Media Coverage

Animal research and smaller studies in humans have linked prolonged light exposure with weight gain. Exactly how is uncertain but scientists think disruption in release of hormones related to sleep and appetite may be involved. Dr. Phyllis Zee, an expert in sleep and circadian rhythm disorders at Chicago’s Northwestern University, said the study is important because it highlights a behavior that can be easily changed to reduce the risk of gaining weight. “Properly timed light should be considered as part of a healthy life style,” she said, along with exercise and good nutrition.

New research shatters the image of U.S. soldiers as the epitome of fitness and primed for battle: Instead, they are less likely to have ideal blood pressure than their civilian counterparts. In fact, less than one-third of active Army personnel have ideal blood pressure (120/80 mm Hg), compared with over half of the general population, the researchers found. “It’s unexpected that, given the recruitment process, Army personnel at these ages are worse off than the civilian population,” said researcher Dr. Darwin Labarthe. He is a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

“Even when the virus is controlled such that it is not detectable by routine blood tests, there remains an HIV reservoir in certain tissues of the body which leads to chronic immune system activation and inflammation,” said Dr. Matthew Feinstein of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, lead author of the statement. “This chronic immune activation and inflammation can, over time, lead to plaque buildup in the arteries of the heart and blood vessels, and possibly more blood clotting and problems with the heart muscle itself,” Feinstein said by email. “The result…is more heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure due to problems with the heart muscle’s ability to squeeze and/or relax.”

Although the proportion of soldiers and civilians with ideal BMI was comparable, this was unexpected because of the regular exercise Army personnel get, said the study’s senior author Dr. Darwin Labarthe, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. The blood pressure and BMI findings are especially concerning because these factors are so much lower at recruitment, Labarthe said. “We need to find out what it is that accelerates the development of high blood pressure and obesity,” he said.

According to Dr. Matthew Feinstein, chair of the statement writing group, “Considerable gaps exist in our knowledge about HIV-associated diseases of the heart and blood vessels, in part because HIV’s transition from a fatal disease to a chronic condition is relatively recent, so long-term data on heart disease risks are limited.” Feinstein is an assistant professor of medicine and preventive medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago.

“For many people a varied approach including any or all of these foods within the context of high fruit, vegetable and whole grain, nuts/seeds/legume intake along with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils can serve as a healthy eating pattern with plenty of variety,” Dr. Linda Van Horn, a volunteer nutrition expert with the AHA, told NBC News. Other outside experts also pointed out that diet is just one factor when it comes to overall heart disease risk.

Then there are concerns about the pressures put on the mission participants. Natalie Sheneman, a program and research assistant, is co-author of a Northwestern University study on the experiences of health professionals and trainees in fly-in missions. Of the 200 participants in the study, she writes, “We found that nearly half had been asked to practice a skill or procedure outside their scope, and of that group, about two-thirds went on to perform the requested skill or procedure.” The survey also “found evidence of long-term emotional distress following these experiences.”

About 10% of American adults — 26 million people — have a food allergy, according to Dr. Ruchi Gupta, director of the Science and Outcomes of Allergy and Asthma Research Program at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. While half of these — 13 million adults — developed a new food allergy later in life, only about 1 in 4 never had any type of food reactions during childhood and then developed one as an adult. Importantly, most adults in Gupta’s survey of more than 40,000 people had never seen a doctor about their reaction, she said — they just started avoiding the food.

Even so, the results offer fresh evidence of the potential for team sports to help at-risk kids, said author of an accompanying editorial Mercedes Carnethon of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. “Team sports are particularly beneficial for youth because they bring together a group who works together to achieve a shared goal,” Carnethon said by email. “The lessons learned about helping one another, compromise, persisting through difficulties and dealing with inevitable losses have parallels with life,” Carnethon added. “These lessons can help youth weather the challenges that they face in their personal lives as a result of their adverse childhood experiences.”

The study, headed by Dr. Ruchi Gupta – a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician at Lurie Children’s Hospital – surveyed more than 40,000 adults by telephone and internet throughout the U.S. from late 2015 to late 2016. The average age of the survey population was 47 years. The primary goal of the survey was to determine how common and how severe food allergies are in adults. The survey was self-reporting, but still used strict criteria to make sure those labeled as food allergic had symptoms consistent with a “convincing” food allergy.