Health Wellness

Parkinson's may get its start not in brain but in appendix
2018-10-31 21:29:40 UTC
WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists have found a new clue that Parkinson’s disease may get its start not in the brain but in the gut — maybe in the appendix. People who had their appendix removed early in life had a lower risk of getting the tremor-inducing brain disease decades later, researchers reported Wednesday. Why? A peek at surgically removed appendix tissue shows this tiny organ, often considered useless, seems to be a storage depot for an abnormal protein — one that, if it somehow makes its way into the brain, becomes a hallmark of Parkinson’s. The big surprise, according to studies published in the journal Science Translationa...
Milk and mushrooms may prevent metabolic diseases
2018-09-26 21:37:16 UTC
<blockquote>Recent research conducted at Pennsylvania State University in the US studied the effect of mushrooms on glucose production in the body. Mushrooms are a probiotic food, which means they positively influence the bacteria in the gut. In a study with mice, researchers discovered that the regular consumption of white button mushrooms boosted the growth of certain bacteria which produce substances that influence glucose production. The researchers believe that white button mushrooms may be especially helpful for people with diabetes, due to the fungi's role in glucose production. Like mushrooms, milk also seems to regulate b...
Migraine is misunderstood by those who don't suffer symptoms
2018-09-19 05:10:47 UTC
Migraine is a debilitating neurological disease that is often misunderstood by those who do not suffer symptoms, according to the Migraine Impact Report, a new survey recently released by Eli Lilly and Company and conducted by Nielsen. The report showed that respondents without the disease underestimate the pain and duration of a typical migraine. Ninety one percent of respondents with migraine further agreed that those who do not experience migraine pain do not have a complete understanding of the severity of the disease. <blockquote><img alt="Migraine_is_misunderstood_by_those_who_do_not_suffer_symptoms" src="/system/images/22229...
Victory for women: Ireland ends abortion ban
2018-05-26 17:40:06 UTC
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland has voted by a landslide to liberalize its highly restrictive abortion laws in a referendum that its prime minister called the culmination of a “quiet revolution” in what was one of Europe’s most socially conservative countries. Voters in the once deeply Catholic nation were estimated to have backed the change by more than two-to-one, according to two exit polls released on Friday evening, and the government plans to bring in legislation by the end of the year. “It’s incredible. For all the years and years and years we’ve been trying to look after women and not been able to look after women, this means ever...
Nationwide survey: Most Americans are considered lonely
2018-09-26 21:40:04 UTC
<blockquote>Americans Are A Lonely Lot, And Young People Bear The Heaviest Burden — Loneliness isn't just a fleeting feeling, leaving us sad for a few hours to a few days. Research in recent years suggests that for many people, loneliness is more like a chronic ache, affecting their daily lives and sense of well-being. Now a nationwide survey by the health insurer Cigna underscores that. It finds that loneliness is widespread in America, with nearly 50 percent of respondents reporting that they feel alone or left out always or sometimes. Using one of the best-known tools for measuring loneliness — the UCLA Loneliness Scale — Ci...
California Judge Rules Coffee Sellers Should Post Cancer Warnings
2018-03-30 08:53:52 UTC
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Scientists haven’t rendered a verdict on whether coffee is good or bad for you but a California judge has. He says coffee sellers in the state should have to post cancer warnings. The culprit is a chemical produced in the bean roasting process that is a known carcinogen and has been at the heart of an eight-year legal struggle between a tiny nonprofit group and Big Coffee. The Council for Education and Research on Toxics wanted the coffee industry to remove acrylamide from its processing — like potato chip makers did when it sued them years ago — or disclose the danger in ominous warning signs or labels. The indust...
