Alternative Health

Adding to a growing body of research on patterns of e-cigarette use, researchers from Rutgers School of Public Health and the Steven A. Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies at Truth Initiative have found evidence that among U.S. adults, some recent cigarette quitters may have done so with the assistance of electronic cigarettes. The research informs an … [Read more...]

Recently published research in the University of Eastern Finland found that fatty acid composition in blood is not only a biomarker for the quality of dietary fat but also reflects the quality of dietary carbohydrates. For example the proportion of oleic acid was higher among children who consumed a lot of candy and little high-fibre grain products. Earlier studies on the topic … [Read more...]

The relationship quality of 721 couples in Switzerland over a period of thirteen years is at the core of a PhD thesis that was conducted within the framework of the NCCR LIVES. Manuela Schicka successfully defended her dissertation on September 30th, 2015 at the University of Geneva. She demonstrated that while the various styles of conjugal interactions generally remain stable … [Read more...]

People with epilepsy experience uncontrolled seizures that can impair quality of life and cause stigma that leads to social isolation. The neurological condition can limit some activities most people take for granted, such as sustaining work or operating a vehicle. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and … [Read more...]

Over-reliance on genetic-centered approaches in predicting, diagnosing and treating disease will lead to few future scientific breakthroughs, cautioned a University of Alabama researcher who co-authored an article in an early online issue of Genetics that advocates for a greater emphasis on the body's metabolites in understanding illnesses. "To augment the value of genetic … [Read more...]

If you want to keep your true love's heart beating strong, Susan Ofria, clinical nutrition manager at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, said the real food of love is dark chocolate and red wine. In moderation, red wine and dark chocolate are good health choices not just on Valentine's Day, but for any occasion. "You are not even choosing between the lesser of two evils, red wine … [Read more...]

Osteoporosis is one of the chief reasons why the elderly often suffer broken bones from relatively minor injuries. Postmenopausal women in particular experience a relatively rapid loss in bone mass due to a reduced concentration of oestrogen, which is responsible for strong bone growth during youth. Maintaining bone mass requires physical exercise and vitamin D, which is mainly … [Read more...]

Regular physical activity could play a role in helping women at high-risk of breast cancer delay the need for drastic preventive measures such as prophylactic mastectomy, according to new research led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Results of the WISER Sister study help clarify the emerging connection between exercise and breast cancer … [Read more...]

Activities outside the classroom -- especially community engagement and sports -- may help low-income, urban youth academically as they transition into middle school, according to a new study by NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. The findings, published online in the American Journal of Community Psychology, suggest that participating in … [Read more...]

A research team led by UC San Francisco scientists has identified a molecular switch capable of converting unhealthy white fat into healthy, energy-burning brown fat in mice. Drugs that flip this switch rapidly reduced obesity and diabetes risk factors in mice fed a high fat diet. The results suggest that drugs capable of targeting similar molecular pathways in human fat … [Read more...]

The amount of anesthetic required for general anesthesia during surgery varies widely from patient to patient and some may be able to receive a lower dose than typically administered, suggests a study being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2015 annual meeting. "Providing general anesthesia is a delicate balance, ensuring the patient receives enough, but not more than … [Read more...]

A nanofiber hydrogel infused with snake venom may be the best material to stop bleeding quickly, according to Rice University scientists. The hydrogel called SB50 incorporates batroxobin, a venom produced by two species of South American pit viper. It can be injected as a liquid and quickly turns into a gel that conforms to the site of a wound, keeping it closed, and … [Read more...]

A new study confirms what doctors working with young athletes already suspected: the number anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears among youths, particularly high school students, has risen during the past 20 years. The study, to be presented at the 2015 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in Washington, DC, reviewed an insurance … [Read more...]

When balancing treatment options for a child with a significant difference in leg length, doctors typically advise families about the risks and benefits of surgeries to either shorten or elongate one of the limbs. New research suggests they may also want to consider how the child's ultimate height will affect his or her income as an adult. In a study to be presented at the … [Read more...]

Teenagers are known for taking unnecessary risks, from reckless driving to smoking marijuana, but some seek out risky experiences more than others. A new study of sensation-seeking behavior led by a researcher at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health with colleagues from Columbia University's Department of Psychiatry and the University of Puerto Rico School of … [Read more...]

For hundreds of millions of people around the world, chewing betel nut produces a cheap, quick high but also raises the risk of addiction and oral cancer. Now, new findings by a University of Florida Health researcher reveal how the nut's psychoactive chemical works in the brain and suggest that an addiction treatment may already exist. The betel nut, a seed of the areca … [Read more...]

A banana a day may not keep the doctor away, but a substance originally found in bananas and carefully edited by scientists could someday fight off a wide range of viruses, new research suggests. And the process used to create the virus-fighting form may help scientists develop even more drugs, by harnessing the "sugar code" that our cells use to communicate. That code gets … [Read more...]

Blood transfusion rates in hip and knee replacement surgery were dramatically lower in overweight or obese patients than patients of normal weight, according to a study at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Researchers also found no correlation between the heavier patients and post-surgical complications such as blood clots and heart attacks. The findings from a study of … [Read more...]

According to popular belief, whether you have a baby girl or boy is purely a matter of chance. And yet, a study published several years ago shows that mothers in stressful jobs, for instance, give birth to more girls than boys. The correlation between such shifts in the offspring sex ratio and the mother's overall state is something that evolutionary biologists are familiar … [Read more...]

Mayo Clinic researchers in Rochester, Minnesota, collaborated with the University of Mississippi Medical Center on a recent study, "Troponin T as a Predictor of End-Stage Renal Disease and All-Cause Death in African-American and Whites From Hypertensive Families." For the first time, this study identified the presence of a specific protein in the blood used to look for heart … [Read more...]

A hormone treatment with oxytocin improves the sexual experience of women suffering from sexual dysfunction. This is the finding of a study conducted at MedUni Vienna, which has now been published in the journal Fertility and Sterility. However, a control group that only received a placebo via a nasal spray, showed similar improvements. Sexual dysfunction in women is therefore … [Read more...]

Television programs and commercials displaying fast food consumption that target young people are on the rise. While experts agree that television can entertain and inform, most TV programs and advertisements portray no negative consequences of fast food consumption. New research found that the rise of positive fast food imagery on TV strongly biases the views of children and … [Read more...]

Adolescence is typically regarded as a period of heightened emotionality. Although the teen years are an important time for youth to learn to regulate their emotions, little research has looked at the development of teens' emotional stability. Now a new longitudinal study has found that adolescents' mood swings decline gradually as they get older, which should reassure parents … [Read more...]

At least 5% of children and adolescents in Germany are in need of psychiatric treatment. Diagnostic investigation for behavioral problems is indicated in another 10% to 18%. Two articles in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International explore the questions of what interventions help children who are avoiding school, and whether providing support for social and emotional skills can … [Read more...]

Researchers working with zebrafish at New Zealand's University of Otago have published a study providing new insights into the causes of the congenital heart defects associated with a rare developmental disorder. The disorder, Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), is estimated to occur in up to 1 in 10,000 births worldwide. CdLS causes a range of developmental anomalies, both … [Read more...]