UK tells pregnant women to boost vitamin D intake
The British government has told pregnant and breastfeeding women to increase their intake of vitamin D during the darker winter months to reduce the risk of seizures and the bone disease rickets in their children.
The Department of Health said doctors were reporting increasing numbers of cases of vitamin D deficiency in children.
Testosterone patch has benefits in aging men: study
Treatment with testosterone can help curb the gain in abdominal fat as well as the loss of skeletal muscle seen in non-obese aging men, according to a new study.
“Though use of testosterone therapy as a means of defying the aging process is gaining popularity, data from scientific trials have been very limited in this area,” study chief Dr. Carolyn Allan, from Prince Henry’s Institute in Victoria, Australia, said in a statement.
Guidelines aim to keep diabetic athletes healthy
Athletes with diabetes should be sure to have a game plan to manage blood-sugar highs and lows, according to new guidelines.
The recommendations, from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), focus on athletes with type 1 diabetes, the form of diabetes that usually arises in childhood or by young adulthood and requires insulin therapy.
Diets of Alzheimer’s patients lack many nutrients
People with Alzheimer’s disease eat less nutritiously than their peers without dementia, even in the early stages of the disease, new research from Canada shows.
This is particularly concerning given that adequate intakes of certain nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin K, and other antioxidants, could possibly help to preserve mental function, Dr. Bryna Shatenstein of the University of Montreal and her colleagues say.
Statins may reduce risk of sudden cardiac death
Results of a new study indicate that the so-called statin drugs used to lower cholesterol levels also help prevent chaotic heart beats that can lead to sudden cardiac death.
The study shows that statins are “associated with a significant 19 percent risk reduction for sudden cardiac death.”
