HEALTH BUZZ: 2016-02-07

Iron in the blood could cause cell damage, say researchers

Concentrations of iron similar to those delivered through standard treatments can trigger DNA damage within 10 minutes, when given to cells in the laboratory. This is the finding of scientists who suggest that researchers need to look carefully at the amount of iron given in standard treatments, such as tablets and infusions, and the effects this could be having on the body.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1KLFv4v

Common antimalarial drug could be used to treat major injury

A common anti-malarial drug Artesunate could be used to reduce organ failure following injury, according to an early study in rats. The repurposing of the affordable and safe drug could help save the lives of major trauma patients, and the promising results have already led to human clinical trials being planned for this year.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1Vaq7iJ

Younger T cells may improve immunotherapy for children's cancer

Pediatric oncologists have investigated techniques to improve and broaden a novel personalized cell therapy to treat children with cancer. The researchers say a patient's outcome may be improved if clinicians select specific subtypes of T cells to attack diseases like acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1QcTzqe

Real-time Ebola fusion system yields clues to stopping infection

The first real-time system has been developed to watch directly through the microscope as Ebola-like virus particles fuse with human cells to infect them. Their findings reveal key host cell and viral proteins that direct fusion and Ebola infection. Such knowledge is crucial for designing future drugs or vaccines to prevent this deadly disease.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1QcTB1c

Illness continues to be major effect linked to Gulf War military service, new report finds

Although more than $500 million in federally funded research on Persian Gulf War veterans between 1994 and 2014 has produced many findings, there has been little substantial progress in the overall understanding of the health effects, particularly Gulf War illness, resulting from military service in the war, says a new report.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1QcTAKW

Doctors' reminders help keep people more engaged in their health care

Follow up emails from a primary care doctor can be a critical way to keep patients involved in their own health care, an new study examining the program called OpenNotes has found.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1PSoXID

Remote telemonitoring does not reduce hospital readmissions for heart failure patients

Combined health coaching and remote monitoring did not reduce all-cause 180-day hospital readmissions among heart failure patients, and did not have significant effects on 30-day hospital readmissions, 30-day mortality, or 180-day mortality, reports a new article. But patients reported significantly improved quality of life.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1QcTz9G

New treatment option for the acute phase of the rare disease TTP

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) is a rare disorder caused by an enzyme deficiency. This can be heriditary or can be acquired as an autoimmune condition. Due to the associated excessive activity of a certain protein, blood clots enriched with blood platelets form and block the smallest blood vessels. The disorder is life-threatening and very difficult to treat, particularly in the acute phase. Researchers have developed a treatment strategy to prevent this clotting in the blood vessels.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1QcTAKO

New milestone for device that can 'smell' prostate cancer

An important milestone has been reached towards creating a urine diagnostic test for prostate cancer that could mean that invasive diagnostic procedures that men currently undergo eventually become a thing of the past.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1PSoXIx

Scrubbing bubbles rescue oxygen-starved hearts

Researchers used ultrasound-activated microbubbles to improve preservation of heart muscle and function in a pig heart attack model. The method is now in phase I human clinical trials. The promising treatment could be administered to heart attack patients arriving at the emergency room (or even while in the ambulance), and could preserve heart muscle before patients receive invasive interventions to open blocked arteries.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/21081mZ

Precise visualization of myocardial injury

In a world-first, researchers have performed cardiac MRI imaging using a 7T MRI scanner in a patient-based study. 7T MRI imaging is a powerful new technology that allows high resolution images of the beating heart, and has the capability to provide valuable information of the myocardial (heart muscle) tissue structures.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1Vaq6LH

Blocking stress protein relieves chronic pain in mice

A group of drugs being developed to treat mood disorders could also relieve chronic pain, finds new research. The study reveals how a protein that shapes the body's response to stress also drives chronic pain and so offers new targets for future pain treatments.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1TXQbPO

Global scientific community commits to sharing data on Zika

Leading global health bodies including academic journals, NGOs, research funders and institutes, have committed to sharing data and results relevant to the current Zika crisis and future public health emergencies as rapidly and openly as possible.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1QcTAur

