For people with coronary heart disease, losing weight will not prolong life, a study reports, but increasing physical activity will. To their surprise, Norwegian researchers found that in coronary heart disease patients who had normal weight, weight loss increased the risk for death. Compared with inactive patients, those who did 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week reduced their risk by 19 percent. The study included 3,307 patients followed for an average of 16 years.
Study shows safer IV option than saline
Vanderbilt researchers questioned the use of saline in IV bags that nearly every hospitalized patient gets. Using a different intravenous fluid instead of the usual salt dissolved in water reduced the risk of death or kidney damage, two large studies found. The difference could mean 50,000 to 70,000 fewer deaths and 100,000 fewer cases of kidney failure each year in the U.S., researchers estimated. Other IV solutions called balanced fluids include saline but also contain potassium and other things that make them more like plasma.
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