According to a new study, sodium content levels have been falling across the United States as people are buying less sodium and also fewer packaged foods with high salt levels.

The research team claims that these are the results of combined actions from both the public and food manufacturers. Study results are available online in the JAMA Internal Medicine.

The Sodium Content is Falling, Is It Enough?

These new results are based on a long-term study carried out and involving the Nielsen Homescan Consumer Panel. It targeted the packaged food and beverage purchases from 2000 to 2014 of over 172,000 households. Research also took into account the nutritional label data of almost 1,500,000 products.

According to the research team, sodium content levels have been steadily falling across the targeted period. Overall, the median amount of sodium of the purchased goods accounts to 396 mg/per day/per person nowadays. Also, the salt content of such foods decreased by around 12 percent in the same period.

This new research notes that goods purchased nowadays also contain less salt than foods acquired at the beginning of the study. Food manufacturers have been reducing the sodium content of various products, from sauces and dips to condiments and even salty foods themselves.

Jennifer Poti and her colleagues, who conducted the study, stated that “almost all US households continue to have total packaged food purchases with excessive sodium density,” even if the overall amount is falling.

The research team states that the salt content of purchased foods is significantly lower than even in recent years. However, they also claim that these levels are still ‘higher than the recommended density’.

“Our findings support the need for more concerted nationwide efforts to accelerate the pace of sodium reduction,” states the team.

As it is, the researchers stress the need for further studies on the matter. They also point out the fact that lower sodium contents do not necessarily mean lower salt consumption levels.

This new research targeted the amount of salt in the purchased foods, so they point out the need to determine how this translates into the intake levels.

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With summer just around the corner, it’s paramount to be prudent about protecting the skin from the sun. Sun protection is about much more than just avoiding a nasty burn. It’s about protecting oneself from skin cancer as well as premature aging.

According to some statistics, every 1 in 5 Americans could develop skin cancer in the course of their lifetime. When protecting the skin against the sun, people also prevent further, more serious problems as well.

Sunscreen is One of the Most Common Ways of Protecting the Skin

When it comes to protecting the skin from the sun, sunscreen is the most commonly used variant. It is also among the most widely available options. However, make sure you aren’t just choosing any sunscreen to slather on. People have to make sure this has an SPF of at least 15. SPF 15 is a safeguard against 93 percent of the sun’s UV rays. Anything less will likely not be enough to get the job done.

Sunscreen should be applied and used at least 30 minutes before going outside, so it has time to soak in. Also, use anytime after you get in the water or sweat heavily. It should also be reapplied every couple of hours.

Wearing protective clothing is also another way of avoiding sunburn. Although people tend to wear fewer clothes because of the heat, this is counter protective. They should wear long-sleeved but light shirts, hats, and sunglasses to protect themselves. If the heat gets to be too much in warm clothes, people should seek shaded areas where it’s easier to cool down.

Going outside is essential for the health and well-being. However, people should try avoiding the outdoors between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm, when the sun is at its strongest. If you do spend time outside during these hours, make sure to apply the suncream very liberally and seek shaded areas whenever possible.

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A team of scientists from Stanford University decided to test the efficiency of fitness trackers in monitoring heart rates and energy expenditures or calories. According to their results, while the devices were quite accurate and useful in determining the heart rate, they were still far off for the other.

The researchers tested the efficiency of seven of the most common and used fitness trackers on the market. These were analyzed with help from 60 volunteers. The participants were asked to wear the devices while running, walking, and cycling, all at different levels.

The Fitness Trackers Offered Either Really Good or Very Off Estimates

According to the study team, they were quite surprised by the research results. The researchers set 10 percent as the acceptable error rate. After collecting the data from the fitness devices, they compared it to information collected from EKGs.

“Most devices most of the time were ‘off’ by only about 5 percent,” said Euan Ashley, a study co-author and cardiologist at the Stanford University Medical Center.

These were the results obtained after comparing heart rates. Six out of the seven tested devices were below the error point and seemingly quite useful.

But for the energy expenditure, the results were quite the opposite. Out of the seven devices, only one fitness tracker was somewhat closer to the margin. It had an inaccuracy rate of 27 percent. The least accurate reading was 93 percent off of the actual calories value, according to the team.

As it is, the study team did not establish a cause for this significant difference in the calories values of the fitness trackers. However, they do argue that it is quite hard to develop a device that could accurately fit each and every wearer. The accuracy of the results can depend on the height, weight, activity levels, and several other factors as well.

Some of the makers of the tested fitness trackers issued statements on the matter expressing their confidence in their products. Another questioned if the study team set up the proper parameters for the users of its device.

Study results were released earlier this week in the Journal of Personalized Medicine.

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A new study shows that an aggressive treatment is the best way of dealing with sepsis. This killer condition is the body’s reaction to infections. The problem is that it is both hard to diagnose and to treat. People who have sepsis may not know that they have a problem until they enter septic shock. As they reach this state, they become increasingly harder to save as their organs are shutting down. So doctors have to turn to a fast and very aggressive treatment.

An Aggressive Treatment for Sepsis Should Also be a Very Fast One

New York was the first among the US states to introduce a three-step guideline for detecting and treating sepsis. The research team behind this new study monitored patients treated in this state. They observed that treating sepsis fast and aggressively can actually save lives as almost every minute counts in such cases. The risk of dying was estimated to increase by 4 percent for every hour that passes without treatment.

Another important element in treating this condition is the patient’s arrival time at the hospital. If they come too late, the doctors’ chances of saving them decreases. The team noted the importance of knowing that something is wrong with you and seeking medical attention for it. This is also why specialists pointed out the need of raising awareness of sepsis. The CDC started a campaign on the matter last year.

Using an aggressive treatment is the best way of treating sepsis because this is not just a simple infection. The condition occurs when the body tries to fight an infection but ends up damaging its own tissues. In turn, this can lead to amputations, sepsis shock, organ failure, and even death.  Over 1.5 million people suffer from sepsis every year in the US and 250,000 of them die.

Scientists mentioned that even the smallest infection could trigger sepsis. It was noted that more than 80% such cases started outside the hospital in healthy people with minor infections. Until now, it was believed that people who had surgery or were sick presented the highest risk of sepsis. Study results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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