Exercise does not have to be prolonged to be beneficial. It just has to be frequent. Several times per day

From NYTimes:

"Walk for two minutes. Repeat 15 times. Or walk for 10 minutes, thrice. The benefits for longevity appear to be almost exactly the same, according to an inspiring new study of physical activity patterns and life spans.

It finds that exercise does not have to be prolonged in order to be beneficial. It just has to be frequent."

The scientists found that moving strongly influenced longevity. The more often you move, the longer you live.


Those 2-Minute Walk Breaks? They Add Up. NYTimes.

JAMA: Mentoring in the Era of #MeToo

Julie Story Byerley, MD, MPH wrote in JAMA on what specific behaviors her male mentors have demonstrated that have always made her feel safe:

1. They demonstrate exemplary professional behavior during and outside of the work day, never compromised by alcohol consumption or flirtatious interactions.

2. They always behave comfortably but as if others are watching, demonstrating integrity.

3. Though they have warm personalities, they refrain from physical touch except in larger social settings where they may give hugs in greeting.

4. They never mention anything about my appearance or the appearance of others, and they avoid generalizing comments about gender.

5. They text me important or urgent things, and sometimes just very funny things, but never anything I wouldn’t share with my husband or their wives.

6. Most importantly, my male mentors have chosen to speak up to support women while other men have chosen to sit quietly or, worse, offend.


Mentoring in the Era of #MeToo. JAMA. 2018;319(12):1199-1200. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.2128

Creative tension and different personalities

The WSJ on the creative tension between Keith Richards and Mick Jagger :

“They’re two really different guys, and that’s what makes it so powerful. It’s like a rubber band pulled really tight. When you release it, it goes flying—that creative tension is what makes it so enduring. They understand that something special happens when the two of them get together. The cognizance of that magic that only comes from the two of them can be frustrating, but also really powerful.”

I wish Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Gillan of Deep Purple had recognized this years ago. We would have gotten a few other brilliant albums in the 1970s and 1980s.

"No band has lasted as long as the Rolling Stones."


The Wisdom of Keith Richards https://buff.ly/2FtraJ6

New blood pressure guideline creates a new level of disease affecting people previously deemed healthy

From NEJM:

The guideline defines normal blood pressure as below 120/80 mm Hg and elevated blood pressure as 120 to 129. What is now called stage 1 hypertension was previously labeled “prehypertension” — a term meant to alert patients and to prompt physicians to provide lifestyle education

By reclassifying people formerly considered to have prehypertension as having hypertension, the guideline creates a new level of disease affecting people previously deemed healthy. According to this definition, about 46% of U.S. adults have hypertension, as compared with about 32% under the previous definition.

The guideline recommends daily sodium intake of less than 1500 mg — a goal that’s difficult for many people to achieve and that was derived from short-term studies.

The primary change in recommendations regarding pharmacologic therapy is the elimination of beta-blockers from first-line therapy for patients with primary hypertension.

Read more here:

Redefining Hypertension — Assessing the New Blood-Pressure Guidelines | NEJM http://bit.ly/2nVBJgJ

Main complications of persistent high blood pressure. Image source: Wikipedia, public domain.

Image sources: Top left, Record breaking snowfall March 2008 at Aubrey, Texas, Wikipedia, public domain; Top Right, Mercury manometer, Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License.


This study from Germany included 633 students.





What does media use reveal about personality and mental health? An exploratory investigation among German students http://bit.ly/2nxE7ef