This Friday, March 17, is World Sleep Day, an annual event that aims to raise awareness of the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. This year’s campaign tagline is “Sleep is essential for health.” According to a study by the American College of Cardiology, up to 8 percent of deaths from any cause could be attributed to “poor sleep patterns”, while those with healthier sleep habits are less likely to die prematurely.
Data from Statista Consumer Insights shows that in the United States, 39 percent of respondents said they had suffered from a sleep disorder (problems falling asleep or staying asleep, insomnia, etc.) in the 12 months prior to the survey. Italians were among the worst sleepers in the survey at 48 percent reporting a sleep disorder, while India registered a higher share of good sleepers, with only 26 percent suffering from poor sleep.
nature video (March 15, 2023) – Lymphocytes are immune cells that play vital roles in fighting infections. The most well-known lymphocytes are the T cells and B cells of the adaptive immune system. In the 1950s and 1960s, scientists performed experiments to follow lymphocytes on their journey around the body, which helped us to work out where they go and what they do.
This work laid the foundation for everything we know about T cells today, including how they become activated to fight infections and how they form memory populations that provide long-lasting immunity.
National Science Foundation (March 13, 2023) – Harnessing the power of AI, researchers calculate our brain’s age leading to earlier detection of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive diseases.
Researchers at USC have developed a new artificial intelligence model that more accurately captures brain age. This study could result in earlier detection of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive diseases and provide important information about how quickly our brains age.
“It’s extremely important we as health care professionals address diabetes, poor sleep and poor sleep hygiene, and obesity as they are modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease,” says Nishant P. Shah, MD, FACC, a preventive cardiologist at Duke Heart Center, Duke University School of Medicine, in Durham, NC.
Obesity, diabetes and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are considered to be extant and growing public health crises. A wealth of information links these conditions to each other and to increased morbidity, reduced quality of life and death. While managing these conditions that often occur together may be challenging for patients and clinicians, successfully addressing them represents a real opportunity to reduce cardiovascular disease and prevent cardiovascular events.
Our new position paper with @worldheartfed summarises the relationship between obesity and cardiovascular disease (#CVD) mortality.
World Obesity Federation (January 2023) – The ongoing obesity epidemic represents a global public health crisis that contributes to poor health outcomes, reduced quality of life, and >2.8 million deaths each year. Obesity is relapsing, progressive, and heterogeneous. It is considered a chronic disease by the World Obesity Federation (WOF) and a chronic condition by the World Heart Federation (WHF).
People living with overweight/obesity are at greater risk for cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Increased adiposity (body fat), particularly visceral/abdominal fat, is linked to CV risk and CV disease (CVD) via multiple direct and indirect pathophysiological mechanisms. The development of CVD is driven, in part, by obesity-related metabolic, endocrinologic, immunologic, structural, humoral, haemodynamic, and functional alterations.
0:15 Global Recession 2023 – Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s Managing Director, says 2023 will be ‘a difficult year for the world’. The European economy has been severely affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Half of the EU will go into recession in 2023, Georgieva says. While for the first time in 40 years, growth in China – the world’s second-largest economy – is not likely to exceed global growth.
2:02 Japan’s worldbeating health system – For more than 50 years, Japan has offered healthcare without restrictions to anyone living in the country for 3 months or more whether or not they are Japanese. Payments are decided on a sliding scale depending on age, residence and income status.
3:26 These pipebots stop water leaks – The tiny bots patrol the inside of pipes. They’re small enough to avoid blocking the pipes and are fitted with sensors, cameras and a microphone. They take pictures and listen to the pipe to detect any faults and weaknesses before these develop into leaks.
4:48 Ukraine uploads their treasures to the cloud – Volunteers use the Backup Ukraine app to scan cultural artifacts – from statues and paintings to buildings, mosaics, and monuments – to preserve the country’s heritage and history from Russian theft, vandalism, and bombing. Backup Ukraine turns these symbols of Ukrainian culture into 3D models, which take their place in a digital archive, safe from Russian attacks.
As of 12 December 2022, UNESCO had verified damage to 227 cultural sites in Ukraine. Russian troops had removed the bones of Prince Potemkin from Kherson, stolen priceless relics of the Scythian Empire, and allegedly stripped thousands of pieces of art from local museums. Backup Ukraine is a collaboration between UNESCO, Blue ShieldDenmark, and the media group Virtue. Watch to learn how Ukrainian culture is being impacted. _____________________________________________
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
The Lancet (January 2023) – For our 200th anniversary year we have identified five Spotlight subjects of particular importance. Watch as Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief, and other Lancet Editors around the world outline these Spotlights and discuss priorities for the future of health.
This year, we draw attention to the most critical issues impacting health globally, the extraordinary people involved in tackling them, and the voices of those most impacted. For five Spotlights, we will run a programme of activities to bring these issues to life and convene the right people and resources in order to drive change in these areas.
Q: What is an elimination diet? Can it be used for weight loss?
A: Alicia Romano, MS, RD, CSNC, a registered dietitian/nutritionist with the Frances Stern Nutrition Center who specializes in gastrointestinal diseases and food allergies, answers: “I’m glad you asked this question! Elimination diets are sometimes used as diagnostic or treatment tools. They are not for weight loss.
Daniela Hernandez | WSJ – Getting the flu can increase the risk of getting a second infection, including strep throat. WSJ’S Daniela Hernandez explains the science behind that, plus what it means for the rest of the winter and how we can protect ourselves so the tripledemic doesn’t get worse.
Video timeline: 0:24 – Flu Damage 1:25 – Lower population immunity 2:03 – Who’s most vulnerable? 3:05 – How can we protect ourselves?
Boomers Daily 