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Childhood infections can risk your heart

Washington D.C, Oct 19 (ANI): A recent research has linked childhood infections to increased risk of early heart attack.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer worldwide, including in Indonesia where it accounts for 31.9 percent of all deaths, said researcher Andriany Qanitha.

Qanitha added that CVD risk factors are rising rapidly in South-East Asia, particularly in young people. Most Indonesian CVD patients are under 56 years old and still economically productive. This very young CVD onset raises the question of whether local circumstances may play a role.

She continued that infectious diseases such as typhoid fever, measles, chicken pox, bronchitis, tuberculosis and dengue fever are common in Indonesian children. Researchers hypothesised that infections experienced in childhood and adolescence might adversely affect the vasculature and initiate atherosclerosis, leading to premature acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or heart attacks.

One explanation is that infection initiates chronic inflammation and atherosclerosis in the arteries, said Qanitha. “It could be that infection modifies CVD risk factors and leads to ACS.”

She concluded that the findings may apply to other countries in South-East Asia where infectious disease is still prevalent. Here governments and policymakers should have a combined strategy for tackling infectious disease and cardiovascular disease. Early-life infection may be a relatively unknown contributing factor in ACS occurrence.

The study has been present during Poster Session 1: Databases, Registries and Surveys. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

Early insulin treatment beneficial for diabetics

Washington D.C, Oct 19 (ANI): As per a recent study, mechanisms of early insulin treatment for diabetes may produce better outcomes.

The pilot study of 23 adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes found early insulin therapy to be as effective as 15 months of oral therapy and may improve the body’s ability to produce insulin.

The current standard of care calls for initial treatment with oral therapies that suppress glucose production by the liver. In contrast, insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows the body to use glucose and prevents blood sugar levels from getting too high. If used early it can provide effective treatment with fewer metabolic side effects.

Researchers from Ohio University and Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine have presented their updated findings at OMED 15 in Orlando.

In the randomized controlled trial, the insulin-treated group’s A1C levels decreased from 10.1 percent to 6.7 percent after 15 months. The group receiving intensive oral therapy saw its A1C level drop from 9.9 percent to 6.8 percent at 15 months. The insulin treatment was well tolerated with no severe hypoglycemia. While the intensive oral therapy group gained weight, insulin-treated subjects lost an average of five pounds.

While the improvement in glucose was relatively comparable between the two groups, the findings support the idea that the body can improve its natural insulin secreting ability when early insulin is given, said lead researcher Jay Shubrook, adding “This may be because early insulin therapy protects beta cells in the pancreas that respond to glucose and produce insulin.”

Based on additional research published in the journal Cell Metabolism in 2014, the mechanism appears to be re-differentiation of beta cells, Shubrook said. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

Alzheimer’s blood test comes closer to reality

Washington D.C, Oct 19 (ANI): A blood test that can accurately detect the presence of Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear may soon be available.

Researchers from the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine are nearing development of a blood test that can accurately detect the presence of Alzheimer’s disease, which would give physicians an opportunity to intervene at the earliest, most treatable stage.

Robert Nagele’s work focuses on utilizing autoantibodies as blood-based biomarkers to accurately detect the presence of myriad diseases and pinpoint the stage to which a disease has progressed.

By detecting Alzheimer’s disease long before symptoms emerge, Nagele hopes those with disease-related autoantibody biomarkers will be encouraged to make beneficial lifestyle changes that may help to slow development of the disease.

People found to have preclinical disease can take steps to improve their vascular health, including watching their diet, exercising and managing any weight and blood pressure issues to help stave off or slow disease progression, Nagele said.

The blood test developed by Nagele has also shown promise in detecting other diseases, including Parkinsons’s, multiple sclerosis and breast cancer.

The study has been presented at OMED 15 in Orlando. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

Forget antioxidant pills, just stick with gooseberry

Washington D.C, Oct 16 (ANI): A team of researchers has discovered that gooseberry skin and pulp contained higher antioxidant activity than other berries such as blueberries and cranberries.

