With increasing efforts being made to address the current global obesity epidemic, wearable devices and mobile health ("mHealth") technology have emerged as promising tools for promoting physical activity. However, current literature seems to indicate that these new technologies may serve best as part of a larger overall health plan, rather than working alone to encourage … [Read more...]
Alternative Health News
Growth hormone may provide new hope for stroke survivors
Less fatigue and better recovery of cognitive abilities such as learning and memory. These may be the results of growth hormone treatment after a stroke, an experimental study of mice published in the journal Stroke suggests. "We hope that this work can pave the way for clinical studies involving the use of human growth hormone as treatment in the rehabilitation phase … [Read more...]
Practicing Tai Chi helps improve respiratory function in patients with COPD
Finding ways to help patients with COPD improve their functional status is an area of interest for pulmonary healthcare providers. Currently, pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is used where available to improve exercise capacity and quality of life, but the treatment requires access to trained staff and specialized facilities. A new study in the journal CHEST® looked at Tai Chi as … [Read more...]
Relaxation response may reduce blood pressure by altering expression of a set of genes
A new study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at MGH identified genes associated with the body's response to relaxation techniques and sheds light on the molecular mechanisms by which these interventions may work to lower blood pressure. The findings … [Read more...]
Uncovering the genetics of skeletal muscle growth and regeneration
Skeletal muscle has a remarkable capacity to regenerate -- a capacity that is diminished in many skeletal muscle diseases and aging. To investigate the mechanism behind skeletal muscle growth and regeneration, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital bombarded zebrafish with chemical mutagen and screened for larvae with defective skeletal muscle structure. Using genetic … [Read more...]
Drinking hot tea every day linked to lower glaucoma risk
But hot coffee, iced tea, and soft drinks don't seem to make any difference, say researchers. Drinking a cup of hot tea at least once a day may be linked to a significantly lower risk of developing the serious eye condition, glaucoma, finds a small study published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. But drinking decaffeinated and caffeinated coffee, … [Read more...]
New treatments help those with mild, moderate and severe eczema
Both children and adults benefit from new approaches If you think only infants suffer from eczema, think again. The uncomfortable, itchy rash that most people relate to babies and young children occurs frequently in adults. Although many adults with atopic dermatitis (commonly known as eczema) develop the disease in childhood and carry it through life, a large number are … [Read more...]
Help sought from complementary, alternative medicine to remedy health problems
New, extensive study has charted the use of complementary and alternative medicine in Europe. A new and extensive study has charted the use of complementary and alternative medicine in Europe. It found that complementary and alternative medicine is being used in connection with various health problems, particularly in situations where help provided by conventional medicine is … [Read more...]
Yoga and aerobic exercise together may improve heart disease risk factors
Heart disease patients who practice yoga in addition to aerobic exercise saw twice the reduction in blood pressure, body mass index and cholesterol levels when compared to patients who practiced either Indian yoga or aerobic exercise alone, according to research to be presented at the 8th Emirates Cardiac Society Congress in collaboration with the American College of Cardiology … [Read more...]
Group exercise improves quality of life, reduces stress far more than individual work outs
Researchers found working out in a group lowers stress by 26 percent and significantly improves quality of life, while those who exercise individually put in more effort but experienced no significant changes in their stress level and a limited improvement to quality of life, according to a study published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. "The communal … [Read more...]
Yoga can be an effective supportive therapy for people with lung cancer and their caregivers
In a feasibility trial of people with advanced lung cancer receiving radiation therapy, and their caregivers, yoga was beneficial to both parties. These findings will be presented at the upcoming 2017 Palliative and Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium in San Diego, California. "It is never too late to engage in exercise, and we know from earlier studies that people can … [Read more...]
Nutrition has benefits for brain network organization
Nutrition has been linked to cognitive performance, but researchers have not pinpointed what underlies the connection. A new study by University of Illinois researchers found that monounsaturated fatty acids -- a class of nutrients found in olive oils, nuts and avocados -- are linked to general intelligence, and that this relationship is driven by the correlation between MUFAs … [Read more...]
Using antidepressants during pregnancy may affect your child’s mental health
The use of antidepressants has been on the rise for many years. Between 2 and 8% of pregnant women are on antidepressants. Now researchers from the National Centre for Register-based Research at Aarhus BSS show that there is an increased risk involved in using antidepressants during pregnancy. The researchers, headed by Xiaoqin Liu, have applied register-based research … [Read more...]
Use of cognitive abilities to care for grandkids may have driven evolution of menopause
Instead of having more children, a grandmother may pass on her genes more successfully by using her cognitive abilities to directly or indirectly aid her existing children and grandchildren. Such an advantage could have driven the evolution of menopause in humans, according to new research published in PLOS Computational Biology. Women go through menopause long before … [Read more...]
Device helps people who suffer gastroparesis, or stomach paralysis
According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as five million Americans may suffer from gastroparesis, a stomach paralysis that makes it very difficult to digest food. It affects people with diabetes and Parkinson’s disease, and for one-third of the patients, the cause is unknown. Now, a special treatment is giving people back their lives. Erica Davila has … [Read more...]
