Public Health

Eating dog meat is common in Asia. In two case studies published by PLoS Medicine, researchers analyzed situations in Hanoi where men died from laboratory-confirmed rabies. The first patient was a 48-year-old male construction worker, with no preceding medical illnesses who was, among other symptoms, unable to swallow due to involuntary inspiratory muscle spasms.  The second patient was a 37-year-old male farmer, without any prior medical history and similar symptoms. The muscle spasms in the presence of water, hydrophobia, was the crucial information piece they used in diagnosing…

Like adults, kids who are more spiritual or religious tend to be healthier.  That’s the conclusion of Dr. Barry Nierenberg, Ph.D., ABPP, associate professor of psychology at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who has been studying the relationship between faith and health. He presented on the topic at the American Psychological Association’s Division of Rehabilitation Psychology national conference on February 27, in Jackson, Fla.  “A number of studies have shown a positive relationship between participatory prayer and lower rates of heart disease, cirrhosis,…

The European Kidney Health Alliance (EKHA) and World Kidney Day (WKD) organisations today call for action at EU level to support early awareness, identification and treatment of CKD and its associated diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes. The MEP Group for Kidney Health, launched on WKD last year, met at the European Parliament in Strasbourg today with an eminent panel of renal experts, politicians, and patient and kidney organisations. The meeting relayed the stark message that unchecked high blood pressure may severely damage the…

It seems that cherries are the new ‘super food’ to strike a craze in the US. Citing the effects of cherries to slow aging due to antioxidants, they contain a class of free-radical fighting agents called anthocyanins, which are not just found in cherries. In 2004, the Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology dedicated an entire volume to the subject of anthocyanins, which are found not only in cherries, but in blueberries, pomegranates, cranberries, sweet potatoes, Elderberries, and grapes. Various berry juices also contain the antioxidants like grape juice, wine and other extracts. According…

Overweight children and adolescents, with the active involvement of their parents and families, can successfully lose weight. People are not biologically inclined to have a particular food addiction so patience and support are key but so is recognizing that it won't happen unless the kids are determined to change and they get some help; parents who have always bought junk food, for example, need to stop.  And kids who may have always had an unhealthy lifestyle need to recognize that and make some changes. A team of experts that includes physicians and psychologists propose a new model of…

A new study found that the rate of new cases of diabetes in the UK rose by 74 per cent between 1997 and 2003, and has now overtaken the rate in North America, which has one of the highest incidences of diabetes in the world. The study looked at new and existing cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in the UK, using data from the Health Improvement Network database between 1996 and 2005. The researchers found that over those ten years, 42,642 people in the UK were diagnosed either with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Type 1 usually affects younger people, and type 2 usually develops later in life due…

While number of calories taken in versus used will always be the the biggest factor in weight loss, the type of diet can make a difference too.   If you want to lose fat instead of muscle, for example, or if you want to lower your triglyceride levels so you'll be less likely to develop diabetes and heart disease. A new study by  Donald Layman, a University of Illinois professor emeritus of nutrition,  followed the weight-loss efforts of 130 persons at two sites, the U of I and Penn State University, during 4 months of active weight loss and 8 months of maintenance. Two…

If you are diabetic then it is more than likely that the advice you have been given revolves around maximising so-called complex or low glycemic index carbohydrates (those that cause your blood sugar to rise fast) and reducing fat in your diet.  This is because diabetics have a greatly increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which is widely believed to be caused by raised cholesterol levels from fat in the diet. However, studies increasingly show that the fat-raises-cholesterol-and-causes-heart-disease theory is wrong, and that carbohydrates rather than fat cause the damage that leads…

We hear a lot from various advocacy groups that modern lifestyle is the worst thing that can happen to us.    Indeed, some won't be happy until we get back to the sustainable, renewable period of 1300AD.   But modern lifestyle has at least one friend; our teeth.  A review of studies published in a Supplement to Obesity Review examined evidence over the past 150 years and says that the effects of fluoride toothpaste, good oral hygiene and health education has overriden the effects of food on tooth decay. Professor Monty Duggal, an author of the review explained, "…

Women undertaking a ten week program of 75 minute Restorative Yoga (RY) classes gained positive differences in aspects of mental health such as depression, positive emotions, and spirituality (feeling calm/peaceful) compared to the control group. The study, published today in a special issue of Psycho-Oncology focusing on physical activity, shows the women had a 50% reduction in depression and a 12% increase in feelings of peace and meaning after the yoga sessions. RY is a gentle type of yoga which is similar to other types of yoga classes, moving the spine in all directions but in a more…