The exotic Ceylon gooseberry fruit is an attractive purple berry that is produced in the southwest tropics of Brazil and is often used in jams and drinks and also sold as a fresh fruit.

Gooseberries contain high levels of phytochemicals, which have been reported in several studies to prevent oxidative stress that can cause cancer and heart disease. Gooseberry skin could potentially be a source of natural colorants and antioxidants for use in food manufacturing.

The researchers from the department of food science, food engineering school, Campinas State University in Brazil were the first to study the nutritional composition and antioxidant capacity of the gooseberry fruit.

The study is published in the Journal of Food Science. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

Just when you thought your larger brain equals higher intelligence

Washington D.C, Oct 15 (ANI): As per a recent study, larger brains do not lead to high IQs.

As early as 1836, the German physiologist and anatomist Friedrich Tiedemann, in an article in the Philosophical Transactions, expressed his opinion that “there is undoubtedly a connection between the absolute size of the brain and the intellectual powers and functions of the mind”. With the advent of brain imaging methods (e.g., MRI, PET), reliable assessments of in-vivo brain volume and investigations of its association with IQ are now possible.

Now, an international team of researchers, led by University of Vienna researchers Jakob Pietschnig, Michael Zeiler, and Martin Voracek from the Faculty of Psychology, together with Lars Penke (University of Gottingen) and Jelte Wicherts (Tilburg University), published a meta-analysis examining correlations between in-vivo brain volume and IQ in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.

Based on the data from 148 samples comprising over 8000 participants, they report a robust but weak association between brain size and IQ. This association appeared to be independent of participant sex and age.

The presently observed association means that brain volume plays only a minor role in explaining IQ test performance in humans. Although a certain association is observable, brain volume appears to be of only little practical relevance.

Rather, brain structure and integrity appear to be more important as a biological foundation of IQ, whilst brain size works as one of many compensatory mechanisms of cognitive functions, explains Jakob Pietschnig.

The importance of brain structure compared to brain volume becomes already evident when comparing different species. When considering absolute brain size, the sperm whale weighs in with the largest central nervous system. When controlling for body mass, the shrew is on the top of the list. Similar results emerge when considering other aspects of species anatomy: Homo sapiens never appears at the top at the list, as would be expected. Rather, differences in brain structure appear to be mainly responsible for between-species differences in cognitive performance.

Within Homo sapiens, there are indications that render a large association between IQ and brain volume similarly questionable. For instance, differences in brain size between men and women are well-established, yielding larger brains of men compared to women. However, there are no differences in global IQ test performance between men and women. Another example is individuals with megalencephaly syndrome (enlarged brain volume) who typically show lower IQ test performance than the average population. Therefore, structural aspects appear to be more important for cognitive performance within humans as well, concludes Jakob Pietschnig.

The study appears in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

Just when you thought sitting for hours will drive you to early grave

Washington D.C, Oct 14 (ANI): Whew! This is may come as a relief to people with desk jobs. As per a recent study, there’s no harm in sitting down for long periods of time.

New research from the University of Exeter and University College London has challenged claims that sitting for long periods increases the risk of an early death even if you are otherwise physically active.

The study, which, followed more than 5000 participants for 16 years (making it one of the longest follow-up studies in this area of research) and found that sitting, either at home or at work, is not associated with an increased risk of dying.

These findings challenge previous research suggesting that the act of sitting itself causes harm even when people routinely walk a lot or do other exercise. Importantly, the findings contradict NHS recommendations which state that remaining seated for too long is bad for your health, regardless of how much exercise you do.

Researcher Melvyn Hillsdon said that policy makers should be cautious in recommending a reduction in the time spent sitting without also promoting increased physical activity.

Hillsdon added that the study overturns current thinking on the health risks of sitting and indicates that the problem lies in the absence of movement rather than the time spent sitting itself. Any stationary posture where energy expenditure is low may be detrimental to health, be it sitting or standing.

The results cast doubt on the benefits of sit-stand work stations, which employers are increasingly providing to promote healthy working environments, noted Hillsdon.

