Strength training still advisable in older age *** Medical marijuana liquid extract may bring hope for children with severe epilepsy *** Civic engagement may stave off brain atrophy, improve memory *** E-cigarette use is not risk-free *** Eight nutrients to protect the aging brain *** The difference between ‘Use-By’ ‘Sell-By’ and ‘Best-By’ dates *** Facebook users’ wishful thinking: Cyberbullying, depression won’t happen to me *** Housework keeps older adults more physically, emotionally fit, researcher finds *** Difficult to break the soda habit? Sugar-sweetened beverages suppress body’s stress response *** Synthetic drugs: evidence that they can cause cancer *** Cannabis consumers show greater susceptibility to false memories *** Technology could let women skip annual mammograms
Pesticides in fruit and vegetables linked to semen quality
The first study to investigate the relationship between eating fruit and vegetables containing pesticide residues and the quality of men’s semen has shown a link with lower sperm counts and percentages of normally-formed sperm.
Strength training still advisable in older age
Many over-65-year-olds are frail, or in a preliminary stage of frailty. A new study aims to raise fitness levels and quality of life for older people whose nutritional condition is inadequate. The first results show that regular strength training is particularly beneficial for increasing hand strength, and thus enabling people to live independently, says a researcher.
Medical marijuana liquid extract may bring hope for children with severe epilepsy
A medicinal liquid form of marijuana may show promise as a treatment for children with severe epilepsy that is not responding to other treatments, according to a new study.
Civic engagement may stave off brain atrophy, improve memory
Instead of shrinking as expected, as part of the normal aging process, the memory center in the brains of seniors maintained their size and, in men, grew modestly after two years in a program that engaged them in meaningful and social activities, new research suggests.
E-cigarette use is not risk-free
E-cigarettes are not without health risks for people who vape or for bystanders, researchers report. The report has only considered e-cigarettes with nicotine since there has been very little research about e-cigarettes without nicotine, they note.
Eight nutrients to protect the aging brain
Brain health is the second most important component in maintaining a healthy lifestyle according to a 2014 AARP study. As people age they can experience a range of cognitive issues from decreased critical thinking to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers write about eight nutrients that may help keep your brain in good shape.
The difference between ‘Use-By’ ‘Sell-By’ and ‘Best-By’ dates
Confusion over date labeling leads to billions of pounds of food waste every year. An expert explains the difference between “use-by,” “sell-by,” and “best-by” dates.
Active aging on the up in EU, despite economic crisis and austerity
A healthy and active old age is a reality for many Europeans and is a genuine possibility for many more, despite the 2008 economic crash and years of austerity measures, according to a new report.
Facebook users’ wishful thinking: Cyberbullying, depression won’t happen to me
Facebook users with so-called optimistic bias think they’re less likely than other users to experience cyberbullying, depression and other negative social and psychological effects from using the site, a study finds. The study suggests that optimistic bias, or an intrinsic tendency to imagine future events in a favorable light that enhances positive self-regard — in other words, wishful thinking — leaves those Facebook users vulnerable to the negative realities of social media.
Housework keeps older adults more physically, emotionally fit, researcher finds
Older adults who keep a clean and orderly home — because of the exercise it takes to get the job done — tend to feel emotionally and physically better after tackling house chores, according to new findings.
Difficult to break the soda habit? Sugar-sweetened beverages suppress body’s stress response
Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages can suppress the hormone cortisol and stress responses in the brain, but diet beverages sweetened with aspartame do not have the same effect, according to a new study.
Synthetic drugs: evidence that they can cause cancer
Almost weekly, a new synthetic psychoactive drug comes onto the market that can be ordered legally and easily, for example as an incense blend, via the Internet. Synthetic cannabinoids are difficult to identify chemically and the possible unwanted toxic effects that can occur following their consumption have so far barely been investigated. As part of the international EU project “SPICE II Plus”, researchers have now also found evidence that synthetic substances damage the DNA of human cells and can therefore possibly have cancer-causing effects.
Cannabis consumers show greater susceptibility to false memories
Consumers of cannabis are more prone to experiencing false memories. One of the known consequences of consuming this drug is the memory problems it can cause. Chronic consumers show more difficulties than the general population in retaining new information and recovering memories. The new study also reveals that the chronic use of cannabis causes distortions in memory, making it easier for imaginary or false memories to appear.
Technology could let women skip annual mammograms
Developing technology is on track to predict if and when breast cancer will appear. “We’re creating a breast cancer risk analysis system,” said an electrical engineer on the study. “It will be able to inform doctors about the patient’s risk of developing cancer within a few years.”
Babies feel pain ‘like adults’: Most babies not given pain meds for surgery
The brains of babies ‘light up’ in a very similar way to adults when exposed to the same painful stimulus, a pioneering brain scanning study has discovered. It suggests that babies experience pain much like adults. As recently as the 1980s it was common practice for babies to be given neuromuscular blocks but no pain relief medication during surgery. In 2014 a review of neonatal pain management practice in intensive care highlighted that although such infants experience an average of 11 painful procedures per day 60% of babies do not receive any kind of pain medication.
Coffee protects against breast cancer recurrence, detailed findings confirm
Coffee helps to protect against breast cancer, a number of research studies have shown. A new study is added to that research, confirming that coffee inhibits the growth of tumors and reduces the risk of recurrence in women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and treated with the drug tamoxifen.
Proposed breast cancer screening guidelines would increase deaths, experts say
The breast cancer screening guidelines proposed yesterday by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) would result in thousands of additional and unnecessary breast cancer deaths each year, according to radiologists at Loyola University Health System (LUHS).
Caloric restriction: A fountain of youth for aging muscles?
Caloric restriction has been studied as a way to increase longevity in animals. Now, researcher explore how it may positively affect muscle and find that aging muscles receive the most benefit. Calorie restriction is thought to have a protective effect on muscle cells and may help cells better use antioxidants, avoid damage caused by free radicals and function better.
Nursing Homes Are Starting to Supplant Hospitals as Focus of Basic Health Care
Hospitals often serve as breeding grounds for problems and preventable harms common to senior citizens, such as patient falls and hospital-acquired infections, as well as the risk of unfamiliar surroundings exacerbating issues such as delirium or dementia, the article said. Consequently, “the push is to reduce unnecessary hospitalization for things that can be handled in skilled nursing facilities,” David Siskind, the medical director at the Gurwin Jewish Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Commack, New York, told the Times.
Your adolescent brain on alcohol: Changes last into adulthood
Repeated alcohol exposure during adolescence results in long-lasting changes in the region of the brain that controls learning and memory, according to a research team that used a rodent model as a surrogate for humans.
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