not suggesting adding niacin to statins?

Recent meta-analysis this January, 2013 suggests benefit of adding niacin to existing therapy to further alter lipid levels looking at current data available (11 trials, n=~10000).

The AIM-HIGH (n=3500, established CV disease) showed no benefit for hard end points (ex. first event of the composite of death from coronary heart disease, nonfatal myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, hospitalization for an acute coronary syndrome, or symptom-driven coronary or cerebral revascularization.)



Lavigne PM, Karas RH.The current state of niacin in cardiovascular disease prevention: a systematic review and meta-regression. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013 Jan 29;61(4):440-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2012.10.030. Epub 2012 Dec 19. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23265337?dopt=Abstract

The AIM-HIGH Investigators. Niacin in Patients with Low HDL Cholesterol Levels Receiving Intensive Statin Therapy. N Engl J Med 2011; 365:2255-2267. Available from: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1107579

an interesting article on myth about weight losing

Heard about this all over the media - sex only burns 21 Cal (or kcal) on average?
The original paper looks into different myths regarding weight losing. Part of this article touches on the subject of sexercise. It calculated the amount of energy needed for sex using the average energy expendature per hour times the average length of sex (only 6 minutes! - Bohlen JG, Held JP, Sanderson MO, Patterson RP. Heart rate, rate-pressure product, and oxygen uptake during four sexual activities. Arch Intern Med 1984;144:1745-1748) This gives the shocking number 21 Cal per sexual activity!

We might as well spend 20 minutes watching TV, we burn the same amount of energy...

Original source - http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1208051#t=articleDiscussion
published on new england journal of medicine.