Health bites

Mediterranean diet may help protect kidney health

Load up on fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes and heart-healthy fats, and minimise your intake of red meats, processed foods and sweets. Adhering to a Mediterranean-style diet may significantly reduce the risk of developing chronic kidney disease, according to a study that will appear in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Columbia University researchers found that dietary patterns that closely resembled the Mediterranean diet were linked with a 50 per cent reduced risk of developing chronic kidney disease.

Study shows low birth weight link to joint disorder

Low birth weight, along with preterm birth, has been linked to increased risk for osteoarthritis-related hip replacements in adulthood, according to a new study by researchers at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. The link was found to be independent of age, sex, body mass index, education level, hypertension, diabetes, smoking and amount of physical activity. The findings, published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research, used data from 3,604 participants of the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study who were 40 years of age or older at the time data about joint replacement surgeries was collected.

Eczema treatments a risk factor for fractures

Adults with eczema - the condition that causes intense itching and dry, irritable skin - are at a greater risk of accidental bone fractures and other injuries, a new Northwestern Medicine study has found. The increased odds of accidental injury could be directly related to the side-effects of steroids and sedating antihistamines commonly prescribed to treat the skin disorder or the under-treatment of severe cases, study authors suggest. For the study, published in JAMA Dermatology, US researchers used data from a nationally representative sample of more than 27,000 adults.