Lymphoma Survivors May Not Get All Recommended Follow-Up Care

FRIDAY, Jan. 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Some teen and young adult survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma do not receive all the recommended follow-up care, a new study finds.

The study included 354 survivors in California who were diagnosed between ages 15 and 39, and followed for an average of six years.

Within the first year, 52 percent of the survivors did not receive all recommended care outlined in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines.

But within five years after completing treatment, 96 percent of the survivors had recommended visits (at least one a year) with an oncologist and 70 percent had recommended laboratory testing, according the study authors.

The study is scheduled for presentation Friday at an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in San Francisco. The findings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system, is one of the leading cancer diagnoses for teens and young adults.

“Patients treated for Hodgkin lymphoma are at high risk for recurrence and relapse, as well as serious long-term and late effects,” study lead author Erin Hahn, a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, said in an ASCO news release.

“We need a systematic way to deliver post-treatment care, including screening for late effects of treatment. Studies like this will help inform the design of survivorship care programs that address all our patients’ needs,” Hahn added.

Dr. Merry-Jennifer Markham, an ASCO spokeswoman, said that “while it’s great news that so many young adult survivors are receiving critical aspects of their post-treatment care, this study helps us understand where there is more work to be done.”

And, Markham explained, “Survivorship care is especially important for adolescents and young adults, who still have long lives ahead of them after completing treatment. This study highlights that, despite the existence of post-treatment guidelines for this population of survivors, there are opportunities for improvement to increase adherence and improve survivorship outcomes.”

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about Hodgkin lymphoma.

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Pain Relief Advice May Help ER Patients With Terminal Cancer

FRIDAY, Jan. 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — People with advanced cancer benefit in a number of ways if they’re consulted about pain relief measures when they go to an emergency room, a new study suggests.

The clinical trial included 69 patients who received a so-called palliative care consultation, and 67 patients who received usual care in the emergency department.

Palliative care is a type of therapy for very ill patients with the goal of offering support and pain relief without attempting to cure the underlying cause of the pain.

In the new study, people in the palliative care group reported having a better quality of life, and lived longer than those in the usual care group — a median of 289 days versus 132 days, respectively, the researchers found.

However, the study only found an association between these factors and could not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

There were no significant differences between the two groups in rates of depression, admission to intensive care or discharge to a hospice, according to the study published online Jan. 14 in the journal JAMA Oncology.

“Emergency department-initiated palliative care consultation improved quality of life in patients with advanced cancer and does not seem to shorten survival,” Dr. Corita Grudzen, of New York University, and colleagues concluded. However, the impact on health care utilization and depression needs more study, they pointed out in a journal news release.

Dr. Eduardo Bruera, the author of an accompanying editorial, wrote: “This study has demonstrated that an emergency department visit by a patient with advanced cancer can provide a unique opportunity for improved access to palliative care and quality of life.”

But, added Bruera, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, “Where do we go from here? It is important to define and test criteria for palliative care referral from the emergency department in daily clinical practices.”

In addition, he explained, “It will also be important to understand the attitudes and adherence of patients when referred to outpatient palliative care from the emergency department. In view of the findings of this study, this research is much needed and justified.”

More information

The American Cancer Society has more about palliative care.

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Rise in Kidney Stones in Teens a Cause for Concern: Study

FRIDAY, Jan. 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A growing number of teens, women and blacks are being diagnosed with kidney stones, and the trend is cause for alarm, researchers report.

Historically, middle-aged white men have been most likely to develop the painful condition, which involves small, hard mineral deposits that form in the kidneys, often when urine becomes concentrated.

The researchers analyzed data from South Carolina from 1997 to 2012, and found that the annual incidence of kidney stones among children and adults rose 16 percent during that time. The largest increases were among teens (4.7 percent a year), females (3 percent a year), and blacks (nearly 3 percent a year).

During the study period, the risk of kidney stones doubled among children, and there was a 45 percent increase in the lifetime risk for women.

