Public Health
A study has shown a new way that brown fat, a potential obesity-fighting target, is regulated in the body.
In an upcoming Cell Metabolism article, researchers examined long non-coding RNA (Ribonucleic acid) in adipose (fat) tissue in mice. Long non-coding RNAs have recently become appreciated as important control elements for different biological functions in the body.
The team created a catalog of 1,500 long non-coding RNA in mouse adipose tissues - which is the most comprehensive catalog ever created of its type. Using the catalog they were then able to identify a specific long…
The world's population is getting healthier and part of that reason for that is sanitation - but a larger population and a still limited infrastructure means a complex and multi-dimensional approach is needed to manage a rising tide of solid waste
There is no magic bullet solution like importing modern trucks or technologies or to improve roads. The challenges are daunting - the World Bank’s Urban Development department estimates that the amount of municipal solid waste will reach 2.2 billion tons per year over the next decade.
“I always say when I go to cities, if somebody comes…
A new study found that alternative providers of primary care in the UK's NHS do not perform as well as traditional GP practices.
Alternative providers have been contracted to offer primary care in the NHS since 2004 under reforms designed to increase competition from the private sector but scholars from Imperial College London say these providers performed worse than traditional GP practices on 15 out of 17 indicators - but private sector alternative care providers tend to serve more diverse, economically deprived populations than government-financed health care. Only 4.1 percent of…
Married people have better overall health and longevity than single people, say epidemiologists, but more is not always better.
A recent prospective multicenter observational study assessed the effect of polygamy on cardiovascular health and found a significant association between number of wives and the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD), left main disease (LMD) and Multivessel disease (MVD). Risk increased with the number of wives. After adjusting for baseline differences, the researchers showed that men who practiced polygamy had a 4.6-fold increased risk of CAD, a 3.5-fold…
Celiac disease is a life-long condition that has severe consequences yet many people remain undiagnosed.
Celiac disease is a genetically-determined, autoimmune condition caused by a permanent intolerance to gluten found in wheat, barley and rye. The condition causes inflammation in the small intestine, leading to diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue and other non-specific symptoms. It has been estimated that around 1% of the population may have Celiac disease, although estimates vary between countries. Its prevalence may be increasing. If left undiagnosed and untreated, CD can have a profound…
The immune-boosting properties of breast milk have long been known and experiments in mice are beginning to show another way how. A team of scientists led by Johns Hopkins pediatric surgeon-in-chief David Hackam, M.D., Ph.D., says their experiments reveal how breast milk works to ward off the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a devastating intestinal disorder that affects 12 percent of premature babies and claims the lives of one in four of those who have it.
If affirmed in human studies, the experiments could pave the way to new preventive approaches to stave off NEC in…
Many newborns are exposed in their earliest days to bisphenol A (BPA) and lots of other chemicals, the world is all chemical, but BPA has been the subject of more scrutiny than most because it is ubiquitous. Due to that, environmental advocacy studies have claimed there is probably risk to adults and newborns, while more neutral science says that it is detectable but not harmful.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that more than 92 percent of Americans ages six and older have detectable BPA in their bodies, most likely through the consumption of food stored in…
There is a great deal of evidence that meditation, in particular mindfulness meditation, improves the brain, and the research is teaching us a lot about how and why that happens.
Let’s look at some of the research. In one recent study:
“…the researchers examined participants aged 55 to 90 years old who had some form of mild cognitive impairment. Some of the participants practiced [mindfulness meditation] for eight weeks, and they ended up with improved functional connectivity in an area of the brain that’s associated with memories.”
This means that meditation could at least temporarily…
Have you ever wondered what those food additive numbers in the ingredients list on your food packaging meant and what they were really doing to your body?
A recent study suggests emulsifiers – detergent-like food additives found in a variety of processed foods – have the potential to damage the intestinal barrier, leading to inflammation and increasing our risk of chronic disease.
The research was done on mice, so it’s too early to say humans should stop eating emulsifiers, but let’s examine the mechanisms involved.
The gut’s bacterial flora
The lining of our gastrointestinal tract has one of…
Mosaic |
Ghana has plenty of water. So why do its people buy plastic pouches from street vendors? Shaun Raviv investigates.
When Johnnie Water was a schoolboy in the Volta Region of Ghana, he and his classmates were required to go to the river every morning to grab at least two buckets of water each to help fill the school’s tank. Later in life, when Johnnie was a young man, the water didn’t flow often in the home he shared with his brother. They would leave a bucket under the open tap at night, and if they heard the echoing drips of water, they would get out of bed rather than miss the available…