With the technological understanding and wealth of the United States, one might think our longevity would be among the best in the world. It's not. In the U.S., longevity does not even remotely correlate with expenditures.
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Science is exciting, a never-ending maze of discoveries, slowly unraveling deep mysteries. Usually, science moves forward in tiny increments, iterative steps. Each small step builds on the next. But every once in a while, there comes about such a revolutionary idea; it sounds like science fiction. Those "out-of-the-box" studies are what I love. They change my perspective and sometimes offer insight into scientific dogma. The novelty and wide-ranging potential is the reason I love the microbiome--its influence on disease. Although a recent discovery, promises to turn most of what we know about health and disease on its head.
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An article in the New York Times called attention to a recent study that investigated the biochemical / molecular changes of the body with exercise. The study, published in Cell, used multi-omics to catalog and quantify over 9000 different molecules that changed with exertion.
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I am doing quite a bit of reading on caloric restriction and time-restricted eating. I came across the article, A Time to Fast, in Science. The article is an excellent summary of the emerging field.
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An essential skill for evaluation of wellness claims is critical reading. The Farnum Street article, nicely summarizes the things you should be aware of when reading scientific information.
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Although many dismiss intermittent fasting as a fad, there is a mounting collection of research that demonstrates a bevy of benefits to this pattern of eating.
Last week, the review article, Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease, appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The review covers the biochemistry of fasting, the impact of IF on stress resistance, IFs effect on health, disease and cognition, as well as clinical applications of time-restricted eating.
The evidence for fasting is becoming so compelling; it is likely intermittent fasting will find its way into doctor's recommendations for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you want to give it a try, most find it i
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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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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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