Research uncovers more inherited genetic mutations linked to ovarian cancer

Previous research has established a link between genetic mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes to an increased risk of developing ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer in women. A recent publication documents the efforts of a team of researchers to determine if inherited genetic mutations other than BRCA1 and BRCA2 can also put a woman at risk of developing these diseases.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1QcTyTg

Computerized rehab aids those suffering from brain injuries

Computerized cognitive rehabilitation (a program to help brain-injured or otherwise cognitively impaired individuals to restore normal functioning) can improve attention and executive functioning in brain injury survivors including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke, researchers have demonstrated for the first time.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1R0B9pI

Prostate cancer survivors' risk of heart disease studied

A cardio-oncology program is focusing on modulating the risk factors for cardiovascular disease in men, especially those receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to treat their prostate cancer.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/21083LQ

Alcohol also damages the liver by allowing bacteria to infiltrate

Alcohol itself can directly damage liver cells. Now researchers report evidence that alcohol is also harmful to the liver for a second reason -- it allows gut bacteria to migrate to the liver, promoting alcohol-induced liver disease. The study was conducted in mice and in laboratory samples.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/21083LM

Stakeholder involvement in clinical trial design leads to greater recruitment, retention

By seeking the advice of patients, families and other stakeholders in designing a clinical trial investigating pediatric appendicitis, researchers found a way to significantly increase the number of people recruited and retained in the trial.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/210816F

Study finds high rate of elective surgery for uncomplicated diverticulitis after few episodes

Patterns of episodes of diverticulitis before surgery, and factors associated with earlier interventions using inpatient, outpatient, and antibiotic prescription claims, have all been examined by a group of researchers.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/21083LE

Gastric bypass surgery at ages older than 35 years associated with improved survival

Researchers examined whether gastric bypass surgery is equally effective in reducing mortality in groups undergoing surgery at different ages. Bariatric surgery is effective in reducing all-cause and cause-specific long-term mortality. Whether the long-term mortality benefit of surgery applies to all ages at which surgery is performed is not known.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/21083vm

Study examines euthanasia, assisted suicide of patients with psychiatric disorders

A review of euthanasia or assisted suicide cases among patients with psychiatric disorders in the Netherlands found that most had chronic, severe conditions, with histories of attempted suicides and hospitalizations, and were described as socially isolated or lonely.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/210816z

The new health 'desert'? Reliable weight loss programs hard to find

People with medically serious weight problems can rarely find or have access to proven, reliable programs to help them shed pounds, new research concludes.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1QcTyCO

Improving quality of life for the seriously ill

Being diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening illness is distressing enough but a dearth of cohesive services often compounds the difficulty, according to a researcher.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1QcTyCM

Higher nurse to patient ratio linked to reduced risk of inpatient death

A higher nurse to patient ratio is linked to a reduced risk of inpatient death, finds a study of staffing levels in NHS hospitals. In trusts where registered (professionally trained) nurses had six or fewer patients to care for, the death rate was 20 per cent lower than in those where they had more than 10, say the investigators.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1QcTyCJ

Fall in one-to-one nursing care of very sick newborns linked to higher death rate

New research indicates that a fall in one to one nursing care of very sick and premature newborns is linked to a higher death rate in neonatal intensive care.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1QcTxyw

A 'nudge reduces doctors' unnecessary antibiotic prescription, study finds

Behavioral interventions could help doctors slow the rise of treatment-resistant infections in hospitals and clinics, reduce adverse drug events in patients, and lower health care costs, a research team reports.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1QcTxie

Do These 3 Things If You Want to Change Someone's Mind

Ah, the art of persuasion—a superpower for us mortals. It’s how your parents got you to eat your veggies and clean your room, even though you probably wanted to eat chicken nuggets and live in a pigsty.

Everyone has their own style when it comes to swaying others. Some get aggressive, while others kill us with kindness. And now science has figured out the most effective way to change someone’s mind. The researchers followed ChangeMyView (a forum on Reddit where users post opinions and see if any replies makes them change their mind) for two years to determine which techniques worked best. It’s not the perfect sample—this study took place entirely online, and the users knew others were going to try to persuade them. But there are still three big-picture strategies to employ when trying to win your next argument.