Teen girls had the highest rate of increase in kidney stones, and they were more common among females aged 10 to 24 than among males in the same age group. After age 25, kidney stones were more common in men, the study authors said.

Kidney stone incidence rose 15 percent more in blacks than in whites during each five-year period of the study, according to the findings, published online Jan. 14 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

“The emergence of kidney stones in children is particularly worrisome, because there is limited evidence on how to best treat children for this condition,” said study leader Dr. Gregory Tasian, a pediatric urologist and epidemiologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“The fact that stones were once rare and are now increasingly common could contribute to the inappropriate use of diagnostic tests such as CT scans for children with kidney stones, since health care providers historically have not been accustomed to evaluating and treating children with kidney stones,” he explained in a hospital news release.

“These trends of increased frequency of kidney stones among adolescents, particularly females, are also concerning when you consider that kidney stones are associated with a higher risk of chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular and bone disease, particularly among young women,” Tasian added.

There may be a number of reasons for the rise in kidney stone rates, including not drinking enough water and poor eating habits, such as increased salt and decreased calcium intake, the researcher said.

More information

The National Kidney Foundation has more about kidney stones.

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Can Berries, Citrus Fruits Boost Male Sexual Health?

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Jan. 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Biochemicals found in berries, citrus fruit and red wine might help men maintain healthy erections, a new nutrition study suggests.

Foods rich in these flavonoids are associated with reduced risk of erectile dysfunction, researchers reported Jan. 13 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Eating a flavonoid-rich diet may be as good for erectile function as briskly walking for two to five hours a week, researchers from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the University of East Anglia in England reported.

Flavonoids give fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors. The study found that three specific flavonoids — anthocyanins, flavanones and flavones — offered the greatest benefits in preventing erectile dysfunction.

Anthocyanins are generally found in blueberries, cherries, blackberries, radishes and red wine. Flavanones and flavones are found in citrus fruits.

“Men who regularly consumed foods high in these flavonoids were 10 percent less likely to suffer erectile dysfunction,” lead researcher Aedin Cassidy, a professor of nutrition at the University of East Anglia, said in a university media release. “In terms of quantities, we’re talking just a few portions a week.”

The study only found an association between flavonoid consumption and erectile function, and not a cause-and-effect connection.

Other health experts said the study findings might just be the result of men eating lots of fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy lifestyle.

“I’m a firm believer that food is medicine,” said Dr. Bruce Gilbert, director of reproductive and sexual medicine at the Arthur Smith Institute for Urology in New Hyde Park, N.Y. “But does this paper give me the good sense that they have made their point that eating more berries will decrease erectile dysfunction? No.”

The study involved more than 25,000 middle-aged and older men who have filled out regular health surveys since 1986.

The men were asked in 2000, 2004 and 2008 to rate their ability to have and maintain an erection sufficient for intercourse. Researchers compared their answers to the amount of flavonoid-rich foods the men reported eating in separate food questionnaires.

The study showed that higher total fruit intake was associated with a 14 percent reduction in the risk of erectile dysfunction.

Further, combining flavonoid-rich foods with exercise reduced the risk of erectile dysfunction by 21 percent.

The benefits of flavonoids were greatest in men younger than 70, the researchers found.

Flavonoids might boost a man’s ability to achieve and maintain an erection by helping preserve the health of his blood vessels, the researchers said in background notes. Prior studies have shown that flavonoids can improve blood vessel function and reduce blood pressure.

Dr. Drogo Montague, a urologist and director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Genitourinary Reconstruction, said erectile dysfunction can be a harbinger of vascular disease. “If a man has ED, he may have early or advanced coronary artery disease,” he said.

Gilbert noted that the men in the study who ate lots of flavonoid-rich foods also were less likely to smoke or drink alcohol and more likely to exercise regularly — all lifestyle factors that improve both heart health and erectile function.

In addition, Gilbert criticized the study for using a nonstandard questionnaire for assessing erectile function. “I can’t believe in their conclusion based on their paper,” he said. “They have no quantification or qualification of erectile dysfunction.”

