Having Heart Surgery In Afternoon Instead Of Morning Drastically Reduces Post-Op Risk
The findings are the latest in a growing body of evidence suggesting that time of day plays an important role in how well various medical treatments work. In other public health news: controversy continues over whether someone who is overweight can be healthy; the benefits of being a do-gooder; stem cell treatments; and the link between marijuana and sex.
Stat:
Why Having Surgery Later In The Day Might Be Better For Your Health
The time of day of your surgery could have long-term impacts on your health. That’s according to researchers who looked at the way circadian rhythm — the body’s internal clock — affects the outcomes of a patient recovering from a complex heart procedure. Patients who underwent open-heart surgery in the afternoon experienced better health outcomes compared to those who got operated on in the morning, study authors found after six years of observing nearly 600 patients who underwent heart valve replacement. In the subsequent 500 days after surgery, researchers found, those patients who had surgery after noon had half the risk of a major cardiac event — for instance myocardial infarction, acute heart failure, or death — as those who had surgeries before then. (Blau, 10/26)
The New York Times:
‘Fat But Fit’? The Controversy Continues
Can you be fit and healthy, even if you’re overweight? And will working out, despite the extra pounds, reduce your risk of a heart attack? The idea that you can be “fat but fit” has long been controversial. While health experts endorse physical activity as beneficial, many doctors view the concept of being “fat but fit” with suspicion. (Rabin, 10/26)
The New York Times:
Why Doing Good Is Good For The Do-Gooder
The past few months, with a series of disasters seemingly one on top of another, have felt apocalyptic to many, but the bright side to these dark times has been the outpouring of donations and acts of generosity that followed. From Hurricane Harvey flooding Houston to Hurricanes Irma and Maria ripping through the Caribbean to wildfires burning Northern California, cities and charities have been flooded with donations and volunteers. The outpouring of support is critical for helping affected communities to recover. But acts of generosity benefit the do-gooder, too. (Karlis, 10/26)
KQED:
Paralyzed Patients Regain Movement In Stem Cell Trial: Is It Too Early To Celebrate?
If you’ve been reading about the SCiStar stem cell trial, you know the company’s reports of its initial results sound truly remarkable. The trial is injecting oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, produced from human embryonic stem cells, into patients ages 18-69. These trial subjects have suffered recent spinal cord injuries in the neck, resulting in the loss of nearly all sensation and movement below the injury, as well as some paralysis of the arms and legs. (Gorn, 10/26)
NPR:
Researchers Find Frequency Of Sex Rises With Marijuana Use
Tobacco companies put a lot of effort into giving cigarettes sex appeal, but the more sensual smoke might actually belong to marijuana.Some users have said pot is a natural aphrodisiac, despite scientific literature turning up mixed results on the subject. At the very least, a study published Friday in the Journal of Sexual Medicine suggests that people who smoke more weed are having more sex than those who smoke less or abstain. But whether it's cause or effect, isn't clear. (Chen, 10/27)
San Jose Mercury News:
Marijuana Use Linked To More Frequent Sex, Says Stanford Study
A major new Stanford University study shows a link between marijuana use and sexual desire, suggesting that there may be science behind the age-old practice of using the drug as an aphrodisiac. The groundbreaking analysis of the lifestyles of more than 50,000 American men and women stops short of recommending pot to spice up your sex life. Scientists stress that the study, published Friday in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, doesn’t necessarily show that toking leads to more and happier sex. (Krieger, 10/27)
