The Secret to Better Sleep, News on Heart Health and What Our Ease in Getting Up from the Floor Indicates

Sweet Dreams

The secret to better slumber could come down to what you eat—or what you avoid, as per a new study in the journal Sleep Health. Researchers from Columbia University and the University of Chicago, after tracking participants’ diet and sleep, concluded that those who ate high amounts of fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates like whole grains during the day rested more peacefully that night. The food found to cause more disrupted sleep? Meat, specifically red meat and ­processed meat.

Heart Help

A Johns Hopkins study found that only a fraction of people eligible for drugs that lower cholesterol were actually taking them. In a data review from nearly 5,000 people who took part in U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 47 per cent of participants with no history of a major cardiovascular event fit recommended guidelines for cholesterol-­lowering medication usage, yet only 23 per cent were taking one. For those with a history of heart events, only 68 per cent had received cholesterol-­lowering drugs. Over 1,65,000 non-fatal heart attacks or strokes could be prevented each year with more consistent treatment, concluded the study.

Take A Stand

Sit on the floor and see how easy it is to get up. Your ability to rise from the floor without any assistance could be a key indicator of your overall health and even your risk of death. In a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, researchers from Brazil, Finland and Stanford University in California observed more than 4,200 adults in the age range of 46 to 75, then assigned sitting-rising test scores to participants based on how much support they needed to stand up from a seated position. Those who were able to stand more easily, without help or showing signs of unsteadiness, were less likely to die early, with death rates up to six times lower than those who had struggled.

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