develop any type of dementia.
People with high levels of haemoglobin also had a higher risk of dementia. Those with the highest haemoglobin levels were 20 per cent more likely to develop dementia than those with levels in the middle. Similarly, those with the lowest haemoglobin levels were 29 per cent more likely to develop dementia than those with levels in the middle.
The results remained the same even after accounting for other risk factors of dementia, including smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and alcohol intake.
Open all blockages
Opening all the clogged arteries with stents after a heart attack is significantly better than opening only the one blockage that caused the heart attack, according to a major clinical trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Nearly half of all heart attack patients have more clogged arteries than the one that caused their heart attack. Doctors usually open only the one artery responsible for the heart attack, leaving the other blockages to be treated with medication alone. The international study included 4,041 patients treated at 140 hospitals in 31 countries.
Opening all the blockages reduced the risk of the patient's risk of dying or having a recurrent heart attack by 26 per cent. All the patients had the blocked artery that caused the heart attack opened. Half of them were assigned to a second procedure to have other blocked arteries opened.
Over a median follow up of three years, 7.8 per cent of the patients who had all their blockages opened suffered a second heart attack or cardiovascular death compared to 10.5 per cent of those who had only the artery that caused the first heart attack opened.
Risk remains
Smoking is a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death. Quitting can significantly reduce the risk. But it could take 10 to 15 years after quitting for the risk to be similar to that of someone who never smoked, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
To find out the risk of cardiovascular diseases after smoking cessation, the researchers followed 8,770 adults with a mean age of 42 years for an average of 26 years. Among them, 2,371 were heavy smokers, smoking at least one pack of cigarettes daily for 20 years.
There were 2,435 cardiovascular events during the study period. Of these, 1,095 were among heavy smokers.
Quitting smoking reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 39 per cent within five years for former heavy smokers compared with current smokers. But their risk remained significantly higher for at least 10 to 15 years and possibly for 25 years after quitting compared to never-smokers.
Did you know?
Practising mindfulness meditation can help adults with mild cognitive impairment enhance their cognitive reserve.
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
Polypill solution
A low cost polypill that contains four drugs could effectively reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by more than half.
The study, published in The Lancet, included 6,841 people aged 55 years or over living in northern Iran. Nearly half the participants were women.
Among them, 3,421 participants were asked to take a daily polypill, while 3,417 participants were given advice on a heart-healthy lifestyle. The polypill contained aspirin, a cholesterol-lowering statin and two blood pressure medications.
During five years of follow up, 301 participants in the lifestyle advice group suffered a cardiovascular event, compared to only 202 participants in the polypill group.
Those taking the polypill had a 34 per cent lower risk of major heart events, including heart attack, stroke, heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, procedures to reopen clogged arteries and heart related mortality, compared with those who received only lifestyle advice.
The risk was 40 per cent lower among people without a history of heart disease, and up to 57 per cent lower in people who took the medication as recommended.
The benefits and side effects were similar in both men and women.
The best companion
Dog owners have better heart health, according to a US study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes.
To study the impact of pet ownership, specifically dog ownership, on cardiovascular health and risk factors, the researchers recruited 1,769 adults aged 25 to 64 years without a history of cardiovascular diseases from the Czech Republic.
Pet owners, in general, were more likely to eat a healthy diet, be physically active, and have ideal blood glucose levels and higher levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Regardless of their age, sex and education level, the greatest heart benefits were seen in dog owners.
The cardiovascular benefits could be explained by the simple fact that dogs keep their owners physically active, which could also explain the lower blood sugar levels. On average, 67 per cent of dog owners met the recommended exercise goals compared to 48 per cent of people without pets and 55 per cent of other pet owners.
Dogs also promote better mental health by providing companionship and emotional comfort. They reduce stress and relieve feelings of loneliness.
Did you know?
The US Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers that Hyland's homeopathic teething tablets contain inconsistent amounts of belladonna, a toxic substance, that can cause unnecessary risk to infants and children.
Eat more plant protein
People who eat more plant proteins like nuts, soy, legumes and beans tend to live longer, according to a Japanese study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
To analyse the association between dietary protein intake and the risk of death, the researchers followed 70,696 healthy people, average age of about 55, for about 20 years.
Among them, 12,381 people died during the study period: 5,055 deaths from cancer; 3,025 from cardiovascular disease; 1,528 from heart disease; and 1,198 from cerebrovascular disease.
Participants whose diet had the most plant protein had a 13 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 16 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular mortality compared to those who consumed the least plant protein.
Substituting just 3 per cent of red meat with plant protein was associated with a 34 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality, a 39 per cent lower risk of cancer related mortality, and a 42 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular mortality.
Substituting just 4 per cent of processed meat with plant protein was associated with 46 per cent lower risk of dying from all causes and 50 per cent lower risk of dying from cancer. No association was seen between intake of animal protein and mortality outcomes.
Avoid alcohol during pregnancy
No level of alcohol is safe during pregnancy. Even small amounts can increase the risk of miscarriages.
More than half of women drink alcohol in the early stages of pregnancy before they realise they are pregnant. Alcohol-related adverse pregnancy outcomes, like foetal alcohol syndrome, are often thought to be related to heavy consumption.
But according to the current study published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, consuming even small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriages by 19 per cent.
Among women who have less than five drinks a week, each additional drink per week during pregnancy was associated with a 6 per cent increase in miscarriage risk.
The findings were based on 24 studies that included more than 2,31,808 pregnant women.
Did you know?
A comparison of healthiness of packaged food and beverages among different countries showed that India and China had the worst Health Star Rating.
Obesity Reviews
Abusers at home
As their physical and intellectual capabilities start to wane, senior citizens often become victims of scams and abuse. But who is the most likely perpetrator?
According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology, in majority of cases the perpetrator is a family member and not a stranger. The findings are based on an analysis of 1,939 calls made to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) resource line which was created to help people seeking information on how to identify or report elder abuse.
Among them, 42.2 per cent of the calls reported some form of abuse, with 54.9 involving financial abuse; 23 per cent of the calls reported multiple abuse types and 18.2 per cent alleged multiple abusers. A family member was the alleged perpetrator in nearly 48 per cent of the calls.
Financial abuse was the most common type of abuse perpetrated by family members (61.8 per cent), followed by emotional abuse (35 per cent), neglect (20.1 per cent), physical abuse (12 per cent) and sexual abuse (0.3 per cent).
More than one type of abuse was reported in more than 32 per cent of the calls alleging abuse by a family member.
Cancer and antibiotic response
According to a US study published in the journal Gut, antibiotic exposure can increase the risk of colon cancer.
For the study, the researchers compared the medical records of 19,726 colon cancer patients and 9,254 rectal cancer patients with 1,37,077 people matched for age and sex, who did not develop these cancers. Nearly six out of 10 of all study participants had been prescribed more than one class of antibiotics.
Even a single course of antibiotic use can slightly increase the risk of colon cancer, and the risk increased with prolonged usage.
Those who were on antibiotics for a total of 15 to 30 days had an 8 per cent greater risk of colon cancer compared to those who had not taken any antibiotics. The risk was 15 per cent greater with 30 or more days of total antibiotic exposure.
On the other hand, antibiotic use was linked to a small decrease in the risk of rectal cancer. This could be due to differences in the impact of antibiotics on the gut bacteria.
CONTRIBUTOR: SHYLA JOVITHA ABRAHAM