Health

Researchers including an Indian-origin scientist has suggested that people having high amounts of abdominal fat in their middle age are 3.6 times more likely to develop memory loss and dementia later in their life.

Neurological scientists at the Rush University Medical Center in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health have discovered that same protein that controls fat metabolism in the liver resides in the memory center of the brain (hippocampus) and controls memory and learning.

A new research found that the Transcendental Meditation technique (TM) has a large effect on reducing trait anxiety for people with high anxiety.

Trait anxiety is a measure of how anxious a person usually is, as opposed to state anxiety, which refers to how anxious we are at the moment. A meta-analysis is an objective means to draw conclusions from all the research in a field.

This meta-analysis covered 16 randomized-controlled trials, the gold standard in medical research, and included 1295 subjects from various walks of life, age groups, and life situations.

High levels of good cholesterol – also known as high-density lipoprotein (HDL) appears to carry cholesterol away from blood vessels to the liver, and from there the liver processes it for removal from the body.

Because exercise has the potential to protect against heart disease in a variety of ways, Christian K. Roberts and his colleagues at UCLA tested whether HDL in men who weight trained regularly behaved in a healthier way than HDL in sedentary men.

A new study has revealed that women with eating disorders are less likely to have children than others in their age group and are more likely to suffer from reproductive health problems.

The discrepancy is the most apparent in anorexia sufferers and in this group, the number of pregnancies was less than half of that of the control group.

The Finnish study found that the likelihood of abortion was more than double for bulimics than for others in the same age group. Meanwhile, the likelihood for miscarriage was more than triple for binge-eating disorder (BED) sufferers.

Researchers at the Mauritius University suggest that green tea and fermented pawpaw are preventive means for diabetes.

Prof. Theeshan Bahorun, at the Center of Excellence for Biomedical and Biomaterials Research at the Mauritius University, said that the Mauritius green tea prevents an increase of sugar levels in blood while the fermented pawpaw helps to positively reduce the level of the reactive protein C and the uric acid, China Daily reported.

A new study has disproved theories that viruses cause breast cancer and the brain tumour, glioblastoma.

The study, which was based on over seven billion DNA sequences found no genetic traces of viruses in these forms of cancer.

It has been scientifically proven that about 15 per cent of all cancer cases are the result of viral infection, but many researchers believe that even more cancers could be caused by viruses.

The hazards of smoking are well known. But what is not so well known is that smoking can also be a reason for vision loss in people at or above the age of 50 years due to what is called Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

AMD is an eye condition that leads to the deterioration of the centre of the retina, called the macula. It has emerged as the leading cause of vision loss in people.

A new research by an Indian origin scientist has claimed that sleeping for six to eight hours a night could help cut the risk of heart problems and stroke.

Author Dr Saurabh Aggarwal, of Chicago Medical School has found that people who sleep less than six hours a night were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, compared to those who sleep between six and eight hours, News.com.au reported.

People who take less sleep also had a two-thirds higher risk of congestive heart failure.

You might think that you know how to make a cup of tea, but the truth is you were wrong all this while.

Stick the bag in a cup or the tea in a pot and pour over boiling water is not the way, according to News.com.au.

Making tea is not like some fast fling in the back of a car. That’s what coffee is for.

Tea is a slow, meaningful seduction – at least that’s the thinking of 10th generation tea man Stephen Twining.

A new technique has been developed for breast cancer treatment and prevention— an injection of therapeutics via the nipple.

The procedure, demonstrated on mice, offers direct access to the most common origin of breast cancer, the milk ducts, and could be used to offer cancer therapy that spares healthy regions of the body.

New data suggests that 15 to 33 percent of fatal car accidents are caused by drowsy drivers, but very little research has addressed what factors play a role in operating a vehicle in this impaired state.

A new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has revealed that short sleepers, those who sleep less than six hours per night on average, are the most likely to experience drowsy driving, even when they feel completely rested.

Adults suffering from respiratory failure, cardiogenic shock or septic shock may develop delirium while they are being treated in the hospital, according to a study.

Patients treated in intensive care units across the globe are entering their medical care with no evidence of cognitive impairment but oftentimes leaving with deficits similar to those seen in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) that persists for at least a year.

A diet high in a certain type of fat may actually boost metabolism and help you shed flab, according to new research.

