Reader

SUNLIGHT KILLS GERMS,

EVEN INDOORS

Researchers from the University of Oregon

and Harvard University collected dust from

homes in the Eugene, Oregon, area and

placed it in rooms exposed to the sun’s visible

rays, its ultraviolet light, or no light at all.

Ninety days later, the dark rooms had twice

as many living bacteria as the sunlit rooms,

including bacteria related to respiratory

pathogens, while the UV rooms had slightly

fewer bacteria than the visible-light ones did.

So remember: Going outside can improve

health in many ways, but even at home you

should let the sun shine in.

Psoriasis

Treatment

May Prevent

Heart Attacks

In a recent study of

84 patients with psoria-

sis, a chronic inflam-

matory skin disease,

those who received

treatment with biologic

drugs (drugs produced

from or containing

elements of living

organisms) had fewer

coronary plaques than

those who didn’t. Coro-

nary plaques, made up

of fat, cholesterol, and

other substances, can

block arteries and

cause a heart attack.

The biologic treatments

not only reduced the

volume of plaque by

40 percent over one

year but also caused it

to became less inflam-

matory, further reduc-

ing heart attack risk.

Since biologics are not

FDA-approved to treat

coronary artery disease,

they are not likely to be

covered by insurance.

Ask your doctor about

using them off-label.

Photograph by The Voorhes

Reader’s Digest

News From the

WORLD OF

MEDICINE

34 march 2019 | rd.com