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Women in a study who kept off excess weight for 2 years may have reduced their risk of heart disease and diabetes, researchers report. The study included 417 overweight or obese women. They were randomly assigned to follow either the Jenny Craig program or a self-directed diet program. They provided fasting blood samples before the study. Researchers checked blood samples again after 12 and 24 months. About 70% of all women had sustained weight loss after 2 years. Those who followed the commercial program had greater reductions. Women who lost at least 10% of their weight and kept it off for 2 years also showed signs of better health. They had improvements in factors that affect the risk of heart disease and diabetes. These included lower LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and triglycerides, another blood fat. They also had a drop in C-reactive protein, which indicates inflammation.

Long-awaited new guidelines allow slightly higher blood pressure for people over 60 and those with some conditions. These are the first new guidelines since 2003. An expert panel wrote them. Other experts reviewed them. For the first time, they are based as much as possible on randomized controlled trials. Such studies are considered the highest standard of evidence. They assign similar people to different treatments or a placebo (fake). If these studies were lacking, the guidelines relied on expert opinion. The new guidelines recommend treating blood pressure in people ages 60 and older if it is above 150/90. For people ages 30 through 59, the goal remains less than 140/90. For this group, only the goal for diastolic pressure (the second number, 90) is based on evidence. The systolic goal (the first number) is based on expert opinion.

Vigorous exercise can help keep those holiday cookies from harming your health, a new study shows. The study included 26 healthy young men. They were asked to limit their normal physical activity for a week. But half of the men were randomly assigned to run on a treadmill for 45 minutes a day. All of the men were asked to follow their normal diet but eat more for of it. Daily calories increased by 50% in the inactive group and 75% in the exercise group. This ensured that both groups had the same excess calorie intake, even though one group was exercising. After just a week of overeating, everyone had an increase in blood sugar. Tests showed that the men also had unhealthy changes to metabolism. But all of these effects were much reduced in the men who were exercising. The Journal of Physiology published the study December 15. HealthDay News wrote about it.