Despite these drawbacks, it is good to remind men that lifestyle has a big impact on erectile function, said Dr. Landon Trost, a Mayo Clinic urologist.

“It will not be surprising to many that increasing fruits and vegetables reduces diseases, including erectile dysfunction,” Trost said. “However, it provides yet another motivating factor to adopt healthy lifestyle changes.”

More information

For more on erectile dysfunction, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

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Low Bicarbonate Levels May Be a Danger for Seniors

THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Seniors who are healthy but have low blood levels of bicarbonate are at higher risk for premature death, a new study contends.

Bicarbonate plays an important role in maintaining the body’s pH balance. Fruits and vegetables are a source of bicarbonate.

Researchers looked at nearly 2,300 Americans, ages 70 to 97, who were followed for an average of just over 10 years. During that time, those who were healthy and had normal or high bicarbonate levels had a similar risk of dying, but those with low bicarbonate levels had a 24 percent increased risk of death.

The study was published online Jan. 14 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

“What we found was that generally healthy older people with low levels of bicarbonate had a higher risk of death,” study author Dr. Kalani Raphael, from the University of Utah, said in a journal news release. “Adding the pH measurement into the equation didn’t change the results, which is important because pH is not routinely measured.

The findings suggest that bicarbonate levels in the blood are an important health indicator and that future studies should look at whether increasing bicarbonate levels could extend life.

While the study found a link between bicarbonate levels and risk of death, it didn’t prove cause-and-effect.

More information

HealthinAging.org has more about aging and health.

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10 Health Trends That Will Be Huge in 2016, According to Pinterest

Photo: Getty Images

We may be just two weeks into January, but some of the biggest health trends of the year are already starting to emerge.

Pinterest recently released a list of the top healthy topics that have spiked since Christmas Eve, and the results may surprise you: Instead of extreme ab workouts and crash diets (what we might’ve expected in the middle of resolution season), Pinterest users are embracing meditation, minimalism, and other subjects that represent a more balanced approach to wellness. Here, 10 trends that are captivating interest right now.

RELATED: 9 Foods That Boost Your Metabolism Naturally

1. Bullet journals

As people get organized for the year ahead, pins for “bullet journals” have increased by 67%. This customizable journaling system uses daily and monthly to-do lists that are structured in short, bulleted sentences. For more on how to create your own, check out this video or visit bulletjournal.com.

2. Going minimal

In 2015, Marie Kondo‘s bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up ($10, amazon.com) inspired millions to keep only the possessions that bring them joy—and this year, the less-is-more trend is still hot. Pins that celebrated a minimalist lifestyle increased by 19% since late December, while those about decluttering rose by 35%.

3. Meditation space

With boutique studios (such as New York City’s new MNDFL) opening across the country, meditation seems poised to become one of the year’s biggest health trends. So we weren’t surprised to learn that pins about creating your own meditation space have jumped 49% in the past few weeks. Here’s the really good news: While having a dedicated meditation room would certainly be nice, the only thing you actually need is a comfy place to sit. (To get started, try this guided meditation.)

4. 21 Day Fix

Pins about the 21 Day Fix ($73, amazon.com) program have increased by a whopping 190% in the past few weeks. But this trend isn’t new; it was one of Google’s top search terms in 2015. The program, which was created by celebrity fitness trainer Autumn Calabrese, uses a system of color-coded containers that make it easier to measure food portions. People on Pinterest are saving clean eating recipes and meal planning ideas that align with the diet.

RELATED: 31 Quick-and-Easy Fat-Burning Meals

5. Hourglass workout

Pins for this type of workout—which is designed to tone your waist while simultaneously strengthening your glutes—are up by 83% since late last month. Got an athletic body type and looking to sculpt your middle? Our fitness expert Jennifer Cohen has tailored a workout to do just that.

