Research
Migraines and music
M
igraine is a severe and painful health condition, with common symptoms including intense head pain (often on one side of the head); visual disturbances (such as flashing lights); sensitivity to light, sounds and smells; fatigue; and feeling or being sick (NHS, 2021; The Migraine Trust, 2021). It is believed to affect over a billion people worldwide and 10 million (one in seven) people in the UK. According to The Migraine Trust, an estimated 190,000 migraine attacks occur every day in the UK, with those affected losing a total of 25 million days from their work and education each year (The Migraine Trust, 2021). Not surprisingly, the Trust reports that the condition can also take a serious toll on relationships and mental health.
Inactivity and risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes
R
egular physical activity (PA) has many well-researched health benefits, which could potentially play an important role in mitigating the severity of COVID-19. Among others, regular PA can help to: n improve immune function; n reduce the incidence and symptoms from various viral infections; n reduce systemic inflammation (a main contributor to lung damage caused by COVID-19); n improve cardiovascular health; n increase lung capacity and muscle strength; and n improve mental health (Sallis et al, 2021). A retrospective observational study conducted in California, USA, and published in British Journal of Sports Medicine identified 48,440 adult patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis from 1 January 2020 to 21 October 2020, with at least three exercise vital sign measurements recorded from 19 March
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2018 to 18 March 2020. The researchers linked each patient’s self-reported physical activity category (consistently inactive=0–10 min/week, some activity=11–149 min/week, consistently meeting USA guidelines=150+ min/ week) to the risk of hospitalisation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death after COVID-19 diagnosis. The results showed that ‘consistently meeting PA guidelines was strongly associated with a reduced odds for severe COVID-19 among infected adults. Specifically, when compared with those who reported being consistently inactive, those who were consistently meeting PA guidelines had lower odds of being hospitalised, requiring ICU admission and dying from COVID-19. Even activity levels that did not meet the PA guidelines were significantly associated with reduced odds of hospitalisation and death. ‘It is notable that being consistently
inactive was a stronger risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes than any of the underlying medical conditions and risk factors identified by CDC* except for age and a history of organ transplant. In fact, physical inactivity was the strongest risk factor across all outcomes, compared with the commonly cited modifiable risk factors, including smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and cancer’ (Sallis et al, 2021). In the study’s summary, the authors suggest that the medical community and public health agencies should promote ‘the potential for habitual physical activity to lower COVID-19 illness severity’ and that ‘pandemic control recommendations should include regular physical activity across all population groups’. *The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention n Read the full study at fht.org.uk/ IT-139-research-COVID-inactivity
Winter 2022