Lead author Richard Pulsford added that the findings suggest that reducing sitting time might not be quite as important for mortality risk as previously publicised and that encouraging people to be more active should still be a public health priority.

The study is published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

How e-cigarettes, water pipes may lead to increased tobacco use

Washington D.C, Oct 14 (ANI): A recent study has revealed that the use of e-cigarettes and alternative tobacco products may lead to increased tobacco use.

The increasing use of alternative tobacco products, such as water pipes and e-cigarettes, by children under the age of 18 is a burgeoning public health crisis, researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center write in a commentary in the current issue of the).

Alternative tobacco products represent a new challenge in the 75-year-old war against tobacco, says commentary co-author Michael Weitzman, adding that with the increasing numbers of young adults using alternative tobacco products, people have every reason to be concerned.

There is a misperception that alternative tobacco products are safer than cigarettes, but the evidence says otherwise. Other researchers have demonstrated that a typical 45 minute hookah session is equivalent to smoking as many as five packs of cigarettes, Weitzman says.

The increasing popularity of alternative tobacco products threatens to undermine the gains seen in the last several years with the decline in cigarette use. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposes extending its tobacco authority to additional tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and hookahs, not already under the FDA’s authority.

Weitzman argues that the same tactics used to decrease cigarette smoking in the United States–taxation, education, and restrictions on advertising and sales to minors–need to be applied to alternative tobacco products. And, he says, more research needs to be done to determine what is being burned and inhaled with these products.

The study appears in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). (ANI)

Source: Aninews

Here’s when you should tweet to get maximum retweets

Washington D.C, Oct 12 (ANI): A new study has revealed the new algorithm to get you more retweets.

Researchers at the University of Maryland have demonstrated that an algorithm that takes into account the past activity of each of your followers and makes predictions about future tweeting can lead to more “retweets” than other commonly used methods, such as posting at peak traffic times.

The internet is full of advice about when to tweet to gain maximum exposure, but the new study subjects marketing folk wisdom to scientific scrutiny.

Researcher William Rand, along with co-authors, examined the retweeting patterns of 15,000 Twitter followers during two different five week intervals, in 2011 and 2012, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Retweets are especially valuable to marketers because they help to spread a brand’s message beyond core followers.

Most marketers are well aware there’s a pattern to Twitter traffic. In the early morning, nothing much happens. Then people get into work and retweet intensely, as they do their morning surfing. The number of retweets drops as the day progresses, with a slight uptick at 5 p.m.

Then it picks up again later “when people get back to their computers after dinner, or are out at a bar or restaurant using their phones,” as Rand puts it. Monday through Friday follow roughly that pattern, but Saturday and Sunday show markedly different behavior, with much smaller morning spikes and fewer declines during the day.

A “seasonal” model of posting — the folk-wisdom model — would suggest posting whenever there are peaks in that recurring weekly pattern. (Which peaks you choose would depend how many tweets you expect to send.)

The algorithm that the authors wrote, which took each individual’s behavior into account, was the most successful at generating retweets. The paper serves as a demonstration that applying analytic methods to Twitter data can improve a brand’s ability to spread its message.

The study appears in Proceedings of Advances in Social Networks Analysis and Mining. (ANI)

Source: Thetribune

Could early birds fly? 125m-yr-old wing holds clue to ancient mystery

Washington D.C, Oct 9 (ANI): With the discovery of 125-million-year-old fossil, a new study has tried to answer whether prehistoric birds could actually take to the air and fly.

Some of the most ancient birds were capable of performing aerodynamic feats in a manner similar to many living birds, according to the University of Bristol study.

Birds have an enormously long evolutionary history: the earliest of them, the famed Archaeopteryx, lived 150 million years ago in what is now southern Germany. This new fossil preserves not only the articulated bones of the forelimb but also abundant remains of the plumage and of the soft-tissues of the wing.