6. Cloud bread

Well, this is a new one. A grain-free, low-carb bread alternative, “cloud bread” is made with eggs, softened cream cheese, cream of tartar, and sometimes a little honey for sweetness. Bloggers say it has a crispy texture straight out of the oven, but becomes soft and chewy (in other words, more like real bread) when stored overnight in a plastic container.

7. Holistic

From essential oils to natural cold remedies, pinners seem to be excited about holistic health in 2016. Pins that contain the word “holistic” have increased by 55%. PSA: While there are many inspiring ideas on Pinterest, be sure to consult your doc before trying a new treatment. Some natural cures can actually be dangerous for your health.

8. Detox Teas

So-called “detox teas” gained popularity in 2015, with celebs like Kourtney Kardashian promoting them as a way to lose weight. The trend seems destined to continue in 2016, with pins about homemade detox teas spiking by 60% in the past few weeks. However, as Health‘s contributing nutrition editor Cynthia Sass, RD, has pointed out, research on detox teas is scant. And some brands contain ingredients that could trigger some really unpleasant side effects, such as insomnia, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Yikes.

Instead, pour yourself a big cup of green tea, a beverage that offers real, science-backed health benefits. Studies have suggested that drinking green tea could help you shed pounds, lower your blood pressure, even prevent Alzheimer’s.

RELATED: 17 Ways to Lose Weight When You Have No Time

9. Dry Brushing

Many people swear by dry brushing, which involves rubbing dry skin with a body brush before showering. (Pins about it have increased by 41%.) While some claim the practice helps boost circulation and clear toxins, there’s not a lot of research on the subject, so take the health claims you see on Pinterest with a grain of salt. But there’s no denying that using a body brush can be invigorating, as well as an excellent way to exfoliate.

10. Jiu Jitsu

Pins about the Brazilian sport Jiu Jitsu, a form of mixed martial arts, have increased by 39% in the past few weeks. Pinners seem to be drawn to both the workout’s calorie-burning benefits and empowering self-defense moves.

 

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Doctors’ Body Language May Hint at Racial Bias

THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A doctor’s body language may reveal racial bias against seriously ill black patients, a new study suggests.

The finding could help explain why dying black patients are much more likely than whites to ask for more extensive life-saving measures and to report worse communication with their doctors, the researchers said.

“Although we found that physicians said the same things to their black and white patients, communication is not just the spoken word. It also involves nonverbal cues, such as eye contact, body positioning and touch,” said senior study author Dr. Amber Barnato.

“Poor nonverbal communication — something the physician may not even be aware he or she is doing — could explain why many black patients perceive discrimination in the health-care setting,” said Barnato, an associate professor of clinical and translational medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

However, the study wasn’t designed to show a cause-and-effect relationship; it was only able to show that communication differences exist.

The study was published in the January issue of The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.

The study included 33 hospital-based attending physicians. Black and white actors were asked to portray patients dying from advanced stomach or pancreatic cancer. Their scripts were identical.

The doctors’ scores on nonverbal interactions were 7 percent lower when dealing with black patients than with white patients, according to the researchers.

“When explaining what was happening and what the next steps for care could be, with the white patients, the physicians were more likely to stand right at the patient’s bedside and touch them in a sympathetic manner,” Barnato said in a university news release.

Something as subtle as a doctor staying near the door and holding a binder in front of them might be perceived by patients and their families as defensive or disengaged, Bernato said. This could lead patients to ask for more extensive life-saving measures because they don’t believe the doctor has their best interests in mind when suggesting less aggressive care, she suggested.

“When you survey people in the community about their feelings on end-of-life care, blacks are only slightly more likely than whites to say they want aggressive, life-sustaining measures when terminally ill,” Barnato said in the news release.

Yet, when faced with that decision in the hospital, blacks are much more likely than whites to request such care, she added.

Doctors need to be aware of their verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as any unintentional biases they may be communicating. Doing so may help black patients and their families feel welcome and encouraged to be partners in medical decision-making, Barnato explained.

“Body language is a significant tool in building trust — or mistrust — and physicians need to ensure that their body language isn’t contributing to that decision,” she said.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about end-of-life care.