Finland world's Happiest Country, U.S. Among Unhappiest
2018-03-21 08:34:09 UTC
The World Happiness Report, released Wednesday, crowned Finland the happiest place to live out of 156 countries. Europe's Nordic countries have dominated the happiness index since the first report was published in 2012. Last year's winner was Norway. In 2016, Denmark took the top spot. Meik Wiking, CEO of the Copenhagen-based Happiness Research Institute, said the happiness revealed in the survey stems from healthy amounts of both personal freedoms and social security that outweigh residents having to pay "some of the highest taxes in the world." "Briefly put, (Nordic countries) are good at converting wealth into well-being," Wiki...
Listeriosis outbreak kills 180 people in South Africa
2018-03-05 20:37:17 UTC
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Officials have said the outbreak was linked to contaminated sausage and warned South Africans not to consume "ready to eat" processed meat. The UN said the listeria outbreak is believed to be the largest-ever worldwide. South Africa's Health Ministry said on Sunday that a listeriosis outbreak has killed 180 people in the country since the beginning of 2017. Officials also announced that the outbreak was tied to a sausage-type meat that is made by South Africa's largest consumer foods group. The meat, known as "Polony," is produced by Tiger Brands, a unit of Enterprise Food, and by RCL Foods, Health Minis...
Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against Coca-Cola's Diet Coke "weight loss" ads
2018-02-28 18:12:26 UTC
(Reuters) - A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit claiming that Coca-Cola Co’s advertising for Diet Coke misleads people into thinking that consuming the soft drink assists in weight loss, and that it actually causes weight gain. The plaintiff, Shana Becerra, claimed that she and others would not have bought Diet Coke, which was launched in 1982, but for the word “diet” and ads such as one showing the soft drink being poured by a bare-chested man with a well-muscled torso. In a decision on Tuesday, however, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco said 13 studies cited by Becerra were “equivocal” as to whether diet soda...
Doctors can detect deadliest cancers through blood test
2018-01-21 17:59:46 UTC
The future isn't far off, according to US researchers: doctors will soon be able to detect cancer and locate tumor cells just by examining one blood sample. But is this new screening method as good as it sounds? <blockquote>Cancer of the ovaries, liver, stomach, pancreas, esophagus, colon and breast - one single blood test, experts hope, could soon be enough to detect a tumor wherever it may be. Perhaps even more impressive: the test looks for cancer in its early stages, even before a patient has shown any symptoms, and before the tumor has had a chance to spread. Scientists hope that this will help to avoid cumbersome forms of trea...
iPhone overuse could hurt children’s developing brains
2018-01-09 04:39:42 UTC
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Inc investors are shrugging off concerns raised by two shareholders about kids getting hooked on iPhones, saying that for now a little addiction might not be a bad thing for profits. Hedge fund JANA Partners LLC and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) pension fund said on Saturday that iPhone overuse could be hurting children’s developing brains, an issue that may harm the company’s long-term market value. <blockquote><img alt="Iphone_overuse_could_hurt_children%e2%80%99s_developing_brains" src="/system/images/16642/original/iPhone_overuse_could_hurt_children%E2%80%99s_developing_brai...
America's mental health crisis goes deeper than imagined
2017-12-31 07:23:14 UTC
The scandal of a US teenager locked up for almost four years without trial revealed serious failings in Mississippi's criminal justice system. But Sarah Smith, the reporter on the BBC News-ProPublica investigation, says America's mental health crisis goes much deeper. When I arrived, the sheriff was wary of me. I was a visitor to his rural Mississippi county; worse, I was a reporter from New York City. <blockquote> <img alt="Bridgett_haire__tyler_haire" src="/system/images/21751/original/Bridgett_Haire__Tyler_Haire.jpg?1514704919" /> <i><strong>Bridgett Haire, Tyler Haire</i></strong><hr> He summed up his scepticism this way: Eve...
UN: Poverty on the rise in US due to Trump's policies
2017-12-16 07:19:40 UTC
Already dismal poverty rates in the US are set to worsen under President Donald Trump, a top UN official has said. Currently, one in eight people in the US live in poverty. A United Nations expert slammed the alarming levels of poverty in the US on Friday, saying that the situation is likely to get worse under US President Donald Trump. Official US figures show that more than one in eight Americans live in poverty, but the UN official warned that the numbers are likely to rise under the Republican's new tax reform plan. <blockquote> <h3>The downward spiral of poverty</h3>Philip Alston, the UN's special rapporteur on extreme povert...