Specifically, it documents, for the first time, an intricate arrangement of fibres which matches anatomically with a complex network of ligaments, muscles and tendons present in modern-day birds. This network ensures the position and controls the fine adjustments of the wing’s main feathers, allowing living birds to fly efficiently and master the sky.

The presence of these structures in the wing of such a primitive bird supports the notion that at least some of the most ancient birds were capable of performing aerodynamic feats in a fashion similar to those of many living birds.

Lead author Guillermo Navaln said that it’s very surprising that despite being skeletally quite different from their modern counterparts, these primitive birds show striking similarities in their soft anatomy.

The anatomical match between the fibres preserved in the fossil and those that characterize the wings of living birds strongly indicates that some of the earliest birds were capable of aerodynamic prowess like many present-day birds, said Dr Luis Chiappe.

Ancient birds may have flown over the heads of dinosaurs but some aspects of the precise flight modes of these early fliers still remain unclear.

Co-author Jesus Marugan Lobon from Universidad Autonoma in Madrid said that fossils such as this are an open window to deep time and allow scientists access to the most intricate aspects of the early evolution of the flight of birds.

The study is published in Scientific Reports. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

New ‘psychic robot’ can guess intentions from your movements

People stand in front of a lit-up section of Azadi (Freedom) Square during a ceremony in western Tehran March 31, 2008. The ceremony was held to mark the vote in a national referendum in 1979 which saw Iran became known as an Islamic Republic. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (REUTERS)

Washington D.C, Oct 8 (ANI): A team of researchers have come up with a ‘psychic robot’ that knows what you really meant to do.

Bioengineers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have developed a mathematical algorithm that can “see” your intention while performing an ordinary action like reaching for a cup or driving straight up a road, even if the action is interrupted.

“Say you’re reaching for a piece of paper and your hand is bumped mid-reach — your eyes take time to adjust; your nerves take time to process what has happened; your brain takes time to process what has happened and even more time to get a new signal to your hand,” said first author Justin Horowitz.

“So, when something unexpected happens, the signal going to your hand can’t change for at least a tenth of a second — if it changes at all,” Horowitz added.

The algorithm can predict the way you wanted to move, according to your intention, Horowitz said. The car’s artificial intelligence would use the algorithm to bring the car’s course more in line with what the driver wanted to do.

“If we hit a patch of ice and the car starts swerving, we want the car to know where we meant to go,” he said. “It needs to correct the car’s course not to where I am now pointed, but [to] where I meant to go.”

For a stroke patient, a “smart” prosthesis must be able to interpret what the person means to do even as the person’s own body corrupts their actions (due to muscle spasms or tremors.) The algorithm may make it possible for a device to discern the person’s intent and help them complete the task smoothly.

Horowitz noted that they call it psychic robot, adding that this algorithm can be used to design machines that could correct the course of a swerving car or help a stroke patient with spasticity.

The study is published online in the journal PLOS ONE. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

1980s sci-fi classic turns science fact with new glasses-free 3D tech

Washington D.C, Oct 7 (ANI): The 3D billboard that was present in the 1980s sci-fi classic ‘Back to the Future Part II,’ may actually exist in a few short years as scientists have created a new prototype for a 3-D display which can be used without 3-D glasses.

Flying cars, hoverboards and video chat – a very futuristic vision for the year 2015 was presented in the movie that was released in 1989. Now, shortly before “Back to the Future Day” on October 21st, 2015, it is time to check whether reality has indeed kept up with the daring predictions of the 80s.

One of the technological innovations presented in this film was a huge 3D display. As far as this invention is concerned, Hollywood was almost right. Such displays will soon be possible.

TU Wien and TriLite Technologies are presenting a display element which uses special micro optics and moving micro mirrors to project different pictures into different directions. This technology can be used to create 3D displays without the need for 3D glasses.

A first prototype has been developed by TriLite Technologies and TU Wien a few months ago. Each 3D pixel (called “TrixelTM”) consists of a laser and a moveable mirror. The mirror directs the laser beams across the field of vision, from left to right. During that movement the image information is changed. With this basic idea, different pictures can be sent to the viewer´s left and right eye, so that a 3D effect is created without the need for 3D glasses.

