Minerva

Limb movements during sleep are associated with increased development of cardiovascular disease in elderly men. Data from the observational Outcomes of Sleep Disorders in Older Men Study indicated that men with a high index of limb movements had more cardiovascular disease than men with a low index. It also showed a twofold increase in peripheral arterial disease in men with a very high index of limb movements. An increased risk of all cause heart disease only occurred in men without pre-existing hypertension (Circulation 2011;124:1223-31, doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.038968).

Although normal dietary caffeine is ineffective in the treatment of asthma, it is often withheld before diagnostic tests are conducted. Caffeine has been found to affect histamine challenges, but its effect on methacholine challenges, now the more common test for bronchial provocation, is unknown. A pilot study of 14 patients with asthma showed no significant bronchoprotection in either caffeine …