1. Determine if they’ve got their mind made up.

Some people are easy to sway, and others are downright stubborn. Before you come with guns blazing (which isn’t a good tactic anyway, as you’ll see below), take a moment to get a read on how open the person is to other ideas. Researchers found people who use “I” statements are more malleable than those who opt for the universal “we.”

2. Use calm language.

We know what speaking calmly sounds like, but calm language is a little different. It’s all about avoiding words that excite us and make us feel riled up or upset, like "threat" or "loser." Duller language can lull people over to your side.

3. Offer specific examples.

As humans, we struggle to grasp the abstract. (It’s easier to persuade someone to clean their room than it is to convince them to become a neat freak.) Getting specific can be as simple as changing “a” to “the,” so not “a point I’m making” but “the point I’m making.”

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/1V9ZXg5

Long-term cancer surviors still need guidance about screening, side effects, lifestyle

Researchers have published an article that addresses the needs of cancer survivors who are at least nine years beyond an initial diagnosis. The Q &A article discusses how to better care for long-term survivors.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1TXzPqr

Unraveling a Personal Health Insurance Policy

To avoid being unable to pay your medical bills or failing to access medical services that you deserve, you need to get medical insurance. If you aren't covered by your parent, employer or your spouse's employer medical plan, you need to get private health insurance.

from Health and Fitness:Healthcare Systems Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/1WicNcf

Doctors' reminders help keep people more engaged in their health care

5 Easy Waist Training Tips For Great Results

Losing weight requires a lot of struggle on your part. You have to do a lot of things, such as reducing your calorie intake, taking exercise on a regular basis and, of course, using various other methods of waist training. But what is waist training actually? Waist training, as the name suggests, is the activities you do to get a slimmer midsection. The activities include the exercises you do with the device you use to do waist training. Given below are 5 waist training tips to help you with your goals.

from Health and Fitness:Weight Loss Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/1obceql

New First-Aid Courses Tackle Mental Health Emergencies

You know what to do if your roommate cuts her finger cooking dinner, but what if she has a panic attack? The truth is, many of us aren't equipped to deal with mental health crises, even if we'd like to offer help. But the organization Mental Health First Aid is hoping to change that.

It's put together an all-day course to teach everyone about common mental health problems. It's full of actionable takeaways, so you'll know when someone is struggling and how to help them. Even more important, the class is designed to help you be more comfortable in these often tense situations and lessen the "crazy-person" stigma surrounding mental illness. Students learn to help people using the action plan ALGEE, which stands for:

Assess for risk of suicide or harm
Listen non-judgmentally
Give reassurance and information
Encourage appropriate professional help
Encourage self-help and other support strategies

These steps aren't perfect for every incident involving mental illness, and they don't make you qualified to diagnose someone, but you can at least use them to guide others in the right direction. And with nearly one in five Americans struggling with mental illness, these moments happen more than you think.

Mental Health First Aid offers classes throughout the country. Click below to find one in your area.

I Want to Sign Up!

(h/t The Atlantic)

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/1Xol13G

Couples Get Engaged Way Later Than You Think

When you log onto Facebook in your mid-20s, right above those quickie recipe videos and angsty status updates is an announcement, a major announcement: Another one of your friends got engaged. And of course the social network thought this deserved top billing on your Newsfeed.

Then the panic strikes, especially if you’re in a long(ish) relationship. Are things moving too slow? Is two years the time when you should start talking rings and whether you prefer a DJ or a band? First, we’d say your friends shouldn’t be adding pressure to your love life. It’s moving along at just the right pace. But if stats help you sleep at night, a new survey found that couples spend an average of 3.3 years dating before getting engaged. When you break it down by region, couples in the Northeast date the longest (3.9 years), while those in the South have the shortest courting period (2.9 years). And the small survey of 1,000 recently married people found that a quarter of all couples date for five years before getting hitched.

No Need to Worry If Things Are Moving Too Slow.

