Increase in Amygdala’s activity worsens the risk for cardiovascular events.

Increase in Amygdala’s activity worsens the risk for cardiovascular events.

A study by Tawakol et al published in Lancet reports that individuals with increased activity in their amygdala are at greater risk of heart disease and stroke.

Their study was conducted on 293 adults who were imaged with PET and CT scans.  The imaging studies recorded increased activity in the brain, bone marrow, spleen and also inflammation in the coronary arteries.  Amygdala are nuclei located deep within the temporal lobes of the brain.  The amygdala, which are part of the limbic system, have a primary role in functions such as the processing of memory, decision making and emotions.

Amygdalar activity in 22 of the patients was associated with a cardiovascular event during a mean follow up period of 3.7 years (2.7-4.8).  The association between amygdalar activity and cardiovascular disease events seemed to be mediated by increased bone-marrow activity and arterial inflammation.

The researchers concluded that emotional stress is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.  The findings from their study provide an understanding into the mechanism through which emotional stress can lead to cardiovascular disease in human beings.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)31714-7/fulltext

Exercise is Vital in Elderly

A study by Koohass et al published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology reports that exercise contributes immensely in the protection of the cardiovascular system.

The investigators followed a cohort of 5,344 for15-years (median 10 years).  Their ages ranged between 55 and 97, and none of the participants had heart disease at the beginning of the study.  During the study period 866 (16.2%) of the participants experienced a cardiovascular (CVD) event. Overweight and obese participants with low physical activity had a higher CVD risk than normal weight participants with high physical activity. Overweight and obese participants with high physical activity did not show a higher CVD risk.

Their findings suggest that there is no link between the body mass index (BMI) alone and heart disease, but found that physical activity was tied to a lower risk of heart disease, regardless of BMI.

The authors concluded that physical activity has a beneficial impact of on our cardiovascular system and outweighs the negative impact of BMI among middle-aged and elderly individuals.

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2047487317693952

Life expectancy keeps rising

Research by Kontis et al published in the Lancet predicts that life expectancy in rich countries will continue rising.

According to their forecasting models life expectancy is projected to increase in 35 industrialized countries.  There is a 90% probability that life expectancy at birth among South Korean women in 2030 will be higher than 87 years, and a 57% probability that it will be higher than 90 years. The projected life expectancy of French, Spanish and Japanese women are close to the South Korean women.

There is a greater than 95% probability that life expectancy at birth among men in Hungary, South Korea, Australia, and Switzerland will surpass 80 years in 2030, and a greater than 27% probability that it will surpass 85 years.

Of the countries studied, the USA, Japan, Sweden, Greece, Macedonia, and Serbia have some of the lowest projected life expectancy gains for both men and women.

The female life expectancy advantage over men is likely to shrink by 2030 in every country except Mexico, where female life expectancy is predicted to increase more than male life expectancy, and in Chile, France, and Greece where the two sexes will see similar gains.

Americans will gain a couple of years of life expectancy between 2010 and 2030 with women living to 83 and men to 76 years.  The reasons for the US lag are not known but the use of opioids, alcoholism and obesity are among the likely causes.

Nations such as China, Russia and India were not included in their study because of lack of adequate data.

While scientists once thought that average life expectancy beyond 90 was not possible, medical advances including good nutrition and social programs make continued increases in longevity real thus careful planning for health, social services and pensions is required.