A report recently published by the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that, as a result of physical inactivity, almost 500 million people will develop heart disease, obesity, diabetes, or other noncommunicable diseases in the decade from 2020 to 2030. Almost half of these new cases (47%) will be the result of high blood pressure, and 43% will be caused by depression. The most affected countries will be those of low or middle income.

@raju The investigators also found recovery from the symptoms seemed to vary greatly from patient to patient, so it was difficult to predict whether a specific symptom would likely resolve within a certain timeframe.

People living with HIV appear to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension earlier than those without HIV, and they seem to be increasingly likely to develop chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a new study. On average, CVD and hypertension occurred about 2 years earlier in people living with HIV. And from about age 40 on, CKD burden increased more quickly, the researchers report.

Symptoms of six common cardiovascular diseases (CVD) — acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, valvular disorders, stroke, rhythm disorders, and peripheral vascular disease — often overlap and may vary over time and by sex, the American Heart Association (AHA) notes in a new scientific statement.

@miraj Approximately 1% of patients with COVID will suffer from long-term smell loss, and given the widespread global impact of COVID, this represents a substantial number who have experienced or will potentially experience chronic smell loss because of the disease. Loss of smell associated with COVID may last anywhere from 15 to 180 days after a SAR-CoV-2 infection, the researchers note. Research suggests there is central nervous system involvement in COVID anosmia, mostly in the orbitofrontal cortex — the neural substrate for conscious olfactory perception.

@lata All cells in our bodies, including cancerous ones, use sugar molecules, also known as carbohydrates, as their primary source of energy. But that's not the only source of fuel for our cells. Cells can use other nutrients, such as proteins and fats, to grow. Scientists are, however, investigating whether certain diets can help slow the growth of tumors. For instance, some preliminary evidence from trials in rodents and humans shows that the ketogenic diet, which is low in carbohydrates and high in fat, may help slow the growth of some types of tumors, such as those in the rectum, when combined with standard cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy.

@raju Labelling the climax of this experiential psychopathologic cascade as "pure evil," "terrorism," "hate crime," or "the acts of monsters" explains, solves, and prevents nothing. Before they were shooters, they were sons, grandsons, neighbors, and classmates. Shortly before the mass killing, many shooters gave out signals, possibly "cries for help," such as purchasing assault weapons and a plethora of ammunition soon after attaining an age of eligibility, hinting or boasting to acquaintances, making a call to a mental health facility, or posting on social media.

A class of drugs widely used to treat heartburn and stomach ulcers improve blood sugar control in patients with diabetes when added to their usual treatment, a new analysis indicates. But the same class of drugs — known medically as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and including agents such as omeprazole — did not prevent diabetes in people who do not already have it, the same research shows. As well as working to suppress acid, "We know that these drugs affect certain gut hormones that are important in glucose regulation," Kashif Munir, MD, told WebMD.

Too often, depression in individuals aged 60 years and older goes unrecognized and untreated or not treated appropriately, results of a large population-based study show. The investigators note that in Sweden and most other European countries, depression is mainly managed in primary care settings. However, they note that a 2009 meta-analysis published in the Lancet showed that the diagnostic sensitivity of major depression in this setting was below 50% in individuals aged 65 years and older.

@ashish Results showed no statistically significant differences between the groups who received placebo, low-dose sodium nitrite, or high-dose sodium nitrite on survival to hospital admission (the primary endpoint) or on hospital discharge (the secondary endpoint). There was also no difference in either endpoint in the subgroup with ventricular fibrillation.