Photo: Weddington Way

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/1XokY88

Iron in the blood could cause cell damage, say researchers

Common antimalarial drug could be used to treat major injury

Younger T cells may improve immunotherapy for children's cancer

Blocking stress protein relieves chronic pain in mice

Global scientific community commits to sharing data on Zika

Fall in one-to-one nursing care of very sick newborns linked to higher death rate

A 'nudge reduces doctors' unnecessary antibiotic prescription, study finds

Love the Weight Off Your Body

Let's face it, we want to lose weight because we want to be desirable. Or, we want to be "desired" by potential partners, male or female. Exactly how you define desirable depends on many things.

from Health and Fitness:Weight Loss Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/1QwECtp

13 Bomb-Ass Healthy Brownie Recipes

Expert opinion on how to address the skyrocketing prices of cancer drugs

Many patients with cancer find themselves in great financial distress, in part because the costs of cancer-fighting drugs are skyrocketing. Is it possible to create public policy that will rein in these prices and cut patients' out-of-pocket costs? Not without significant tradeoffs, that could reduce patients' access to some cancer medications, says a physician, cancer researcher and health economist.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1TWXhnt

What are my hiccups telling me?

Most of us can remember the Grey's Anatomy episode where Meredith's step-mom checks into the hospital for a case of hiccups that won't go away. The diagnosis wasn't pretty and it may have caused viewers to panic about their health every time they hiccupped.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1o6LSFm

Want to be a doctor, but have a disability? Many medical schools look unwelcoming

They may dream of becoming doctors, and helping people like themselves. But for young people with disabilities, that dream may die when they check the admissions standards of most medical schools, according to a new study.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/20sL9KX

What’s the Best Cooking Oil?

Understanding Chills And Getting The Right Treatment

Chills are usually associated with fever. The word itself refers to a feeling of being cold and shivering. This is caused due to a rapid process of contracting and relaxing of the muscles in the body. When the body detects that a fever may be setting in, it contracts and relaxes the muscles rapidly in order to bring up the body heat and fight the fever.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/1O6BQJq

Top 5 Ways To Lose Weight Safely And For Good

Anyone can lose weight by going on an unhealthy crash diet. But these diets are not sustainable and you'll usually put the weight back on when you come off the diet. Here are 5 ways to lose weight safely and for good.

from Health and Fitness:Weight Loss Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/1Tg6pnK

How Masturbation Affects Your Sex Drive

It may still be the punchline of many a joke, but self-pleasure has come a long way since American Pie's apple pie incident. While the stigma around self-love is slowly shrinking, we have to ask: Is it possible it's affecting our ability to get it on IRL?

The Effects of Masturbation on Your Sex Drive

Masturbation actually helps keep your sexual pilot light on, says Megan Fleming, Ph.D., a sex and relationship therapist. If you get in the habit of bringing yourself to orgasm and experiencing that onslaught of dopamine, oxytocin, and stress relief, you won't start with a cold engine when you want to get revved up with a partner. Getting excited to get it on may not be a problem for some, but if you tend to have a low libido, solo sessions can help you know exactly what turns you on, Fleming says.

And while no one's going to touch you exactly like you do, having a super-great time with yourself won't necessarily diminish a bout with someone else, says Megan Stubbs, a sexologist and sex educator. Instead look at masturabation like an opportunity to communicate with your partner—touch yourself in front of them, walk them through what you're doing, and they'll pick up tips.

Whether or not you want to make masturbation a teachable moment, there's no reason to worry about self-love ruining your libido for partner play. After all, there's no hard-and-fast rule for how much libido you should have, says Ian Kerner, Ph.D., LMFT, a licensed therapist and sexuality counselor. And the refractory period (the time it takes a man to get aroused again after orgasm) can range from a few minutes to a few days, depending on a guy's overall health, diet, exercise, and stress level.

For women, a less-amped libido often results from lower testosterone levels, not too much self-love, Fleming says. Plus, women don't have the built-in recovery period between orgasms like men. Still, if you're worried that pleasing yourself is going to make you less excited for later, try arousing yourself without finishing the job to "store the sexual energy" and set yourself up for success with your partner, Kerner suggests.

If you and your partner aren't on the same page sexually, Fleming says masturbation can help level the playing field. The person who wants sex more often can go it alone and fantasize about what they want to experience later, a technique Fleming calls "pattern interrupt"—a break from the typical, scripted sex couples can fall into.

