Tag: quality

Air quality linked to increased risk of Alzheimer’s

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found a link between traffic-related air pollution and an increased risk for age-related dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Their study, based on rodent models, corroborates previous epidemiological evidence showing this association. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of age-related dementia and the sixth leading cause of death

Study shows when housing quality is poor, children suffer

Housing instability and homelessness are widely understood to have an impact on health, and certain housing problems have been linked to specific childhood health conditions, such as mold with asthma. But it has not been clear how overall housing quality may affect children—especially those who are at risk from other social determinants of health such

More green spaces can help boost air quality, reduce heart disease deaths

Green spaces—trees, shrubs and grasses—can improve air quality and may lower heart disease deaths, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2020. “We found that both increased greenness and increased air quality were associated with fewer deaths from heart disease,” said William Aitken, M.D., a cardiology fellow with

Cancer survivors overestimate the quality of their diets, finds first study on the topic

There are 15 million cancer survivors in the United States, and prior research has provided strong evidence that lifestyle interventions, such as diet and physical activity, are especially important in the long-term recovery of cancer survivors. Energy imbalance—when energy expenditure does not equal energy intake- and metabolic changes after cancer treatment can directly affect the

Fractures have long-term impacts on quality of life in older people

Single and multiple hip, vertebral, and rib fractures strongly affect the quality of life of older adults over a prolonged period of time, according to a new study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. For the study, which involved 10-year follow-up data, researchers determined the long-term impact of fragility fractures on health-related

Young children with heart disease and their families may have poorer quality of life than the general population

A study by medical researchers from UNSW Sydney and the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network has shown that young children with heart disease and their families may have poorer quality of life than the general population, leading to calls for routine screening to enable early intervention and better outcomes. The paper – the largest Australian study

Acne stigma linked to lower overall quality of life, study finds

Many people with acne are negatively impacted by perceived social stigma around the skin condition, a new study from University of Limerick (UL), Ireland, has found. A survey of 271 acne sufferers has revealed that their own negative perceptions of how society views their appearance is associated with higher psychological distress levels and further physical

Marijuana may improve quality of life in head and neck cancer

(HealthDay)—For patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer (HNC), quality of life may improve with marijuana use, according to a study published online Aug. 2 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. Han Zhang, M.D., from McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, and colleagues conducted a prospective cohort study involving patients enrolled at the time of

Quantity over quality—larger muscles could compensate for poor muscle quality in chronic kidney disease patients

The size of muscles in patients suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) could be more important to maintaining good physical performance than muscle quality, new research has shown. In a paper published in the journal Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, researchers from the University of Leicester have found that patients with large muscles had better physical function,

VA MISSION Act May Up Costs, Lower Vet Health Care Quality

TUESDAY, July 24, 2018 — The Veterans Affairs Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (VA MISSION) Act may increase costs and reduce quality of health care for veterans, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online July 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Joel Kupfer, M.D., from the University of Arizona

Two quality improvement programs lead to fewer postoperative complications

Two presurgery checklists from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Strong for Surgery (S4S) program that incorporate best practices for engaging patients in preparing for their upcoming operations significantly improved lifestyle factors that pose an increased risk for postoperative complications or help support healing and postoperative recovery. At CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System, Texarkana, Tex.,

Poor air quality does not offset exercise’s heart benefits

Even in areas with moderate-to-high levels of traffic pollution, regular physical activity reduced the risk of first and recurrent heart attack, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. “While exercise is known to reduce cardiovascular disease risk; pollution can increase