Potential Articles Of Interest
Americans consume 70,000 particles of microplastics per year
Date: June 5, 2019
Source: American Chemical Society
Summary: Since the mass production of plastics began in the 1940s, the versatile polymers have spread rapidly across the globe. Although plastics have made life easier in many ways, disposing of the materials is a growing problem. Now, researchers estimate that the average American consumes more than 70,000 particles of microplastics per year, though the health effects of that consumption are unclear. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190605100332.htm
Gut microbes eat our medication
Date: June 13, 2019
Source: Harvard University
Summary: Researchers have discovered one of the first concrete examples of how the microbiome can interfere with a drug's intended path through the body. Focusing on levodopa (L-dopa), the primary treatment for Parkinson's disease, they identified which bacteria out of the trillions of species is responsible for degrading the drug and how to stop this microbial interference. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190613143629.htm
Scaffold helps cells repair torn meniscus in lab tests
Scaffold-aided repair led to stronger meniscus, laying groundwork for potential human tests
Date: June 19, 2019
Source: Duke University Medical Center
Summary: About a million times a year, Americans with a torn meniscus in their knee undergo surgery in hopes of a repair. Certain tears can't be fixed or won't heal well, and many patients later suffer osteoarthritis. To improve meniscus healing, Duke scientists have developed a scaffold derived from a pig's meniscus, which performed better in lab tests than healing without a scaffold. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190619142540.htm
After heart attack: Late dinner and no breakfast a killer combination
Date: April 18, 2019
Source: European Society of Cardiology
Summary: People who skip breakfast and eat dinner near bedtime have worse outcomes after a heart attack. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190418080812.htm
Good physical fitness in middle age linked to lower chronic lung disease risk
Encourage fitness to delay development, progression, and death from COPD, say researchers
Date: June 18, 2019
Source: BMJ
Summary: Good heart and lung (cardiorespiratory) fitness in middle age is associated with a lower long term risk of chronic lung disease (COPD), suggests new research. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190618192032.htm
Higher fitness level can determine longer lifespan after age 70
For older people, fitness may be more informative than traditional cardiovascular risk factors
Date: March 6, 2019
Source: American College of Cardiology
Summary: Researchers have uncovered one more reason to get off the couch and start exercising, especially if you're approaching your golden years. Among people over age 70, physical fitness was found to be a much better predictor of survival than the number of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190306081829.htm
Stress-related disorders linked to heightened risk of cardiovascular disease
Risk is particularly high during the first year after diagnosis
Date: April 10, 2019
Source: BMJ
Summary: Stress-related disorders -- conditions triggered by a significant life event or trauma -- may be linked to a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), finds a large study. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190410210000.htm
New e-tattoo enables accurate, uninterrupted heart monitoring for days
Date: June 20, 2019
Source: University of Texas at Austin
Summary: A new wearable technology that is made from stretchy, lightweight material, could make heart health monitoring easier and more accurate. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190620121359.htm
Alzheimer's family history risk may show as memory deficit even for those in their 20s
Study indicates lack of cure for dementia highlights need for early detection; early intervention
Date: June 20, 2019
Source: The Translational Genomics Research Institute
Summary: Results from a study of nearly 60,000 individuals suggest those at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease due to family history may demonstrate changes in memory performance as early as their 20s. Researchers gathered the data through an online word-pair memory test called MindCrowd, one of the world's largest scientific assessments of how healthy brains function. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190620100034.htm
Squeezing of blood vessels may contribute to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's
Date: June 20, 2019
Source: University College London
Summary: Reduced blood flow to the brain associated with early Alzheimer's may be caused by the contraction of cells wrapped around blood vessels, according to a new study that opens up a new way to potentially treat the disease. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190620153511.htm
Scientists map toxic proteins linked to Alzheimer's
Date: June 20, 2019
Source: McMaster University
Summary: A team of researchers has mapped at atomic resolution a toxic protein linked to Alzheimer's disease, allowing them to better understand what is happening deep within the brain during the earliest stages of the disease. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190620100017.htm
More than 5 million cancer survivors experience chronic pain, twice the rate of the general population
Date: June 22, 2019
Source: The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Summary: More than 5 million cancer survivors in the United States experience chronic pain, almost twice the rate in the general population, according to a new study. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190622115057.htm
'Hunger hormone' imbalance can trigger obesity
Date: June 21, 2019
Source: Texas Biomedical Research Institute
Summary: Scientists discovered a new mutation in the gene that regulates the key hormone suppressing hunger called leptin. This new mutation could help researchers understand why people develop excess of body fat. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190621140239.htm
Scientists make single-cell map to reprogram scar tissue into healthy heart cells
Date: June 20, 2019
Source: University of North Carolina Health Care
Summary: Annually, about 790,000 Americans suffer a heart attack, which leaves damaged scar tissue on the heart and limits its ability to beat efficiently. But what if scientists could reprogram scar tissue cells called fibroblasts into healthy heart muscle cells called cardiomyocytes? For the first time, researchers developed a stable, reproducible, minimalistic platform to reprogram human fibroblast cells into cardiomyocytes. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190620153522.htm
Just 20 minutes of contact with nature will lower stress hormone levels, reveals new study
Date: April 4, 2019
Source: Frontiers
Summary: Taking at least 20 minutes out of your day to stroll or sit in a place that makes you feel in contact with nature will significantly lower your stress hormone levels. That's the finding of a study that has established for the first time the most effective dose of an urban nature experience. Healthcare practitioners can use this discovery to prescribe 'nature-pills' in the knowledge that they have a real measurable effect. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190404074915.htm
