Lifelong brain-stimulating habits linked to lower Alzheimer’s protein levels – Individuals who keep their brains active throughout life with cognitively stimulating activities such as reading, writing and playing games appear to have reduced levels of the ?-amyloid protein, which is the major part of the amyloid plaque in Alzheimer disease.
Nicotine replacement therapies may not be effective in helping people quit smoking – Nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) designed to help people stop smoking, specifically nicotine patches and nicotine gum, do not appear to be effective in helping smokers quit long-term, even when combined with smoking cessation counseling, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Cognitive decline can begin as early as age 45, warn experts — Research: Timing of onset of cognitive decline: Results from Whitehall II prospective cohort study – The brain’s capacity for memory, reasoning and comprehension skills (cognitive function) can start to deteriorate from age 45. But, previous research suggests that cognitive decline does not begin before the age of 60, but this view is not universally accepted.
American Cancer Society revises cancer screening guideline process — New effort prioritizes transparency, consistency and rigor – The American Cancer Society has revised its guideline formation process to achieve greater transparency, consistency, and rigor in creating guidance about cancer screening. The new methods align with new principles from the Institutes of Medicine (IOM).
Statins may reduce mortality in patients hospitalized with influenza – Taking Statins May Help Flu patients – The two main ways to prevent and control influenza today are annual immunization and antiviral drugs. A team of investigators has found that statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs, may offer an additional treatment to complement these approaches and reduce mortality among patients hospitalized with influenza.
Slew of Initiatives for Ayush Sector in XIITH Plan: Sh Azad — 66th World Homeopathic Congress LMHI LIGA at New Delhi – The Indian Minister of Health & Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad today announced a host of new initiatives being considered for AYUSH sector in the XIIth Plan subject to availability of funds. The Minister was speaking at the Inaugural Function of the 66TH World Homeopathic Congress organised in New Delhi today.
Reality in the eye of the beholder — A Photoshop reality check – You know they couldn’t possibly look that good. But what did those models and celebrities look like before all the retouching? How different is the image we see from the original? Dartmouth Computer Science Professor Hany Farid and Eric Kee, a PhD student at Dartmouth College, are proposing a method to not only answer such questions but also to quantify the changes.
Consuming canned soup linked to greatly elevated levels of the chemical BPA — BPA, found in soup can lining, associated with adverse health effects in humans – A new study to quantify BPA levels in humans after ingestion of canned foods reveals that a group of volunteers who consumed a serving of canned soup each day for five days had a more than 1,000% increase in urinary bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations compared with when the same individuals consumed fresh soup daily for five days.
1 in 5 Americans has hearing loss — New nationally representative estimate shows wide scope of problem of loss of hearing – 20% of Americans over the age of 12 experience hearing loss in at least one ear. Nearly a fifth of all Americans 12 years or older have hearing loss so severe that it may make communication difficult, according to a new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers and published in the Nov. 14 Archives of Internal Medicine.
High fiber diet linked to reduced risk of colorectal cancer – Dietary fiber, whole grains, and risk of colorectal cancer – Eating a diet high in fibre, particularly from cereal and whole grains, is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. Intake of dietary fibre and whole grains is known to help protect against cardiovascular disease, but its association with colorectal cancer risk is less clear. And, although the idea that dietary fibre reduces the risk of colorectal cancer has been around for nearly 40 years.
Nicotine primes brain for cocaine use: Molecular basis of gateway sequence of drug use – Cigarettes and alcohol serve as gateway drugs, which people use before progressing to the use of marijuana and then to cocaine and other illicit substances; this progression is called the “gateway sequence” of drug use.
Increased caffeinated coffee consumption associated with decreased risk of depression in women – The risk of depression appears to decrease for women with increasing consumption of caffeinated coffee. Caffeine is the most frequently used central nervous system stimulant in the world, and approximately 80 percent of consumption is in the form of coffee.
