Soltalk January 2020 | Page 42

HealthTalk
Doctor’s notes
Dr Rik Heymans is a general practitioner in Nerja and writes
on developments in the world of medicine
during the day, and poor sleep quality are all independently
linked to an increased stroke risk, particularly ischemic events,
new research suggests. Results of a large, prospective cohort
study show individuals who slept nine or more hours per night
had a 23% increased risk of stroke compared to those who slept
from seven hours, to less than eight hours. In addition,
individuals who took mid-day naps lasting 90 minutes or more
had a 25% increased stroke risk. To learn more, the
investigators analysed data on 31,750 participants who were an
average age of 61.7 years. Over the 6-year follow-up, there
were 1438 confirmed strokes. These diagnoses were based on
clinical symptoms and CT or MRI scans. Another 119 strokes
were deemed “probable” because medical records were
unavailable to confirm insurance records or information
provided by telephone. Participants who reported sleeping
nine hours or more per night or napping 90 minutes or longer
were more likely to be men, less educated, current smokers
and drinkers, and to be physically inactive compared with the
shortest sleepers. Many of these factors are independent risk
factors for strokes, and further studies will give us a clearer
picture of the real risk of suffering a stroke.
Blue light glasses
There is a growing number of people who wear special
eyewear to block or filter the high-energy blue light coming
from digital screens. Market Study Report, a market research
company, says the global market for blue light eyewear will
increase to $27 million by 2024, up from $18 million in 2019.
The advertised benefits of the glasses include less eyestrain,
improved sleep habits, and prevention of eye disease. But do
blue light glasses really work? Because the glasses are a newer
product, there’s not a lot of research to show either way. The
FDA doesn’t regulate the eyewear because it’s not marketed as
a medical device.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology says you don’t
need them and has gone on record as not recommending any
kind of special eyewear for computer users. The organization
says blue light from digital devices does not lead to eye disease
and doesn’t even cause eyestrain. The problems people
complain about are simply caused by overuse of digital
devices, it says. So, if you got them from Santa at Christmas,
you can wear them to look snazzy and hip; but not for any
alleged medical benefit…
Improve problem drinking
Finally, a sobering note, after the usually heavy partying of the
last weeks. An experimental treatment that includes a single
infusion of ketamine may lead to long-term improvement in
problem drinking, new research suggests. In a study of 90
heavy drinkers, those who received a single dose of
intravenous (IV) ketamine plus cognitive behavioural therapy
(CBT) that focused on reactivating drinking-related
“maladaptive reward memories” (MRMs), this treatment
significantly curbed the urge to drink and reduced alcohol
intake compared with those who received the ketamine alone
or a placebo infusion. In addition, the combination group
reduced their average weekly alcohol consumption by 50%
over nine months of follow-up. MRMs can cause the brain’s
reward-learning system to produce an exaggerated desire to
take a drug. However, the ketamine plus CBT intervention
worked to “reboot” the brain, in order to relearn healthy
associations.
Sleeping too much?
Sleeping more than nine hours per night, taking long naps
© Dr RIK HEYMANS
c/ Angustias 24, Nerja
Tel: [phone]
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