Author: healthadmin
Most people living with severe asthma also struggle with other, less obvious health conditions, a major new study has found. Analyzing data from thousands of patients, researchers found that additional diseases, ranging from obesity to osteoporosis, tend to appear in clusters. They say identifying these patterns could be the key to unlocking more effective treatments for those hardest hit by the condition. The research, published in The Lancet Regional Health, was led by academics from the University of Southampton, Southampton University Hospital and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Southampton Biomedical Research Center (BRC). The experts were collaborating with…
Handwriting is a cognitively challenging task because it requires a combination of fine motor control and complex mental skills such as selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information. Because of the high demand on the brain, it is a potential marker of cognitive decline, especially with age. This often results in slow or choppy handwriting. Now new Frontiers of human neuroscience In this study, a team of Portuguese researchers investigated whether handwriting characteristics, such as speed and stroke composition, differ between older adults who show signs of cognitive decline and those who do not, and whether handwriting characteristics could therefore serve…
A new study reveals partially distinct frequency-specific electroencephalogram (EEG) oscillatory patterns in response to food and alcohol cues, reflecting different motivational processes in the brain. Research: Brain signatures of food and alcohol stimulus processing: A comparative EEG study. Image credit: Master1305 / Shutterstock recent Frontiers of human neuroscience In this study, we investigated whether sustained EEG oscillatory dynamics differentiate neural processing of food and alcohol cues. Processing food and alcohol cues Motivated behavior is defined as behavior that promotes survival by directing an organism toward biologically relevant goals. These behaviors require interaction with the environment and demonstrate neural connections between…
Women with low vitamin D levels may have a more painful recovery after breast cancer surgery and may require significantly more opioid drugs afterwards, according to research published in the online journal Local anesthesia and pain treatment. The results of this study suggest that breast cancer patients with vitamin D deficiency (
Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington, DC Credit: EPA via Flickr The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving ahead with plans to lower the nation’s first health standards for chemical contaminants in the drinking water sources of millions of North Carolinians. The proposal, announced Monday, comes one year after EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency would repeal and reevaluate enforceable standards for four per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including GenX-branded compounds. The agency also wants to push back by two years, from 2029 to 2031, the deadline by which water utilities must comply with mandatory standards for PFOA and…
A new U.S. coastal analysis links elevated ocean microplastic concentrations to increased chronic disease prevalence, raising new questions about how environmental pollution relates to cardiovascular and metabolic health. Study: Association between marine microplastic concentrations and prevalence of stroke and chronic diseases. Image credit: Spice Footage / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal npj cardiovascular healthresearchers investigated ocean microplastic concentrations across coastal regions of the United States (US). Marine microplastics and cardiovascular background Plastic pollution is associated with destruction of ecosystems and human health. Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) are widespread in the environment and have emerged as potential…
A new study from Penn Nursing suggests that certain sedatives used during critical illnesses in early childhood may have long-term effects on children’s neurocognitive development. Dr. Martha A. Q. Curley, RN, FAAN, Professor, Department of Family and Community Health, Ruth M. Colkett Endowed Chair in Pediatric Nursing, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He co-led the study with R. Scott Watson, M.D., of Seattle Children’s Hospital. This study JAMA network openfound that while most children who survived serious illnesses requiring sedation had IQ scores within the normal range, children treated with only a combination of opioids and benzodiazepines had lower subsequent neurocognitive…
Adults should aim to get between 560 and 610 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week to significantly reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke, suggest results from an observational study published online. British Journal of Sports Medicine. This is three to four times the current public health recommendation that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise, such as brisk walking, running, or cycling, per week. Research suggests that people in poor health need to exercise slightly more than those in very good health to achieve the same cardiovascular benefits. Researchers say current one-size-fits-all advice on exercise…
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with moderate to severe pain and increased intake of opioid drugs after breast cancer surgery, a study published online found. Local anesthesia and pain treatment. Breast cancer patients with low vitamin D levels (less than 30 nmol/L) may benefit from taking supplements before undergoing radical mastectomy, researchers suggest. New evidence suggests that vitamin D helps control how pain is perceived and processed by the body. This is probably due to its anti-inflammatory properties and effects on the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency is also commonly reported among breast cancer patients. A team of researchers set…
Severe infections associated with opioid use often progress rapidly, especially when access to timely medical care is limited. This can cause devastating health effects, including life-altering amputations. Clinicians and local researchers have reported an increase in the number of amputations among opioid users, but national data describing long-term trends are limited. The study, led by George Carandinos, MD, PhD, of Massachusetts General Brigham and Daniel Ciccarone, MD, MPH, of the University of California, San Francisco, looked at hospitalized patients in the United States from 2016 to 2022 to better understand how amputation rates have changed over time and across regions.…