Tag Archives: Health

Health Studies: Reducing Skin Inflammation With “Topical Emollient” Cream Reduces Chronic Disease

From a Wall Street Journal online article:

nci-vol-4604-150…a new small study in humans suggests that using a barrier-forming cream, such as those with an ingredient called ceramide, to treat and prevent problems associated with aging skin—such as dryness, itching and cracking—may help reduce the low-grade inflammation that occurs in otherwise healthy people as they age. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco and the San Francisco Veterans Hospital say reducing age-related inflammation could help slow the progression of age-related disorders associated with chronic inflammation, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and loss of muscle mass.

Systemic disease usually stems from multiple sources, so skin protection alone is unlikely to be a panacea, experts say. But the hope is that it can help slow the onset or progression of chronic conditions that often crop up in patients with skin disorders such as psoriasis. And the UCSF study, which was published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology in March, provides the first hint in humans that protecting the skin with a barrier cream might benefit otherwise healthy adults whose skin invariably starts to lose its barrier function around middle age.

To read PDF of study, click below:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jdv.15540?referrer_access_token=lXsArqMcf5AHrI-R4oiwg4ta6bR2k8jH0KrdpFOxC67kdqa5-Q_Q8ltT6uQSa3kUEZMm6mEN7_8mvDywkPe9AOCn7aCLNi_CV3iAMck0BQxAu1SyLpdlTkFwF7hXxUCR6TazFFGPRwZ_EfW2P-26dA%3D%3D

To read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/skin-protection-may-offer-surprising-benefits-for-overall-health-11568599320

Health Of The Elderly: Hearing Loss Is Resulting In Severe Loneliness, Depression And Demetia

From an NPR online article:

Untreated hearing loss increases the risks of social isolation, dementia and depression, research finds. NPR - Leren Lu Getty ImagesThere may be no easy fix for the loneliness epidemic plaguing the nation, but helping people cope with hearing loss could be one key to tackling this complex problem. Hearing loss affects 1 of every 5 people and is strongly linked to loneliness: Every decibel drop in perception in people under 70 increases the odds of becoming severely lonely by 7%, one Dutch study showed.

As hearing declines, loneliness can intensify — and set off a cascade of detrimental health effects. Now considered as hazardous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, loneliness vastly raises the risks of depression, dementia and early death.

Yet the vast majority of people who suffer from hearing loss don’t know they have a problem — or don’t want to know. The changes happen gradually, and often earlier than expected.

To read more: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/09/12/760231279/untreated-hearing-loss-linked-to-loneliness-and-isolation-for-seniors?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20190915&utm_campaign=health&utm_id=46633831&orgid=

Nutrional Health Studies: Mediterranean Diet Improves Cognitive Function In Older People

From a Nutritional Neuroscience online release:

Nutritional NeuroscienceOur findings suggest that higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with better cognitive performance, and therefore less cognitive decline, in older but not middle-aged individuals.

Over a period of five years, higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with improvements in Global Cognitive Function, Visual-Spatial Organisation and Memory and scanning and tracking in participants ≥70 years.

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with higher cognitive function and reduced risk of dementia in Mediterranean populations. However, few studies have investigated the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and cognition in populations outside of the Mediterranean basin.

To read more: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1028415X.2019.1655201

Medical Innovations: BioLife4D Creates First 3D “Bioprinted” Human Heart From Cardiac Tissue

From an InterestingEngineering.com online article:

BioLife4D Logo“We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished, from the ability to 3D bioprint human cardiac tissue last summer to a mini heart with full structure now. These milestones are a testament to the hard work of our team and the proprietary process we have developed that enables this type of scientific achievement,” said Birla in a press release.  “We believe we are at the forefront of whole heart bioengineering, a field that has matured quickly over the last year, and well-positioned to continue our rapid scientific advancement.”

BIOLIFE4D, the biotech company based out of Chicago, announced it has successfully demonstrated the ability to 3D bioprint a mini human heart, a big step in someday printing out a full-sized human heart that can be used for a transplant.

To read more: https://interestingengineering.com/a-company-creates-the-first-3d-printed-mini-heart?_source=newsletter&_campaign=EVmJjW5YyX1pq&_uid=46dBBxnxd7&_h=0c209d493fa27bb2c39469a873cbbd733289c833&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=mailing&utm_campaign=Newsletter-10-09-2019

Medical Innovations: Researchers Successfully “Supercool” Human Livers For Later Transplant

From an MIT Technology Review online article:

Doctors have put human livers in suspended animation - MIT Technology ReviewResearchers say they’ve successfully plunged human livers to subzero temperatures and then warmed them back up.

The “supercooled” organs were still in good shape after 27 hours, adding nearly a day to how long livers can last outside the body.

The supply of donor hearts, kidneys, and livers from accident victims is sharply limited. In the US, a nationwide system of registries and transplant centers coordinates to move them around by air in coolers for what are invariably emergency surgeries.

The research is part of a wider effort to learn how to keep organs operational outside the body for longer periods of time. 

To read more: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/614283/doctors-have-put-human-livers-in-suspended-animation/?utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=76642352&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_y-4VMsKkIwnBGtCLujBv0huOO8iZmVLSHmpZKga1LGyMuwA7smhGhHb-93ZZm9yIU9jR1xGWj9jujn8i-r8U3O0NAOA&_hsmi=76642352

Health Technology: First Successful Tele-Robotic Heart Surgery Performed

From an InterestingEngineering.com online article:

CorPath GRX robot“Remote procedures have the potential to transform how we deliver care when treating the most time-sensitive illnesses such as heart attack and stroke. The success of this study paves the way for large-scale, long-distance telerobotic platforms across the globe, and its publication in Lancet’s EClinicalMedicine demonstrates the transformative nature of telerobotics,” said in a press statement Mark Toland, President and Chief Executive Officer of Corindus Vascular Robotics.

