UF Health Podcasts

Devotees of intermittent fasting, take note: One such eating plan has been linked to a substantially higher risk of cardiovascular death.

Researchers with the American Heart Association concluded recently that people who limit their eating to less than eight hours a day were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who ate during a 12- to 16-hour window.

Eating all meals within an eight-hour window has become an increasingly popular variant of intermittent fasting. Other research has shown it can improve several cardiometabolic health measures, including blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

For their study, the researchers tracked more than 20,000 U.S. adults with an average age of 49. Their health metrics and eating habits were followed for eight to 17 years. Those who ate during an eight-hour window had a 91% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

As the intermittent fasting time window expanded, the risk of dying from a stroke or heart disease dropped a bit. Those whose meals were spread out over eight to 10 hours had a 66% higher risk of death compared with those who ate in a 12- to 16-hour time frame.

And there were other findings related to intermittent fasting and mortality: Time-restricted eating didn’t reduce the overall risk of death from any cause. Among those with cancer, eating over a 16-hour period each day was associated with a lower risk of death from that disease.

So, what’s the big-picture message about dieting and cardiovascular risk? The researchers recommend a more cautious, personalized approach to intermittent fasting.

Caveman Bob forages for a diet largely made up of fresh fruits and vegetables. Sometimes, if he’s lucky, he eats meat. He doesn’t overthink it. Bob is full and happy.

Now, let’s say Caveman Bob finds himself in a modern grocery store.

Bob is not happy. Most of what he sees doesn’t look like food. It’s all in boxes or bags or processed into something unrecognizable.

As simple as this caveman may be, he’s one up on modern humans when it comes to nutrition.

A recent study led by researchers from Israel offers further evidence that we all should swap junk food for fiber-based goodies like fruits and vegetables.

The study focused on a recently discovered but long-running key player in healthy intestinal flora — a bacteria known as ruminococcus [room-in-oh-cockus]. The microbe is key to breaking down the stringy cellulose that makes up fiber in the gut.

The researchers established that ruminococcus is more closely related to the ancestors of microbes found in modern cows, sheep and deer — also known as ruminants — than to the gut microbes of our own primate ancestors.

Thanks to dietary changes in industrialized societies, the microbe isn’t as abundant as it once was.

The bacteria still thrive in hunter-gatherer and rural societies but are absent or barely present in samples from people in industrialized cultures.

This is notable because fiber is key to healthy gut flora. With fewer healthy bacteria available to break fiber down, it can be tough to get the nutrients we need for a complete diet and balanced energy.

The answer is simple for those who would grab a bag of chips over a banana: Be like Bob. Eat more fiber.

Veterinary forensic pathologists are using some pretty sophisticated tools to  pinpoint animal abuse and crack crimes against wildlife.

Good intentions are golden, but hard evidence wins court cases. Just as in human forensics, veterinary evidence can now be collected through imaging, genealogy, microscopic evaluation of dissections, DNA analysis — even 3D-printed models. Artificial intelligence may increasingly play a role as well — in helping to identify patterns of trauma or disease.

In addition to detailed evidence, collaboration with law enforcement, animal control and Fish and Wildlife partners is key to building criminal cases. That’s how to hold perpetrators accountable for what used to be invisible crimes.

The list of risk factors for Type 2 diabetes is a long one. Eating a poor, sugar-rich diet. A sedentary lifestyle. Obesity. Here’s another one you probably haven’t thought about: sleep.

A study by Swedish researchers shows that night owls who only get three to five hours of sleep a day increase their risk of diabetes. That’s compared with people who get seven or eight hours.

Scientists have previously associated diabetes risk with lack of sleep. What makes this study interesting is that it found that even those who eat a healthy diet still had elevated odds of getting diabetes if they didn’t sleep enough.

That underscores the importance of sleep in maintaining good health.

Investigators used data from the UK Biobank. This is a study of half a million Brits who have been genetically mapped and answered questions about their health and lifestyle. Participants were tracked for 10 years.

Of course, disease risk can differ from person to person. The impact of sleep deprivation depends largely on genetics.

None of this is reason to ditch a good diet. The study showed that people with a healthy diet lowered their disease risk. But they got a bonus if they slept well.