Now, a much more advanced second prototype has been presented. It is now a full color display, a significant advancement over the first monochromatic version. Each Trixel has been equipped with three different lasers (red, green and blue). The module consists of 12×9 Trixels, so any number of modules can be assembled to create a large outdoor display.

Researcher Jorg Reitterer said that the software for controlling the modules and displaying movies has already been developed, adding that they can use any off-the-shelf 3D movie and play it on our display.

The study appears in Optics Express. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

Heavier the Internet use, higher the blood pressure risk in teens

Washington D.C, Oct 7 (ANI): As per a recent study, teens, who spend hours on the Internet may be at risk for high blood pressure.

Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit found that teens who spent at least 14 hours a week on the Internet had elevated blood pressure. Of 134 teens described by researchers as heavy Internet users, 26 had elevated blood pressure.

This is believed to be the first study to show a link between time spent on the Internet and high blood pressure. The findings add to growing research that has shown an association between heavy Internet use and other health risks like addiction, anxiety, depression, obesity and social isolation.

Lead author Andrea Cassidy-Bushrow says the take-home message for teens and parents is moderation.

“Using the Internet is part of our daily life but it shouldn’t consume us,” she says. “In our study, teens considered heavy Internet users were on the Internet an average of 25 hours a week.

She added that it’s important that young people take regular breaks from their computer or smartphone, and engage in some form of physical activity, recommending parents to limit their children’s’ time at home on the Internet. “Two hours a day, five days a week is good rule of thumb.”

Cassidy-Bushrow says the findings provide valuable information for school nurses for monitoring the health of students. School nurses could conduct annual health screenings where blood pressure and Internet use behaviors could be assessed. Students with an elevated blood pressure would then have a follow-up visit to determine next steps.

The study appears in a study published in the Journal of School Nursing. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

Repeat aloud to another person to boost your recall

Washington D.C, Oct 7 (ANI): A new study has revealed that repeating aloud to another person can boost your recall.

Repeating aloud boosts verbal memory, especially when you do it while addressing another person, says Victor Boucher of the University of Montreal.

It was known that repeating aloud was good for memory, but this is the first study to show that if it is done in a context of communication, the effect is greater in terms of information recall, Boucher explained.

The results show a clear difference when the exercise was performed aloud in the presence of someone else, even though the participants had heard absolutely nothing. Repeating in one’s head without gesturing was the least effective way to recall information.

The simple fact of articulating without making a sound creates a sensorimotor link that increases our ability to remember, but if it is related to the functionality of speech, we remember even more, Boucher said.

The results of the research confirm the importance of motor sensory experiences in memory retention and help to better define sensory episodes associated with verbal expression, Boucher concluded.

The research will be published in the next edition of Consciousness and Cognition. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

When it comes to workouts, more is better for your heart

Washington D.C., Oct 6 (ANI): A new research has revealed that doing higher level of physical activity lowers the risk of developing heart failure rather than just following the U.S. physical activity guidelines recommendation.

The research led by American Heart Association explained that the current U.S. physical activity guidelines recommendation of a minimum of at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week was associated with only a modest reduction in heart failure risk, whereas increasing twice the minimum recommended dose helps to reduce the risk of heart failure.

The researchers explained that heart failure occurs when the heart is not able to supply adequate amounts of blood to the rest of the body and is characterized by shortness of breath and a reduced ability to exercise.

Jarett D. Berry, senior author of the study, said that walking 30 minutes a day as recommended in the U.S. physical activity guidelines, might not be enough for healthy heart, so one should do more physical activity to reduce the risk of heart failure.

The study noted that decreasing heart problems with increasing physical activity was consistent across all age, sex, race, and geographic location based subgroups studied.

The research is published in Circulation journal. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

Don’t worry, be happy! Positive emotions good for your heart

Washington D.C., Oct 6 (ANI): A new research has suggested that people who inculcate positive emotions and maintain positivity are less likely to develop any heart-disease than those who tend not to be happy.