Joe Biden and Meghan McCain Share an Emotional Moment
2017-12-14 00:56:10 UTC
On ABC’s The View Meghan, daughter of Republican John McCain, connected with former Vice President Joe Biden over the fact that her father is now battling the same type of brain cancer that Biden’s son Beau died of while Biden was still in office. McCain began to ask him about the book, starting, “I think about Beau almost every day. I was told that this doesn’t get easier. . . . I know you and your family have been through tragedy that I couldn’t conceive of.” She quickly broke into tears, and Biden switched chairs to sit next to her. <blockquote> “One of the things that gave Beau courage, my word, was John,” he said. “You may remem...
Women Who Use 'IUDs' Have a Lower Risk of Cervical Cancer
2017-11-09 06:46:10 UTC
Women who use intrauterine devices (IUDs) for contraception might have a lower risk of cervical cancer than their counterparts who don’t use this form of birth control, a recent study suggests. Researchers examined data from 16 previously published studies with a total 4,945 women who had cervical cancer and 7,537 women who didn’t. Overall, they found women who used an IUD were 36% less likely to get cervical cancer than women who didn’t use them. <blockquote><img alt="Women_who_use_'iuds'_have_a_lower_risk_of_cervical_cancer" src="/system/images/21544/original/Women_Who_Use_'IUDs'_Have_a_Lower_Risk_of_Cervical_Ca...
What happens to your body when it's donated to science
2017-10-24 20:19:03 UTC
When Americans leave their bodies to science, they are also donating to commerce: Cadavers and body parts, especially those of the poor, are sold in a thriving and largely unregulated market. Since it's not regulated by a federal agency, there's no official number, but it is estimated about 20,000 bodies per year are donated to medical schools around the U.S., according to the Harvard Business School. Frequently asked questions: Is it really legal to sell bodies? <blockquote>LAS VEGAS – The company stacked brochures in funeral parlors around Sin City. On the cover: a couple clasping hands. Above the image, a promise: “Providing ...
Insurance company to 9-month-old boy: Too expensive to keep you alive
2017-10-18 20:55:06 UTC
A 9-month-old boy with an aggressive brain tumor received a letter from his family’s insurance company explaining that treating the cancer would be too expensive and therefore “not medically necessary.” ‘Dear Connor Richardson,” the letter said, according to The Daily Beast, “As HIP Health Plan of New York, we try hard to provide you with access to quality health care services that meet your needs. When we decide to deny coverage for treatment or service, we want to make sure you know why.” Connor’s father — retired NYPD officer Wayne Richardson — told The Daily Beast’s Michael Daly that at 7 months old, his son had a frightening cry...
McCain Does Not Support New GOP Obamacare Repeal
2017-09-22 18:56:09 UTC
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John McCain said on Friday that he would vote against a new Republican bill to dismantle Obamacare if it is brought onto the Senate floor next week, in a new setback for the proposal. “I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal,” McCain said in a statement about the bill sponsored by Senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy. McCain said he could not support the bill not knowing how much it would cost and how it would affect insurance coverage, adding that he believed both parties could do better if they work together on legislation. Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Mary...
Elizabeth Warren backs Medicare for All
2017-09-07 16:49:43 UTC
Elizabeth Warren backs Medicare for All. Bernie Sanders has not yet introduced his Medicare for All bill in the Senate, but on Thursday morning it gained an important supporter in Warren. In a statement, Warren said she based her decision on her constituents’ needs and added: I believe it’s time to take a step back and ask: what is the best way to deliver high quality, low cost health care to all Americans? Everything should be on the table—and that’s why I’m co-sponsoring Bernie Sanders’s Medicare for All bill that will be introduced later this month. <hr><strong><a href="https://newrepublic.com/minutes/144728/elizabeth-warren-backs-...
