From lowering your risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease to improving your concentration and overall daily performance, sleep has been proven to play a critical role in our health. In a new study, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that sleep may also help people to learn continuously through their lifetime. Writing in the August … [Read more...]
Alternative Health News
Wording of vaccination messages influences behavior
When it comes to vaccination, words matter as do perceptions of what is normal behavior. An experiment by Washington State University researchers revealed that relatively small differences in messages influenced people's attitudes about the human papillomavirus or HPV vaccine, which has been shown to help prevent cancer. Young adult subjects in the study recently published … [Read more...]
Inexpensive retinal diagnostics via smartphone
Retinal damage due to diabetes is now considered the most common cause of blindness in working-age adults. In low- and middle-income countries, an eye examination via smartphone could help to detect changes at an early stage. This is shown by a new study carried out by scientists from the University of Bonn together with colleagues from Sankara Eye Hospital Bangalore (India). … [Read more...]
New approach to some mental disorders
Some of the most common mental disorders, including depression, anxiety and PTSD, might not be disorders at all, according to a recent paper by Washington State University biological anthropologists. In the paper, published in the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, the researchers propose a new approach to mental illness that would be informed by human evolution, noting that … [Read more...]
Dementia gene raises risk of severe COVID-19
Having a faulty gene linked to dementia doubles the risk of developing severe COVID-19, according to a large-scale study. Researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School and the University of Connecticut School of Medicine analysed data from the UK Biobank, and found high risk of severe COVID-19 infection among European ancestry participants who carry two faulty … [Read more...]
Tiny RNA that should attack coronavirus diminish with age, disease
A group of tiny RNA that should attack the virus causing COVID-19 when it tries to infect the body are diminished with age and chronic health problems, a decrease that likely helps explain why older individuals and those with preexisting medical conditions are vulnerable populations, investigators report. MicroRNAs play a big role in our body in controlling gene expression, … [Read more...]
Everything is not fine: Kids can tell when parents suppress their stress
Stress is common in a family setting, especially when people are spending so much time together under stay-at-home measures meant to slow the spread of COVID-19. New research finds that parents suppressing feelings of stress around their kids can actually transmit those feelings to the children. In a paper published in Journal of Family Psychology, Sara Waters, assistant … [Read more...]
Genetics linked to childhood emotional, social and psychiatric problems
Emotional, social and psychiatric problems in children and adolescents have been linked to higher levels of genetic vulnerability for adult depression. University of Queensland scientists made the finding while analysing the genetic data of more than 42,000 children and adolescents from seven cohorts across Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and UK. Professor … [Read more...]
How and where to allocate stockpiled ventilators during a pandemic
Key factors must be taken into account in determining the need for and allocation of scarce ventilators during a severe pandemic, especially one causing respiratory illness. Strategies to help state and local planners in allocating stockpiled ventilators to healthcare facilities, including pre-pandemic actions and actions to be taken during the pandemic, are detailed in a … [Read more...]
Study reveals how long COVID-19 remains infectious on cardboard, metal and plastic
The virus that causes COVID-19 remains for several hours to days on surfaces and in aerosols, a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found. The study suggests that people may acquire the coronavirus through the air and after touching contaminated objects. Scientists discovered the virus is detectable for up to three hours in aerosols, up to four hours … [Read more...]
Individual response to COVID-19 ‘as important’ as government action
How individuals respond to government advice on preventing the spread of COVID-19 will be at least as important, if not more important, than government action, according to a new commentary from researchers at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London in the UK, and Utrecht University and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the … [Read more...]
Individual response to COVID-19 ‘as important’ as government action
How individuals respond to government advice on preventing the spread of COVID-19 will be at least as important, if not more important, than government action, according to a new commentary from researchers at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London in the UK, and Utrecht University and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the … [Read more...]
Hookah Smoke may be Associated with Increased Risk of Blood Clots
For the first time, in a study conducted in mice, researchers found that tobacco smoke from a hookah caused blood to function abnormally and be more likely to clot and quickly form blood clots, which can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular … [Read more...]
Data-driven definition of unhealthy yet pervasive ‘hyper-palatable’ foods
A popular U.S. brand of potato chips once promoted itself with the slogan, "betcha can't eat just one!" Maybe that's because potato chips, like so many foods in the American diet, can pack a mix of ingredients apt to light up people's brain-reward neural circuitry and overpower mechanisms that are supposed to signal when we've had enough to eat. Researchers call this … [Read more...]
Looking inside the body with indirect light
Light provides all our visual information, but it reaches our eyes in different ways. Direct light comes unperturbed, coming straight from the source, whereas indirect light bounces off different surfaces, such as walls or ceilings, before entering our eyes. Extracting information from these two pathways has significant implications in diagnostic imaging and other applications. … [Read more...]
Does herpes cause Alzheimer’s?
What causes Alzheimer's disease? The answer could be right under our noses, says leading expert Professor Ruth Itzhaki. Her latest paper presents a lifetime of research evidence that the herpes virus responsible for cold sores can also cause Alzheimer's -- and new data which show antiviral drugs drastically reduce risk of senile dementia in patients with severe herpes … [Read more...]
‘Smart shirt’ can accurately measure breathing and could be used to monitor lung disease
A smart shirt that measures lung function by sensing movements in the chest and abdomen has proved to be accurate when compared to traditional testing equipment, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. Researchers have used the smart shirts, together with a mobile app, to reliably measure breathing in healthy people while … [Read more...]
Japan’s health minister insists high heels are ‘necessary and appropriate’ in the workplace
Japan’s health minister claims that workplaces that require women to wear high heel shoes are “necessary and appropriate” amid a petition with nearly 20,000 signatures against the practice. Takumi Nemoto was asked to comment Wednesday on a petition filed with his department earlier this week by a group of women demanding the government ban workplaces from requiring female … [Read more...]
Meditation needs more research: Study finds 25 percent suffer unpleasant experiences
More than a quarter of people who regularly meditate have had a 'particularly unpleasant' psychological experience related to the practice, including feelings of fear and distorted emotions, a UCL-led study has found. The research, published in PLOS ONE, also found those who had attended a meditation retreat, those who only practiced deconstructive types of meditation, … [Read more...]
Sugar entering the brain during septic shock causes memory loss
The loss of memory and cognitive function known to afflict survivors of septic shock is the result of a sugar that is released into the blood stream and enters the brain during the life-threatening condition. This finding, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, explains the premature mental aging that follows septic shock and may shed light on … [Read more...]
A deep learning tool for personalized workout recommendations from fitness tracking data
Computer scientists at the University of California San Diego have developed FitRec, a recommendation tool powered by deep learning, that is able to better estimate runners' heart rates during a workout and predict and recommend routes. The team will present their work at the WWW 19 conference May 13 to 17 in San Francisco. Researchers trained FitRec on a dataset of more … [Read more...]
‘Smart’ Pajamas Could Monitor and Help Improve Sleep
If you've ever dreamed about getting a good night's sleep, your answer may someday lie in data generated by your sleepwear. Researchers have developed pajamas embedded with self-powered sensors that provide unobtrusive and continuous monitoring of heartbeat, breathing and sleep posture -- all factors that play a role in how well a person slumbers. The "smart" garments could … [Read more...]
London Patient Might Be Second to be Cured of HIV
(CNN)A second person has experienced sustained remission from HIV-1, according to a case study to be published Tuesday in the journal Nature. Effectively, some scientists believe that the "London patient" has been cured of the viral infection, which affects close to 37 million people worldwide. The new case report comes more than 10 years after the first case, known as the … [Read more...]
Wearable devices and mobile health technology: One step towards better health
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...]
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...]
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