The Takeaway

It's all good (really good): Masturbation gives the libido a helping hand, keeping us revved up and in tune with our bodies. Outside of certain conditions and hormone imbalances, there's no way to "tap out" of desire—so feel free to keep going at it with the person who knows best.

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/1KK53is

15-Minute Bodyweight Boot Camp Workout

By now you should know that you don't need equipment to get a great workout. There are seemingly endless possibilities when it comes to bodyweight moves, and this workout proves it.

In just 15 minutes, you'll work up a sweat, build strength, and spike your heart rate, thanks to variations on mountain climbers, push-ups, and some plyometrics. Take a few minutes to warm up before starting this workout, and hit play below when you're ready.

To recap, here's the workout you'll be doing. Perform each exercise below in order for 10 reps.

Side-to-Side Bunny Hop to Mountain Climber
Plank Run to Plank Jack
Standing Long Jump to High Knees
Spiderman Run
Donkey Kick
Mountain Knee to Elbow and Diagonal
Lateral Launch
Alternating Lunge Tuck Jump
Push-Up Clap
Sit-Up Toe Touch to V-Sit
Mountain Climber Progression
Boxing Punch and Kick
Diagonal Mountain Climber
Assisted Alternating Pistol Jump
Squat Tuck Jump

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/20PDls5

7 Oatmeal Bakes for the Perfect Make-Ahead Breakfast

Being a Little Delusional About Your Sig O Can Be a Good Thing

When you spend enough time dating someone, they're bound to get on your nerves—whether you can't stand the way they chew food or you're upset they forgot to take out the trash again. But a recent study suggests there are benefits to seeing your significant other through rose-colored glasses. As this video from The Science of Us explains, people who describe their partner in the same way they would their dream guy or gal (even if the description isn't totally true) tend to be the happiest. By fooling ourselves with positive thinking, we may encourage our partners to live up to our higher expectations.

So if you say your partner is super thoughtful, despite the fact that they occasionally forget about weekend plans, you could be helping your relationship—even if you're lying to yourself a little. (Or maybe the researchers came to this conclusion because people just didn't want to trash talk their partners.)

The researchers make an important caveat in their findings: You shouldn't use this technique if you're in an abusive or toxic relationship, but couples in healthy relationships can benefit from giving each other a little more credit than they deserve.

from Greatist RSS http://ift.tt/1TbtlTZ

Real-time Ebola fusion system yields clues to stopping infection

Illness continues to be major effect linked to Gulf War military service, new report finds

Computerized rehab aids those suffering from brain injuries

Beautiful Skin Care Begins With What You Eat And Not What You Put On It

Is it not true, we all desire beautiful, soft, and radiant skin?. But how are we able to obtain it? With all sorts of lotions and potions? Sure, they assist, but beautiful skin begins with healthy skin, which begins on the inside.

from Health and Fitness:Beauty Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/1PpniZz

Tips For Glowing Skin By Beauty Professionals

Keeping your skin looking fresh and glowing can be a challenge especially as you grow older and become busier with your career and family. Living in countries with year round sunshine also makes it harder to combat skin problems such as the appearance of wrinkles, discoloration, changes in texture and the development of sun spots. If you want to keep your skin vibrant and achieve that year long glow that indicates healthy skin, the following are a few tips from beauty professionals to help you develop an effective skin care program:

from Health and Fitness:Beauty Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/1V6S9f1

Stakeholder involvement in clinical trial design leads to greater recruitment, retention

Study finds high rate of elective surgery for uncomplicated diverticulitis after few episodes

Gastric bypass surgery at ages older than 35 years associated with improved survival

Study examines euthanasia, assisted suicide of patients with psychiatric disorders

Effectiveness of behavioral interventions to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing

Among primary care practices, the use of two socially motivated behavioral interventions -- accountable justification and peer comparison -- resulted in significant reductions in inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections, while an intervention that lacked a social component, suggested alternatives, had no significant effect, according to a study.

from Today's Healthcare News -- ScienceDaily http://ift.tt/1PFIA2T