Study: Taking hypertension meds at bedtime cuts health risks significantly
Study: Taking hypertension meds at bedtime cuts health risks significantly

A new study suggests taking hypertension medicines at bedtime results in better blood pressure control as well as a decreased risk of cardiovascular and neurovascular events (heart attack and stroke).

The [study](https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz754/5602478), published in the European Heart Journal, followed almost 19,000 patients over six years. They found that taking once a day blood pressure medications at bedtime was beneficial when compared to those that took their medicine in the morning.

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Microbiome, ScienceJeffrey TaekmanChronobiology, Medication, Cardiovascular Disease, Stroke, Manuscript, XenopharmacologyComment
Dog People Live Longer. But Why?
Dog People Live Longer. But Why?

Humans that own dogs live longer than those that do not say a recent pair of studies published last month.

Dogs and humans that like each other secrete the hormone oxytocin that is a behavioral trigger for bonding. According to a study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, according to the studies ([1](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.119.005554),[2](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.118.005342)) dog ownership decreased mortality from all causes and was associated with a 21% reduction in mortality in people with pre-existing heart disease. Interesting, the reduction in mortality was more pronounced in those that lived alone, suggesting that the companionship of a dog might be a vital component of the effect.

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Relationships, ScienceJeffrey TaekmanManuscript, Dogs, Mortality, Cardiovascular Disease Comment
National Academy of Medicine: Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being
National Academy of Medicine: Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being

Clinician burnout is a significant problem in modern healthcare. Between 35 percent and 54 percent of U.S. nurses and physicians have substantial symptoms of burnout, and the range for medical students and residents is even higher. Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (i.e., cynicism), and a low sense of personal accomplishment from work. Ultimately, burnout influences patient safety and the quality of care.

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MediaJeffrey TaekmanWellness, Burnout, Physician, Nurse, Patient Safety, QualityComment
What are Short-Chain Fatty Acids and how do they impact my health?
What are Short-Chain Fatty Acids and how do they impact my health?

A healthy microbiome is a diverse microbiome. One of the substances up-regulated in those with the healthiest microbiomes is short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs influence gut health directly by acting as food for the cells lining the gastrointestinal tract and by tightening the junctions between cells, but SCFAs are also are increasingly associated with a wide range of systemic health benefits. These benefits include improved immunologic function, lower systemic inflammation, and anti-cancer effects. Individuals with the highest level of SCFAs tend to have the healthiest and most diverse gut flora.

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Diet, Microbiome, Science, MovementJeffrey TaekmanShort-chain fatty acids, Psyllium, Microbiome, Exercise, Supplements, Probiotic, Prebiotic Comment
What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet and How Does It Work?
What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet and How Does It Work?

If I had to pick one recommendation to improve most people's health, that recommendation would be to decrease inflammation. Inflammation is your body's way of protecting itself from injury, illness, and infection. However, runaway inflammation has profound effects on your health. Uncontrolled inflammation is implicated in a wide range of chronic diseases, including obesity, anxiety/depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and many others.

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Diet, MicrobiomeJeffrey TaekmanMicrobiome, Short-chain fatty acids, Andrew Weil, True Food Kitchen, Western Diet, Pain, Obesity, Anxiety, Cancer, Depression, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Heart Disease, Anti-Inflammatory DietComment
Are Probiotics Making You Fat? probiotics, prebiotics, and fermented food
Are Probiotics Making You Fat? probiotics, prebiotics, and fermented food

Probiotics are all the rage. But a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Those Probiotics May Actually Be Hurting Your ‘Gut Health’, drove home a point I often try to make about prebiotics and probiotics. 

Probiotics contain live, microscopic organisms. Yogurt, Kefir, Kimchi, Sauerkraut, and other fermented foods have live bacterial strains. The type of bacteria and yeast often vary by brand. Prebiotics contain no live organisms. Instead, they are substances that humans cannot digest. The substances instead feed the beneficial bacteria of our gut (e.g., psyllium or inulin).

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Microbiome, Diet, ScienceJeffrey TaekmanPrebiotic, Probiotic, Obesity, IBS, Atopic Dermatitis, EczemaComment