A surgeon in India has performed a series of five percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures on patients who were on operating tables 32 kilometers (20 miles) away from him. The event marks the first long-distance heart surgery.

The operation was performed in patients who have atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque builds up in the blood vessels and restricts blood flow. In this special remote procedure, a robot called the CorPath GRX robot and controlled by the surgeon inserted a small instrument called a stent in order to open blood vessels in the heart.

To read more: https://interestingengineering.com/first-long-distance-heart-surgery-performed-through-a-robot?_source=newsletter&_campaign=JerqNzW7B80q5&_uid=46dBBxnxd7&_h=0c209d493fa27bb2c39469a873cbbd733289c833&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=mailing&utm_campaign=Newsletter-07-09-2019

Health Studies: Majority Of People With Dementia Never Receive Specialty Diagnosis Or Care

From a USC News online release:

Alzheimer's & Dementia Journal Aug 2019The team found 85% of people first diagnosed with dementia were diagnosed by a non-dementia specialist physician, usually a primary care doctor, and an “unspecified dementia” diagnosis was common.

One year after diagnosis, less than a quarter of patients had seen a dementia specialist. After five years, the percent of patients had only increased to 36%.

In the first large study to examine the diagnosis of dementia in older Americans over time, researchers found the vast majority never meet with a dementia specialist and are instead overwhelmingly diagnosed and cared for by non-specialists.

The study, which also found the use of dementia specialty care was particularly low for Hispanic and Asian patients, was published Wednesday in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

To read more: https://news.usc.edu/160355/dementia-diagnosis-usc-study-specialty-care/

Health Studies: Early Heart Disease Is Related More To Poor Lifestyle Choices Than Genetics

From a ScienceDaily.com online release:

Eurpean Society of CardiologyPhysical inactivity, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol play a greater role than genetics in many young patients with heart disease, according to research presented today at ESC Congress 2019 together with the World Congress of Cardiology. The findings show that healthy behaviours should be a top priority for reducing heart disease even in those with a family history of early onset.

The study enrolled 1,075 patients under 50, of whom 555 had coronary artery disease (known as premature CAD). Specific conditions included stable angina, heart attack, and unstable angina. The average age was 45 and 87% were men. Risk factor levels and genetics in patients were compared to a control group of 520 healthy volunteers (average age 44, and 86% men). Patients and controls were recruited from the Genes in Madeira and Coronary Disease (GENEMACOR) database.

Five modifiable risk factors were assessed: physical inactivity, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of patients had at least three of these risk factors compared to 31% of controls. In both groups, the likelihood of developing CAD increased exponentially with each additional risk factor. The probability of CAD was 3, 7, and 24 times higher with 1, 2, and 3 or more risk factors, respectively.

To read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190902181602.htm

Health Studies: High Levels Of Optimism Can Increase Men’s & Women’s Lifespans By Up To 15%

From a PNAS.org online release:

Optimism Study PNASOur results further suggest that optimism is specifically related to 11 to 15% longer life span, on average, and to greater odds of achieving “exceptional longevity,” that is, living to the age of 85 or beyond. These relations were independent of socioeconomic status, health conditions, depression, social integration, and health behaviors (e.g., smoking, diet, and alcohol use). Overall, findings suggest optimism may be an important psychosocial resource for extending life span in older adults.

Participants with highest versus lowest optimism levels had 1.5 (women) and 1.7 (men) greater odds of surviving to age 85; these relationships were maintained after adjusting for health behaviors. Given work indicating optimism is modifiable, these findings suggest optimism may provide a valuable target to test for strategies to promote longevity.

To read more: https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/08/20/1900712116

Book Reviews: “Lithium – A Doctor, A Drug, And A Breakthrough” By Walter A. Brown Is “Gripping”

From a Nature Magazine review:

Lithium A Doctor, A Drug, and a Breakthrough Walter A Brown Cover 1He wondered whether lithium could have the same tranquillizing effect on his patients. After trying it out on himself to establish a safe dose, Cade began treating ten people with mania. In September 1949, he reported fast and dramatic improvements in all of them in the Medical Journal of Australia (J. F. J. Cade Med. J. Aus. 2, 349–351; 1949). The majority of these patients had been in and out of Bundoora for years; now, five had improved enough to return to their homes and families.

Lithium: A Doctor, a Drug, and a Breakthrough Walter A. BrownLiveright (2019)

Some 70 years ago, John Cade, an Australian psychiatrist, discovered a medication for bipolar disorder that helped many patients to regain stability swiftly. Lithium is now the standard treatment for the condition, and one of the most consistently effective medicines in psychiatry. But its rise was riddled with obstacles. The intertwined story of Cade and his momentous finding is told in Lithium, a compelling book by US psychiatrist Walter Brown.

Read first part of Chapter 1:

Lithium A Doctor, A Drug, and a Breakthrough Walter A Brown

To read more click on following link: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02480-0?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20190829&utm_source=nature_etoc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20190829&sap-outbound-id=BBBDB22DFC5EF7E2826B76187F671FEEEA0EA3C0&utm_source=hybris-campaign&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=000_SKN6563_0000014441_41586-Nature-20190829-EAlert&utm_content=EN_internal_32046_20190829&mkt-key=005056B0331B1EE88A92FE6D6D25F179