After studying genetically modified mice, the discovery by Texas Tech University nutrition scientists could lead to supplements and a diet regime that will increase metabolism and decrease muscle fatigue in humans.

Researcher Chad Paton and colleagues were curious why skeletal muscles of obese people contained a certain type of enzyme that breaks down saturated fats.

Get a sparkling smile by following simple daily habits like brushing your teeth regularly, cutting down on sugar intake between meals and limiting your alcohol intake and smoking.

Amit Rai, an award winning General Dental Practitioner based here, shares some basic tips that can help you achieve a healthy and clean set of teeth, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

A new analysis has found that doctors prescribe antibiotics to a vast majority of people who see them for sore throats or acute bronchitis, despite the fact that only a small percentage of them should be given the drugs.

Workaholics tend to skip breakfast or indulge in fast food to save time. But the habit is unhealthy, says a nutritionist adding that consuming fatty and oily food is not an ideal way to start the day.

Ambica Sharma, nutritionist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad, shares a list of food items that should be avoided:

– Paranthas dripping with oil or ghee are a big no. Even if you wish to eat them, avoid using excess oil and ghee and have them with curd.

Scientists have zeroed-in on new treatments for people with allergies to grasses and to dust mites, says a study.

The treatments are from a new class of therapy, known as ‘synthetic peptide immuno-regulatory epitopes’, or SPIREs.

There are two treatments, one for grass allergy, which is commonly known as hay fever, and the other for dust mite allergy.

These are expected to help people who, as a reaction to grass pollen or the tiny bugs that live in house dust, have sneezing bouts, itching eyes and a running nose, impacting their productivity at school or work.

A new study by an Indian origin researcher has revealed that women can cut their chances of developing breast cancer by walking for an hour each day.

The American Cancer Society, which commissioned the study, involved 73,615 postmenopausal women, of whom 4,760 were diagnosed with breast cancer during a 17-year follow-up, the Scotsman reported.

It was found that this moderate activity was linked with a 14 per cent lower risk of the disease compared to women who were least active.

A new research has suggested that ‘pattern separation’ – a process that helps young viewers learn to differentiate things that are similar fades in adults in proportion to the severity of their depression.

The more depressed someone feels, the harder it is for them to distinguish similar experiences they’ve had.

Depression has been generally linked to poor memory for a long time. To find out why, Brock Kirwan, a psychology and neuroscience professor at Brigham Young University and his former grad student D.J. Shelton put people through a computer-aided memory test.

A component of grapefruit and other citrus fruits like naringenin, blocks the formation of kidney cysts, a new study has revealed.

The team of scientists from Royal Holloway University, St George’s, University of London and Kingston University London used a simple, single-celled amoeba to identify that naringenin regulates the PKD2 protein responsible for polycystic kidney disease and as a result, blocks formation of cysts.

Union Minister of Road, Transport and Highways, Oscar Fernandes today exhorted the youths to be a part of the crusade against HIV/AIDS plaguing the country.

“Be a volunteer to spread awareness on HIV and AIDS… If you be a part of the crusade then half of the battle could be won,” Fernandes said while addressing the advocacy rally on HIV/AIDS under the multi-media campaign here this evening.

A new study has found that mice made obese by high-calorie, high-fat diets develop abnormally high numbers of lesions known to be precursors to pancreas cancer.

This is the first study to show a direct causative link in an animal model between obesity and risk of this deadly cancer.

A new study has suggested that people suffering from depression may be thrice at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease than others.

Study author Albert C. Yang, MD, PhD, with Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, said that their study suggests that depression may also be an independent risk factor for Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers analyzed the medical records of 4,634 people with depression and 18,544 free of depression over 10 years.

Researchers have for the first time been able to measure the internal pressure that enables the herpes virus to infect cells in the human body.

The discovery has now paved the way for the development of new medicines to combat viral infections.

A virus comprises a thin shell of protein, within which are its genes. A long-standing theory has been that a virus has high internal pressure because it is so tightly packed with genetic material.

The pressure means that they can infect a cell by ejecting the genes at high force and speed.

A new study has suggested that people suffering from depression may be thrice at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease than others.

Study author Albert C. Yang, MD, PhD, with Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, said that their study suggests that depression may also be an independent risk factor for Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers analyzed the medical records of 4,634 people with depression and 18,544 free of depression over 10 years.