Frontline: Heart Risk & IBS; Sugary Beverages & Kidney Function; Insomnia Therapy
Higher heart risks linked with inflammatory bowel disease
People who have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly women, are at an increased risk for stroke and heart attack, according to a study presented in October 2013 at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. Among patients with IBD, risks for heart attack or stroke were 10 to 25 percent higher than in those who did not have IBD. The most common forms of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis; these conditions are characterized by an inflammation of the intestinal lining, and produce symptoms that include diarrhea, cramps, pain, fever, and weight loss. These findings suggest that people with IBD should place primary importance on managing cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes, and smoking. In addition, moderate exercise, a healthy diet, and stress reduction can help manage IBD and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Sugary beverages may contribute to impaired kidney function
Two recent studies suggest that soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages may have a negative impact on your kidneys. In one study, researchers found that consuming at least two soft drinks per day was linked with increased excretion of protein in the urine, a sign of kidney dysfunction. A separate study conduct-ed on rats found that moderate sugar intake may fuel a reaction that leads to increased salt reabsorption by the kidneys, which may damage the kidneys over time, as well as contribute to high blood pressure. The results of both studies were presented in November 2013 at the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week.
Therapy that cures insomnia also may help relieve depression
If you suffer from depression and you also have insomnia, a specific type of counseling may improve both conditions, according to a study presented in November 2013 at a meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Researchers used cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) to treat patients who suffered from both depression and insomnia—defined as a month of chronic sleep loss that has caused problems at work, at home, or in relationships. All study participants were given medication—either an antidepressant drug or a placebo. Eighty-seven percent of the patients who cured their insomnia with CBT-I experienced relief from depression symptoms—almost double the number of the patients who got depression relief but still had insomnia. Other studies are currently being conducted on sleep and depression, with results expected in 2014.
Accessing the heart through an arm artery may be best for women
Researchers have learned that using the radial artery in the arm, rather than the femoral artery in the leg, as the entry point when performing common procedures on the heart may reduce bleeding and complications in women. Women are at a higher risk than men for bleeding and complications after such procedures. The two procedures performed in the study both involved threading a catheter to the heart through an artery: cardiac catheterization, which is used to diagnose and sometimes treat heart conditions, such as atherosclerosis (plaque buildup), and percutaneous coronary intervention, which opens narrowed or clogged arteries. The findings were presented in November 2013 at the annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics scientific symposium.
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