Those diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes have difficulty processing glucose, or sugar. They cannot adequately absorb insulin in their cells, which keeps blood sugar high. And that causes a host of issues over time, including damage to nerves and blood vessels.

Getting a good night’s sleep is a health imperative. Failing to do so has been shown to raise the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

Chronic fatigue can be a killer.

Every day, swine producers across the United States are working diligently to fend off dangerous diseases — like African swine fever and brucellosis—that could shut down hog facilities. That’s why the US Department of Agriculture developed the US Swine Health Improvement Plan — or U.S. SHIP — to help protect hogs and US trade in the event of disease outbreaks.

The program is based on biosecurity, disease surveillance and testing to help confine diseases that make their way into individual facilities. That way, effects on international trade could be mitigated while getting the disease under control.

But swine producers need to sign up to be a part of U.S. SHIP. Interested individuals can get more information about the program at usswinehealthimprovementplan.com.

Vehicular trauma, or injury sustained when your dog is hit by a moving vehicle, is common in dogs who are allowed to roam outdoors while unattended. Even when a dog is kept inside, accidents can happen: an animal can escape through an open door, or get away from you during a walk or another outing. Injuries caused by vehicles can be minor or life-threatening, and each case is different. However, in every situation, immediate veterinary attention is critical. On this show, Dr. Carl Southern, a small animal veterinary emergency and critical care specialist, will discuss the types of injuries caused by vehicular trauma that are commonly seen in the emergency room, how these injuries are typically treated and what anyone taking an animal hit by a car to the ER needs to be aware to ensure the animal is stable during transport.

All animals can be affected by toxins in household products — just in different ways. Dogs like to chew on things like detergent pods, while cats tend to groom substances off their fur. Birds are especially sensitive to airborne toxins, while amphibians absorb toxins through their skin.

Toxicity is often directly related to the concentration of chemicals. Multipurpose cleaners are usually pretty dilute, whereas corrosive products—like oven cleaners — are much more concentrated. Products that are very acidic or alkaline are also more caustic.

Make sure to store household products safely and use them only as directed. As a general rule, keep animals away while you’re cleaning and let them return only when you can’t smell the product anymore.

As the weather warms, skunks become more active — and more of a problem for pets. A direct skunk spray to the face can irritate a pet’s eyes — and if ingested, can cause drooling, nausea and vomiting.

And of course there’s the smell. The offending thiols [THIGH-alls] in skunk spray aren’t water soluble, so bathing your pet with soap and water won’t help. One effective recipe adds one quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide to one-quarter cup baking soda, then mixes in two teaspoons of liquid dish detergent.

When the mixture bubbles, lather it on, avoiding your pet’s eyes. Let it sit for five minutes before rinsing and bathing your buddy with regular pet shampoo. Wear gloves. Be careful: products containing hydrogen peroxide can bleach fur and fabric.

Did you know that the most common pets have outsized carbon footprints? That’s due to the carnivorous diet we feed dogs and cats. If you’re looking for a more environmentally friendly pet, you might want to take a look at rabbits.

These guys thrive on a diet of hay supplemented with veggies and leafy greens — no meat for them! They even go for the parts we toss away—like stems and carrot greens — which you might be able to get for free at your grocery store. What’s more, a rabbit’s droppings can be composted or used as garden fertilizer. That’s not the case with cats and dogs.

But before you bring a bunny home, do your homework. In addition to a vegan diet, rabbits need safe roomy housing, companionship and routine veterinary care. As with any pet, a good match is key.

One of the many mysteries of animals is how they navigate. We hear about lost dogs and cats making their way back home over hundreds of miles, but how do they do it?

Numerous senses are likely involved. For example, dogs rely mostly on their keen sense of smell. They tend to follow overlapping areas of familiar scents. First, they might retrace their own scent trail before picking up the smells of another familiar dog. That may lead to the scent of a marked tree, then on to the smell of a familiar person and so on.

On the other hand, cats — like many other animals — may instinctively use the earth’s magnetic fields to guide them along great distances.

One thing’s for sure — we need to do a lot more work to unlock the black boxes holding the answers.