Generally, environmental events of a challenging sort as well as the body’s response to such events. Of particular interest has been the relationship between stress and the body’s adaptation to it on the one hand and the body’s susceptibility to disease on the other. Both outcomes involve behavioral and brain changes as well as psychosomatic events, that is, changes in body function arising from the ability of the brain to control such function through neural output as well as hormones.
Anxious older adults sufferring from an anxiety disorders may benefit from antidepressants – Many older adults worry – a lot. Almost one in 10 Americans over age 60 suffer from an anxiety disorder that causes them to worry excessively about normal things – like health, finances, disability and family.
Guideline alert for blood pressure patients as treatment combo fails (combination of ACE inhibitors and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers) – Thousands of Canadians with high blood pressure (hypertension) are being treated with a drug combination that increases the risk of sudden cardiac death, kidney disease and the likelihood of dialysis, warns the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Why your office could be making you sick? – It’s a sneaking suspicion many of us have had at one time or another, and a new QUT study has confirmed it – working in open-plan offices is bad for our health.
Occupational stress related to job strain was associated with incident strokes among Japanese men. – Japanese men in high-stress jobs appear to have an increased risk of stroke compared with those in less demanding positions, according to a report in the January 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
High caffeine consumption could be linked to a greater tendency to hallucinate, a new research study suggests. – People with a higher caffeine intake, from sources such as coffee, tea and caffeinated energy drinks, are more likely to report hallucinatory experiences such as hearing voices and seeing things that are not there, according to the Durham University study.
Health Minister invites diaspora to join in developing healthcare – Indian Health Minister Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss has called for public-private partnership in health sector to meet the gap between supply and demand.
Biological link connects childhood trauma and risk for chronic fatigue syndrome – Childhood trauma is a potent risk factor for development of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), according to a study by researchers at Emory University School of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Obesity: Reviving the promise of leptin; The first known leptin-sensitizing agents induce mice to lose weight. – The discovery more than a decade ago of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone secreted by fat tissue, generated headlines and great hopes for an effective treatment for obesity. But hopes dimmed when it was found that obese people are unresponsive to leptin due to development of leptin resistance in the brain. Now, researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston report the first agents demonstrated to sensitize the brain to leptin: oral drugs that are already FDA-approved and known to be safe. Findings were published January 7 by the journal Cell Metabolism.
FixNixer Gives You Five Reasons to Be Tobacco-Free this New Year. Free, anonymous tool helps you quit via online and text messaging support. – For those resolving to become tobacco-free, FixNixer is a new quitting tool that helps people to overcome their tobacco addiction anonymously, with effective methods and motivational support.
University of Maryland researchers identify common gene variant linked to high blood pressure. STK39 gene produces protein involved in regulating how kidneys process salt. – Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have identified a common gene variant that appears to influence people’s risk of developing high blood pressure, according to the results of a study being published online Dec. 29, 2008 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
High blood pressure may make it difficult for the elderly to think clearly – Adding another reason for people to watch their blood pressure, a new study from North Carolina State University shows that increased blood pressure in older adults is directly related to decreased cognitive functioning, particularly among seniors with already high blood pressure. This means that stressful situations may make it more difficult for some seniors to think clearly.
Back pain still an issue for over 5 million Australians: Are we treating it right? – A new study by researchers at The George Institute for International Health has found that back pain is a reoccurring problem for five million Australians.