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Here’s Why Some People Go Off Their HIV Meds and Why That’s a Really Bad Idea

 

Photo: Getty Images

At first glance, Charlie Sheen’s recent decision to go off his HIV medication—and travel to Mexico to pursue a cure instead—seems almost unthinkable. (The actor said on a pre-taped segment of The Dr. Oz Show Tuesday that he had stopped taking his meds for about a week, but didn’t reveal what kind of alternative treatment he was receiving in the meantime.)

Before Sheen went to Mexico, he was on antiretroviral therapy to keep the HIV virus from multiplying. It’s hard to understate the importance of these drugs: They not only help keep the immune system healthy, but also lower the risk of transmitting the virus to others. In fact, at the time of Sheen’s exclusive interview with the TODAY show in mid-November, he said he had “undetectable” levels of the virus in his blood. (After he stopped taking the drugs, his numbers went up, he told Dr. Oz.)

When people with HIV don’t take antiretrovirals, they might expect to live for about 6 months, says Larry Corey, MD, a principal investigator for the HIV Vaccine Trials Network at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. If they take antiretrovirals, they can live for about 40 years.

RELATED: 20 New Things You Need to Know About HIV

Seems like a no-brainer, right? Well, it’s not always that simple. In fact, a 2011 global meta-analysis found that only about 3 in 5 people take at least 90% of their prescribed antiretroviral drugs.

The truth is, there are a few reasons why people might stop taking these meds. But unless you’re in someone else’s shoes, they can be hard to understand, says Ken Ho, MD, an instructor of medicine in the division of infectious disease at the University of Pittsburgh. Here, we break them down:

“Treatment fatigue” can set in.

Since there’s no cure for HIV, treating the virus is a life-long process. Translation: You have to take medication every day, forever. Not only that, but you also have to schedule appointments with your doctors and refill your prescriptions, too.

Now we know what you’re thinking: That’s a small price to pay for a pretty big benefit. Fair enough—but just think about how your schedule would look if you suddenly added a bunch of doctor’s appointments and pharmacy visits to your already-jam-packed schedule.

It’s the difference between dealing with an acute illness, like a cold, and a chronic illness, like HIV, explains Dr. Corey. Oftentimes, people are used to catching a bug and feeling sick until they fight it off. It’s different when you have a condition like HIV—especially because while you’re on your meds, you can feel healthy. “But [chronic diseases] are always one step ahead of you,” he says.

RELATED: 16 HIV Symptoms

Some of the drugs can have side effects.

In the short-term, the meds may cause nausea, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and more. Long-term side effects include insulin resistance and a loss of bone density. But Dr. Ho says that some of the short-term effects can fade with time; doctors can also prescribe other meds for the queasiness.

It can be emotionally draining to take meds every day.

Research has shown that people with severe depression are less likely to adhere to their antiretroviral therapy. Others may simply not want to be reminded of their HIV-positive status every day, says Dr. Ho. “There’s still some shame and a fear of stigma associated with the disease.”

That said, antiretroviral therapy is the best way to treat the HIV virus—and you have to stick with it. Taking a “drug holiday” is actually dangerous, according to the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention. Not only can that give the virus a chance to multiply, but it also can cause drug resistance, too.

“It’s natural that people want to be cured,” says Dr. Corey. But no one should disregard one of the most important medications we have—especially not for a false hope.

RELATED: 7 Myths About HIV and the Facts You Need to Know

 

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Fewer Cruises Rocked by Gastro Illness Outbreaks: CDC

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Although outbreaks of illness on cruise ships tend to dominate the news when they occur, the actual number of outbreaks is small, a new U.S. government report says.

Outbreaks of diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, headache, muscle aches or fever — called gastroenteritis — dropped significantly on cruise ships between 2008 and 2014, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.

“Of the more than 29,000 voyages between 2008 and 2014, outbreaks occurred on only 133, which is 0.5 percent,” said lead researcher Amy Freeland, an epidemiologist with CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program.

