Depression is a risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease in healthy patients, as well as a predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with diagnosed heart disease. One-fifth of patients with coronary heart disease and one-third of patients with congestive heart failure show signs of depression. Many of these cases of depression are undiagnosed or untreated, but identifying and treating depression in patients at risk for cardiovascular disease can improve quality of life and improve cardiovascular outcomes. Read more →

This is an era where lawsuits are filed for the absence of warnings — the McDonald’s lawsuit of 1994 (81-year-old woman awarded 2.9 million dollars for being scalded by a beverage that she ordered) and of 2003 (the plaintiff complaint stated that eating at McDonald’s contributed to his obesity; was dismissed and later modified to state that the fast food giant did not disclose it’s ingredient list).

Can we expect a lawsuit against professionals in the healthcare field for not aggressively educating the community about the consequences of prolonged inactivity?

The answer may well be in the affirmative. Read more →

We all know the benefits of getting adequate sleep. Two recent studies points out the effects of sleep patterns on body weight.

In one trial, children who slept less than 9 hours per night were three times as likely to be overweight, independent of their level of physical activity. Children with shorter sleep duration were also more likely to be emotionally labile than children who slept longer. Read more →