Vitamins B6 and B12 Supplements Linked to Cancer in Men
2017-08-25 17:57:35 UTC
(The Atlantic) Energy. If you’re not taking vitamin B12, forget about having energy. As The Dr. Oz Show has recommended, “End your energy crisis with Vitamin B12.” The nice thing about sublingual pills is “you don’t need a doctor, you don’t need a prescription.” And don’t get me started on metabolism. If you want to “supercharge your metabolism and energy levels,” Amazon can deliver you a tall bottle of B12 supplements by the end of the day. Your metabolic processes will be the envy of the neighborhood. (“Is Janice ... on something?” “Yes—B12!”) These are the sort of vague marketing claims that have propelled the cobalt-based compoun...
Ukraine's Tuberculosis Problem Concerns Europe
2017-08-25 18:43:12 UTC
ODESSA, Ukraine — In the Ukrainian tourist destination of Odessa, a port on the Black Sea, holidaymakers mingle with internally displaced people from the country’s war-torn east, local Roma, students, and economic migrants from Central Asia and the Caucasus, Africa and Asia. Yet the air carries something less healthy than sea breezes: tuberculosis. Odessa has the highest rate of TB in Ukraine, with 110 cases per 100,000 people in 2016, and rising fast. Closely linked with migration, instability and poverty, controlling this airborne disease takes on additional urgency this year as Ukraine seeks to integrate into Europe thanks to a ne...
Whole Foods' Competitors Fear Amazon Price Cuts
2017-08-25 06:36:18 UTC
(Reuters) - Amazon said it will cut prices on a range of popular goods as it completes its acquisition of Whole Foods Market, sending shares of rival grocers tumbling on fears that brutal market share battles will intensify. Amazon’s $13.7 billion purchase of Whole Foods, which will be completed on Monday, has been hanging over a brick-and-mortar retail sector unsure of how to respond to the world’s biggest online retailer. Shares of Kroger Co, the biggest U.S. supermarket operator, closed down 8 percent, while Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the biggest U.S. food seller, closed down 2 percent. Amazon also said it will start selling Whole Fo...
When to stop mammograms for breast cancer survivors?
2017-08-07 05:26:06 UTC
Older breast cancer survivors who may not live long enough to benefit from routine mammograms are still often getting them, while some who do have more years ahead are not being screened, according to a U.S. study. Most guidelines agree that when a woman has short life expectancy because of old age or serious health conditions, screening mammography is of little benefit and presents potential harms. But older breast cancer survivors and their doctors have little guidance to help decide when it’s time to stop the screening, researchers write in Journal of Clinical Oncology. “Older women are often a forgotten group” in research, said l...
Only 29 percent of Americans want Congress to "continue working on a new healthcare bill"
2017-07-30 03:41:33 UTC
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A majority of Americans are ready to move on from healthcare reform at this point after the U.S. Senate's effort to dismantle Obamacare failed on Friday, according to an exclusive Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Saturday. Nearly two-thirds of the country wants to either keep or modify the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, and a majority of Americans want Congress to turn its attention to other priorities, the survey found. Republicans have vowed to dismantle the Affordable Care Act since Democratic President Barack Obama signed it into law in 2010, and it appeared they finally had their ch...
105-year-old Japanese doctor who was still working died
2017-07-18 06:18:09 UTC
TOKYO (Reuters) - A centenarian Japanese doctor who saw patients until just months before his death and helped set up the medical systems that have made Japan one of the world's longest-lived nations died on Tuesday at the age of 105. Born in 1911, a year before the Titanic sank, Shigeaki Hinohara was for decades the director and public face of St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo, so well known as an "international" hospital that it treated luminaries such as Paul McCartney when he fell ill during a 2014 Japanese tour. He was working at St Luke's as early as 1945, when he treated victims of the World War Two Tokyo firebombing ...