HEALTH BRIEFS

STATIN RISK OVERSTATED

Statin intolerance is overestimated and overdiagnosed, according to a large international study of more than four million patients published in the European Heart Journal, which found patients are at far greater risk of heart and blood vessel problems, including death, caused by high cholesterol levels. The researchers found that statins, which are among the most commonly prescribed drugs for preventing cardiovascular disease, are likely to cause side effects such as muscle pain in less than one in 10 people.

BEATING THE BLUES

The world is failing to tackle the increasingly serious crisis of depression, according to a Lancet and World Psychiatric Association commission on depression, which calls for a whole-of-society response. The international commission is calling for concerted and collaborative efforts by governments, healthcare providers, researchers, people living with depression and their families to improve care and prevention and increase awareness to tackle one of the leading causes of avoidable suffering and premature death worldwide.

SCREENS BEFORE BED

Screen-time or music before bed might not be so bad after all if you keep it short, according to researchers from the University of Delaware, who asked 58 people to keep a diary about their media use before bed while also measuring their sleep quality. The participants recorded activities such as in internet browsing, listening t to music or watching movies, TV or YouTube before bed while their brain activity was measured. The team found sleep quality was unaffected by media use before sleep. But longer use of media was associated with less total sleep time.