Low-carbohydrate diets have helped some people lose weight quickly, but the diets’ long-term effects on cardiovascular health have been uncertain. The recent research conducted by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center on mice depicted that those on the low carb-high protein diet gained less weight than the mice on other diets. While there were no major differences in cholesterol levels among the mice, the ones on the low carb-high protein diet accumulated more plaque in their coronary arteries. They aso had lower levels of cells needed to repair and re-grow new blood vessels.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), childhood obesity has increased significantly over the last three decades. Since 1980, the percentage of obese children has doubled and the number of obese adolescents has tripled. Childhood obesity has numerous medical and social implications and Dothan Pediatricians say one of the biggest concerns is the high risk of developing obesity as an adult. Overweight adolescents are more likely to be obese adults and that chance increases if one parent is obese.

According to a new study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, psychosocial therapy combined with medication can effectively improve depression and recovery in stroke patients. The long-term study indicated that adding psychosocial therapy not only improved depression scores short term, it also sustained the improvements for long term.

A research conducted on 218 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients by Japanese research team from Nagoya City University and Nagoya University Graduate Schools of Medicine indicated that depression had a direct impact on the severity of the pain. The research, in which levels of CRP (a plasma protein produced by the liver) were measured, indicated that the levels also rose during incidents of acute inflammation in RA. The combined effects of high CRP levels and depression predicted severe pain even more strongly. The result may help clinicians to control pain by addressing their patients’ psychological symptoms.