Health News

New layer to the skin's fight against infection

Date: Nov-20-2013
The layers of skin that form the first line of defence in the body's fight against infection have revealed a unanticipated secret.The single cell type that was thought to be behind the skin's immune defence has been found to have a doppelganger, with researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute showing the cells, despite appearing identical, are actually two different types.

UK study confirms the importance of early life experiences to our long-term health

Date: Nov-20-2013
Although health behaviours such as smoking are directly linked to the majority of early deaths in the UK, tackling these individual factors fails to address the underlying cause. To get to the root of the problem, childhood deprivation must be addressed because it promotes damaging health behaviours in adult life. So say researchers from UCL (University College London) in a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

New method to reduce risk of blood clots during brain traumas

Date: Nov-20-2013
Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have found that a new protocol that uses preventive blood-thinning medication in the treatment of patients with traumatic brain injuries reduces the risk of patients developing life-threatening blood clots without increasing the risk of bleeding inside the brainAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries occur each year.

Progression of Alzheimer's disease may be slowed by stress reduction through meditation

Date: Nov-20-2013
It's well known that the brains of meditators change, but it's not entirely clear what those changes mean or how the changes might benefit the meditator. A new pilot study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center suggests that the brain changes associated with meditation and stress reduction may play an important role in slowing the progression of age-related cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Segment sleeping arrangements to control malaria

Date: Nov-20-2013
Better malaria control might come from segregating household sleeping arrangements, according to a new study co-authored by a University of Guelph professor.The researchers found malaria eradication related more to household size than to a country's wealth or temperature. Guelph economics professor Ross McKitrick and two Finnish professors, Larry and Lena Huldén, found that when average household size drops below four persons, malaria extermination is much more likely.Malaria is transmitted by infected mosquitoes.

Risk of hip fracture, colorectal cancer not reduced by calcium plus vitamin D supplementation

Date: Nov-20-2013
New results are in from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Calcium plus Vitamin D Supplementation Trial. These findings assess the effects on hip fracture and colorectal cancer incidence among 30,000 postmenopausal women nearly five years after the seven-year period of calcium plus vitamin D supplementation ended. The results are presented in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Journal of Women's Health website.

Majority of mental health problems go untreated in teenagers

Date: Nov-20-2013
More than half of adolescents with psychiatric disorders receive no treatment of any sort, says a new study by E. Jane Costello, a Duke University professor of psychology and epidemiology and associate director of the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy. When treatment does occur, the providers are rarely mental health specialists, says the study, which was based on a survey of more than 10,000 American teenagers.

Heart health, urinary and gastrointestinal tract and other metabolic benefits of cranberries

Date: Nov-20-2013
Cranberries are more than a holiday favorite, given their remarkable nutritional and health benefits. A new research review published in the international journal Advances in Nutrition provides reasons why these tiny berries can be front and center and not just a side dish. The review authors conclude that cranberries provide unique bioactive compounds that may help reduce the incidence of certain infections, improve heart health and temper inflammation.

Guidance for clinicians on women's preferences and concerns about treating depression during and after pregnancy

Date: Nov-20-2013
Women with depression in the perinatal period experience a high degree of conflict in deciding whether and how to treat their depression, but strongly prefer treatments other than antidepressant medications, reports a study in the November Journal of Psychiatric Practice®. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.The preliminary study, led by Cynthia L.

Fifth type of tedium identified - apathetic boredom

Date: Nov-20-2013
Being bored has just become a little more nuanced, with the addition of a fifth type of boredom by which to describe this emotion. The finding has been published in Springer's journal Motivation and Emotion. In cooperation with colleagues at the University of Munich, the University of Ulm, McGill University in Montreal, and the City University of New York, educational research by Dr. Thomas Goetz of the University of Konstanz and the Thurgau University of Teacher Education provides insight into how boredom is experienced in everyday life.