Health is a unity and harmony within the mind, body and spirit which is unique to each person, and is as defined by that person. The level of wellness or health is, in part, determined by the ability to deal with and defend against stress. Health is determined by physiological, psychological, socio-cultural, spiritual, and developmental stage variables.
Language learning makes the brain grow – At the Swedish Armed Forces Interpreter Academy in the city of Uppsala, young people with a flair for languages go from having no knowledge of a language such as Arabic, Russian or Dari to speaking it fluently in the space of 13 months. From morning to evening, weekdays and weekends, the recruits study at a pace unlike on any other language course.
Chewing ability linked to reduced dementia risk — Can you bite into an apple? If so, you are more likely to maintain mental abilities. – Can you bite into an apple? If so, you are more likely to maintain mental abilities, according to new research from Karolinska Institutet. The population is ageing, and the older we become the more likely it is that we risk deterioration of our cognitive functions, such as memory, decision-making and problem solving.
Study Finds Access To Doctors’ Notes Helps Patients Manage Their Health – Patients who have access to doctor’s notes in their medical records are more likely to understand their health issues, recall what the doctor told them and take their medications as prescribed, according to a study.
Physical activity interventions for children have ‘little impact’ — Are interventions to promote physical activity in children a waste of time? – Physical activity interventions for children have small impact on overall activity levels and consequently the body fat and mass of children. Previous studies have shown that greater activity levels are associated with lower levels of BMI (body mass index) but that physical activity interventions have been unsuccessful in improving children’s BMI.
Eunuchs outlive other men – A study of eunuchs in Korea’s royal court has found men without testicles live longer. – Scientists said Monday they have new evidence about why women live longer than men, from a study of historical data showing castrated Koreans far outlived their non-eunuch contemporaries
Over long-term, gastric bypass surgery associated with higher rate of diabetes remission — Improvement in cardiovascular risk factors – Severely obese patients who had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery had significant weight loss that was sustained for an average of 6 years after the surgery and also experienced frequent remission and lower incidence of diabetes, hypertension, and abnormal cholesterol levels, compared to participants who did not have the surgery.
Study suggests acupuncture may be better than no acupuncture, sham acupuncture for chronic pain – An analysis of patient data from 29 randomized controlled trials suggests that acupuncture may be better than no acupuncture or sham acupuncture for the treatment of some chronic pain.
Can’t smell anything? This discovery may give you hope – Gene therapy in mice restores sense of smell, may also aid research into other diseases caused by cilia defects, U-M researchers say – Scientists have restored the sense of smell in mice through gene therapy for the first time — a hopeful sign for people who can’t smell anything from birth or lose it due to disease. The achievement in curing congenital anosmia — the medical term for lifelong inability to detect odors — may also aid research on other conditions that also stem from problems with the cilia.
Obesity and metabolic syndrome associated with impaired brain function in adolescents – Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with cognitive and brain impairments in adolescents and calls for pediatricians to take this into account when considering the early treatment of childhood obesity. As childhood obesity has increased in the U.S., so has the prevalence of metabolic syndrome ? a constellation of three or more of five defined health problems, including abdominal obesity, low HDL (good cholesterol), high triglycerides, high blood pressure and pre-diabetic insulin resistance.
Chronic stress linked to high risk of stroke — ‘Type A’ personality and life stressors boost risk independently of lifestyle factors – Chronic stress, prompted by major life stressors and type A personality traits, is linked to a high risk of stroke. Chronic stress, manifested as physical and/or mental symptoms in response to stressors lasting longer than 6 months has been linked to a heightened risk of heart disease. But its impact on the risk of stroke has not been clear.