The research conducted by Penn State examined 1,000 patients with coronary heart disease over the course of five years and observed that patients who reported higher positive psychological states were more likely to be physically active, sleep better and take their heart medications and were also less likely to smoke, compared to patients with lower levels of positive states.

Nancy L. Sin, postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Healthy Aging, said that negative emotions and depression are known to have harmful effects on health, but now they have found that positive emotions are associated with a range of long-term health habits, which are important for reducing the risk of future heart problems and death.

Although, researchers found no correlation between positive emotions and alcohol use and that positive emotions at baseline did not predict changes in health behaviors.

The researchers concluded that their findings will help in future work on interventions to improve health habits and further research with other chronic disease populations and with electronic tracking of health behaviors should be conducted.

The research is published in Psychosomatic Medicine journal. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

Here`s how millennials consume paid media content

Washington D.C, Oct 5 (ANI): A new study has explored how millennials consume paid media content.

A majority of Millennials regularly got paid news content in the last year, whether paid for by themselves or someone else, according to the new study conducted by the Media Insight Project, a collaboration between the American Press Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Moreover, 40 percent of Millennials personally paid for news. The study is a deeper examination of a nationwide survey conducted in early 2015.

This study makes it clear that, contrary to popular belief, Millennials pay for content online, but there are differences in their approach to consuming news that will continue to make paid or subscription models a challenge for news publishers attempting to attract a younger demographic said Trevor Tompson.

The study found that socioeconomic differences are not a major indicator. The study found few socioeconomic differences between those who pay for news and those who do not. 87 percent of Millennials pay for some types of content, and the most popular services are movies and television (55 percent) and music (48 percent).

It also showed that Facebook and search engines are still the most common sources for obtaining news, even among those Millennials who pay for news from other sources.

One big factor in whether people pay for news is their attitude about whether news helps their lives, but there is also a challenge here. Some cohorts of Millennials believe that because news is important for democracy, it should be free, almost like a right said Tom Rosenstiel.

He added “And we don’t know whether that view will change as these younger adults age. That is going to be a hurdle for news publishers.” (ANI)

Source: Aninews

Cheating isn`t so serious when done on Facebook

Washington D.C, Oct 5 (ANI): A team of researchers exploring how players bend the rules in social media games and judge others for doing the same has found that cheaters sometimes prosper on Facebook.

What does it mean to cheat in a Facebook game like FarmVille? Is it any different from breaking the rules in a traditional videogame like World of Warcraft? New research shows that players often dismiss the seriousness of social network games, meaning cheating isn’t so serious when it’s done on Facebook.

Concordia communications researchers Mia Consalvo and Irene Serrano Vazquez polled 151 social media gamers between the ages of 18 and 70. They asked them to respond to questions about why people would choose to cheat on a social media game.

They wanted to know how do players define cheating in general? How do players define cheating in social network games? What cheating-related practices do players engage in while playing social network games? And how is cheating in social network games conceptualized differently by players, compared to cheating in more traditional console- and PC-based games?

Clearly, rules are not the same thing for every player, says Consalvo, adding that for some participants, specific actions or practices do not determine what is cheating, instead, they define cheating by the purposes or motives behind those actions or practices.

The majority of survey respondents reported at least some kind of cheating: they admitted to playing social network games to help friends (65 per cent) or family members (58.3 per cent) advance their scores, and to asking friends (52.1 per cent) or family (50 per cent) to play a social network game in order to advance their own scores, and to adding strangers (53.9 per cent) to do the same.

A high number of participants admitted to purchasing currency to advance play (40.2 per cent), creating multiple accounts (31.1 per cent) and logging into someone else’s account (20.6 per cent). The use of cheat codes, a means of cheating requiring greater technical skill, was a much rarer practice among participants, only 8.2 per cent admitted to doing so.

Players believe cheating might be different based on the platform on which play takes place, says Consalvo, noting that “hey believe social network games are not ‘real’ games, so you can’t cheat at them

Consalvo hopes future studies will consider how playing with real profiles affects players’ game ethics and their attitudes toward various practices.

