Using an activity monitor as an objective measure, a British study shows that total amount of exercise may be more important than intensity of activity for lowering blood pressure in children. Medscape Medical News
Too much body fat is bad, but too much abdominal fat is worse: the latest study suggests that waist-to-hip ratio is more sensitive than body mass index at predicting risk for coronary heart disease. Medscape Medical News
Post hoc analysis of the SPARCL trial looked at factors associated with the increased risk for hemorrhagic stroke seen in patients with prior stroke in that trial and found the risk was increased with atorvastatin treatment, having had a hemorrhagic stroke as the study entry event, increasing age, male sex, and stage 2 hypertension at the visit before the hemorrhage. Medscape Medical News
Stress cardiomyopathy is reviewed and the authors suggest a novel pathophysiological explanation that focuses on the direct effects of high epinephrine levels on the ventricular myocardium. Nature Clinical Practice Cardiovascular Medicine
The latest in a line of studies showing the benefit of a Mediterranean diet is published, this time showing that it reduces deaths from all causes in a US population. Medscape Medical News
Two studies concluded that the standard approach to cardiopulmonary resuscitation that calls for mouth-to-mouth assisted ventilation is no more effective than a chest-compression-only approach. Medscape Medical News
Functional polymorphism increases T-cell activation and disease severity and reduces clinical effectiveness of intravenous 344immunoglobulins. Medscape Medical News
After five years of sluggish enrollment and protocol amendments, the largest trial to ever compare two cardiac surgical strategies, along with optimal medical therapy, surpassed its target enrollment. Results for part of the study may be out within a year. Heartwire
Nonanesthesiologists are administering and monitoring moderate sedation more often for interventional procedures. The resulting implications and sedatives indicated for moderate sedation are reviewed. Medscape Gastroenterology
