06/27/24 - #161

Good morning. In today’s edition:

  • Study Finds Sedentary Coffee Drinkers Have a 24 Percent Reduced Risk of Mortality Compared With Sedentary Non-coffee-drinkers

  • New Research Shows That Weight Loss Achieved With Bariatric Surgery is Significantly Associated With a 42% Lower Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and 37% Lower Risk of Death in Patients With Obesity and Moderate to Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea

  • Walking Three Times a Week to Ease Back Pain Almost Halves the Risk of Its Recurrence. About 800 Million People Worldwide Have Low Back Pain, and Seven in 10 Who Recover Experience Flare-ups Within a Year

  • A Healthy Diet is Associated With a Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Regardless of Genetic Risk

…and lots more. Have a great day!

FOOD & NUTRITION

Study Finds Sedentary Coffee Drinkers Have a 24 Percent Reduced Risk of Mortality Compared With Sedentary Non-coffee-drinkers

A new study has found that adults who sit for many hours but drink coffee every day are less likely to die early compared to those who don’t drink coffee. The study looked at 10,639 people in the U.S. to see how long they sat each day and how much coffee they drank.

Researchers found that sitting a lot usually increases the chance of dying from heart problems and other causes. But, people who drank a lot of coffee had a 24% lower risk of dying compared to those who didn’t drink coffee at all. This means coffee might have some health benefits that help even if you sit a lot.

Coffee has things in it that can fight off disease and keep your body healthy. These may help reduce the bad effects of sitting too much. However, it's still good to try to sit less and move more.

Even though the study shows that coffee can be good for people who sit a lot, it’s not a replacement for being active. It’s better for your health to sit less and move around more. But if you do sit a lot, enjoying some coffee might help you stay healthier.

This study gives a bit of hope to those who have to sit a lot for work or other reasons. But remember, it’s best to combine coffee drinking with less sitting and more moving for the best health results.

WEIGHT LOSS

New Research Shows That Weight Loss Achieved With Bariatric Surgery is Significantly Associated With a 42% Lower Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and 37% Lower Risk of Death in Patients With Obesity and Moderate to Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea

A new study from Cleveland Clinic discovered that weight loss surgery can greatly cut heart problems and the chance of dying. The study looked at obese people with severe sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition that can get worse with obesity and can lead to serious heart issues.

The study is called the MOSAIC study. It looked at 13,657 adults diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea. They had a body mass index (BMI) of 35 to 70. It found that those who had weight loss surgery were 42% less likely to have major heart problems. They were also 37% less likely to die than those who did not have surgery.

Over ten years, the researchers kept track of the health of people who had the surgery and those who didn’t. They found that fewer people who had the surgery had serious heart issues or died. Specifically, 27% of people who had surgery faced major heart problems after ten years, while 35.6% of those who didn't have surgery faced these issues. Also, the death rate was lower in the surgery group—9.1% compared to 12.5% in the group that didn’t have surgery.

Dr. Ali Aminian, who led the study, said that treating obesity effectively, like with weight loss surgery, is key to improving heart health and survival in people with sleep apnea.

This groundbreaking study shows that weight loss surgery can be a life-saving option for many.

HEALTH

Walking Three Times a Week to Ease Back Pain Almost Halves the Risk of Its Recurrence. About 800 Million People Worldwide Have Low Back Pain, and Seven in 10 Who Recover Experience Flare-ups Within a Year

Did you know that about 800 million people around the world suffer from low back pain? A new study from Australia shows that walking three times a week can greatly reduce the chance of this pain coming back.

Researchers looked at 701 adults who recently had back pain. They divided them into two groups. One group started a walking program and learned from a physiotherapist, while the other group didn’t do anything special. After three years, people in the walking group had less severe pain and went longer without pain—about 208 days compared to 112 days for those who did nothing.

Professor Mark Hancock, who led the study, said, “You don’t need to walk far every day. Start with short walks and slowly walk longer and faster as you get fitter.”

Walking not only helped with back pain. It also made people's lives better in other ways, like less time off work and feeling healthier overall. Walking is easy to do, doesn’t cost much, and can be done by almost anyone, anywhere.

The study’s findings are important because they show that simple walking can help prevent back pain from returning. Plus, walking is good for your heart, bones, weight, and mood. This makes it a great choice for staying healthy and keeping back pain away.

A Healthy Diet is Associated With a Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Regardless of Genetic Risk

A recent study from the University of Eastern Finland has brought good news. It's for those worried about type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that eating a healthy diet can lower the risk of developing this condition. This is true even for people with a high genetic risk.

Type 2 diabetes is rooted in genetics. Lifestyle choices can greatly control it. We've wondered if everyone benefits equally from a healthy diet. "This is true no matter if they have a low or high genetic risk of diabetes," explains Ulla Tolonen. She is a doctoral researcher at the university.

The study observed over 1,500 middle-aged and older men. It looked at their eating habits and glucose levels. Participants recorded their food intake through a questionnaire and underwent glucose tolerance tests. Their genetic risk for diabetes was also evaluated based on specific genetic markers.

Results identified two main dietary patterns. The "healthy" pattern has lots of vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. It was linked to lower glucose and reduced diabetes risk. Remarkably, these benefits applied to participants across various genetic risk levels.

"Our findings suggest that a healthy diet helps everyone. This is true regardless of genetic makeup," Tolonen notes. This insight underscores the importance of dietary choices in preventing and managing type 2 diabetes.

✢ A Note From Hem Hero

The information in this health newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment; always consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. The publishers are not responsible for any actions taken by the reader based on the information provided.