HEALTHY LIVING THE LATEST RESEARCH
Vitamin D Levels Aff ect Psoriasis Severity
PREDICTING PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS RISK Psoriatic arthritis, a progressive condition that causes joint pain, stiff ness, and swelling, can develop in people with psoriasis. In a study of 635 people with psoriasis, a higher risk for developing psoriatic arthritis within one year was associated with younger age, male sex, family history of psoriasis, back stiff ness, nail pitting, joint stiff ness, use of biologic medications, poor health, and more severe pain. The risk of developing the
condition within five years was higher in patients with morning stiff ness, psoriatic nail lesions, psoriasis severity, fatigue, pain, and use of systemic non-biologic medication or phototherapy.
B
rown university researchers found that blood
levels of vitamin D are linked to severity of psoriasis, a condition in which skin cells build up and form dry, itchy patches. Out of 491 people with psoriasis, those who were defi cient or had lower levels of vitamin D were signifi cantly more likely to have more severe cases
of psoriasis. “Topical synthetic vitamin D creams are emerging as new therapies for psoriasis, but these usually require a doctor’s prescription,” said study author Rachel K. Lim. “Our results suggest that a vitamin D-rich diet or oral vitamin D supplementation may also provide some benefi t to psoriasis patients.”
Severe Psoriasis Increases Risk for Heart Disease
M
ore than 30% of patients with severe psoriasis had coronary microvascular dysfunction, according to new research. The condition, which is characterized
by abnormal dilation and constriction in the small blood vessels in the heart, reduces blood flow to the heart. “We should diagnose and actively search for microvascular dysfunction in patients with psoriasis,” said Stefano Piaserico, M.D., Ph.D. “We might hypothesize that an early and eff ective treatment of psoriasis would restore the dysfunction and eventually prevent the future risk of myocardial infarction and heart failure associated with it.”
OLD AGE: COFFEE REDUCES RISK OF FRAILTY Drinking coff ee at midlife may reduce the risk of physical frailty in later life. A 20-year study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association included more than 12,000 participants ages 45 to 74. Those who drank four or more cups of coff ee per day were significantly less likely to become physically fragile in late life — measured by factors such as handgrip strength — compared to non-drinkers.
EXERCISE: HOT YOGA TREATS DEPRESSION Adults with moderate to severe
depression who participated in heated yoga sessions twice a week experienced a significant reduction in depressive symptoms compared to a control group who did not do yoga. In an eight-week trial conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, 59.3% of yoga participants had at least a 50% reduction in depressive symptoms. Symptoms were also reduced in those who participated in the yoga sessions only once a week.
DEMENTIA: ADHD INCREASES ODDS Adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) are nearly three times more likely to develop dementia than adults without ADHD. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, followed more than 100,000 older Israeli adults for over 17 years and found that the increase in dementia risk was significantly higher even when other risk factors, such as cardiovascular conditions, were taken into account.
INFLAMMATION: TRIGGERED BY B12 DEFICIENCY A deficiency of vitamin B12 may trigger
chronic inflammation, a condition linked to a wide range of health problems including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. A study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that B12 lowers two inflammatory markers, interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein. “Our study found that in general, the more vitamin B12 an individual has, the lower their inflammatory markers are,” said Marta Kovatcheva, Ph.D.
90 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | FEBRUARY 2024
SUN/ORAWAN WONGKA©ISTOCK / HEART/NEW AFRICA/SHUTTERSTOCK / WOMAN/JELENA STANOJKOVIC©ISTOCK
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