About 92 percent of outbreaks were caused by a norovirus, the leading cause of illness and outbreaks from contaminated food in the United States. Others were caused by bacteria such as E. coli, she said.

A small fraction — just 0.18 percent — of the nearly 74 million passengers who took a cruise between 2008 and 2014 suffered from acute gastroenteritis, Freeland said. Of approximately 28 million crew members, only 0.15 percent reported having gastroenteritis. This rate remained unchanged during the study period, the new research found.

Freeland said the cruise industry has been doing a better job of preventing and controlling outbreaks. In addition, requirements of the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program have made a difference in reducing outbreaks by recommending which cleaning procedures and disinfectants be used on cruise ships, she said.

The report was published in the Jan. 15 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Only a small proportion of norovirus cases in the United States are from outbreaks on cruise ships, Freeland said. From 2008 to 2014, only about 15,000 cases of norovirus occurred on cruise ships — 0.01 percent of the total number of norovirus cases in the United States during that period.

A new strain of norovirus caused an increase in the rate of gastroenteritis in 2012, Freeland said.

The best way for passengers to prevent getting gastroenteritis on a cruise is to wash their hands, especially after using the toilet and before putting anything in their mouth, Freeland said. In addition, passengers should report any symptoms.

“Often, people don’t want to report feeling sick because they don’t want to be isolated during their vacation,” she said. “The problem with that is if there is illness onboard, crew members don’t know and they can’t step up their sanitation efforts.”

Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, said the biggest problem on cruise ships is norovirus because it’s very contagious, and a ship is a confined space.

Siegel agrees that hand washing is the key to staying healthy. “Hand wipes are not enough,” he said. “You’ve got to wash your hands vigorously in soap and water.”

More information

For more information on norovirus, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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For Seniors, Poor Sleep May Mean Higher Stroke Risk, Study Suggests

THURSDAY, Jan. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Poor sleep may raise seniors’ risk of hardening of the brain arteries, and possibly contribute to the chances of a stroke, a new study suggests.

Researchers examined the autopsied brains of 315 people, average age 90, who had undergone at least one full week of sleep quality assessment before their death. Twenty-nine percent of them had suffered a stroke, and 61 percent had moderate-to-severe damage to blood vessels in the brain.

Those with the highest levels of sleep fragmentation — repeated awakenings or arousals — were 27 percent more likely to have hardening of the brain arteries. Among study participants, sleep was disrupted an average of nearly seven times an hour.

For each additional two arousals during one hour of sleep, there was a 30 percent greater likelihood of having visible signs of oxygen deprivation in the brain, the study authors said.

However, the study was not designed to prove a cause-and-effect link between poor sleep and stroke risk.

The findings were independent of other stroke and heart disease risk factors, such as weight, diabetes, smoking and high blood pressure, as well as other health conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, depression, heart failure and pain, according to the study published Jan. 14 in the journal Stroke.

“The forms of brain injury that we observed are important because they may not only contribute to the risk of stroke but also to chronic progressive cognitive and motor impairment,” lead investigator Dr. Andrew Lim, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Toronto, said in a journal news release.

“However, there are several ways to view these findings: sleep fragmentation may impair the circulation of blood to the brain, poor circulation of blood to the brain may cause sleep fragmentation, or both may be caused by another underlying risk factor,” said Lim, who is also a neurologist and scientist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto.

While the findings suggest that sleep monitoring could help identify seniors at risk for stroke, further research is needed to clarify a number of areas.

One expert praised the research, but added that it wasn’t the last word on the topic.

“This is an excellent study, highly provocative, but not definitive because of the design, as mentioned by the authors themselves,” said Dr. Richard Libman, vice chairman of neurology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

“There appears to be a clear association between poor sleep [sleep fragmentation] and hardening of the arteries and risk of stroke,” Libman said. “As noted, the direction of this association is uncertain.

“Sleep, to some degree, is within our control and we should all make attempts to improve the quality of our sleep,” he added.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about sleep.

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