A Slimmer Waist and Lower Blood Pressure with Whole Grains
Middle- to older-aged adults who ate at least three servings of whole grains daily had smaller increases in waist size, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels over time compared to those who ate less than one-half serving per day, according to new research published July 13, 2021, in the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers at Tufts University examined how whole- and refined-grain intake over time impacted five risk factors of heart disease: waist size, blood pressure, blood sugar, triglycerides, and HDL (“good”) cholesterol. The study examined health outcomes associated with whole- and refined-grain consumption over 18 years. The 3,100 participants were mostly white and, on average, in their mid-50s at the start of data collection. The research team compared changes in the five risk factors over four-year intervals, across four categories of reported whole grain intake, ranging from less than a half-serving per day to three or more servings per day. An example of a serving is one slice of whole-grain bread, a half-cup of rolled oats cereal, or a half-cup of brown rice. The results showed that for each four-year interval, waist size increased by an average of over 1inch in the low-intake participants, versus about ½-inch in the high- intake participants. Average increases in blood sugar levels and systolic blood pressure were greater in low intake participants compared to those who ate more whole grains. According to the researchers, the fiber in whole grains can have a satiating effect, and the magnesium, potassium, and antioxidants may contribute to lowering blood pressure. Soluble fiber, in particular, may have a beneficial effect on post-meal blood sugar spikes.
Meniscus Implant Superior to Nonsurgical Care
Results from two prospective, concurrent, clinical trials demonstrate that a synthetic meniscus implant provides superior relief from post-meniscus surgery knee pain when compared to treatment with nonsurgical care alone, according to research presented at the American Orthopedic Medicine Society-Arthroscopy Association of North America Combined 2021 Annual Meeting in July. Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy is the most common surgical treatment for symptomatic, irreparable meniscal tears that do not improve with non-surgical care. For many patients, arthroscopic partial meniscectomy is associated with improvements in knee pain and function, but a subset of patients reports persistent or recurrent knee pain 1–2 years after surgery. Current treatment options for post-arthroscopic partial meniscectomy knee pain are limited. To broaden treatment options for these patients, two clinical trials analyzed combined data to compare a synthetic medial meniscus implant to nonsurgical care in treating persistent or recurrent knee pain following previous partial meniscectomy. Researchers from three centers enrolled 242 patients, which included non-surgical (control) participants. Eligible subjects had persistent knee pain and one or more previous partial meniscectomies at least six months before trial entry. Treated subjects returned for follow-up visits at one month, six months, one year, and two years. Patients enrolled in the implant arm of the trial reported a 63.4 percent higher pain relief score than the control group, which reported a score of 27.9 percent.
Listening to Music Near Bedtime Could Lure Sleep-Disrupting “Earworms”
Most people have had a song stuck in their heads at one time or another. These persistent melodies, commonly called “earworms,” can be amusing distractions or intrusive annoyances. Research published in the journal Psychological Science, however, reveals that earworms can sometimes interject themselves into our dreams, where they can negatively impact our quality of sleep. According to sleep researchers at Baylor University, our brains continue to process music even when none is playing, including apparently while we are asleep. Surprisingly, the study, which involved both a survey and a laboratory experiment, found that some instrumental music is more likely to lead to earworms and disrupt sleep quality than lyrical music. To get rid of these earworms, researchers suggest engaging in cognitive activity. For example, participants who took five minutes to write down upcoming tasks before bed helped “offload” those worrying thoughts about the future and fell asleep faster. The study was partially funded by a National Institutes of Health grant.
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