FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE BLOG
Includes over 800 monographs reporting on emerging studies in the medical and scientific literature of practical clinical importance, easily searched for content.
Nordic walking beats HIIT exercise for cardiovascular benefits
Nordic walking surpassed HIIT and MICT exercise in improving functional capacity in subjects with coronary artery disease. Depression scores also improved.
Gout: updates in diagnosis and treatment
Gout diagnosis is rendered less invasive and more practical in the general clinical setting and treatment more sustainable by recent advances.
Prediabetes also damages the heart
A study just published in the journal Circulation demonstrates that prediabetes causes unfelt damage to the heart that substantially raises the risk of future coronary artery disease and heart failure regardless of cholesterol levels.
Walking in the evening improves cardiovascular markers better than walking in the morning
Walking is beneficial any time of day, but an interesting study published recently in the journal Preventive Medicine demonstrated significantly more improvement in some key cardiovascular lipid and inflammatory markers by walking in the evening versus in the morning.
Thyroid in heart, metabolism, brain, kidney; vital importance of T3
Thyroid disorders have widespread impact and although subclinical hypothyroidism and low triiodothyronine (T3) syndrome are common they are frequently overlooked in practice.
Metabolic health status and aging determined by inflammation, not weight
Metabolic health is not reliably determined by weight or BMI (body mass index). Lean individuals can suffer from cardiovascular and other diseases involving metabolism, and evidence has been mounting that supports the notion of a subtype of obesity that is metabolically healthy. Inflammation can determine metabolic health in both obese and non-obese populations.
Vagal nerve activity moderates brain-immune relationships and is measured by heart rate variability
An exciting study with tremendous practical significance was just published in the Journal of Neuroimmunology that shows how vagal nerve activity, which can be measured in the clinic by heart rate variability analysis (HRV), is a key moderator of the brain-immune web and determines the immune and physiological responses to acute stress.
Aspirin Cardiovascular/Gastrointestinal Risk Calculator
Aspirin has been shown to be worthy of consideration for secondary, and in some cases primary, prevention of heart attacks and strokes but carries known risks for gastrointestinal side effects. If you're not certain whether to recommend low-dose aspirin to a patient, the aspirin cardiovascular/gastrointestinal risk calculator can help with the clinical decision. A paper recently published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics describes the development and use of this practical tool.
Coronary artery inflammation is reduced by coenzyme Q10
Coronary artery inflammation is reduced by coenzyme Q10
GGT is an important predictor of diabetes and cardiovascular risk
GGT is an important predictor of diabetes and cardiovascular risk
Niacin superior to ezetimibe for vascular health with coronary artery disease
Niacin superior to ezetimibe for vascular health with coronary artery disease