Medical Watch Digest for April 24
A troubling trend when it comes to heart health.
Patients and their doctors are failing when it comes to heart care. Heart failure rates are now on pace to wipe out prior gains.
According to JAMA Cardiology, long standing declines in heart failure are reversing. Heart failure death rates declined from 1999 to 2005, then plateaued in 2012.
But from 2012 to 2019 mortality increased to levels greater than decades ago.
The most troubling reversal was for people younger than 45.
Exercise & Mood
At any age a little exercise goes a long way toward improving mood. It doesn’t have to be super vigorous, low intensity activity is linked to reduced depression.
New research confirms a strong association between physical activity and better mental health.
The study, published in the Journal Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews, revealed people who engaged in low intensity exercise reduced their risk for depression by 23% and anxiety by 26%.
When it comes to doctors — sex matters
The Annals of Internal Medicine reports female doctors are superior to males when it comes to lowering the risk of patient death and hospital readmissions.
Female patients benefit even more than males with a female doctor.
While the differences overall were relatively small, researchers say it is statistically significant.
They believe the findings indicate female and male physicians practice medicine differently which has a meaningful impact on health outcomes.
Prior research revealed male doctors underestimate their female patients’ pain levels, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular symptoms, and stroke risk, which could lead to delayed or incomplete care.
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