The study appears in New Media and Society. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

Just when you thought calcium pills can protect your bones

Ban on 11 Pharmaceutical Industries of Himachal

Washington D.C, Sept 30 (ANI): As per a recent study, increasing calcium intake through dietary sources or supplements is unlikely to improve bone health or prevent fractures in older people.

Collectively, results of the two studies suggest that increasing calcium intake, through supplements or dietary sources, should not be recommended for fracture prevention.

Guidelines advise older men and women to take at least 1000-1200 mg/day of calcium to improve bone density and prevent fractures, and many people take calcium supplements to meet these recommendations. Recent concerns about the safety of calcium supplements have led experts to recommend increasing calcium intake through food rather than by taking supplements, but the effect on bone health is unknown.

It is time to revisit recommendations to increase calcium intake beyond a normal balanced diet, argues Karl Michaelsson from Uppsala University in Sweden, in an accompanying editorial.

He points out that ever increasing intakes of calcium and vitamin D recommended by some guidelines defines virtually the whole population aged over 50 at risk. Yet most will not benefit from increasing their intakes, he warns, and will be exposed instead to a higher risk of adverse events.

The weight of evidence against such mass medication of older people is now compelling, and it is surely time to reconsider these controversial recommendations, he concludes.

The study is published in The BMJ. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

The later you leave education, the likelier you are to be healthy adult


Washington D.C, Sept 30 (ANI): Educational attainment in children is associated with positive health transitions into adulthood, as per a recent study.

A longer education in childhood has been linked to positive transitions in health, according to the research.

Researchers surveyed 3596 young participants in Finland, aged 3 to 18, to see how they would rate their own health. The results suggested that a one year difference in education resulted in a 16percent higher transition, from ‘mediocre’ to ‘good’ self-rated health.

The study examined results from surveys in 1980 to 2007, where health behaviours, social support, self-esteem, and work-related health hazards were assessed. Each participant was observed three times: in 1986, 1989, and 2001.

Participants were asked questions about their current state of health, whether they smoked and drank alcohol, and how strenuous their job was in order to adjust the results of educational attainment accordingly.

The main effect of a one year increase in education was robust to these other factors. The use of longitudinal date with multiple outcome measures enabled the study to test health transitions over a long period of time.

Co-author Marko Elovainio explained that few studies have adopted similar robust designs to investigate the effects of education in general health status. The findings may have ‘some implications for policy by focussing on the accumulation of risk factors and benefits throughout life, ensuring that children with health problems are not disadvantaged in educational opportunities.

The study concluded that academic attainment predicts positive self-rated health transitions from childhood to adulthood, and that multiple processes rather than a single underlying factor are likely to bring about the association.

The study is published in the Journal of Public Health. (ANI)

Source: Aninews

Depression gene has `silver lining

Washington D.C, Sept 28 (ANI): As per a recent study, people with a certain type of gene are more deeply affected by their life experiences.

The findings challenge traditional thinking about depression, showing what might be considered a risk gene for depression in one context, may actually be beneficial in another.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne were interested in why some, but not all adults who have experienced sexual or physical abuse as children go on to develop long-term depression.

The research focused on a particular gene, known as SERT, that transports the mood-regulating chemical, serotonin. Every person has one of three types of SERT gene, either the long-long (l/l), the short-long (s/l), or the short-short (s/s).

In the future, the gene could signal a person’s susceptibility to depression, particularly if they have a history of child abuse. And it may help doctors identify patients who need extra assistance to recover from depression.

Lead investigator Chad Bousman said while the relationship between the SERT gene and depression has been studied before, it has never been examined over time.

He said that the results suggest some people have a genetic makeup that makes them more susceptible to negative environments, but if put in a supportive environment these same people are likely to thrive.

He said this is good news for people experiencing depression and their treating health professionals.

The study is published in British Journal of Psychiatry Open. (ANI)

Source: Aninews
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