Author: healthadmin

Those who regularly visit museums, theaters, concerts, and movie theaters may be doing more than having fun. New research suggests that these cultural activities are associated with younger physiological age, meaning the body may function more like a younger person. The survey results are Journal of Epidemiology and Community Healththere is growing evidence that staying socially and culturally active may play an important role in healthy aging. Cultural activities and biological aging Everyone ages, but the rate at which the body ages differs from person to person. Physiological age reflects how well a person’s body is functioning and may differ…

When you think of threats to the Great Barrier Reef, coral bleaching due to climate change is likely to be the first thing that comes to mind. However, the world’s largest coral reef system faces many threats. One of the biggest threats is the deterioration of water quality. When sediment is washed into rivers from farms, cities, and bushland, it can be carried many miles offshore. Too much can suffocate coral and seagrass meadows. Fertilizer and pesticide residues can make the situation worse. Unlike the global issue of climate change, water quality is a threat that Australia can directly address.…

Lifelong genetic differences associated with GLP-1 receptor activity indicate potential mental health benefits beyond weight and glycemic control, but clinical evidence remains important. Study: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor activation and mental health: a drug-targeted Mendelian randomized study. Image credit: Bacsica / Shutterstock In a recent “press article” published in the journal translational psychiatryResearchers evaluated the association between genetically predicted glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) activation and mental health outcomes. GLP-1R agonists (GLP-1RA) can effectively lower blood glucose levels and body weight, with beneficial outcomes on cardiovascular disease and mortality in randomized controlled trials. These drugs act on the vagal afferents, hypothalamus, and…

A new report strengthens claims that the United States and other major industrialized countries knew they could face legal obligations to reduce climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions long before they signed the 2015 Paris Agreement to curb global warming. The “What Countries Knew” report released Wednesday by the International Environmental Law Center tracks when climate scientists first presented research outlining the risks posed by emissions from burning fossil fuels to the governments of the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union and Russia. These countries account for about 40% of all emissions since the…

For early humans living nearly 800,000 years ago, access to fire may have influenced where they chose to settle. New research suggests that these ancient communities relied on an abundant and reliable fuel source: driftwood that accumulated naturally along lake shores. Rather than spending time searching for a specific type of wood, they seem to have utilized readily available materials. A steady supply of firewood may have helped maintain fires for cooking and other daily activities. Researchers think this may also explain why people keep returning to the same places over generations. This place offered more than food and water.…

A large study of older adults in the United States shows that metabolic syndrome significantly reduces survival after breast or prostate cancer, highlighting the potential value of integrating metabolic health management into routine cancer care. Research: Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased mortality in breast or prostate cancer patients. Image credit: TarikVision / Shutterstock In a recent “press article” published in the journal scientific reportResearchers evaluated the association between metabolic syndrome and overall, cancer-specific, cardiovascular-specific, and liver failure-specific mortality in older patients with breast and prostate cancer. background Almost one in two adults over the age of 60 is affected…

Every year, around 700,000 children around the world die from vaccine-preventable diseases, almost all of them in low- and middle-income countries. A new study by Santosh Kumar Gautam, an economist at the University of Notre Dame, finds that India’s national childhood immunization program has helped address this persistent global health challenge, resulting in significant reductions in child deaths. This study Journal of Population Economicswe also found that vaccination programs have different long-term effects on educational attainment. Exposure to the program decreased elementary school completion but increased middle school completion, suggesting that improvements in child survival can affect education through multiple…

Almost half of the world’s population has experienced menopause, yet many of its emotional, cognitive, and social effects are never discussed during a medical appointment. New research published today JAMA network open A research team led by UMD professor Yulin Hswen highlights these “silent symptoms” by comparing clinical notes containing symptoms of menopause with top Reddit posts on menopause forums. We found that the more emotional and cognitive symptoms associated with menopause, such as cognitive impairment, were about three to four times more likely to be discussed in online forums than in a doctor’s consultation. These symptoms of menopause are…

Archaeologists have found crystals at numerous sites, including those of the Homo tribe, suggesting that relatives of early humans intentionally collected these rare stones 780,000 years ago. What makes this behavior so interesting is that crystals were not used as tools, weapons, or jewelry. So why were they considered worth preserving? New research published in frontiers of psychology Provide possible answers. Researchers in Spain explored why crystals are so fascinating by studying how chimpanzees, one of our closest living relatives, react to crystals. Their experiments suggest that our fascination with crystals may have deep evolutionary roots that predate modern humans.…

Researchers at King’s College London found an unexpected link between chewing sweet gum after eating nitrate-rich vegetables and a temporary drop in blood pressure. The findings suggest that under certain conditions, sugary chewing gum can help your body better utilize dietary nitrates found in foods such as beets, spinach, and kale. Nitrates accumulate naturally in vegetables from the soil, but they don’t benefit your body until bacteria in your mouth convert them to nitrites. Nitrites help relax and widen blood vessels, improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure. Effect of oral acidity on nitrate conversion Scientists have long known that…