Category: Health News

With springtime comes the desire to shed those few extra pounds, in preparation to don swimsuits and head to the pool. This year, new obesity research is making it easier to find a pathway that is right for us. There is no doubt that weight loss is a higher priority than ever before. Americans have

Researchers at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have determined how satellite DNA, considered to be “junk DNA,” plays a crucial role in holding the genome together. Their findings, published recently in the journal eLife, indicate that this genetic “junk” performs the vital function of ensuring that chromosomes

For many people, one of the unspoken rules for being cool is maintaining an emotionally inexpressive attitude. This message is reinforced through advertisements where fashion models rarely smile and by quotes from celebrities. In an article in the Huffington Post, Kanye West said he doesn’t smile in photographs because “it just wouldn’t look as cool.”

Thinking of trying that trendy diet your friends raved about on Instagram? Before you’re ready to declare the latest celebrity fad the best diet plan, check the science first. While many diets promise quick weight loss, they often have a downside. We asked two USC experts to help us separate truth from hype for four

Geisinger Health System CEO David Fineberg, MD, and other top executives said Geisinger’s gene sequencing program is helping to better project adverse health issues in the short-term and the hospital is expecting even better results to come. Geisinger’s DNA sequencing project has the potential to identify virtually everyone in its patient population to pinpoint increased

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine have found that a newly identified subset of a known genetic variant found primarily in individuals of South Asian descent may be a better marker for carriers of heart dysfunction in this population and that individuals with this genetic variant are more likely to develop

Vertebrate species, including humans, exposed to stress prenatally tend to have higher stress hormones after birth, according to a new Dartmouth-led study published in Scientific Reports. While previous research has reported examples of maternal stress experience predicting offspring stress hormones in different species, this study is the first to empirically demonstrate the impact of prenatal

A new study shows that more frequent and severe menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep disturbance, loss of sexual interest, weight gain and other quality of life measures, were associated with markers of vascular aging, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The researchers, however, found no association between these

Professor Sir Ian Wilmut – who led the team that created Dolly the sheep – has backed an initiative to tackle Parkinson’s disease, after being diagnosed with the condition. The eminent scientist announced his diagnosis today – World Parkinson’s Day – ahead of the launch of a major research programme that will see experts at

An American, a Brit and a Dutch guy go for a walk. That may sound like the beginning of a joke, but it’s actually the end of a USC-led study that could impact future research on physical activity. With the help of fitness-tracking devices, an international team of scientists studied how physically active people consider

Improved information before undergoing PET/CT scanning can improve patients’ experience of care, demonstrates radiology nurse Camilla Andersson in a recent dissertation at Uppsala University. PET/CT scanning is increasingly common for various oncological matters, but it also requires care recipients to understand and follow instructions. Unprepared patients may entail delayed exams and postponed treatment, which can

The U.S. Coast Guard announced on Monday that it would join the Department of Defense on its EHR project to transition the patient records of its service members and clinics to the DoD’s MHS Genesis platform. The Coast Guard’s needs will be incorporated into the DoD’s $4.3 billion contract with Leidos, rather than signing a

Spine deformities, such as idiopathic scoliosis and kyphosis (also known as “hunchback”), are characterized by an abnormal curvature in the spine. The children with these spinal deformities are typically advised to wear a brace that fits around the torso and hips to correct the abnormal curve. Bracing has been shown to prevent progression of the

The U.S. Department of State has released a request for information for a new electronic health record last week, stemming from a failed joint EHR implementation with the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard had attempted to share a hosted EHR with the State Department, known as the Integrated Health Information System, or IHiS. But the

The study aimed to investigate the short and longer-term impact of a 45-min delay in school start time on sleep and well-being of adolescents. Singapore leads the world in the Programme for International Student Assessment rankings, which measures international scholastic performance in 15-year-olds. East Asian students live in a culture where the importance of academic

The average person around the world spent nearly three hours a day in front their television last year, according to a report released Monday. Eurodata TV Worldwide said that television viewing was holding up despite more and more people watching online platforms like Netflix and Amazon. Americans and Canadians are the biggest TV addicts, said

Finding ways to help patients with COPD improve their functional status is an area of interest for pulmonary healthcare providers. Currently, pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is used where available to improve exercise capacity and quality of life, but the treatment requires access to trained staff and specialized facilities. A new study in the journal CHEST® looked

Albertans can expect to see increases in injury rates—including traffic fatalities, child poisonings and burns—when Canada legalizes recreational cannabis use this year, according to a report prepared by University of Alberta’s Injury Prevention Centre. “We’d like to see the government raise more awareness around the injury risks of trying cannabis,” said Kathy Belton, associate director

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have completed a detailed genomic analysis, known as the PanCancer Atlas, on a data set of molecular and clinical information from over 10,000 tumors representing 33 types of cancer. “This project is the culmination of more than a decade of groundbreaking work,” said NIH Director Francis S.

On-site testing of ‘party drug’ pills could reduce the harms caused by drug use and potentially save lives, according to an independent review of Australia’s National Drug Strategy, published in the open access Harm Reduction Journal. Dr Andrew Groves at Deakin University, Australia, examines evidence in support of pill testing to reduce fatalities caused by