Harvard Health Content API

Fit men tend to develop rising blood pressure nearly a decade later than those who are less fit, a study finds. The new research is based on data from a long-term health study. It included nearly 14,000 men. They received treadmill tests to measure fitness levels. On average, they received physical exams 4 times in up to 30 years of follow-up. Men in this study did not have a history of heart attack, stroke or cancer. Men who had high blood pressure or developed it during the study also were excluded. Instead of high blood pressure, the study looked at when men developed pre-hypertension. This is above-normal blood pressure, but not high enough for a diagnosis of high blood pressure. The average man with a low fitness level developed a systolic blood pressure of 120 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) at age 46. This is the threshold for prehypertension.

When it comes to weight loss, there is no “magic” diet, says a review of published studies. The review looked at 48 studies involving more than 7,000 people. Some were on low-carb diets, such as Atkins or South Beach. Others followed low-fat diets. People lost an average of 18 pounds over 6 months, regardless of the diet they followed. People tended to lose a few more pounds if the program told them to exercise, or if they had behavioral counseling at least twice a month for the first 3 months. By the one-year mark, however, most people had gained back 2 to 4 pounds. The study focused only on weight loss; it did not look at heart-disease risk or other health effects. The researchers say that the standard weight-loss advice of cutting calories and exercising still stands. They also say that the best diet is the one that a person can stick with over time.

A small study has found an association between poor sleep patterns and a reduction in brain volume over time. This does not mean that poor sleep caused the changes in brain size. Those changes may have caused the poor sleep patterns, or both things may be related to a third factor. The study included 147 adults. Over several years, they answered questions about sleep. They also underwent MRI scans of the brain. About one-third of people in the study had definite sleep problems. Those people tended to lose brain volume faster than people who slept well.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced approval for the third new diet drug since 2012. Contrave combines two drugs that were already approved. One, naltrexone, is used to treat alcohol and drug addiction. The other, buproprion, is used to treat depression and help smokers quit. Contrave is approved for use by obese adults. It also is approved for overweight adults who have at least one other condition related to excess weight, such as type 2 diabetes. In studies, 36% to 42% of those who took Contrave and 17% to 18% of those who took a placebo lost at least 5% of their body weight. The studies included a total of 4,500 people. Everyone also followed a reduced-calorie diet and a program of regular exercise. Contrave can increase blood pressure or cause seizures in some people. The drug is made by Orexigen Therapeutics of La Jolla, California.

Doctors prescribe antibiotics twice as often as needed for children with common respiratory infections, a new study concludes. The study was based on 24 previous articles. They were published between 2000 and 2012. This was after the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was approved. This vaccine has prevented many cases of childhood illness caused by bacteria. The studies looked at how often ear, throat and sinus infections were caused by bacteria. Researchers could not find any studies on nasal or lung (bronchial) infections that met their standards. They also looked at treatment guidelines. Guidelines do not recommend antibiotics in many cases for these 5 infections. Many cases are caused by viruses. Some infections caused by bacteria also may get better on their own.