There’s proof body shaming can be majorly detrimental to women’s health
Many, many women dread going to the doctor's office, knowing they'll be weighed and then potentially criticized for their appearance — and that's affecting their healthcare. While doctors are obviously supposed to tell their patients when they're making unhealthy decisions, which includes discussing weight gain, much of the conversation surrounding weight can be … [Read more...]
Using omega 3 fatty acids to treat Alzheimer’s and other diseases?
Understanding how dietary essential fatty acids work may lead to effective treatments for diseases and conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson's disease and other retinal and neurodegenerative diseases. The key is to be able to intervene during the early stages of the disease. That is the conclusion of a Minireview by Nicolas … [Read more...]
Extra-virgin olive oil preserves memory, protects brain against Alzheimer’s
The Mediterranean diet, rich in plant-based foods, is associated with a variety of health benefits, including a lower incidence of dementia. Now, researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) have identified a specific ingredient that protects against cognitive decline: extra-virgin olive oil, a major component of the Mediterranean diet. In a … [Read more...]
Blood Test Could Predict Best Treatment For Lung Cancer
A blood test could predict how well small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients will respond to treatment, according to new research published in Nature Medicine. Scientists, based at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute at The University of Manchester, isolated tumor cells that had broken away from the main cancer -- known as circulating tumour cells (CTCs) -- from … [Read more...]
Highs And Lows of Regenerative Medicine
Nanoscale manipulation on the surface of materials could stimulate cells to differentiate into specific tissues -- eliminating the use of growth or transcription factors. Researchers are trying to find ways to control cellular response in vitro using engineered materials in a continuous pursuit to regenerate injured or diseased tissues. Recent studies have found that … [Read more...]
Benefits of dental laser treatments
Researchers have developed computer simulations showing how lasers attack oral bacterial colonies, suggesting that benefits of using lasers in oral debridement include killing bacteria and promoting better dental health. In a study published in the journal Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, the researchers show the results of simulations depicting various laser wavelengths … [Read more...]
Most Tweeted Foods: What do tweets say about our health?
"Coffee" was the most tweeted food in the continental U.S. between mid-2014 to mid-2015 followed by "beer" then "pizza." Besides hinting at which foods are popular, tweets may reveal something about our health. Communities that expressed positive sentiments about healthy foods were more likely to be healthier overall. Scientists at the University of Utah surveyed nearly … [Read more...]
Multiple Benefits of Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga is an increasingly popular form of physical activity and meditative practice in the U.S. It is important to understand the calorie cost and intensity of yoga in relation to the national physical activity guidelines, such as those recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA). These guidelines encourage 30 … [Read more...]
Impact of cancer screening in California over past 15 years
A new report from the UC Davis Institute for Population Health Improvement (IPHI) shows the impact of cancer screening over the past 15 years, identifying areas where increased screening and other cancer-control efforts would save lives and significantly benefit population health. The CalCARES report uses heat maps to show areas with higher proportions of particular … [Read more...]
Nanoparticles That Speed Blood Clotting May Oneday Save Lives
Whether severe trauma occurs on the battlefield or the highway, saving lives often comes down to stopping the bleeding as quickly as possible. Many methods for controlling external bleeding exist, but at this point, only surgery can halt blood loss inside the body from injury to internal organs. Now, researchers have developed nanoparticles that congregate wherever injury … [Read more...]
Lousy Jobs Hurt Your Health By The Time You’re In Your 40s
Job satisfaction in your late 20s and 30s has a link to overall health in your early 40s, according to a new nationwide study. While job satisfaction had some impact on physical health, its effect was particularly strong for mental health, researchers found. Those less than happy with their work early in their careers said they were more depressed and worried and had … [Read more...]
New Avenue For Epilepsy Research And Possible Treatment
A child with absence epilepsy may be in the middle of doing something -- she could be dancing, studying, talking -- when all of a sudden she stares off into space for a few moments. Then, as quickly as she drifted off, the child snaps back into whatever she was doing, unaware that the episode occurred. That brief moment of disconnect from reality is called an absence … [Read more...]
Identified! Two Zika Proteins Responsible For Microcephaly
USC researchers have tracked down two Zika proteins potentially responsible for thousands of microcephaly cases in Brazil and elsewhere -- taking one small step toward preventing Zika-infected mothers from birthing babies with abnormally small heads. The Zika virus contains 10 proteins, but only NS4A and NS4B matter when it comes to microcephaly, according to a USC-led … [Read more...]
Researchers Propose New Treatment To Prevent Kidney Stones
Researchers have found evidence that a natural fruit extract is capable of dissolving calcium oxalate crystals, the most common component of human kidney stones. This finding could lead to the first advance in the treatment of calcium oxalate stones in 30 years. Jeffrey Rimer, associate professor of chemical engineering at the University of Houston, was lead author of … [Read more...]
Ever Thought Why You’re Stiff In The Morning?
New research published online in The FASEB Journal, describes a protein created by the body's "biological clock" that actively represses inflammatory pathways within the affected limbs during the night. This protein, called CRYPTOCHROME, has proven anti-inflammatory effects in cultured cells and presents new opportunities for the development of drugs that may be used to treat … [Read more...]
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