Health News

High-fiber diet linked to lower risk of heart disease

Date: Dec-20-2013
We may have heard it before, but the benefits of eating a healthy diet - with plenty of fiber and fresh vegetables - lie not only in a more lithesome figure, but may also contribute to general heart health, according to new research from the University of Leeds in the UK.The research, published on bmj.com, links greater fiber intake with a lower risk of both cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease. The researchers claim that the risk lowers significantly with every additional 7 g of fiber eaten each day.

The nanomaterial of tomorrow may be found in Alzheimer-substance

Date: Dec-20-2013
It causes brain diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob's disease. It is also hard and rigid as steel. Now research at Chalmers University of Technology shows that the amyloid protein carries unique characteristics that may lead to the development of new composite materials for nano processors and data storage of tomorrow and even make objects invisible.

Increased risk of complications for mother and baby from elective early-term deliveries

Date: Dec-20-2013
Enduring the last few weeks of pregnancy can be physically and emotionally challenging for some women. The aches and pains, the swelling of the limbs and the anxiety of when labor may start are part of the natural gestation process, but they also can seem unbearable. It may seem easier to relieve symptoms associated with late pregnancy by electing to deliver early, but Mayo Clinic researchers caution that there can be an increased risk of complications to the mother and the newborn associated with early-term deliveries.

6 million legal immigrants may obtain health coverage through new law

Date: Dec-20-2013
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) does not expand access to health insurance for undocumented immigrants but may pave the way for many legal immigrants who have trouble obtaining this crucial coverage, concludes a report released today by the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS). The report outlines the opportunities as well as the obligations that the federal health reform law will bring to lawfully present immigrants, people who have obtained green cards or visas allowing them to work, live and study in the United States.

New mechanism revealed for arthritis progression

Date: Dec-20-2013
University of Utah researchers have discovered a naturally occurring genetic variation in mice that predisposes carriers toward developing severe, inflammatory arthritis. The finding implicates a new class of genes in arthritis progression, potentially opening doors to new treatment options. The study was published ahead of prin in the online issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation.Among individuals with inflammatory arthritis, the severity of symptoms, which include joint swelling, pain, and stiffness, varies greatly.

Reducing problem behaviors in children: 5 effective parenting programs

Date: Dec-20-2013
All parents want what's best for their children. But not every parent knows how to provide their child with the tools to be successful, or how to help them avoid the biggest adolescent behavior problems: substance use, delinquency, school dropout, pregnancy and violence.These problems can affect children for the rest of their lives.

Palliative care consultant says The Liverpool Care Pathway has been made a scapegoat

Date: Dec-20-2013
'It is as illogical to discredit the LCP because of errant clinicians as it is to ban the Highway Code because of bad drivers.'Claud Regnard, FRCP, a palliative care consultant, has called the demise of the Liverpool Care Pathway a "tragedy" and compared it to banning the Highway Code because of bad drivers in a paper for the journal Age and Ageing, published online.

Allergy increase in rural Poland likely related to EU membership

Date: Dec-20-2013
Poland's entry into the EU may have had the surprising consequence of increasing allergies in rural villages, according to a new study. Surveys show that the prevalence of atopy, a predisposition towards allergic reactions, jumped from seven per cent to 20 per cent in villages in southwest Poland between 2003 and 2012.Scientists believe the rise is linked to changes in farming practices that occurred when Poland adopted the EU Common Agricultural Policy. In 2003, many villagers kept cows or pigs on their land, but after joining the EU it became uneconomical to do so.

When young teens are afraid of gaining weight

Date: Dec-20-2013
Six in ten 13-year-old girls, compared to four in 10 boys the same age, are afraid of gaining weight or getting fat according to new research on eating disorders from the UCL Institute of Child Health (UK) in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK).

At family gatherings this Christmas get to the heart of your medical history

Date: Dec-20-2013
Doctors are encouraging people to take advantage of Christmas gatherings with relatives to discuss family medical histories to help tackle ill-health.The call from clinical academics follows a study which shows that individuals with a family history of premature heart disease - heart attacks or stroke in a first degree relative before the age of 60 years - continue to have a higher risk of dying despite earlier referral to GPs, lifestyle changes and drug treatments.